76 Of The Best Movies To Stream On Amazon Prime Video In December

Being the Ricardos, Encounter, Edward Scissorhands, and more great titles you'll want to stream this month.

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1. 50/50 (2011)

Chris Helcermanas-Benge / Summit Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection

I really feel for Bryce Dallas Howard. She has got the shittiest luck with roles. She was the titular lady in the abysmal Lady in the Water. She was Gwen Stacy in the oft-mocked Spider-Man 3. She ate a poop pie in The Help and was the replacement ginger in Twilight. She became this meme from Black Mirror. But it's hard to go lower than playing someone who cheats on their boyfriend who has cancer. And that is what she does in this Joseph Gordon-Levitt–Seth Rogen comedy about one friend taking care of the other with death possibly looming. It's a sweet film about friendship, grief, and how badly Howard needs redemption. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

2. Alien (1979)

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Alien is equal parts analog sci-fi adventure and horror film of the slasher variety (only instead of Michael Myers, it’s the titular alien doing the killing). When the spaceship Nostromo and its seven-member crew touch down at an abandoned spaceship because of a distress call, they end up leaving with a stowaway. The alien then proceeds to slowly kill the crew one by one à la Jason Voorhees with a much longer head. The film skyrocketed Sigourney Weaver (playing the iconic Ripley) to stardom and would spawn several sequels/prequels/spinoffs, including Aliens, the rare example of a second movie being just as good as the first. This is also a classic cat movie, if you’re into that. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

3. Annette (2021)

Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

Let me say right off the bat that this is NOT a film for everyone. The rock opera musical from French auteur Leos Carax (Holy Motors) performed well among the elite cinephiles present at its Cannes Film Festival premiere, but its polarizing, slightly obtuse nature will make it a difficult sit for many. Adam Driver plays an edgy stand-up comedian who falls in love with Marion Cotillard’s opera singer. While Driver and Cotillard throw the full force of their acting powers into the roles, to mesmerizing effect, the structure of the movie, mimicking that of an opera, is much slower than a traditional movie musical. For those in love with French cinema and looking for a challenge, however, this could be a rewarding way to spend an evening. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

4. Atonement (2006)

Mary Evans / Universal Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

I'd like to start by saying that Keira Knightley's green dress in Atonement is one of the greatest pieces of modern cinematic costume design ever. To watch her float around that mansion in the film's early scenes is better than anything going on at Paris Fashion Week — and the costumes deservedly scored the film one of its seven Oscar nominations. This epic romance, based on the bestselling Ian McEwan novel, details one tragic dinner party and how the events that transpire haunt those present for decades to follow. Saoirse Ronan makes her splashy Oscar-nominated breakthrough on the world stage, James McAvoy is looking as dapper as ever, and that sex scene in the library! My god, what else can you ask for from a film?

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

5. Beginners (2010)

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It's a real curve ball when your father comes out of the closet at the age of 75, and despite what the girls on The White Lotus may have to say, embracing your father's newly expressed sexuality can take some time. Christopher Plummer, in an Academy Award–winning turn, plays Hal, who comes out after the death of his wife and begins a whole new life, only to find out he's dying of cancer. Oliver (Ewan McGregor), his son, then must not only process his father's new life choices, including a relationship with a much younger man, but also care for him in his final days. The film questions how well any of us truly knows our parents, and also asks how we would react if we were suddenly given a fuller picture of their lives. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

6. *Being the Ricardos (2021)

Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

LUCY, I'M HOME! And so is Amazon's new Lucille Ball biopic, which now resides on the tech giant's streaming platform. While the internet has expressed consternation about Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman's casting as the sitcom legend since the film's early stills appeared, there was no reason for concern. Kidman and Javier Bardem (who plays her husband, Desi Arnaz) combine just enough impression within their performances to make them believable without becoming caricatures. The Aaron Sorkin script is tight, focusing on the pair as they traverse a hectic week full of accusations of communism, cheating allegations, an unexpected pregnancy, inter-cast drama, and of course a full-episode production cycle. The film zips along, with Sorkin's dialogue leading the film to a propulsive and cathartic end. A rare Oscar contender that is as fun as it as good. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime starting Dec. 21. 

7. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Ishika Mohan / Fox Searchlight Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

If Dame Maggie Smith decides she's going to India, then by golly, I'm going to India with her. In this delightful romantic comedy aimed at a more, shall we say, mature audience, Smith's Muriel moves to a retirement home in India along with a posse of fellow British pensioners (that is a UK phrase if I've ever heard one). The ragtag group is, of course, full of English acting royalty, including Old Deuteronomy herself Dame Judi Dench, Davy Jones sans tentacle beard Bill Nighy, and feisty Cousin Isabel Penelope Winton. The titular hotel is, of course, run by the dreamy Dev Patel, who fosters the group's various romances and adventures. Don't let the cast's average age fool you — this is a romp for the whole family if you can swallow a few jokes about taking pills. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

8. The Big Sick (2017)

Lionsgate / Courtesy Everett Collection

So let’s say you dated a girl for five months and then she broke up with you. And then she went to the hospital and was put into a coma. And then her parents came and they knew you broke up. And then you just had to sit with them awkwardly in the waiting room because you did still care about the girl. Thus is the premise of The Big Sick, and also the real-life events surrounding the romance of the film's writers, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (who is also the star). One of the best romantic comedies of the past decade, this film also examines interracial dating in a smart, nuanced way and is stacked with your comedy faves, including Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, and Bo Burnham (whose recent comedy special Inside is a masterpiece). Now is also a great time to watch The Big Sick, as ripped Nanjiani will be in Marvel’s Eternals this fall. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

9. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Universal / Courtesy Everett Collection

In today's age of Tom Cruise the stunt double, it is hard to remember that decades ago, his career was much more focused on Oscar-sighted dramas than on breaking bones as an action movie star. The three-time Oscar-nominated actor consistently proved that he was more than just a handsome face. Perhaps his best performance comes in this Best Picture nominee about a handicapped Vietnam War veteran who returns home disillusioned and ready to speak out against the government. Cruise disappears into the role of a man suffering from PTSD and the scars of war, only to be shunned by his family and community for not being patriotic enough. Watching Cruise here makes you wonder what he is capable of now if he stops hanging out of helicopters. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

10. Bottle Shock (2008)

Freestyle Releasing / Courtesy Everett Collection

Once upon a time, I was home for the summer from college and rented this film from the library because I love Alan Rickman (Harry Potter, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Sense and Sensibility; I could go on). I found the movie captivating and demanded the DVD for Christmas. Rickman stars as a snobbish connoisseur of French wine who decides to throw a competition between the lauded French wineries and the looked-down-upon Californian upstarts (the leads of whom are Bill Pullman and Chris Pine). Rickman is an absolute delight, and I (someone who buys $4 watermelon rosé from Trader Joes) was mesmerized by the true story that put Napa Valley on the map in the ’70s. Perhaps uncork a bottle of wine and settle in for the evening?   

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

11. Bride Wars (2009)

Fox 2000 Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

"Call me dreamcatcher. I'll answer." You can also call me an Anne Hathaway superfan (I've seen every single one of her movies) and a Bride Wars apologist. Don't let the 11% Rotten Tomatoes score deceive you — this Kate Hudson–Hathaway two-hander is a hoot. It's a campy sendup of bridezillas, with the pair resorting to Home Alone–level pranks to try to ruin the other's wedding. Candice Bergen, Casey Wilson, and Kristen Johnston show up in hilarious bit roles, and Chris Pratt was perfecting his creepy, overly possessive partner bit here long before his cringe IG post. Also, catch me doing "sprockets" on every dance floor from now to eternity. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

12. Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)

Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

As somewhat of a marathon expert (I’ve written a whole book about the sport), I can personally attest to the tremendous amount of work that goes into running 26.2 miles, as well as the euphoric emotional payoff of finishing. This Jillian Bell film (based on a true story) follows Brittany as she signs up for the New York City Marathon in an attempt to get her life back on track. The heartwarming comedy also stars Michaela Watkins (Search Party) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Pitch Perfect) and is the first feature film to actually shoot on location during the marathon. Watching Brittany finish her race is incredibly inspiring and will make you want to sign up for a marathon as well. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

13. Burning (2018)

Well Go USA / Courtesy Everett Collection

Yes, this is a two-and-a-half-hour Korean film with subtitles, but BOY, OH BOY, is it worth it. Watching Burning, which is based on the short story “Barn Burning” by Haruki Murakami, was one of the most enjoyable viewing experiences I’ve had in recent memory. The film (which the Oscars snubbed) begins as a lyrical love story between Jong-Su (Yoo Ah-in) and Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), but just as the two seem to have found a rhythm, they are interrupted by the suave, charismatic Ben (Minari’s Oscar-nominated Steven Yeun). Not knowing what will happen is the beauty of this film, so I won’t say more, but like Parasite, it pivots into something more mysterious, subverting expectations repeatedly along the way. Please do yourself a favor and go stream it.    

Watch it on Amazon Prime.

14. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

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If you're looking to cross another classic off your to-watch list, then this Western is ripe for the taking. The film, which consistently shows up on "Best Movies Ever" lists, stars Hollywood legends Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. After a string of train robberies leaves them in the crosshairs of the authorities, the pair go on the run, outwitting and outshooting the investigators hot on their trail. The film was nominated for seven Oscars (including Best Picture) and remains a watchable caper to this day. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

15. Casino Royale (2006)

Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

With Daniel Craig's final James Bond outing in the rearview and the world patiently awaiting a casting announcement for the new Bond (please be Daniel Kaluuya), it's time to revisit the film that launched his tenure. Casino Royale was just so damn good that it put the previous films to shame and created a shadow so deep and dark, its sequels could never quite wriggle out of it. It has often been called the best Bond film of all time, includes one of the best action sequences ever shot, and created a Bond girl so captivating that the hero was still grieving her five films later. If you want to watch a Bond movie, this is the one to choose. You'll never think about blue swim trunks, a construction crane, or a cage elevator the same way again. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

16. Cold War (2018)

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The first time I tried to see Cold War in theaters, I had to leave 10 minutes in because the man sitting behind me said he’d found bedbugs in his chair. Nevertheless! I had such high hopes for the movie that I booked a ticket at a different theater the next day (after nuking my clothes in the dryer and scrubbing down in the shower), and I was not disappointed. This Oscar-nominated Polish film from Pawel Pawlikowski follows the star-crossed 20-year romantic saga of Zula and Wiktor during the Cold War. Shot in stark black and white, the story is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. A romance for the ages.  

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

17. The Constant Gardener (2005)

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Look, I'll just say it. If you're in love with Ralph Fiennes in a movie and he wants to go to Africa, DON'T DO IT. It didn't end well for poor Kristin Scott Thomas in The English Patient, and it doesn't end well for Rachel Weisz here. Whether a gardener or a patient, he is bad news. In this film, he plays a British diplomat to Kenya, who is trying to solve the murder of his wife (Weisz). Alternating between present day and flashbacks, the film slowly unravels the mystery, handling Weisz a meaty role (and Oscar win) in the process. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

18. Dan in Real Life (2007)

Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Let's gather the family around the piano and sing a rousing round of "Ruthie Pigface Draper" in honor of Dan in Real Life coming to Amazon. An extremely strange/eclectic cast — including funnyman/villain Steve Carell, French Oscar winner Juliette Binoche, cheerfully dying Christian Brittany Robertson, stand-up comedian Dane Cook, living legend and cruise attender Dianne Wiest, and of course Pigface herself, Emily Blunt — descend upon a Rhode Island house for a weekend with comedy and drama to transpire. Carell's titular Dan, a widower, falls in love with Binoche's Marie, the girlfriend of Dan's brother. MESSY, MESSY, MESSY, but oh so fun to watch. The whole thing is written and directed by Peter Hedges (Lucas's dad) and ends with a group dancing scene. How can you not love a movie that ends with dancing? 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

19. Dead Poet's Society (1989)

Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Curses on Saturday Night Live for making this sketch the first thing I think about when I hear "dead poets society," but if I can push past my trauma, I do remember how wonderfully marvelous this Robin Williams boarding school drama is. The Best Picture nominee (and Best Screenplay winner) follows Williams as he tries to inspire his students by teaching them to love poetry. The film single-handedly taught a generation the meaning of "carpe diem" and two lines of a poem by Walt Whitman. The magic of a great teacher when you're in those prime high school years can do endless good for a person, and Williams here gives you all the feels and inspiration you had (or wish you did) as a teen. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

20. Die Hard (1988)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

Please weigh in on the cultural debate. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Every year when the holidays roll around and new lists of best Christmas movies arrive, the issue is drudged back up. Is the Bruce Willis–helmed action film about a cop stopping a terrorist attack on Christmas Eve technically a "Christmas movie" or a "movie set on Christmas"? The debate rages on. Either way, the caper, which sees Willis crawling around in air ducts and Alan Rickman pontificating as iconic villain Hans Gruber, is extremely watchable. There are bona fide Christmas films *cough* It's a Wonderful Life *cough* that are much more of a slog to get through. Christmas films would be lucky to have Die Hard. So "Yippee ki-yay" to that, Mother Marys. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

21. Divergent (2014)

Jaap Buitendijk / Summit Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection

The Divergent franchise quickly fell down a large pit (without a safety net at the bottom), free-falling through plot holes, cringey acting, and behind-the-scenes drama so potent, it destroyed any hope of the series' fourth and final installment. That all aside, the opening film is a sexy, fun YA romp set to one of the most badass movie scores in recent memory. Divergent is action packed, it's got steamy scenes with Theo James shirtless, it's got an iconic Navy Pier Ferris wheel moment, and of course at its center is a campy performance by Oscar winner Kate Winslet. Not every movie can be an indie darling. Some movies are entertaining YA bangers, and this happens to be one of those. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

22. Duplicity (2009)

Andrew D. Scchwartz / Universal / Courtesy Everett Collection

A film about two cosmetics companies racing to find the cure for balding doesn't sound all that interesting. But what if we took two government spies with a romantic past, put them into the private sector as corporate agents of espionage, and had them battle it out to steal the opposing brand's hair loss miracle treatment? Sound more interesting? Or at least camp enough that you want in? The pair of romantic spies are played by Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, with the never disappointing Paul Giamatti as the head of one of the corporate brands. The fizzy, twisty film is an entertaining puzzle for viewers to piece together, and if you're not into that, you can at least watch spies fall in love. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

23. *Edward Scissorhands (1990)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

After their success with Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder and director Tim Burton teamed up a second time to make a movie about a strange titular character with disheveled hair. In this case, it's Edward Scissorhands, a humanoid created by an aging inventor left with scissors for hands (duh) when the inventor dies. A young Johnny Depp (known mostly for bit roles in Nightmare on Elm Street and Platoon at the time) takes the lead in this strange gothic romance where he falls in love with a human girl. A perfect addition to Burton's kooky early lineup, the film (and Depp's performance) is as mesmerizing today as it was when it first arrived in theaters. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

24. The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

Somehow I assumed this movie was about an inventor. Probably because of "electrical" in the title. It is not. It is basically a movie about a man who REALLY, REALLY, REALLY likes cats. Based on the real life of Louis Wain, the film follows Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), an eccentric artist at the turn of the century who specialized in drawing brightly colored cats. If the film is to be believed, Wain almost single-handedly turned cats into the rival of dogs for most popular house pet. Prior to him, they were considered mangy strays. But after he adopted cats with his wife (Claire Foy) and then spent his entire life drawing them, they took the world by storm, with everyone nabbing a cat after falling in love with his illustrations. If you're a dog person, you now know to whom you should send your hate mail. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

25. *Encounter (2021)

Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

Not a movie to watch if you are easily creeped out by bugs, parasites, or tiny microbial creatures burrowing into your body while you sleep, only to slowly take over your mind and turn you into a zombie. In this sci-fi/horror feature, Riz Ahmed's Malik believes the world to be under threat by microscopic alien lifeforms, and so he kidnaps his children to protect them from their infected mother. As a cross-country chase ensues, with the police and potentially dangerous diseased carriers closing in, Malik struggles to keep his tiny family together. And then, of course, there is the question: Is this all just in his head? 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

26. Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021)

Deam Rogers / 20th Century Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

If you're a musical and you can get me listening to your song on repeat for a week, then you've got my support. And my Spotify certainly knows I've been jamming to "And You Don't Even Know It" nonstop. The film, based on the smash hit, Olivier Award–nominated West End musical, follows a teenage boy named Jamie (newcomer Max Harwood) who dreams of becoming a drag queen. The songs are certified bops, and the glitzy choreography is a joy to watch. The supporting cast — including the never bad Richard E. Grant as his drag mentor, Sarah Lancashire as the supportive mother every queer kid wishes they had, and Lauren Patel as Jamie's peppy best friend — also bolsters the film. Inject this kind of pure, wholesome, LGBTQ fun straight into my arm, please. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

27. The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Fox Searchlight / Courtesy Everett Collection

For diehard Wes Anderson fans, people who loved The French Dispatch and want more, or just people who follow the Accidental Wes Anderson Instagram account, might I suggest visiting/revisiting his stop-motion classic? Based on the Roald Dahl novel, the Oscar-nominated family film follows the ingenious (and obviously sly) fox with a penchant for stealing. Anderson's particular, pastel-infused, symmetrical shots are right at home in this world where every set, backdrop, and prop is hand-crafted for his vision. And while some Anderson films veer a little too far off into the weeds in the name of aesthetics, this one is highly approachable. I know we've already got a whole Willie Wonka movie on the horizon, but wouldn't an Anderson Charlie and the Chocolate Factory be a vibe? 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

28. The Farewell (2019)

A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

Apparently, in China it is not an uncommon practice to hide death prognoses from patients in hopes that they will have a higher quality of life as they near life’s end. In this film, directed by Lulu Wang and based on her experience, the Wang family receive news that the matriarch, Nai Nai, has terminal lung cancer. Instead of sharing that news, they decide to stage a wedding as an excuse to bring the whole family to China to see their grandmother one final time. Billi (Awkwafina) tags along but is extremely uneasy about lying to her grandmother so excessively. What transpires will make you not only laugh but also cry, sigh, smile, and feel a gamut of other emotions as the film looks at the importance of family and the ends we’ll go to to protect the ones we love.    

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

29. Fight Club (1999)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

The first rule of Fight Club may be "Do not talk about Fight Club," but here I am talking about it anyway. The cult classic David Fincher film, based on a Chuck Palahniuk novel, is a must-watch, if only to know all of the references people constantly make to this film. The rules. The soap. Brad Pitt's sweaty abs. This trippy film about a straitlaced man's crisis and descent into insomniac madness has become a favorite among those dissatisfied by consumerism, complacency, and the corporate machine. The film is also filled with endless Easter eggs and hidden references so that even those who have seen it a dozen times will still pick up on something new. And like I said, Brad Pitt's sweaty abs. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

30. *Funny People (2009)

Tracy Bennett / Universal / Courtesy Everett Collection

More often than not, Adam Sandler errs on the side of goofy in his films. Prat falls, fart machines, and wacky costumes are all par for the course. But contrary to a commonly held opinion, Sandler is not a bad actor, something that is apparent when he plays against type, as in Uncut Gems, Punch-Drunk Love, and this Judd Apatow film about a famous comedian who learns that he's dying. The film perfectly harnesses Sandler's charisma and charm, allowing him to be funny while also steering him into deeper waters (as is often the case with Apatow's films). It's as poignant as it is humorous, and Sandler is bolstered by an all-star cast that includes Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and Apatow's wife, the criminally underrated Leslie Mann. Not until Blockers did she receive top billing for a project, despite being consistently funny in everything she does (even when the movies are horrible). Somebody please give her another meaty leading role. Thank you. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

31. Get Shorty (1995)

MGM / Courtesy Everett Collection

We saw in The Godfather that the mob and the film industry do not always go hand in hand. Occasionally, when the two worlds touch, you end up with a horse head in your bed. In Get Shorty, however, the merger of cinema and "construction" leads to a more pleasant effect. John Travolta's Chili heads from Miami to LA to settle a debt with a B-movie director (Gene Hackman) and somehow manages to find himself as the newest member of a production team. The gangster comedy sends its lead down an increasingly absurd and humorous path as he's tasked with casting an aging scream queen (Rene Russo) and her Oscar-winning ex (Danny DeVito) in the new film. The whole film is like one of Donkey Kong's mine cars, bouncing down a path of messy, chaotic fun — but we're enjoying every single minute of it. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

32. The Graduate (1967)

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If you've ever heard the phrase "Mrs. Robinson" used for an older woman seducing a younger man, this is where the term came from. Anne Bancroft played the OG Mrs. Robinson (in an Oscar-nominated performance, I might add) in this '60s romantic dramedy. A very young Dustin Hoffman is the titular graduate, done with college and adrift in the world, unsure what to do with his life. Then he meets Mrs. Robinson, who has some ideas as to what/whom he should do. The film, directed by the legendary Oscar-winning Mike Nichols, scooped up seven Oscar nominations on its way to becoming a cultural touchstone and launching Hoffman's career. This is also the film we have to thank for the great Simon & Garfunkel song. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

33. The House Bunny (2008)

Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

What a delightfully bonkers premise for a movie. A Playboy bunny gets kicked out of the Playboy mansion but doesn’t know what to do with herself while living alone, and so decides to be the house mother to a dorky sorority of misfits. Anna Faris gives a career-best performance as the ditzy and earnestly lovable Shelley Darlingson, and you can’t help but root for her, her romance with the nerdy Colin Hanks, and her attempts to empower the Zetas to get out of their shells. The sorority girls are expertly cast — from Emma Stone, in one of her earlier film performances, and WandaVision’s Kat Dennings to American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee and Cheetah Girl, Cheetah Sister Kiely Williams. It may have a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, but clearly, film critics in 2008 were just not up to the task of recognizing art. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

34. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

CBS Films / Courtesy Everett Collection

I would like to begin this section with a direct appeal to Spotify: Dear Spotify executives, please put the entire Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack on your site. Why do we get only three songs? I know it’s probably got something to do with legal things, but it’s rude nonetheless. Thank you. If, however, you would like to hear the entire soundtrack from this Coen Brothers folk musical, you can watch it on Amazon Prime. Oscar Isaac plays the titular struggling folk singer as he tries to make sense of his life, and sings haunting melodies in the process. My beloved Carey Mulligan and the scandal-shrouded Justin Timberlake also make appearances (although their song isn’t on Spotify). This underappreciated, lyrical film should have been showered with more awards and praise than it was. Sometimes the people just get it wrong. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

35. Jane Eyre (2011)

Laurie Sparham / Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

Okay, I feel guilty already. As an English major, I should not be saying this, and your high school teacher will not be pleased, either — BUT if you are assigned this Charlotte Brontë classic for class and don't have time to read it, you can probably just watch this movie. This is the most recent adaptation of the oft-adapted novel about a young governess who falls in love with her employer, only to realize he has something much more problematic going on in his attic. While the novel is well worth a read, if you aren't down for a 500-page saga, this Mia Wasikowska–Michael Fassbender film is nearly as good. The sprawling landscapes, marvelous acting, and Oscar-nominated costumes make the whole experience lush and literary. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

36. Jennifer's Body (2009)

Doane Gregory / Fox Atomic / Courtesy Everett Collection

When Jennifer's Body came out over a decade ago, is was panned by (mostly male) critics and marketed largely as the latest film in which to ogle Megan Fox straight off her stint in the Transformers franchise. However, in a post–#MeToo world, and especially after this summer, as society relitigates the way Fox was treated during her rise, this horror comedy has become a feminist cult classic. The film was written by female screenwriter and Oscar winner Diablo Cody, directed by female director Karyn Kusama, stars women, and yet is miraculously not either a romance or about motherhood (try finding films from before 2018 that fit those qualifications). It's also about a (female) succubus who can survive only by killing and eating men (an urge that seems oddly relatable sometimes). Let's get the team on the phone because this is set up nicely for a sequel, and we'd like to see it. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

37. Jingle All the Way (1996)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

The holidays are just around the corner, and Amazon is here with what I feel like is an underappreciated Christmas film that should be more firmly placed in the canon. Everyone's favorite body builder–turned actor–turned governor–turned actor–turned replacement host of The Apprentice Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Howard, a workaholic father trying to prove to his son (The Phantom Menace's Jake Lloyd) that he loves him by buying him a Turbo-Man (aka the most sought-after toy of the year). What follows is a mad dash around town trying to get the action figure by any means necessary. Oh, and Sinbad is there as competition. If you want a holiday film you haven't seen 500 times, might I recommend this one? Also, COVID-19 survivor Rita Wilson is here doing great work. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

38. Johnny English (2003)

David Appleby / Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

I'd rather have my bottom impaled on a giant cactus than pass up an opportunity to recommend this Rowan Atkinson masterpiece. The British cult classic (which has gone on to spawn two sequels) features Atkinson as a cross between James Bond and Inspector Clouseau. He's incompetent in nearly every way, but when the entirety of MI7 is killed, he's the only agent left to stop a coup against the British throne by John Malkovich's jumped-up Frenchman, Pascal Sauvage. I nearly die laughing every time I watch the caper, including the scene where Johnny English tries to unmask the archbishop of Canterbury. Atkinson is a master of asides and ad-libs, and he does not disappoint here. The film also includes live footage of me performing a lip sync for my life every night while getting ready for bed. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

39. Knives Out (2019)

Claire Folger / Lionsgate / Courtesy Everett Collection

You’ve got to love a classic whodunit, especially with an ensemble cast of the caliber of this one. Rian Johnson’s mystery (so well written, its screenplay landed an Oscar nom) focuses on the death of Harlan Thrombey, a famous novelist, and the family desperate to scoop up his inheritance. I know that listing actors is boring, but just go with me here. We’ve got James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, and his future Bond girl/Ben Affleck’s former coffee-walks partner, Ana de Armas. America’s Ass Chris Evans is there in a beautiful cable-knit sweater. Halloween badass/yogurt guru Jamie Lee Curtis is a suspect, as is two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon. Lime enthusiast Dakota Johnson’s dad, Don, is here, and so is perhaps the world's greatest living actor, Toni Collette. LaKeith Stanfield is here without his straw hat from Get Out, and so is 13 Reasons Why’s ghostly Katherine Langford. And just as a final flex, the casting director secured Pennywise’s favorite victim, Jaeden Martell, and the legendary Christopher Plummer, may he rest in peace. Like, really. It’s an all-star lineup, and there's something similar planned for the sequel.     

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

40. *Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

With 10 Oscar nominations and seven wins, including Best Picture and Best Director under its belt, this desert epic has solidified its place within the highest echelon of cinema. It's consistently voted as one of the greatest films ever made, and watching the sheer scale of the film's first half especially, it's easy to see why. Centered on the titular Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), it follows the conflicted British officer as he rides along with his Arabian compatriots in a war against the Turks. Act 1 details a harrowing trek across the Nefud desert in order to enact a surprise attack on Aqaba in one of the grandest sequences I've ever seen (and one made especially impressive by the fact it was shot in the '60s). Some of the film's political agendas and its racial commentary are problematic now, but the scope of the filmmaking is undeniable. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

41. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

Touchstone / Courtesy Everett Collection

With the recent wide release of The French Dispatch, perhaps now is a good time to revisit some of Wes Anderson's older titles, including this maritime comedy starring Bill Murray. Murray plays Zissou, a Jacques Cousteau–like figure intent on getting revenge on the jaguar shark for killing his former partner. In classic Wes Anderson fashion, the film is beautifully shot in brightly colored, immaculately constructed, symmetrical frames. Also in classic Wes Anderson fashion, the film stars a sprawling cast of A-listers, including Anderson regulars Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Anjelica Huston, and Jeff Goldblum. Beware, however — watching Steve Zissou could give you the urge to buy a red beanie. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

42. The Lighthouse (2019)

Eric Chakeen / A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

Robert Eggers’ follow-up to The Witch (where we all learned to live deliciously) is a claustrophobic psychological nightmare and anything but delicious (unless dead seagulls and farting whet your appetite). Shot in black and white with a nearly square aspect ratio, the film resembles an 1800s home video as it tracks Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson’s characters to a rocky island lighthouse. Fueled by alcohol and cut off from society, the pair descend into a salty, windswept madness. This is certainly not for everyone, but those of you with a strong constitution and love of psychological horror will find this a riveting exploration of the untethered mind. Watch it while we anxiously await The Northman, Eggers’ next film. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.   

43. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Fox Searchlight / Courtesy Everett Collection

In the world of melancholy, indie family dramedies, there is only one Little Miss Sunshine, and everyone else is simply playing for second. The film, about a family of struggling misfits driving in a decrepit yellow van to attend a children's beauty pageant, is one of a kind in its achievements. It's a feel-good movie that's not cloying. It's a movie about depressed people that isn't depressing. The all-stars in the cast — including Steve Carell, Paul Dano, Toni Collette, and Alan Arkin — not only give great performances but are also in roles that highlight their individual strengths to bolster the film. Colette in particular is flawless as the supportive mother and gets to deliver the greatest Popsicle-eating performance ever recorded onscreen. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

44. *Little Women (1994)

Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Long before BuzzFeed had its quiz up and running, readers (hair in bonnets and without running water) were asking, "Are you a Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy?" And as a bone fide Amy through and through (I want to be great or nothing), I am more inclined toward the Greta Gerwig version of the film. But my roommate (a Beth) kindly and frequently reminds me that not everything is about me, and the 1994 version with Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, and Kirsten Dunst is actually much better. While picking your favorite Little Women is certainly subjective, the book is objectively incredible, and so every version has its merits. If only I could send Louisa May Alcott a mold of my foot as a thank-you. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

45. Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Claire Folger / Roadside Attractions / Courtesy Everett Collection

Manchester by the Sea is a beautiful, if disastrously depressing film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan. Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck both give incredible performances (even if Casey’s more recent controversies have detracted from his star power). But what I’d like to discuss is the birth of Lucas Hedges into the American consciousness. Hedges plays Patrick, a 16-year-old with a THICK Boston accent, who goes to live with his depressed uncle (Affleck) after the death of his father. His performance is so strong that it nabbed him a rare young male Oscar nomination and launched him into lead roles in subsequent films like Ben Is Back and Boy Erased. He would also go on to become an A24 darling in films like Lady Bird and Waves. Just as I couldn’t stop looking at this recent photo of him, I was transfixed by his presence here and have loved watching his journey to stardom.     

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

46. Mayor Pete (2021)

Amazon Prime Video / Courtesy Everett Collection

I think it's easy in 2021 (post–run for president, post–arrival in Washington, DC, as secretary of transportation, and post–shirtless thirst trap) to forget what a trailblazer Pete Buttigieg is. Putting aside how you feel about his politics, his track record, or his stoic demeanor, his fairly successful campaign as an openly gay man was an incredible achievement for LGBTQ rights. This documentary, while rehashing many of the campaign facts that you already know, does a nice job of reminding viewers how powerful it was for many people (especially not those in liberal urban enclaves) to see a married gay man running for president. The film also provides some interesting behind-the-scenes moments, including him repeatedly having to face a likability/relatability question and his eventual decision to drop out. You may not like Mayor Pete, but you can't help but acknowledge what he was able to accomplish. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

47. Midsommar (2019)

A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

Where do I even begin to describe my love for this horror film? Directed by Ari Aster (whose Hereditary is somehow even better), Midsommar follows a group of friends who travel to Sweden for a folk festival. Only, instead of a normal village, there's something menacing and mysterious at play. Aster does the seemingly impossible job of making a field in broad daylight scarier than the dark, and the dread he creates in these scenes is palpable. At the center of this detailed masterpiece is Florence Pugh’s breakout performance as a grieving woman, whose family just died, on vacation with a boyfriend. It’s terrifying. It’s beautiful. It’s oddly cathartic. Although I will never forgive it for teaching me what a blood eagle is.     

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

48. Moulin Rouge! (2001)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

It took Baz Luhrmann nearly three years to secure all the rights to this jukebox musical, but he had a vision, and the finished product was well worth the time. We've seen plenty of filmed musicals and even a few jukebox musicals, but never an original one based on music from so many different artists: Madonna. Elton John. Nirvana. The resulting film is a romance between Christian (Ewan McGregor), an English writer, and Satine (Nicole Kidman), a cabaret singer at the Parisian Moulin Rouge. The one-of-a-kind film immediately struck a chord with critics and audiences, landing eight Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. And we're still listening to "Lady Marmalade" to this day because of it. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

49. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

She's the "hip old granny who can hip-hop, bebop, dance till ya drop, and yo, yo, make a wicked cup of cocoa." The incomparable Robin Williams stars in this '90s classic comedy as Daniel Hillard, who, after a divorce, dresses up as an older British nanny in order to spend more time with his kids. Williams, Sally Field, and Pierce Brosnan all deliver pitch-perfect performances, and the thing is BURSTING with quotable lines ("Oh, the terrorists! They ran that way. It was a run-by fruiting!"). I rewatched this during quarantine multiple times, and the whole movie still slaps. The makeover montage with Harvey Fierstein? Delightful. The whip-cream face mask? A delight. Also, there has NEVER, NEVER, NEVER been a better line reading than when Field says, "The whole time, the whole time, THE WHOLE TIME." To see those lines written in a script and then deliver them in such a way is why this woman has two Oscars (and, honestly, probably deserves at least two more).

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

50. My Name Is Pauli Murray (2021)

Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

I am ashamed to say that prior to watching this documentary, I had no idea who Pauli Murray was. If you, too, have never heard of this fascinating, groundbreaking, trailblazing individual, then you need to hustle right on over to Amazon and give this a watch. A civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat on the bus before Rosa Parks. An African American lawyer whose work paved the way for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's landmark cases on sexism. A queer intellectual who sought to understand gender and sexuality during a time before modern labels. Murray is an icon we should be learning about in school, so if you're a schoolteacher and you're reading this article, wheel that TV into the classroom and press play. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

51. One Night in Miami (2020)

Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

In 1964, famed African American civil rights activist Malcolm X, boxer Muhammad Ali, football star Jim Brown, and singer Sam Cooke all spent an evening together in a hotel room in Miami. That historic meeting serves as the basis for this film, directed by Regina King (an Oscar-winning actor herself) and adapted by Kemp Powers, who also wrote the play and Pixar's Soul (big year for him!). Focused on the relationships between these four great men, the film creates fictional dialogue that aims to unpack race, privilege, and the responsibility that comes with fame. Hamilton’s Leslie Odom Jr. plays Cooke (a performance for which he was Oscar-nominated), but it's Kingsley Ben-Adir’s take on Malcolm X that is most captivating. Never has such a long stay in a hotel room been so interesting.     

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

52. Pride (2014)

20th Century Fox

I LOVE to promote a good LGBTQ film, and this funny little historical British dramedy is a fantastic one. Back in 1984, during a British miners' strike, gay activist Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer) realized that the police were too busy focusing on the miners to focus on their usual harassment of the gay community, and so he started Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners to help a fellow group of oppressed folks. It’s this fight by the LGBTQ community on behalf of the labor class that serves as the plot here. Hot priest Andrew Scott is here, along with 1917’s George MacKay and Professor Umbridge, aka Imelda Staunton. The film is charming and uplifting and shows you how underdogs helping underdogs can do a lot of good for everyone. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

53. *The Proposal (2009)

Sam Emerson / Walt Disney Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

One could argue (and I will) that The Proposal is our most recent great rom-com. The genre, which thrived in the '80s and '90s, has been largely overlooked as of late, and no one has successfully topped the Ryan Reynolds–Sandra Bullock vehicle. In it, the heartless, all-business head of a publishing company (Bullock) demands that her kindly assistant (Reynolds) marry her in order to avoid her deportation back to Canada. As part of the ruse, however, she must return home to his native Alaska to spend time with his family. And as the laws of the rom-com dictate, the once-enemies fall in love along the way. It should also be noted that this is the film responsible for the Betty White renaissance of the early 2010s. How could you not love a sassy ole granny? 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.

54. Raising Arizona (1987)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

There's nothing I love more than a ridiculous crime film from the Coen Brothers, and Raising Arizona is certainly ridiculous. Holly Hunter plays a cop who falls in love with a convict played by Nicolas Cage (I mean, that casting alone is gold). The two can't have a kid, so they decide to steal a quintuplet from a furniture tycoon. Then a competing set of criminals steal the baby from Hunter and Cage — pure lunacy in the best possible way. The crime comedy is a bit lighter than the Coens' usual fare, but the ingenuity is all there, and you've got supporting performances from Frances McDormand and John Goodman to boot. If The Tragedy of Macbeth strikes you as a bit too somber, this might be the Coen film for you. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

55. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

For a movie that was largely panned by critics and made very little money in its opening weeks, this film has certainly made a pivot. Not only did the comedic musical sendup to B movies become a cult classic, but it quickly transformed into a participatory film experience in which audience members respond while it's playing. The film, about stranded motorists who arrive at a home full of larger-than-life characters, is also often accompanied by a "shadow cast" whose actors mime the actions onstage. If you can't see the film in theaters, though, Amazon has got you covered. Invite over some friends and you can scream at your own television, or take the opportunity to learn and perform a few numbers in a shadow cast of your own. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

56. *The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Let me just say this: If you have to fake a life-threatening illness in order for your family to talk to you, then you might want to rethink some of your relationships. Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), the patriarch of the unruly Tenenbaum clan, does indeed fake near-death in this early Wes Anderson masterpiece. His three children (played by Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Gwyneth Paltrow) are prodigies during childhood; then he leaves the family. He returns to find them mostly washed up and struggling to sort out their lives, given the trauma he's caused. There was never a wackier family, and Anderson uses every quirk and bizarre outfit to create a film that is aesthetically pleasing while it delves into psychiatric childhood scarring. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

57. Rugrats Go Wild (2003)

Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection

If there are two iconic badass Nickelodeon women we should all aspire to be, they are the megalomaniacal toddler Angelica Pickles from The Rugrats and the too-cool-for-school, blasé Debbi Thornberry from The Wild Thornberrys. The beauty of this crossover animated film is that the two sassy villains get to go on a trip together. Finally, instead of stupid babies and gorillas, these women get to interact with someone on their own intellectual level, and there is magic to behold. ALSO, this has nothing to do with watching this on Amazon, because sadly, the tech is not here yet, but when I saw this movie in theaters, I watched it with an Odorama scratch-and-sniff card from Burger King, so I got to smell the action. Never has there been a more magical theatergoing experience. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

58. Rushmore (1998)

Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection

Before Wes Anderson's style and filmmaking became legendary, he made a little film called Rushmore about a high school student (Jason Schwartzman) and a rich middle-aged man (Bill Murray) who become friends until they realize they are both in love with the same teacher at his school. Watching the quirky picture, you can see the budding of Anderson's signature style, but it doesn't get in the way of the storytelling as it does in some of his later works. Murray is fabulous (as always), and Schwartzman keeps up with him the entire time. While the film was not initially successful, it's picked up more and more fans over the years as Anderson's star has risen. Its soundtrack, full of British Invasion tracks, is another reason to watch, if you needed one. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.

59. *Selma (2014)

Atsushi Nishijima / Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Few figures loom so large in American history as Martin Luther King Jr., and so there has been no shortage of portrayals of the civil rights activist. James Earl Jones, Courtney B. Vance, Samuel L. Jackson, and even LaVar Burton have had the opportunity to play the famed orator. Perhaps no performance, however, has been as gripping as David Oyelowo's in this Ava DuVernay Best Picture nominee. Focusing on the work leading up to the civil rights march from Selma, Alabama, the film provides us with a portrait of King as both a legend and a man. The Oscar-snubbed lead performance is mesmerizing, as is the film as a whole. And if you want just a taste of Selma's power, might I recommend the Oscar performance for Best Song? I get chills just thinking about it. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

60. Short Term 12 (2013)

Cinedigm / Courtesy Everett Collection

I don’t know what was happening on the set of Short Term 12, but someone had a rabbit's foot or made a deal with the Illuminati, because truly, everyone in this tiny indie drama has gone on to have their careers BLOW UP! There’s Captain Marvel herself, Brie Larson. There’s Booksmart’s scene-stealer Kaitlyn Dever. There’s Best Actor/Freddie Mercury impersonator Rami Malek. There’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Stephanie Beatriz. And of course, there is the very recent Oscar nominee for Judas and the Black Messiah, LaKeith Stanfield. This film, which focuses on a group home for troubled teenagers, is funny, sad, and heartwarming in its own right, but watching all your current faves’ younger selves is a trip.   

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

61. *Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Tristar Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

I have been to the top of the Empire State Building several times, and I always loiter around up there for FAR too long, hoping that I will meet the love of my life. Is this just me? Was I the only one infected by this Tom Hanks–Meg Ryan romantic comedy about people from different parts of the country orbiting each other precariously until they meet late at night at the top of the iconic New York skyscraper? This film can also be included in the "Adult movie with a cute kid" folder because Hanks's son, played by Ross Malinger, is ADORABLE. I wonder if he can also spell "F-O-X, fox."

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

62. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Fox Searchlight / Courtesy Everett Collection

Winning one Oscar is a monumental feat. Winning eight is mind-blowing. And yet this tiny film about a boy growing up in India somehow managed to swipe eight statues, including the one for Best Picture. Slumdog Millionaire follows Jamal (Dev Patel in his breakthrough performance), who wins the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and then must recount the story of his life to the authorities to prove how he knew the answers to the questions. With a snappy soundtrack, a final Bollywood dance number, and a heartwarming central romance, the film was as much a crowd-pleaser as it was a gritty drama. It also really makes you wonder what questions they'd have to ask in order for you to win a trivia show. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

63. The Social Network (2010)

Merrick Morton / Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Where does one even begin when trying to nail down the greatness of this film? Perhaps it's in the Aaron Sorkin script that so aptly gives life to the chaos of Facebook's creation. Perhaps it's in Jesse Eisenberg's star-making turn as founder Mark Zuckerberg, in which he chews up and spits out Sorkin's dialogue as few others have been able to. Perhaps it's in the pitch-perfect casting of Andrew Garfield as the sympathetic elitist Eduardo Saverin, or Justin Timberlake as the slimy Sean Parker. Perhaps it's in David Fincher's masterful directing or in the haunting, soft, Oscar-winning score. While each of these aspects is masterful, however, I'm going to give the edge to Rooney Mara's brief performance in the film's opening scene, where she dumps Eisenberg. It launches the film to a high-octane propulsion that it will maintain until the credits, and perfectly frames how even something as massive as Facebook can really just be a means of compensating for a bruised ego. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

64. Sound of Metal (2019)

Amazon / Courtesy Everett Collection

One of this year’s freshly minted Best Picture nominees, Sound of Metal follows Ruben, a heavy metal drummer who comes to the (at first) horrifying realization that he is losing his hearing. The indie drama, which continued to pick up more steam and accolades through the awards season, stars Riz Ahmed in the lead as he mourns his hearing and struggles to find ways to cope. Both he and Paul Raci, who plays the deaf leader of a shelter for recovering addicts, landed Oscar noms for their performances, and Olivia Cooke, who plays Ruben’s girlfriend, rightfully should have received one as well. This fascinating film also substantiates my mom’s claim that "you are going to lose your hearing from turning the radio up too loud."

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

65. Stop Making Sense (1984)

Island Alive Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

As someone with particularly bad musical taste, I will take this moment to admit that I had no idea who the Talking Heads were until this summer, when I watched David Byrne’s American Utopia, a filmed version of the Broadway performance. Byrne, for the uninformed, was the lead singer of a new wave band called the Talking Heads (the one song I knew by them was used in the trailer for the horrid Matt Damon film Downsizing). American Utopia, however, gave me an appreciation for the Talking Heads, and so I naturally stumbled upon Stop Making Sense, which is a filmed version of their live performances at the Pantages Theater in 1983. It is an exquisite concert film. The music is wonderful. The concert is theatrical. And the whole thing jumps off the screen in a way that concert videos don’t often manage to do. So everyone follow my lead and become a Talking Heads fan. Better some three decades late than never. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.   

66. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

We start with a mansion on Sunset Boulevard. And oh look, there is a body floating facedown in the swimming pool. Whose body is it? How did it get there? You’ll have to watch to find out. The black-and-white Hollywood classic tracks the events leading up to the mysterious death, as William Holden plays a young screenwriter who is slowly sucked into the web of the reclusive former silent-film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). The iconic film, which gave us lines like, “Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up,” was nominated for 11 Oscars and holds an ironclad spot in the film canon. A perfect film, it feels startlingly modern even as a ’50s noir, and it packs just as much punch today as it did at its release. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

67. Taken (2008)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

The influence of Taken on our cinematic landscape cannot be overstated. In 2008, when it was released, the whole thing was seen as an anomaly. An action film starring a nearly 60-year-old actor most notable for dramas like Schindler's List? Who would go and see that? Well, apparently, a lot of people (and a lot of dads). The film was so successful, it launched a whole genre of old-man action films, including a dozen for Liam Neeson himself. Now Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Mel Gibson are all talking up their "very particular sets of skills." Despite all of the flawed follow-ups, however, Taken still stands as the exemplar of the genre, and far be it from me to pass up an evening of Neeson taking out 50 baddies, all half his age. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

68. Thank You for Smoking (2006)

Fox Searchlight / Everett Collection

Oh, the joys of watching the mental gymnastics involved in marketing cigarettes as a "good life decision." And yet there is a whole multimillion-dollar industry dedicated to enticing people to inhale fumes they know could give them cancer. Thus is the premise of this satirical comedy in which Aaron Eckhart works as the chief spokesperson for the tobacco industry. The darkly funny film follows Eckhart as he employs all manner of spin tactics to assure the public that smoking isn't that bad, all while trying to maintain his status as a good guy in the eyes of his family. I 10/10 wouldn't recommend smoking, but I would recommend this film. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

69. *Theory of Everything (2014)

Liam Daniel / Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

After watching this film, I still don't really understand theoretical physics, but I do know a hell of a lot more about theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and his incredible life. Hawking is played by Eddie Redmayne (to an Oscar win) in an intense full-body physical transformation that is astonishing, and follows him from life as a healthy young man through his diagnosis with ALS and the slow deterioration of his body. And while the film, of course, deals plenty with science (yay, nerds), it is primarily a romantic drama (yay, emotional Cancers). Felicity Jones plays Hawking's wife (to an Oscar nom) as the pair struggle to keep their flame alive amid the burgeoning illness and fame. Bring a box of tissues with you (and possibly a calculator, if you're into that).

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

70. *The Thin Red Line (1998)

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

Not everyone loves a war epic, but if you do love a war epic, then this is the war epic you should be watching. Terrence Malick's long-gestating seven-time Oscar nominee follows a group of American soldiers in World War II's Guadalcanal campaign to seize the Pacific island from the Japanese. The film is a bloody, harrowing three-hour journey, but if you've got the time and determination, it's worth watching. Also, this movie seemingly has every white male actor Hollywood had to offer. I know listing names is not good journalism, but Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim Caviezel, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Jared Leto, Tim Blake Nelson, Nick Nolte, John C. Reilly, and John Travolta are all in this film. That is a LOT of Hollywood dudes. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

71. Three Men and a Baby (1987)

Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

My roommate and I can barely figure out how to assemble our Ikea furniture. For us, raising a child would be catastrophic, but thankfully, neither of us has had a love child with an actor at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (or at least we don't know about it yet). When Ted Danson's Jack is bequeathed a child on his doorstep because he did, in fact, have a love child with an actor at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, however, he and his two roommates (Tom Selleck and Steve Guttenberg) must try their darndest to keep the new baby alive. It's a goofy yet heartwarming film that will somehow leave you wishing a baby would show up on your doorstep. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

72. Time (2020)

Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

Rarely do we get a documentary as raw and moving as Time. The film follows Fox Rich, using over 25 years’ worth of home videos as she fights tirelessly for her husband, Rob, who is serving time in prison for his participation in an armed bank robbery, to be granted clemency. What filmmaker Garrett Bradley thought would be a short film turned into a feature when Fox handed her over 100 hours of home video footage taken while her husband was in prison. Bradley then took the home videos and her own footage, converted it all to stunning black and white, and built the moving, 81-minute-long final product. The documentary, which was nominated for an Oscar, vividly shows the flaws of the criminal justice system and how that can deeply affect the families of those struggling through it. It’s a beautiful statement as to what can be accomplished if you try hard enough, and how important it is to have someone tirelessly in your corner. 

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

73. The Tomorrow War (2021)

Frank Masi / Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

A recent 2021 release, this Chris Pratt sci-fi film is set in a world in which aliens overrun the planet in 30 years. The future, therefore, is drafting humans from the present to time-travel to the future to fight off the aliens in order to save humanity. Pratt, playing a former Green Beret, is drafted alongside a ragtag crew including Sam Richardson (Veep) and Mary Lynn Rajskub (aka Gail the Snail from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). While the time-travel logistics are a bit murky, the action sequences (especially on a giant, oil rig–style military base) are incredible, and the monsters will give you nightmares.     

Watch it on Amazon Prime.  

74. *Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

Touchstone Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Before we were Eat Pray Loving, we were Under the Tuscan Sunning. If you're in the middle of your life and finding yourself aimless postdivorce, then the obvious solution is to travel to Italy, eat some pasta, and write yourself toward a new life. In this romantic dramedy, Diane Lane's Frances does just that at the prodding of her friend Patti (the never not-funny Sandra Oh). While gallivanting through the Italian countryside, Frances searches for a new love, begins writing again, and tries to find direction in life after the one she had imploded. If your life is going well, enjoy the breezy watch. If your life is going poorly, perhaps consider booking a ticket.  

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

75. Wanderlust (2012)

Gemma La Mana / Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

By most accounts, this movie barely exists. When it came out, it made virtually no money and was unceremoniously swept out of theaters after just six weeks with average ratings from critics. That, however, is unfair because this is a funny movie, y'all, with an unimpeachable cast. The premise: Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd accidentally find themselves on a hippie commune in Georgia after their big-shot New York City dreams are killed in the recession. And so now they get to spend an entire film on a farm with kooky individuals played by Jordan Peele, Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman, Alan Alda, and, of course, the brilliant Kathryn Hahn. Yet no one has ever heard of this movie, for some reason. Be the hero to your friend group. Go watch this, tell everyone you know about it, and then bask in their praise for having found this hidden gem.  

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

76. What the Constitution Means to Me (2020)

Indican Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

I would hazard a guess that most of us know next to nothing about the US Constitution. Perhaps you memorized the preamble in school, but even that I never understood. Heidi Schreck, however, was well versed in the legal document from a young age, traveling around the country to compete in speech competitions about the Constitution for scholarship money. Now an adult, Schreck wrote and starred in a Broadway show about her experience with this document and what it means for our country and culture today. The deeply personal and incredibly charming show was recorded for your non-Broadway viewing (thank goodness this is happening more and more these days) and is available on Amazon. It will teach you a thing or two about this essential American document while also forcing you to answer, "Should I know more about the laws that govern me?" 

Watch it on Amazon Prime. 

* Denotes title that has been newly added to Amazon Prime for December.

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