Whatever deal that Amazon Prime Video had with Warner Bros. that brought last year’s films to Prime Video appears to be over. The Batman, Elvis, and other WB films have left Prime Video, but there is a nice consolation prize. A24’s breakout hit, Everything Everywhere All At Once, is now streaming on Prime Video. And it’s an oddly effective choice for the holidays because of its themes of family and connection.
Prime Video has also just debuted Candy Cane Lane, a new Eddie Murphy comedy that veers off in some strange directions. But Murphy’s screen presence can make almost anything work except for his sci-fi movies. And there are still more new movies coming to Prime Video later in December. But for the first weekend of the month, these are the best movies on Amazon Prime Video right now.
We’ve also put together guides to the best shows on Prime Video, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Netflix, the best new movies to stream, and the best movies on Disney+.
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Candy Cane Lane2023 -
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Bye Bye Barry2023
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Django Unchained2012
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Editor’s Pick
Candy Cane Lane (2023) new
The promotional posters for Eddie Murphy’s new Christmas film, Candy Cane Lane, barely offer any hints that it’s about an ordinary family man, Chris Carver (Murphy), who makes a Faustian deal with an evil Christmas elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell). That’s the kind of movie premise that might give you whiplash.
Chris’ only real crime is that he wanted his house to be the most Christmassy, so he could win a local contest. Pepper has made these kinds of deals before, and she has a tendency to turn her victims into living plastic dolls. So when Pepper unleashes her magic on the neighborhood, it’s up to Chris and his family to stop her.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) new
Move over, superheroes. There’s only been one multiversal adventure to win Best Picture at the Oscars, and it wasn’t Spider-Man: No Way Home. Instead, it was Everything Everywhere All At Once, which also collected three major acting Oscars and Best Director for the Daniels.
Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Quan Wang, an aging laundromat owner who has a tense relationship with her husband, Waymond Wang (Ke Huy Quan), and their daughter, Joy Wang (Stephanie Hsu). However, Evelyn’s life is turned upside down when she learns that the multiverse is real, and only she can save it from a dire threat.
Bye Bye Barry (2023) new
In the late 1990s, few NFL players were more exciting to watch than Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders. On the field, Sanders moved with uncommon speed and agility, and he was well on his way toward the all-time NFL rushing record when he abruptly retired from the game and never played another down.
Bye Bye Barry is based on Sanders’ book of the same name, and it offers his account of why he left behind an incredibly lucrative career. Several other NFL luminaries also weigh in on Sanders’ legacy, but the film is at its most enticing when Sanders himself speaks about what he was going through at that key moment in his life.
Django Unchained (2012) new
Director Quentin Tarantino stepped into the Western genre with Django Unchained, but it’s more of a spaghetti Western than a serious drama like Unforgiven. Jamie Foxx stars as Django Freeman, a former slave turned bounty hunter who was forcibly separated from his wife, Broomhilda “Hildi” von Shaft (Kerry Washington), when he was still in bondage.
Django is freed by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), who trains him in his new profession and agrees to help Django recover Hildi from “Monsieur” Calvin J. Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a rich and sadistic man. But instead of going in looking for a fight, Django and King attempt to trick Candie into letting them buy Hildi.
Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story (2023) new
In the entertainment industry, Tyler Perry is a polarizing figure. But few have found greater success than Perry has as a writer, director, and producer of films and TV shows. That’s in addition to Perry’s love for playing his signature character, an elderly Black woman named Madea.
Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story is a chronicle of Perry’s rise from nothing to become an icon of Black cinema. Although it is a bit weird that the documentary is co-directed by Perry’s ex-girlfriend, Gelila Bekele. So the film doesn’t even pretend to be unbiased in its approach to Perry himself. Regardless, this is a movie largely for Perry’s sizable fan base, and he’s already proven that it would be a mistake to bet against him in any Hollywood endeavor.
Unforgiven (1992)
Clint Eastwood was already one of the top actors and directors in the movie industry when he made Unforgiven. But this was the project that firmly established Eastwood as one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of Hollywood. It also earned him his first Oscar for Best Director, as well as the Best Picture Academy Award for 1992.
Eastwood also starred in the movie as a former outlaw, William Munny, who is reluctantly enticed to take a bounty alongside his old friend, Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman), and an overly eager upstart who calls himself The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett). Standing in the way of their easy payday is Sheriff “Little” Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman, future star of Wes Anderson movies), a man who has no love for outlaws or bounty hunters. In the confrontation that follows, no one will emerge unscathed.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) new
This month marks the 20th anniversary of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, director Peter Weir’s adaptation of Patrick O’Brian’s historical epic novels. The film is set in the early 19th century, as Captain Jack Aubrey and the crew of his ship, the HMS Surprise, are attacked by a French privateer ship, the Aceron, with the Surprise sustaining heavy damage.
In the aftermath, Aubrey is determined to finish the fight with the Aceron, much to the dismay of his friend and the ship’s surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). As conditions worsen on the Surprise, Aubrey will have to make some hard choices about what is more important: his crew or his mission.
Memento (2000)
Christopher Nolan made his name in Hollywood with Memento, a brilliantly twisted story that is told out of order. L.A. Confidential’s Guy Pearce stars as Leonard Shelby, a man who is out to avenge the murder of his wife. The problem is that Leonard can’t make any new long-term memories, which is why his body is covered with tattoos designed to lead him to his wife’s killer.
Every face Leonard sees is the face of a stranger, so each time he meets Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), he’s unsure of who he can trust. And everyone who knows about Leonard’s condition takes advantage of it, including Leonard himself.
Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)
Book Club: The Next Chapter may have the most apt name for a sequel since House II: The Second Story. It’s also the rare sequel that has fully integrated the era of COVID into the narrative. After over a year of suffering through virtual meetings of their book club, Diane (Diane Keaton), Vivian (Jane Fonda), Sharon (Candice Bergen), and Carol (Mary Steenburgen).
As each of the four women reaches a turning point, they agree to take a trip to Italy that they had previously missed out on. It turns out to be a transformative experience that echoes their latest book choice: Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist.
Halloween Ends (2022)
Apparently it’s not too late for Halloween Ends to race up the list of Prime Video’s most popular movies even a few days after October 31st. Following the events of Halloween Kills, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is living with her granddaughter, Allyson Nelson (Andi Matichak), and is eager to leave Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) in her rearview mirror.
But just because Laurie is ready to move on doesn’t mean that Michael is done with her. In the climax of this revival trilogy, Michael returns, and he isn’t the only serial killer that the Strode women will have to deal with.
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the rare directors in Hollywood whose films have become events unto himself. Anderson’s latest movie, Licorice Pizza, was also the big-screen debut of its two stars, musician Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman. Hoffman plays Gary Valentine, a 15-year-old actor who is hopelessly infatuated with Alana Kane (Haim), a woman who is at least 10 years older than he is.
Gary’s feelings for Alana are not entirely one-sided, but the age difference between them is one of the factors that keeps them apart romantically, even when they find new reasons to stay in each others’ lives.
Silver Dollar Road (2023)
I Am Not Your Negro director Raoul Peck helms a new documentary, Silver Dollar Road, that may leave a sick feeling in your stomach. The name of the film comes from a stretch of waterfront property in North Carolina that has been owned by a Black family, the Reels, for over a century.
Mitchell Reels purchased the land decades ago, but the ownership was divided among his many heirs. This leads to a rude awakening for the family members still living on the land when one of the relatives sells their share out from under them. Melvin and Licurtis Reels refused to leave their homes on the land and they spent eight years in jail for that. Meanwhile, Mamie Reels Ellison and her niece Kim Renee Duhon fight to hold on to Silver Dollar Road. There may not be a happy ending to this story, but it has to be told.
The Burial (2023)
Amazon Studios’ The Burial is based on a real story that happened in 1995. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), the owner of his family’s funeral home business, made a handshake deal with Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp), the head of the Loewen Group. However, Loewen failed to hold up his end of the deal, which left O’Keefe no other choice but to take him to court.
O’Keefe turns to a successful lawyer, Willie E. Gary (The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s Jamie Foxx), to represent him in the case. And despite their numerous differences, O’Keefe and Gary form a bond and an unusual friendship as they battle Loewen in court.
Renfield (2023)
Everyone has stories about working for bad bosses, but Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has a terrible boss story that can top all of them. In the horror comedy Renfield, the title character has been the manservant for Dracula (Nicolas Cage) for over a century, and he’s sick of it. When his master is injured by vampire hunters and in need of rest, Renfield takes the initiative to find ways to break his codependent link to Dracula.
Along the way, Renfield attends a self-help group and he even seems to be enamored with a traffic cop named Rebecca (Awkwafina). But when Dracula recovers, he’s less than pleased to learn what Renfield has been up to…and there’s going to be hell to pay.
Totally Killer (2023)
Amazon Studios’ Totally Killer seems to welcome comparisons to Back to the Future, and it’s one of the more unique blends of sci-fi, comedy, and horror. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Kiernan Shipka stars as Jamie, a teenager who is very familiar with the story about how her mom, Pam (Julie Bowen), survived the Sweet Sixteen Killer 35 years ago. It’s something that Jamie has heard about many times in her life.
When the Sweet Sixteen Killer returns in the present, Jamie finds herself transported back in time to 1987, when her much younger mother (Olivia Holt) was apparently one of the mean girls in school. Yet if Jamie can’t protect Pam in the past then she may not have a future to go home to.
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (2023)
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant takes place in the not-too-distant past of 2018, during the War in Afghanistan. Despite initially distrusting his new interpreter, Ahmed (Dar Salim), Master Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) comes to respect him because of the way that Ahmed looks out for his troops. And when Kinley is incapacitated and his fellow soldiers are killed, Ahmed rises to the occasion and personally fights the Taliban to get Kinley to safety.
Ahmed’s act of heroism doesn’t win him favor with the U.S. government, which fails to take Ahmed and his family to safety even as the Taliban hunt them down for revenge. Kinley is so outraged by the injustice that he returns to Afghanistan to personally save Ahmed… if he can.
A Million Miles Away (2023)
Prime Video’s new movie, A Million Miles Away, was originally a Netflix film before landing at Amazon. And it reached No. 1 on Prime Video’s movie chart in the U.S. in its debut week. The film is based on the autobiography of José M. Hernández, who became the first-ever Mexican-American astronaut at NASA.
Michael Peña plays Hernández, while Rosa Salazar plays his wife, Adela Hernández. The biopic chronicles Hernández’s journey from being child in a struggling migrant family to his education, training, and family life on his way to achieving a dream that few have ever attained. This is an inspirational tale, and it really is emotionally moving at times.
A Thousand and One (2023)
Very few people saw A Thousand and One when it was in theaters in early 2023, but you might be hearing a lot more about it during Oscar season. Teyana Taylor headlines this drama as Inez de la Paz, a woman who is determined to provide for her 6-year-old son, Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola), despite abandoning him years earlier.
With Terry’s consent, Inez kidnaps him from foster custody and does her best to raise him alongside her husband, Lucky (Will Catlett). As Terry grows into a teen (Aven Courtney) and a young man (Josiah Cross), he discovers that he may truly have a future. But a secret from Inez’s past may destroy their family.
Inside (2023)
Willem Dafoe is such a natural movie villain that it’s rare to see him hold down a film as the protagonist. Inside casts Dafoe as an elite art thief named Nemo, and he is truly passionate about his work. But during a heist to rob a very wealthy art collector, Nemo finds himself trapped by the high-tech security system of a Manhattan high-rise penthouse.
The most alarming thing about this is that no one comes inside the penthouse after the lockdown. That’s why Nemo spends weeks without food, and only some access to water. This luxury apartment has become his prison, and now Nemo has to find a way out in order to simply survive.
Sitting in Bars with Cake (2023)
How’s this for a fun way to meet people? Jane (Yara Shahidi) bakes cakes and her best friend, Corinne (Odessa A’zion), convinces her to bring them to bars to attract single guys and increase Jane’s social skills and confidence. And it works so well that Jane and Corinne do it again and again.
Sitting in Bars With Cake is loosely based on a true story, and it takes a darker turn when Corinne is stricken with a life-threatening sickness. Although Jane attempts to stand by her friend, the burden of Corinne’s diagnosis may compromise their bond.
Champions (2023)
Champions only had a short stay in theaters earlier this year, but it’s already raced to No. 1 on Prime Video’s most popular movies list. Similar to The Mighty Ducks, Champions features Woody Harrelson as a disgraced basketball coach named Marcus, who manages to avoid a stint in prison for drunk driving by coaching a basketball team for players with learning disabilities.
Marcus has a lot to offer his new team in terms of playing basketball, but he also has a lot to learn about being a decent human being. As Marcus becomes a part of the team’s lives, he becomes close to one of his players, Johnny (Kevin Iannucci), and he romantically pursues Johnny’s sister, Alex (Kaitlin Olson). However, changing his ways proves to be extremely difficult for Marcus, and he may lose his newfound personal connections.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
The D&D franchise got a fresh start on the big screen with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which casts Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez as a pair of close friends, Edgin Darvis and Holga Kilgore, respectively. After being betrayed by their former friend, Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant), Edgin and Holga escape prison and plot to reunite with Edgin’s daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman).
After reconnecting with a sorcerer of dubious talent, Simon Aumar (Justice Smith), Holga and Edgin recruit Doric (Sophia Lillis) to help them rob Fitzwilliam in the heist of a lifetime to force him from power. However, they soon find that Forge is involved with a plan that threatens everyone in Neverwinter, and only Edgin’s group can stop it from happening.
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown did not win the Best Picture Oscar for 1974, but as the film closes in on its 50th anniversary, it remains one of the greatest movies ever made. Jack Nicholson further cemented his Hollywood legend status as down-on-his-luck private investigator J. J. “Jake” Gittes. When Jake is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her cheating husband, the real Evelyn (Faye Dunaway) reveals that Jake has been set up and now her husband has been discredited and murdered.
As Jake closes in on answers, suspicion falls on Evelyn’s estranged father, Noah Cross (John Huston), and a land deal that someone is willing to kill in order to protect. But the surprises are far from over for Jake, as he’s forced to wonder if he can trust Evelyn.
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
The premise of Amazon Prime Video‘s movie Red, White & Royal Blue is a bit far-fetched: the son of the U.S. President, Alex Claremont-Diaz, must befriend his hated rival, Prince Henry, to smooth over relations between America and England. Their forced partnership quickly becomes something more, and they embark on a secret romance that, if exposed, could ruin Alex’s mother’s chances of re-election and threaten the British Monarchy.
Red, White & Royal Blue is the rare rom-com that’s actually kind of romantic and funny. As played by relative newcomers Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine, Alex and Henry have a classic love/hate relationship that carries on the rom-com tradition of the two leads grudgingly falling in love with each other as the movie progresses. Red, White & Royal Blue won’t rock your world like Oppenheimer or even Barbie, but it’s a charming diversion from a real world that has far too few buttercream cake fights and romantic walks in the moonlight.
Bones and All (2022)
Believe it or not, Bones and All is not an elaborate plot to lure a disgraced actor back from the Cayman Islands. It really is a cannibal romance story starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell as young lovers, Lee and Maren, who share certain urges to eat human flesh. The film treats cannibals as if they were vampires, and they know each other by scent.
If it wasn’t for the great chemistry between Chalamet and Russell, this wouldn’t work at all. But sometimes chemistry is all it takes to make a romance movie click, even if the cannibal angle is really reaching at times.
Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Perhaps there’s a knock, knock joke somewhere in the premise for Knock at the Cabin, but M. Night Shyamalan’s movies aren’t really built for humor. This story is about a young girl named Wen (Kristen Cui), and her two dads, Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge). Their idyllic vacation is cut short when four intruders hold them captive and make an incredible claim.
Leonard Brocht (Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Dave Bautista), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Redmond (Rupert Grint), and Adriane (Abby Quinn) really believe that the world will end if someone in Wen’s family isn’t sacrificed. And they’re willing to give their lives to prove it.
Babylon (2022)
Director Damien Chazelle (La La Land) took a big swing with Babylon, a high-budget period film set during Hollywood’s transition away from silent movies in the 1920s. Brad Pitt headlines the movie as Jack Conrad, an actor whose star power is on the wane as actress Nellie LaRoy (Barbie‘s Margot Robbie) lands her big break.
Manuel “Manny” Torres (Diego Calva) has Hollywood ambitions of his own, and he forges a connection with Nellie while riding his own wave of success in the studio system. But the path to fame is rocky, and Nellie may suffer a serious fall before ever fully achieving her dreams.
Till (2022)
Till was largely overlooked by moviegoers in 2022 despite being a powerful look back at a very ugly period in our nation’s history. In 1955, a Black boy named Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) allegedly whistles at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett). This quickly escalates out of control as Till was kidnapped, beaten, and lynched over the perceived offense.
Mamie Till (Danielle Deadwyler) is devastated at the loss of her son. Devastated and angry. Rather than letting Emmett’s death be buried, Mamie pushes to get justice for her murdered son, even when the law seemingly can’t hold his murderers accountable.
A Quiet Place Part II (2021)
After the stunning success of A Quiet Place, director and star John Krasinski continued the story of the Abbot family in A Quiet Place Part II. Following the events of the first movie, Lee (Krasinski) is dead and his widow, Evelyn (Emily Blunt), is the only adult left who can protect their children, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe).
When Evelyn and her kids encounter a family friend, Emmett (Cillian Murphy), they receive a clue that there may be a sanctuary where they can hide from the aliens that have invaded Earth. But even if the Abbots can reach safe haven, they may face threats from both the aliens and their fellow humans.
Interstellar (2014)
Director Christopher Nolan delivers again in Interstellar, one of the best sci-fi movies of the last decade. In the near future, Earth is dying and humanity desperately needs a new home. Former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) reluctantly leaves his children, Murphy “Murph” Cooper (Mackenzie Foy) and Tom Cooper (Dune: Part Two‘s Timothée Chalamet), behind to join Dr. Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway) on a search for an inhabitable world.
Unfortunately for Cooper, time passes differently for him in space as his children grow older on Earth. And if Cooper ever wants to make it back home, he needs to solve a scientific mystery that has haunted Murph (Jessica Chastain) for years.
Armageddon Time (2022)
Armageddon Time is a prestige drama that was released last year, and it takes place in 1980. The story focuses on Paul Graff (Banks Repeta), a young Jewish boy who befriends an African-American student named Johnny Davis (Jaylin Webb). When Paul and Johnny are caught breaking the rules at school, Paul’s parents, Esther (Anne Hathaway) and Irving Graff (Jeremy Strong), put him in a prep school.
While Paul and Johnny try to maintain their friendship, the former is stunned by the racism of his new classmates. Only Paul’s grandfather, Aaron Rabinowitz (Anthony Hopkins), argues that Paul should stand up for his friend. But as tragedy looms for this family, Paul will have to find his own way.
TÁR (2022)
In the movie that bears her name, Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) has all of the power and fame she could ever dream about. Tár reveals that Lydia has used her success as a composer and conductor to become a crossover celebrity with her own book and more trappings of fame.
Lydia even has a devoted wife, Sharon Goodnow (Nina Hoss), and they are raising a daughter named Petra (Mila Bogojevic). But that’s not enough for Lydia, and she uses and abuses her power to satisfy her own needs. As Lydia’s secrets begin to come back to haunt her, everything she has gained is on the verge of slipping away from her grasp.
Creed III (2023)
Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut with Creed III, which theoretically could work as the end of the Rocky movies. At this point in his life, Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Jordan) has pretty much done everything he wanted in boxing, so he retires to spend more time with his wife, Bianca Taylor-Creed (Tessa Thompson), and their daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent).
Unfortunately for Donnie, the good times end when his former friend, Damian “Diamond Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors), renters his life. Years ago, Dame was sent to prison, and it was largely Donnie’s fault. Now that Dame is back, he’s going to push Donnie until he gets the chance for payback in the ring. And this may not be a fight that Donnie can win.
Violent Night (2022)
Director Tommy Wirkola’s Violent Night is essentially Succession meets Die Hard on Christmas Eve with Santa Claus (David Harbour) as the unlikely action hero. This is the real Santa, and he’s just over Christmas at this point in his life. During a stop at the mansion of the insanely wealthy Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo), Santa doesn’t even pay any attention to the rivalry between her adult children, Jason (Alex Hassell) and Alva (Edi Patterson).
However, Jason’s daughter, Trudy (Leah Brady), is a true believer in Christmas. And it’s for Trudy’s sake that Santa is spurred into action when this wealthy family is held hostage by a man calling himself Mr. Scrooge (John Leguizamo) and his Christmas-themed goons. Now it’s time for Santa to give these naughty criminals more than just a piece of coal.
Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)
Literature is filled with stories about genies tricking mortals into making wishes that ultimately harm them. This is something that Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is keenly aware of in Three Thousand Years of Longing. Alithea is an aging British scholar who hasn’t quite worked out what she wants from life. But Alithea isn’t sure she can believe what she sees and hears when she suddenly finds herself face-to-face with a real Djinn (Idris Elba) who wishes to be free from his enslavement.
To win Alithea’s trust and to entice her to make three wishes, the Djinn shares his centuries-long tale of heartbreak and desire. And much to Alithea’s surprise, this inspires her to make a major change in her life.
She Said (2022)
She Said was a flop in theaters, but it appears to be finding its audience online now that it’s on Prime Video. Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star as New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, respectively. And together, they’ve stumbled upon the story of a lifetime that can take down Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein (Mike Houston).
Despite Weinstein’s numerous victims over the decades, Twohey and Kantor have an extremely difficult time getting anyone to go on the record about his sexual misconduct. Even A-list actresses are reluctant to share their names. And when Weinstein learns about the report, he throws numerous obstacles into its path and tries to derail it. But this is the birth of a movement that not even Weinstein could stop.
Air (2023)
Prepare for the origin story of Michael Jordan’s shoes. Don’t worry, Air is more compelling than it sounds. And while it is the story of how the Air Jordan sneakers came into being, it’s also the story of how executives at Nike realized that teaming up with Jordan was a once-in-a-generation opportunity. But first, they have to convince Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis).
Ben Affleck directed the film and stars as Phil Knight, one of the co-founders of Nike. At Phil’s behest, talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) is tasked with turning around the company’s basketball operation. And as soon as Nike gets behind the Jordan pitch, the future of the company is on the line.
Judy Blume Forever (2023)
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Amazon Studios’ new documentary Judy Blume Forever is that the author herself, Judy Blume, is not only still alive, but she was able to be an active participant in the movie. The film essentially tells her life story, often in her own words, as it chronicles her journey from a housewife to a beloved children’s author whose books are still widely read.
Several famous commentators also share their thoughts about Blume, including Molly Ringwald, Lena Dunham, Anna Konki, Samantha Bee, Mary H.K. Choi, and Jacqueline Woodson. But the ones who really stand out are the ordinary women whose lives were deeply touched by Blume and her stories.
Ticket to Paradise (2022)
There’s a simple reason why Ticket To Paradise is such an effective romantic comedy. George Clooney and Julia Roberts are so comfortable together onscreen that you can almost believe that they were married at one point. In the film, they play David and Georgia Cotton, a divorced couple whose marriage fell apart two decades earlier.
Despite their lingering resentment towards each other, David and Georgia make a pact to break up the impromptu wedding of their daughter, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever), and her fiancé, Gede (Maxime Bouttier). And while David and Georgia plot together, the tropical setting and their renewed partnership reawaken the old feelings that they used to have.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Did you know that Star Wars and dozens of other films were greatly influenced by the French sci-fi comic Valérian and Laureline by Pierre Christin? However, the comic didn’t make it to the big screen until director Luc Besson adapted it into Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. True to its title, the space station Alpha is indeed the product of aliens from thousands of worlds, and it is kept under the watchful eye of the United Human Federation.
Two of the station’s primary operatives, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), try to keep the peace before they unknowingly stumble upon a conspiracy that could bring down Alpha itself. Laureline also has her hands full keeping Valerian’s amorous intentions toward her in check, even though his attraction to her isn’t one-sided.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Top Gun: Maverick is the most popular movie of 2022 and one of biggest blockbusters in years. And after cleaning up at the box office, the Top Gun sequel is coming in for a landing on Prime Video. Tom Cruise reprises his role as Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a test pilot-turned-instructor who doesn’t quite have the same fire that he had in the ’80s.
While teaching the next generation of Top Gun pilots, Maverick also finds himself in conflict with one of his students, Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his late friend, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. However, Maverick and his pilots will need to find common ground as they are drawn into a new mission with high stakes and breathtaking flying sequences.
Nope (2022)
Jordan Peele’s latest film, Nope, is an impressive blend of sci-fi and horror. Siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em Haywood (Keke Palmer) are on the verge of selling their father’s horse ranch when they realize that a UFO appears to be hanging around their property and devouring horses. With the assistance of a Fry’s Electronics tech, Angel Torres (Brandon Perea), they attempt to record footage of the UFO as a way to get rich.
Unfortunately for the unlikely trio, the aforementioned UFO is far more dangerous than they initially realized. And it’s not what they expected at all. Nope made DT’s list of the best movies of 2022, and there’s a good reason why: it’s entertaining and smart, which is a rare combination in blockbuster movies these days.
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)
I Want You Back (2022)
Somebody I Used to Know (2023)
Clue (1985)
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Good Night Oppy (2022)
In the same way that audiences fell in love with Pixar’s cute Wall•E, watching Good Night Oppy elicits a similar response, drawing you into the gushy human emotion surrounding a robot roaming Mars 50 million miles away. But that’s because this documentary is as much about the people at NASA that made the Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover mission possible as it is about the rover itself. Narrated by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Angela Basset, Good Night Oppy tells the inspiring story of Opportunity, a six-wheeled, solar-powered vehicle that touched down on the Red Planet in January of 2004 and was supposed to roam and explore the landscape for a pre-determined 90 days. But beyond anyone’s expectations, Oppy’s mission endured for nearly 15 years before going dark. Told through interviews with many of the scientists and engineers on the project, as well as archival footage, this is a feel-good doc not to be missed.
American Animals (2018)
Catherine Called Birdy (2022)
Thirteen Lives (2022)
The Vast of Night (2019)
Sound of Metal (2020)
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