The Amazon Prime Video catalog is growing by the month, and not only because a ton of old movies are jumping into the public domain. They’re getting their hands on Oscar and Emmy winners, along with an ever increasing selection of original programming. If you don’t have Amazon, now may be the time to consider signing up, if only because you’ve run out of stuff to watch on Netflix. Here are the best things coming to Amazon Prime Video this month.
Crocodile Dundee I/II
Nov. 1
The original Crocodile Dundee and Crocodile Dundee 2 make their way to Amazon Prime streaming on November 1, giving us ready access to one of those excellently ridiculous ‘80s action/comedy films that’s just so perfectly cheesy and ridiculous you can’t help but watch it. The films star Paul Hogan as Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee, an Australian-as-fuck bushman who is interviewed by Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski), a feature writer for Newsday. After hanging out with him in Australia and watching him do some ridiculously Australian shit—like taking part in an aboriginal tribal dance ceremony and wrestling a fucking water buffalo—she invites him back to new york, where he does basically the same thing with pimps and street thugs AND IT IS HYSTERICAL. Anyway, Sue realizes that she is in love with Crocodile Dundee and not her fancy editor boyfriend Rich “The Dick” Mason (his name in the film isn’t really “The Dick,” but like, come on).
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Nov. 1
Halloween may be over, but a classic spooky film never really has a “view by” date. Considered by many to be the quintessential Dracula film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is based on the classic 1897 novel and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Count Dracula (Gary Oldman), heart broken over the loss of his wife in the 15th Century, comes to London to meet Mina Harker (Winona Ryder), who looks just like his late wife. However, renowned vampire hunter Van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins) and his would-be assistant (Keanu Reeves) become aware of Dracula’s presence in London, and vow to do something about it. Critics praise the adaptation for being true to form except in Dracula’s primary motivation: In the original novel, he mostly wants to kill and maim. In the Coppola adaptation, he is motivated by a yearning to be loved. Either way, it’s a must-watch.
The Departed
Nov. 1
The Departed is easily one of our favorite movies of all time, and we wouldn’t flinch at the idea of calling it one of Martin Scorsese’s best films. Focusing on South Boston Irish Mob Boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) and the Boston Police Department’s attempts to dig up enough dirt to put him behind bars (and his department mole’s attempt to lead investigators down the wrong path), The Departed is an incredible film that keeps viewers guessing just what, exactly, is happening right up until the very end. The film explores the themes of loyalty, and its star-studded cast also includes the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin, and Vera Farmiga.
Goldfinger
Nov. 1
Ask any learned critic or fan of the James Bond franchise what the quintessential Bond film is, and 10 times out of 10, they’ll say Goldfinger. Well, luckily for Amazon Prime members, this 1964 classic and third movie of the franchise debuts on Amazon Prime on November 1. The film stars Sean Connery as Mr. James Bond, an MI6 agent tasked with investigating a gold smuggling plot by wealthy industry magnate Auric Goldfinger. However, through a rigorous investigation, Bond discovers Goldfinger’s ultimate goal is to contaminate the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, rendering the gold unreliable and thus, useless. It’s got all the pomp and pageantry you’d expect from a typical Bond film, as well as a timeless plot to back it up. Additionally, it’s important to note that Amazon Prime is debuting a bunch of the Bond films in November, releasing almost everything from 1962’s Dr. No all the way up through the 2002 hit Die Another Day.
The Only Living Boy in New York
Nov. 3
With major streaming studios upping the ante on their original content, we guess it shouldn’t surprise us to see a-listers start appearing in their feature films. The Only Living Boy in New York is a modern coming of age, romantic drama about a boy named Thomas who graduates college and moves to the Lower East Side to try and find his place in the world. Thomas falls in love with his friend Mimi (Kiersey Clemons), but Mimi is only interested in being friends. Broken hearted, Thomas starts confiding in his new neighbor, W.F. Gerald (Jeff Bridges), an older booze-fueled writer with a penchant for sage-like wisdom. Thomas also, interestingly enough, discovers that his father Ethan (Pierce Brosnan) is having an affair with a woman named Johanna (Kate Beckinsale). After trying to confront Johanna, Thomas winds up in a love affair with her, which upsets Mimi and draws her in. The whole thing kind of looks like a shit show, but the kind that makes for a good movie. Plus, like, ya know, Kate Beckinsale.
The Big Sick
Nov. 24
We’re not RomCom guys, but we’d be remiss not to mention the highly anticipated movie from Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick, also makes its way to Amazon Prime Streaming this month. The movie is based on the actual story of how Nanjiani met his now wife, Emily V. Gordon, and explores topics like religion, tradition, and the concept of romance in ways that will smack you right in the feels—in a good way. Nanjiani falls in love with Emily (Zoe Kazan), but has commitment issues out of fear for disappointing his traditional Muslim parents. After Emily falls ill with a strange and mysterious affliction, Nanjiani is forced to get to know her parents, whom he forms an excellent bond with. The spoiler alert here is we know the movie has a happy ending (Nanjiani and Gordon are married in real life, duh), but the movie itself is still awesome.
The Circle
Nov. 29
In a seemingly normal parallel universe, a social media platform called The Circle has become a mainstay in people’s lives. On the surface, that doesn’t sound so bad. But when The Circle starts monitoring every single moment of our lives, this not-so-threatening alternate universe not much different than our own is quickly transformed into a dystopian nightmare. Starring Emma Watson as Mae Holland, a wet-behind-the-ears new addition to The Circle team who discovers she’s playing a central role in the terrifying experiment, (along with the likes of Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Patton Oswalt) The Circle was an admitted box office flop (Rotten Tomatoes score of just 17%), but we think it’s worth a watch.
Have you seen our picks for Netflix this month?
