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.
The Naked Gun
Available Now
Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) was not a particularly wise police officer, but he sure as hell was a funny one. Now Amazon Prime members can enjoy all his hilarious missteps, as the three Naked Gun films are available to stream today. The Naked Gun, The Naked Gun 2 1/2, and The Naked Gun 33 1/3 have all hit Amazon Prime Video, which means it’s time to spend an evening watching Lt. Frank Drebin stumble into solving some crimes. While many comedies don’t hold up 30 years on, all three of these films do—even if it is a tad weird to watch O.J. Simpson as a supporting actor.
Vikings (Season 4)
Available May 2
History’s Vikings has been a sort of refuge for Game of Thrones fans during the off-season. Maybe that sounds like an insult. Maybe it sounds like a compliment. Either way, Vikings deserves your attention. Based on the tales of a mythological Norse hero, the show took a season or two to find its footing. Now that it has, it’s time for you to catch up. The battles are epic. The dialog is well-crafted. The acting is superb. It will more than fill the void left by Daenerys and her dragons.
Manchester by the Sea
Available May 5
The 2017 Oscars will forever be known as the award show for sad movies. Of those sad movies, Manchester by the Sea may have been the saddest. It was also the best. Starring Casey Affleck, the film tells the story of a man who leaves his hometown, Manchester by the Sea, to escape the memory of something horrible that happened. (That horrible something is revealed later in the movie, so we’re not going to spoil it and spare you the waterworks.) When he’s drawn back to take care of his nephew, he must come to terms with the event he’s tried to bury under gallons of alcohol. You know slapstick comedy? Yeah, this is the opposite.
I Love Dick
Available May 12
I Love Dick—which is an incredibly difficult show to search on your office computer, FYI—is an Amazon series based on the 1997 book of the same name. Set in the small town of Marfa, Texas, the show centers on a mysterious, attractive professor named “Dick.” When a husband and wife who are new to the town take an interest in him, their marriage begins to unravel. The book—and presumably the show—switch POVs throughout, lending you, the viewer, the opportunity to experience events with different biases. It’s slim pickings this month in terms of original content and this might be your best option.
A Hologram for the King
Available May 12
A Hologram for the King is one of those movies that slipped in and out of theaters with most people being none the wiser, which is weird because it starred Tom Hanks and it was based off a very popular book by Dave Eggers. Well, now’s your chance to catch it. Hanks plays an American businessman who finds himself in Saudi Arabia to close a deal. Before he gets around to that blockbuster, he must confront a foreign culture that makes him feel completely alone. It’s a lot of inner turmoil, and because of that, it’s not for everyone, as a quickly moving plot is not something to be found here. But if you can display a bit of patience, you’ll be rewarded with a film that plays on a deeper level and showcases Hanks’s ability better than many of his movies.
Moonlight
Available May 21
What May lacks in great original programming, in more than makes up for in award-winning movies. Not only are you getting Manchester by the Sea early in the month, but later in the month you’re getting this year’s Best Picture, Moonlight. Like we said in the Manchester by the Sea entry, this was the year of sad movies, and Moonlight is no exception. Far from it. A raw and intimate look at one man’s life, Moonlight is about identity and the struggle many can’t see—or don’t want to see. Told in three parts, each dealing with a different stage of the main character’s life, Moonlight tackles the extreme challenges of being a young, gay man growing up in a rough neighborhood, along with how that experience can impact someone after they’ve grown. Just don’t watch it back-to-back with Manchester by the Sea, you won’t smile for a week.
Also a Netflix subscriber? Check out our picks for new Netflix releases here.
