Amazon Prime has a huge selection of movies and shows, but it’s easy to overlook the best options if you’re only browsing what’s trending. These hidden gems might not be mainstream, but they’re absolutely worth your time this weekend.
I find movies about space exploration fascinating, so I was immediately drawn to First Man, and I am happy it didn’t disappoint. Starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy as Janet Armstrong, this movie takes viewers on an emotionally-charged journey behind the scenes of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 mission.
While a lot of similar movies lean into the spectacle of space travel, First Man takes a far more realistic and grounded approach in that it also focuses on the psychological and personal toll of the mission. I won’t deny that the pacing was slow at times, and there were inaccuracies with how certain events were portrayed, but the movie was extremely moving and visually stunning, making it worth a watch.
The Man from Earth is by far one of my favorite hidden gems in the science fiction genre. It doesn’t have any flashy effects or overcomplicated plots. In fact, most of the movie takes place in Professor John Oldman’s (played by David Lee Smith) living room.
His colleagues show up at his house to give him a farewell party. But what starts off as a casual get-together turns into a philosophical discussion. This eventually leads to Professor Oldman revealing that he has been alive for 14,000 years and was, at one point in time, Jesus. The film challenges both faith-based beliefs and scientific perspectives, and it’s thought-provoking to a whole new level. It also really proves that you don’t need a big budget or exciting visuals for a movie to work.
If you enjoy psychological thrillers and found-footage horror, Lake Mungo is one movie you shouldn’t miss. The Australian pseudo-documentary stars Talia Zucker as Alice Palmer, Martin Sharpe as Matthew Palmer, and Rosie Traynor as June Palmer, to name a few.
It essentially follows the Palmer family as they begin to process the sudden drowning of their daughter, Alice. But strange occurrences start happening around their home, which leads the family to uncover unsettling secrets about Alice’s life leading up to her death. Few movies have filled me with a sense of dread quite like Lake Mungo. And unlike many other movies in this category, Lake Mungo doesn’t rely on jump scares. Rather, the slow unraveling of the truth creates a fairly eerie atmosphere.
Another Round (originally titled Druk) is a Danish comedy-drama that stars Mads Mikkelsen as Martin, a high school teacher who is stuck in a rut of sorts.
Along with three other teachers, who are also feeling disconnected from their professional and personal lives, he decides to test the theory that human beings are born with a blood alcohol level that’s just a little too low to function at their best. The results are positive at first, but things slowly start to spiral out of control as the members of the group begin pushing their boundaries.
This Oscar winner, in my opinion, strikes the right balance between drama and comedy. And as always, Mads Mikkelsen delivers a phenomenal performance. The audio is in Danish, but turning on the subtitles will make it easy to follow.
Jury Duty is one of the most interesting shows I’ve watched in recent times. The premise is pretty unique in that it delves into the inner workings of the jury system in the United States via a fabricated trial. The catch is that everyone involved, except one juror, is an actor.
Ronald Gladden, the unsuspecting juror, believes he is being filmed for a documentary. But instead, his reactions to the increasingly bizarre situations become the focus of the show.
Now, I know how frustrating it is to really love a show only for it to be canceled after a single season. Fortunately, though, Jury Duty has been renewed for a second season on Prime Video, so you can look forward to new episodes following a similar theme.
Homecoming (2018) is a psychological thriller that stars Julia Roberts as Heidi Bergman. In the show, Roberts is a caseworker at a government facility helping soldiers transition back to civilian life. She eventually leaves the program and starts a new life as a waitress.
Her new routine, however, is disrupted when a journalist begins digging into the facility’s true purpose, forcing her to confront her past. The captivating storyline and stellar performances make this series a must-watch.
An Amazon Prime subscription offers a number of awesome benefits, but my favorite perk is being able to access so many amazing movies and shows via Prime Video. Whether you’re looking for the next TV show to binge-watch over the weekend or a quick, action-packed sci-fi, there’s always something worth watching on the platform.
