Whenever I open Amazon Prime Video, I’m both overwhelmed and have the sensation that Amazon is recommending the same movies to me repeatedly. That combination of emotions is a frustrating one, as it leaves you with few answers in terms of what you should watch that’s new.
That’s why I’ve pulled together a list of three more unlikely titles that you should stream this weekend, each of which is underrated for one reason or another.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.
C’mon C’mon (2021)
Joaquin Phoenix is capable of delivering performances in a wide array of registers, and C’mon C’mon is one of the quietest in his long history as an actor. Phoenix plays an emotionally distant radio journalist who must care for his nephew.
As the two of them travel the country and learn more about one another, we discover that emotional maturity doesn’t necessarily pair with physical maturity. C’mon C’mon is heartbreaking and beautiful, leaving some things unsaid. It’s a subtle, grounded movie that feels all the more impactful because it’s so quiet.
You can watch C’mon C’mon on Amazon Prime Video.
Black Bear (2020)
Aubrey Plaza has become one of our most reliably strange movie stars in the years since Parks and Recreation ended, and Black Bear is one of her most fascinating projects. The film follows Plaza as a filmmaker who is stuck in a creative rut and travels to a remote lake house in an attempt to spark some inspiration.
As she begins to manipulate her hosts, though, she realizes that the best piece of art might be one about what she’s currently doing to the people around her. Black Bear is an intriguing movie about the lengths people will go to to do something truly interesting.
You can watch Black Bear on Amazon Prime Video.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
A great documentary experience can be unlike almost anything else you can stream, and Dear Zachary provides viewers with exactly that kind of pleasure. The film tells the story of a young boy born in Canada to a mother that fled the United States after she killed his father.
As his father’s family campaigns to gain custody of their grandchild and convict the woman who killed him, we learn who his father was and the kind of impact he had on those around him. Dear Zachary is a heartbreaking movie born of unspeakable circumstances, but one that will leave you both thrilled and deeply emotional.
You can watch Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father on Amazon Prime Video.
