The impressive and expansive library of movies available on Prime Video means that some people need some guidance in picking out the best films to watch throughout the week. Not much beats a cozy night in watching a movie and the selection on Prime is as good as it gets.
This week’s recommendations include some truly special films. There’s an iconic ’80s horror movie, a long-awaited action sequel, one of the best sports films ever made, an animated entry in a blockbuster franchise, and a true classic from the Coen Brothers. Any of these makes for a fantastic evening in with Prime Video.
Rocky (1976)
Rocky is one of the most iconic movies beyond just the sports genre and the ’70s. It’s one of the most legendary films in cinematic history, winning many major accolades, establishing a long-running franchise, and launching Sylvester Stallone into superstardom.
Rocky tells the story of a low-level boxer who unexpectedly gets a shot at the heavyweight championship of the world against Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Although Rocky is perceived as having no chance of winning, he more than rises to the occasion, setting the stage for a remarkable underdog tale.
Written by Stallone, who went on to direct later entries, Rocky ended up as a monster hit. It grossed $225 million on a budget of just $1.1 million and was well-received by critics everywhere, including receiving four stars from Roger Ebert.
On top of that, Rocky was nominated for a whopping nine Academy Awards. Among them was Stallone nominated for Best Actor and the iconic “Gonna Fly Now” being up for Best Original Song. Rocky won two of those awards, for Best Film Editing and for Best Picture.
Twisters (2024)
In 1996, Twister was released and was a surprisingly huge hit, grossing nearly $500 million on a budget of under $100 million. The film focuses on storm chasers in Oklahoma who go after tornadoes in the hopes of researching them.
Along with being a hit upon arrival, Twister has withstood the test of time as fans still rewatch it often to this day. A sequel was unexpected nearly 30 years later, but Twisters arrived and ended up being just as good, if not better, than the original.
The story isn’t all that different as another group of storm chasers goes after various tornadoes during an outbreak in Oklahoma. It ended up being a smart strategy for the sequel because those who loved the first film were really just looking for more of the same.
Twisters received positive reviews with praise for the action sequences and the talented ensemble cast. At the heart of that cast is Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, who shared electric chemistry and helped drive hom the personal aspect of the movie to go along with the tornado scenes.
Evil Dead II (1987)
While Twisters was on par with the original Twister, Evil Dead II is a sequel that managed to improve upon what came before it in a huge way. The original The Evil Dead from 1981 was groundbreaking for its use of practical effects and terrifying scenes, introducing Sam Raimi to the world as a great director.
Raimi returned to that well for Evil Dead II by basically just retelling the same story from the first installment in a bigger way. Bruce Campbell’s Ash is shifted to the forefront as he visits a remote cabin with his girlfriend and hears an audio tape that unleashes demons.
While the premise isn’t much different from The Evil Dead, this is the film that really established the tone of the franchise. It added in the comedic elements that Evil Dead is known for and turned the protagonist from a forgettable guy named Ashley into the cool horror icon that is Ash.
Evil Dead II is both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell at their very best. As good as the original film is, without Evil Dead II, there would be no franchise or legends like Ash, who is a pop culture staple. There are no bad Evil Dead movies but this is often seen as the best.
Transformers One (2024)
The history of Transformers movies is a mixed bag at best. It started with the animated follow-up to the TV show in the ’80s, which was fun, but then went dormant for over two decades until Michael Bay started his blockbuster live-action adaptations.
While those films made a lot of money, they weren’t a hit with critics and got progressively worse until Bumblebee ended up being well-received. However, Transformers One injected new life into the franchise and, in the eyes of many, is the best entry in the series.
Transformers One goes back to the franchise’s roots with an animated tale, which makes sense because these robots have always looked better in that format. The real kicker was the prequel story, taking us to Optimus Prime and Megatron before they were leaders and enemies. In fact, they were friends, which was different to see.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Transformers One sits at 89%, which is the second-highest ever for a Transformers film. This installment set things up nicely for a future series of sequels but it ultimately underperformed at the box office, which means that sequels are unlikely. That’s even more of a reason to make sure you check Transformers One at least once.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Coen Brothers are among the most prominent names in filmmaking, with great projects dating back to the likes of Raising Arizona, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. Despite the success and critical acclaim of all those movies, many feel their best is No Country for Old Men.
This Western crime thriller set in the ’80s centers on a welder who discovers a large sum of money at a crime scene, the hitman sent to retrieve the cash, and the sheriff investigating the crime. It all comes together to tell a gripping story.
No Country for Old Men was met with widespread acclaim, including earning eight Oscar nominations. It took home four wins in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
That Best Supporting Actor win for Javier Bardem was also huge as he played Anton Chigurh, the hitman who has gone down as one of the best characters in modern cinematic history. It also helped make Bardem a star in the United States. No Country for Old Men is a must-see for any film fan.