The Focus breaks down a list of eight fantastic movies added to the Amazon Prime Video streaming library this week.
One of the best things about starting a new month is that Amazon Prime Video always unloads an abundance of amazing movies, catering to fans of everything from biopics to comedy. This month there are some incredible additions, and the following eight films are available on the platform from Monday, April 1st 2024.
The Aviator (2004)
Legendary director Martin Scorsese and Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio have been an unstoppable duo for years, collaborating on the likes of Shutter Island, The Departed, the recent Killers Of The Flower Moon, and more.
One of my personal favorites of their movies together, and my honest pick for greatest Leo performance of all time, is The Aviator. He stars as real-life filmmaker Howard Hughes, the ambitious mind behind the 1930 film Hell’s Angels and a pioneer in aviation.
Chronicling the visionary’s highs and lows between 1927 and 1947, Leo gives a stunning performance and his co-star Cate Blanchett even won an Oscar for her turn as Katharine Hepburn.
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The Big Short (2015)
One of the finest ensemble casts in recent memory, Adam McKay’s crime comedy-drama stars Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, and even has a hilarious cameo from Margot Robbie.
Based on the 2010 book The Big Short: Inside The Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis, the film serves as an accessible but insightful overview of the 2007–2008 financial crisis that came about in the aftermath of the United States housing bubble.
Funny and thought-provoking simultaneously, it deserved to win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Blockers (2018)
I and many others were recently impressed by John Cena‘s hilarious performance in Prime Video’s Ricky Stanicky, but I already knew he was an amazing comedic actor thanks to Blockers.
John, Leslie Mann, and Ike Barinholtz star as three parents who attempt to stop their daughters from losing their virginity on prom night.
Packed with amusing set-pieces and gags, it’s a comedy you can enjoy in any mood, fuelled by a truly star-making performance from the wrestler-turned-actor.
Chaplin (1992)
Speaking of the Oscars, Robert Downey Jr. finally won for his supporting role in the Christopher Nolan epic Oppenheimer, which also won Best Picture.
Long before that, on the other hand, the Iron Man actor was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of the titular iconic movie star Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s 1992 biographical comedy-drama.
The silent film star is one of the most instantly recognizable in all of cinema, known for comedy masterpieces like Modern Times and City Lights. Robert’s mesmerizing in the role—one of the greatest he’s ever had.
Cloverfield (2008)
The found-footage approach had been imitated countless times after the success of the horror benchmark The Blair Witch Project, but it had never been done as Matt Reeves did it in Cloverfield.
New York City is under attack by a giant monster, and we follow six of the city’s residents as they attempt to flee, their efforts captured on one of their video cameras.
Even so many years later it stands mighty as one of the unique and exciting blockbusters of this century, and it’s one of my favorite monster movies. A direct sequel has been confirmed, so there’s no better time to check out the original.
Fighting With My Family (2019)
After more recent roles in Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two, Florence Pugh is fast becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars, but no fan of hers should skim over the beautiful and heartfelt Fighting With My Family.
Based on Max Fisher’s 2012 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family, Florence plays Paige, the English wrestler, and the film itself chronicles her aspirational years and rise to become a star of the WWE.
Florence is wonderful in the central role, shining a light on an inspirational story that will leave you grinning in triumph.
Nebraska (2013)
Alexander Payne’s ’70s set movie The Holdovers was another hot pick at the Oscars this year, but before that, he made an even better comedy-drama called Nebraska.
Shot in black and white, it tells the tale of an elderly man in Montana who believes he’s won a huge sweepstakes prize. Insisting it’s not a scam, he manages to get his son to take him to Nebraska to collect the cash.
Great performances from Bruce Dern, Will Forte, and Better Call Saul‘s Bob Odenkirk are a selling point, but it’s the writing that really makes this one a modern masterpiece far too often overlooked.
Richard Jewell (2019)
Clint Eastwood is a maverick behind the camera as well as in front, his biographical drama Richard Jewell being just one case of proof.
Based on both a book and Marie Brenner’s 1997 Vanity Fair article “American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell”, the tense drama film explores the aftermath of the July 27 Centennial Olympic Park bombing during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. The titular man (played by Paul Walter Hauser) found a bomb but was later accused of having planted it on the scene himself.
Never less than gripping, it’s arguably one of the best movies Clint has directed.
