Happy new year, fellow Primers. I hope your holiday season was as magical as the movies are. Speaking of, let’s jump right into what to watch during this first week of what I hope turns out to be your best year yet.
From two Oscar-nominated flicks and a highly underrated family dramedy, to a white-knuckle dark comedy and a shoot-‘em-up flick led by a math genius, these are the five movies to watch this week on Amazon Prime Video.
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Animal Kingdom
If you’ve seen and loved the hit TNT series Animal Kingdom, you’ll now want to indulge in the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name, if you haven’t already. The 2010 Australian gritty crime thriller boasts a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and features an incredible cast that includes Joel Edgerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Jacki Weaver, and James Frecheville.
Animal Kingdom tracks a troubled 17-year-old Joshua “J” Cody (Frecheville) as he moves in with his grandmother (Weaver) in Melbourne after his mother overdoses and dies. You’ll watch with intensity as he navigates settling into a family he never knew, then as he finds himself caught between his powerful crime family and the grip of a compromised cop (Guy Pearce) who is desperately trying to save him.
Jacki Weaver’s performance as the formidable Smurf is remarkably haunting—it’s no wonder she was nominated for an Oscar. In case you’re wondering, the series came after the movie, but both are inspired by the real-life Melbourne crime family, the Pettingills, and their gangland events.
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The Family Fang
I’m of the opinion that you can never go wrong with a Jason Bateman film, especially if he’s both in front of and behind the camera. Everything he touches turns to heartfelt comedy gold. Case in point—The Family Fang, which the actor directs and stars in.
Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Wilson, the film is a dramedy about two adult siblings (Bateman and Nicole Kidman) who come together to investigate the mysterious disappearance of their eccentric, performance-artist parents (Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett). During the process, they’re forced to examine their wildly bizarre upbringing, which included elaborate public hoaxes staged as art, as they struggle to determine whether their parents’ disappearance is a genuine crisis or just another performance.
The Family Fang is genuinely funny, witty, and entertaining. It’s full of intrigue, complexity, and an inherent interest not just in the relationship between art and reality but also in the effects and impact of dysfunctional families and unconventional parenting on the children involved. Bateman has a gift for allowing things to get warm and fuzzy, then immediately injecting comedy to soothe and heal a tender moment. You’ll love it.
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Gringo
If you chose to pass on 2018’s Gringo when it came out, it may be time to rethink that decision, especially given its satirical take on corporate greed and the greedmeisters it breeds. The movie is replete with dark comedy, thrills, and more white-knuckle action than your heart can stand.
When mild-mannered businessman Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) travels to Mexico for his pharmaceutical company, he finds himself caught between a drug cartel, his treacherous bosses (Charlize Theron and Joel Edgerton), and a ruthless mercenary (Sharlto Copley). The harder he tries to survive, the more the situation spirals out of control, and soon Harold crosses the line and goes from strait-laced, law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal—all over his company’s new cannabis pill.
Gringo is a super-fun watch that strikes a tone of its own and adheres to it, thanks to its luminous cast of characters, which also includes Alan Ruck, Harry Treadaway, Amanda Seyfried, Thandie Newton, and Paris Jackson.
2
The Accountant 2
I love a good action-thriller, and while I have seen and enjoyed The Accountant 2, I must confess that I chose it this week as a pre-emptive strike to remind you that tax season approaches, so be prepared. Now, if only all our accountants could be this cool…
The long-awaited sequel finds Ben Affleck reprising his role as Christian Wolff, accountant extraordinaire with a serious talent for solving complex financial crimes. This time, he’s using his brilliant mind and illegal methods to reconstruct the unsolved puzzle of a Treasury chief’s murder, with his estranged, lethal brother Brax (Jon Bernthal) and a Treasury agent (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) aiding him. Together, they uncover a deadly conspiracy and a network full of killers.
Unlike its super-serious predecessor, The Accountant 2 takes on a different tone that’s fueled by action, humor, and the standout on-screen chemistry between Affleck and Bernthal as bickering, big-brained brothers skilled with big guns. Here, expect a lot less accounting and a lot more explosions, so don’t forget the candy and popcorn.
1
The Creator
I watched The Creator over my holiday break and was pleasantly surprised. While it has its little narrative flaws like every movie does, I certainly can see why it’s a two-time Oscar-nominated film.
Set in 2070, in a future where humans are at war with artificial intelligence, the sci-fi action flick follows former special forces agent Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) as he’s tasked with destroying the Creator, the architect of AI. You’ll tag along as Joshua journeys into AI-occupied territory with co-stars Gemma Chan and Ken Watanabe to carry out their mission. What none of them know is that the weapon to be killed is a robotic simulant in the form of a child who has the ability to control technology.
Since its 2023 release, The Creator has become a cult hit among sci-fi fans. It features a heartfelt, dynamic plot with breathtaking visuals and aesthetics of futuristic tech blended with lush nature. It also showcases stellar sound work and strong performances, delivering awe and escapism through an immersive sci-fi spectacle.
Since we are kicking off a new year of binge-watching, now’s the time to make sure your Prime Video viewing experience is set up to ensure simplicity and ease for you throughout the next 11 months.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month
- Simultaneous streams
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