If you were wondering why Conclave soared in popularity after its debut on Prime Video, it’s because this 2024 thriller was very timely after the death of Pope Francis. We can’t say how accurate the selection process of the new pope is from reality to film, but it is an impressive drama.
This week’s other addition, Gladiator II, also takes place on the Italian peninsula … just several centuries in the past. It was a blockbuster hit last year, and now the film has joined the best movies on Amazon Prime Video. We update this list every Friday so you can get ready for the weekend with your top viewing options.
Need more recommendations? We’ve also put together guides to the best shows on Prime Video, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Netflix, the best new movies to stream, and the best movies on Disney+.
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Conclave2024 -
Gladiator II2024
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The Pianist2002
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G202025
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Lost in Translation2003
Editor’s Pick
Conclave (2024)
79%
7.4/10The election may take place behind closed doors in Vatican City, but the secrets that emerge could end the careers of some and potentially spark more scandal in the church. There’s a surprising amount of intrigue in the selection process, and the film also boasts a stellar supporting cast that includes Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini.
Gladiator II (2024)
64%
6.5/10It only took 24 years for a sequel to Gladiator to reach theaters. Russell Crowe’s character remains dead, but Lucius Verus Aurelius (Paul Mescal) carries on the tradition of losing his family and being sold into slavery in Gladiator II. Connie Nielsen reprises her role as Lucilla from the first film, and she was the one who sent Lucius away for his own safety.
In Lucius’ absence, Rome is ruled by not one but two mad emperors: Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). As Lucius climbs the ranks of the gladiators, a former slave named Macrinus (Denzel Washington) wants to use him to get the emperors out of the way. But Lucius is his own man, like his father before him.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)
47%
6.3/10For his second and final turn as Jack Reacher, Tom Cruise headlined Jack Reacher: Never Look Back. Having settled into a pattern of helping Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) uncover corruption, Reacher is stunned when she is arrested and charged with treason and murder.
As Reacher attempts to free Turner, he discovers that a young teenager named Samantha (Danika Yarosh) may be his biological daughter. Her life may be in danger just because of her association with Reacher. Someone powerful has sent The Hunter (Patrick Heusinger) to eliminate Reacher’s allies and frame him for murder. Fortunately, there are few problems that Reacher can’t solve by punching and kicking.
The Pianist (2002)
85%
8.5/10Adrien Brody won his first Oscar for Best Actor for his leading role in The Pianist. On the eve of World War II, Władysław Szpilman (Brody) and his family believe they are safe from the Nazi advance only to find themselves trapped in occupied territory. Since Szpilman and his family are Jewish, they are forced from their home and made to live under harrowing conditions.
By a fluke of fate, Szpilman is spared from being sent to a concentration camp with his family. But he still has to endure slave labor and harsh treatment until he can find it within him to fight back. This may be a hopeless struggle for Szpilman, but it has to be fought.
G20 (2025)
60%
5.0/10Action hero Presidents aren’t a new thing, but Viola Davis’ character in G20 might be the first female action hero president. As far as President Danielle Sutton (Davis) knew, this year’s G20 summit in South Africa was supposed to be an ordinary meeting of leaders from across the globe.
The Boys‘ Antony Starr co-stars in the film as Rutledge, the leader of the terrorists who take the security team by surprise and capture the world leaders. President Sutton manages to get free. And if she wants to save her family and her fellow leaders, then she’ll need to get her hands dirty and do it herself.
Lost in Translation (2003)
91%
7.7/10Lost in Translation has held up for over two decades because of the unusual connection between the two leading characters, as played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. Charlotte (Johansson) is initially a stranger to Bob Harris (Murray), a movie star whose best days are behind him. He’s only in Tokyo to make some easy money shooting commercials while Charlotte accompanied her husband, John (Giovanni Ribisi), who came to Japan for a photo shoot with an actress named Kelly (Anna Faris).
The only outward connection that Bob and Charlotte share is that they’re staying at the same hotel. But with John spending so much time away from her, Charlotte forms a connection with Bob that may redefine their stay in this foreign country. It’s a beautiful story, with an ending that’s still debated today.
Val (2021)
73%
7.6/10Even years before Val Kilmer became a star in Hollywood, he kept home movies from his childhood to his teens and beyond. It was the story of Kilmer’s life that no one had seen until directors Ting Poo and Leo Scott put it all together as Val.
This documentary is also a family affair for Kilmer, his ex-wife Joanne Whalley, and their children, Mercedes and Jack. Since Kilmer had lost his voice during his battle with throat cancer, Jack Kilmer stepped in to read the words written by his father as he looked back at everything he went through to become the man he wanted to be.
Poor Things (2023)
88%
7.8/10Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things is an unusual Frankenstein story in that the creature is a beautiful woman, Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), and not a monster. Bella might be the strange union of a woman’s body with a child’s mind, but she’s a fast learner. Her creator, Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), can’t keep her under wraps for long, with a young man, Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef), wants to marry her.
Bella, however, has her own ideas and runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) for a life of debauchery. But even Duncan can’t hold Bella’s interest forever, and her openness to new experiences means that ultimately no one can control her.
Holland (2025)
45%
5.1/10What’s eating Nancy Vandergroot (Nicole Kidman) in Holland? She’s got a great thing going in this small town with overtly Dutch roots. Nancy’s got a fine husband, Fred Vandergroot (Matthew Macfadyen), and their son, Harry (Jude Hill), is unusually well-behaved.
It’s so perfect that the slightest imperfection alerts Nancy that maybe things aren’t so rosy after all. For an optometrist, Fred sure takes a lot of out-of-town trips. Nancy’s pretty sure that means Fred’s having an affair, and she turns to her new friend, Dave Delgado (Gael García Bernal), to help her prove it. What they find isn’t what Nancy expected, which turns her world upside down.
Transformers One (2024)
64%
7.5/10Transformers One is the origin story of the franchise’s leading hero and villain: Optimus Prime and Megatron. At this point in their history, Optimus is known as Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth), while the future Megatron is D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry). Both are miners on Cybertron, and good friends as well.
After befriending B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) and their former boss, Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), Orion and D-16 discover that Cybertron’s ruler, Sentinal Prime (Jon Hamm), has betrayed the planet to their enemies. Orion and D-16 are both outraged by this revelation, but they aren’t on the same page about how to handle it. That leads to the beginning of a rift between them that will have dire consequences for the future.
Twisters (2024)
65%
6.5/10The new Superman, David Corenswet, has a small role in Twisters, which may be significant years down the line. But he’s not the prime attraction here, and neither are Daisy Edgar-Jones or Glen Powell, the two topline stars who have top billing. Instead, it’s the tornadoes themselves that are the stars of Twisters, especially when the film veers into cartoonish levels of destruction.
Years ago, storm chaser Kate Carter (Edgar-Jones) had a radical idea that tornadoes could be potentially weakened through her experimental method. When the experiment fails, Kate and Javi (Anthony Ramos) are the only survivors from their team. In the present, Javi lures Kate out of retirement to retry her experiment. While back in the field, Kate encounters a YouTube storm chaser, Tyler Owens (Powell), whom she initially dislikes. When the chips are down and the winds are blowing, Kate will be glad to have Tyler on her side.
The Accountant (2016)
51%
7.3/10The Accountant 2 is coming very soon, so it’s worth revisiting the original film ahead of time. Ben Affleck plays the unnamed title character in The Accountant, and he’s the best criminal accountant that the underworld can buy. The Accountant’s autism helps his mind crunch numbers and detect fraud inside criminal organizations. In other words, he can sniff out a rat who’s stealing money from his fellow crooks.
His latest client is Living Robotics, after an internal client, Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick), uncovers startling irregularities in the company’s records. Co-owner Rita Blackburn (Jean Smart) hired the Accountant to sort things out, but what he discovers is a deadly conspiracy that won’t only target him. Dana will also become a target because she knows too much about the fraud.
Smile 2 (2024)
67%
6.7/10Smile 2 is an unusual sequel in that the events of the first film aren’t really necessary to understand what’s happening in this one. Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) has no idea who Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) is or what happened to her in Smile, and the person who unintentionally connects them is a police officer named Joel (Kyle Gallner). Before long, Skye finds herself plagued by the same curse that afflicted Rose and Joel, and she doesn’t know what to make of all of the creepy smiles she sees on everyone’s faces.
Skye isn’t just some random woman; she’s a pop star on the verge of even greater stardom. But the curse has a way of getting under its victims’ skin and driving them insane. Skye is no exception, and as the curse stalks her wherever she goes, she rapidly loses the ability to tell what’s real and what isn’t.
Life (2017)
55%
6.6/10Life is about first contact between a previously dormant life form from Mars and the crew of an international space station. But this is more The Thing than Star Trek, and Calvin — the alien creature’s nickname — doesn’t take kindly to being experimented on.
The next thing you know, David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson), Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds), and the rest of the crew find themselves trapped with a rapidly evolving alien that’s out to kill them. And even they could get word to Earth, their prospects for survival are dropping by the minute.
Picture This (2025)
55%
5.8/10Bridgerton‘s Simone Ashley leads the cast of Picture This as Pia, a young woman struggling to keep her photography business afloat as her family prepares for the month-long build-up to the wedding of her younger sister, Sonal (Anoushka Chadha).
During one of the wedding events, a spiritual advisor tells Pia that she will find the love and career success that she has always wanted somewhere in the next five dates that she goes on. Pia doesn’t necessarily believe in that prediction, but the thought of it hangs over her head with every romantic encounter that she has. She also has to deal with her ex-boyfriend, Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), who is part of the wedding party on the groom’s side. Seeing Charlie again makes Pia reexamine their relationship, and it’s hard not to wonder if the prediction about her love life was wrong.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
46%
7.0/10The Super Mario Bros. Movie was such a massive hit both in theaters and on streaming that it’s kind of redeemed everything that happened after the first Super Mario Bros. movie. Animation was clearly the way to go for this adaptation, as Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) look like they stepped out of a Nintendo Switch and into a breathtaking video game world.
The story serves as an origin for the Mario brothers, as they accidentally find themselves transported to the Mushroom Kingdom just as it’s under attack by Bowser (Jack Black) and his army of Koopa Troopas. When Luigi gets captured by Bowser, Mario has to discover his inner hero alongside Peach and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) as they search for allies in their struggle.
You're Cordially Invited (2025)
50%
5.5/10You’re Cordially Invited is a throwback rom-com involving Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, and an alligator… but you’ll have to see the movie to learn how that last factor into the story. Ferrell plays Jim, the single father of Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan), a young woman who is about to get married in an exclusive venue. Or at least she would have, if Margot (Witherspoon) hadn’t already booked a wedding for her younger sister, Neve (Meredith Hagner).
Margot tries to play peacemaker so that both weddings can go on as scheduled, but some hard feelings from Jim get in the way of everyone’s happily ever after. Regardless, there’s definitely a spark between Jim and Margot that might bring these two families closer than they expected.
The Calendar Killer (2025)
5.5/10Today is the day that Klara (Luise Heyer) will die, thanks to the title character of The Calendar Killer. The serial killer has warned Klara that her number is up unless she murders her husband, Martin (Friedrich Mücke). Perhaps the Calendar Killer believed Klara would be more open to the idea of killing Martin because he’s abusive to her, but she’s not like him.
Klara’s only lifeline is Jules (Sabin Tambrea), a volunteer at a crisis line for women needing help. Jules knows he may be Klara’s best chance to live through the night, but the Calendar Killer’s deadline is rapidly approaching.
Blink Twice (2024)
66%
6.5/10Although she doesn’t have an on-screen role in Blink Twice, Zoe Kravitz made her directorial debut with this movie. Naomi Ackie headlines the cast as Frida, a young woman who scores an exclusive invitation from billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) to visit his private island alongside her best friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat).
Frida and Jess are lavished with gifts and attention alongside the other female guests on the island. However, Frida notices that she’s experiencing gaps in her memories. When Jess goes missing, Frida is the only one left who remembers her friend. There’s something sinister going on, and this may not be Frida’s first time on Slater’s private island.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023)
60%
6.3/10Liam Neeson’s action thrillers are kind of a dime a dozen, but In the Land of Saints and Sinners is one of his best. Neeson plays Finbar Murphy, a World War II veteran living in Ireland during “the Troubles” in the ’70s. To support himself, Finbar has started working for a crime boss, Robert McQue (Colm Meaney), as an assassin.
Finbar also befriends a younger contract killer named Kevin (Game of Thrones‘ Jack Gleeson), but one of their mutual targets is the brother of Doireann McCann (Kerry Condon), a formidable woman who won’t back down from her revenge. Doireann is determined to avenge her brother, no matter who she has to kill to do it.
Jurassic World (2015)
59%
6.9/10Jurassic World revived the Jurassic Park franchise with a simple idea: What if the dinosaur theme park was actually opened? The park in question is called Jurassic World, and it’s every bit as successful as the late John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) believed it would be.
However, the owners of Jurassic World just aren’t satisfied with the ordinary dinosaurs. So they genetically engineered a more fearsome dino, the Indominus rex. When the creature inevitably gets loose, it causes havoc in the park and jeopardizes everyone there. Only Velociraptor expert Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Jurassic World operations manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) can put a stop to the Indominus rex’s rampage… if they can stay alive.
The Fall Guy (2024)
73%
6.9/10Stunt man Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is burned out on Hollywood in The Fall Guy. It’s hard to blame him after witnessing the injuries he suffers early in this movie. Unfortunately, Colt ruined his relationship with Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt) while he was torching his bridges to the entertainment industry. Nearly two years later, Colt reenters Jody’s life when she’s gotten the chance to direct her own movie.
Jody isn’t exactly happy to see her ex again, but she needs her help. Her star, Tom Ryder (Kraven the Hunter‘s Aaron Taylor-Johnson), has gone missing, and this is more than just an actor on an extended bender. Without Tom, there is no movie to be made, and Jody’s career will be over before it starts. Thus, Colt is drawn into a bigger mystery as he tries to locate Tom and make amends with Jody.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
68%
6.3/10Typically, alien invasion movies involve humanity putting up a fight. But in A Quiet Place: Day One, the battle is over before it even begins, as humans can’t withstand an attack by sightless alien hunters. Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) witnessed the carnage herself while on a day out with her cat in the city.
Sam quickly realizes that her survival hinges on her ability to be quiet. Another survivor, Eric (The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Joseph Quinn), might be the last friend she ever makes. Sam and Eric must stick together if they want to escape New York City and evade the hunters now roaming the Earth.
The Bikeriders (2024)
70%
6.7/10The Bikeriders is loosely based upon the experiences of author Danny Lyon, a character portrayed by Mike Faist in this adaptation. But the film is largely reworked into an original story that focuses on three characters: Kathy (Jodie Comer), her lover, Benny (Austin Butler), and the leader of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, Johnny (Tom Hardy).
Johnny had high-minded ideals when he founded the club in the 1960s. Over the course of the next decade, Johnny and his friends are almost unrecognizable in what they’re willing to do for the club. Despite Benny’s love for Kathy, he keeps getting drawn back into Johnny’s vision for the club, even when it may destroy him.
Knives Out (2019)
82%
7.9/10Daniel Craig sheds his James Bond persona like a separate skin in Knives Out. Craig steps into the role of Southern sleuth Benoit Blanc, a man whose accent is just shy of Foghorn Leghorn territory. However, the voice somehow works for this comedic murder mystery. Ana de Armas has a standout turn as Marta Cabrera, the loyal housekeeper of a wealthy author, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer).
After Harlan dies, his spoiled extended family is stunned to discover that his entire fortune has been left to Marta. The family does not know that Harlan was murdered. Plus, Marta is horrified to discover that the evidence points back to her just as Blanc begins his investigation.
Abigail (2024)
62%
6.6/10Scream‘s Melissa Barrera reunites with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett for Abigail, a film that is very much unlike her previous genre movies. Barrera plays Joey, a military veteran who has hit hard times. That’s why she agreed to work with Frank (Dan Stevens) and a group of other criminals to kidnap a young girl named Abigail (Alisha Weir).
Joey tries to form a connection with Abigail to assure the young girl that she will remain safe before learning that the latter is the daughter of a dangerous crime lord, Kristof Lazaar (Matthew Goode). However, the greatest threat to the kidnappers is Abigail herself, because she’s more than she appears to be. When Abigail strikes, it’s lethal.
Canary Black (2024)
5.5/10You can tell that Canary Black has been on the shelf for a while since it has the late Ray Stevenson in one of his final roles. But it’s also a showcase for Kate Beckinsale to get back into her action heroine mode, which she’s been doing for about two decades now. Beckinsale plays Avery Graves, a CIA operative who has kept her husband, David Brooks (Rupert Friend), in the dark about who she really is and what her job entails.
When terrorists kidnap David, they blackmail Avery into retrieving a file called Canary Black that could lead to an attack on her country. Stevenson plays Avery’s mentor and boss, Jarvis Hedlund, and even he’s not sure he can trust her when she goes rogue. But if Avery can’t find a way out from under the terrorists’ control, she may lose everything she holds dear.
Monkey Man (2024)
70%
6.9/10Dev Patel made his directorial debut with Monkey Man, a film in which he also stars as the main character. And despite the title, Patel’s character doesn’t actually transform into a monkey or even go by that name. The audience only knows him as Kid, a man who will do anything to get his revenge on Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher), the corrupt police chief who murdered his mother.
Kid does wear a monkey mask when he’s in the ring for an underground fighting circuit. However, his real disguise is pretending to be an ordinary waiter at a high-end brothel so he can rise through the ranks and get close enough to assassinate Rana no matter what his vengeance costs him.
Terrifier 2 (2022)
59%
6.1/10Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is back for another round of terror in Terrifier 2. Some evil entity has resurrected Art yet again, and he goes on another rampage. A teenager named Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) is haunted by dreams of Art and she’s convinced that her late father knew how to stop the clown once and for all.
Art must sense the same thing, since he kidnaps Sienna’s brother, Jonathan (Elliott Fullam), and terrorizes their family. Now, Sienna has to save her brother, but first, she must live through her encounter with Art.
IF (2024)
46%
6.5/10For his first directorial effort after helming the initial Quiet Place films, John Krasinski went in a completely different direction with the more family-friendly IF. That title is also the abbreviation for Imaginary Friends, all of whom are creatures that defy reality’s conventions. A young girl named Bea (Cailey Fleming) doesn’t initially know what to think when she encounters IFs like Blue (Steve Carell) and Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge).
Fortunately, Bea’s neighbor, Cal (Ryan Reynolds), can see IFs. It’s his job to help them find new children to befriend after their previous kids were separated from them. Bea gets roped into helping Cal, but her solution to the IF problem is even more bold than his. Yet, it’s still going to take a lot of work to pull off, imaginary or not.
Challengers (2024)
82%
7.2/10You may have to pay close attention to Challengers, because the story doesn’t take place in chronological order. Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a rising tennis star romantically drawn to two other players on the pro tour: Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist).
Both young men want Tashi for themselves, but only one of them is willing to play dirty to get her. Even when one of them wins Tashi’s heart, it doesn’t end the romantic entanglement between this trio as their lives unfold and intersect over several years. Ultimately, the battle between these two men is going to come back to the place where it all began: on the tennis court.
Colette (2018)
74%
6.7/10Keira Knightley adds another daring performance to her credits in the title role of Collette, a biopic about the famous French author Gabrielle Colette. In the late 19th century, Collette marries Henry Gauthier-Villars (Dominic West), who encourages her to write. And by “encourages,” we mean that he steals credit for her work and literally imprisons her to make her write another hit.
Collette turns out to be a natural writer, but rebuilding her life and reputation proves to be difficult after Henry takes everything that she created. However, the real story of the film isn’t about Collette’s fall; it’s about her rise and her ability to reinvent herself.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
73%
7.8/10In the long wait between Shrek movies, Antonio Banderas’ Puss in Boots has been keeping the franchise alive. But in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, time is almost up for the title character. Puss relies on his nine lives to survive the epic adventures. And now that Puss is on his very last life, he’s truly scared about his potential fate — so much so that he abandons his identity and tries to live as a normal cat.
However, Puss learns that there may be a way to restore his lost lives if he can find a magical wishing star. Puss isn’t the only one looking for the star, nor the only one who desperately needs what it can offer him. This quest reunites Puss with his ex-fiancée, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault), and forces him to reevaluate what he really wants.
Snack Shack (2024)
64%
6.9/10Snack Shack is a coming-of-age comedy set in 1991. A.J. Carter (Conor Sherry) and his friend, Moose Miller (Gabriel LaBelle), are 14-year-olds whose schemes to get money almost always backfire on them. At least until they hit upon the idea of running the local Snack Shack for the summer.
Their bond of friendship is tested when A.J. meets Brooke, his attractive new neighbor. Because Moose makes the first move on Brooke, this creates tension between him and A.J., who isn’t willing to simply back off. As Brooke begins to reciprocate A.J.’s feelings, his friendship and lucrative partnership with Moose may come crashing down.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
76%
7.2/10The first Cloverfield movie was anything but subtle, and its found-footage format may have given some viewers vertigo. There’s none of that in 10 Cloverfield Lane, a largely standalone sequel that works as both a thriller and a sci-fi story. Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Michelle, a woman who finds herself locked in an underground bunker by Howard Stambler (John Goodman).
Howard claims that he saved Michelle’s life after the outside world was poisoned in a sudden attack. Emmett DeWitt (John Gallagher Jr.), the only other person in the bunker, backs up Howard’s account. Michelle doesn’t trust either man, and she needs to see for herself. But she may not like what she finds waiting for her outside …
Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
43%
6.3/10Bob Marley: One Love is a music biopic that takes place late in the life of reggae superstar Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir). After Bob and his wife, Rita Marley (The Marvels actress Lashana Lynch), narrowly survive an assassination attempt in his native Jamaica, it sends him into a creative tailspin that threatens to derail his dreams.
Before Bob can resume his message of peace, he has to face his own inner demons and work out his issues with Rita. Bob Marley didn’t have a lot of time in this world, but the film shows that he made the most of what he had and left a lasting legacy of music behind.
The Beekeeper (2024)
54%
6.4/10If you’re looking for a movie with Oscar buzz, The Beekeeper isn’t one of those films. But it is a Jason Statham action flick that lives up to everything you may expect to see from it. Statham plays Adam Clay, a former member of a secretive organization called the Beekeepers and an actual beekeeper.
Adam is content in his retirement until his friend and landlady, Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad), is taken for everything she has by scammers. Eloise commits suicide rather than live with the shame of having allowed her charity foundation to be robbed of millions. Adam vows revenge, and his bloody path of retribution puts him on opposite sides of the CIA and his former colleagues in the Beekeepers.
Mean Girls (2024)
58%
5.7/10Mean Girls isn’t just a remake of the 2002 film, it’s also an adaptation of the 2017 Mean Girls musical. Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their roles from the original movie, but the leading part of Cady Heron features rising star Angourie Rice as she steps into Lindsay Lohan’s shoes. Lohan even has a cameo in the film, which you should be able to spot if you keep your eyes open near the end.
Cady has never gone to an actual school before, since she’s been homeschooled her entire life. Once she finally enrolls in North Shore High School, Cady is initially accepted by the Plastics, the titular mean girls. When the Plastics inevitably turn on Cady, she hatches a scheme to take them down from within. And she might just lose herself along the way.
American Fiction (2023)
81%
7.5/10American Fiction casts The Batman Part Two’s Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a college professor and a novelist whose books sell very poorly. Monk is also upset that another writer, Sinatra Golden (Issa Rae), has found massive success while seemingly pandering to Black stereotypes. So Monk writes his own novel as a satire of Golden’s books before submitting it for publication.
Much to Monk’s surprise and horror, his satire is embraced by the publisher and the general public. The satire of the piece goes unnoticed, as the book becomes so popular that it starts taking over Monk’s life, even though he made sure that his real name wasn’t listed as the author. But once the book is out and Hollywood comes knocking, it may be too late.
The Idea of You (2024)
67%
6.7/10The irony of the premise of The Idea of You is that the romantic entanglement of Solène Marchand (Eileen‘s Anne Hathaway) with boy band lead singer Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine) would probably be more of a fantasy for Solène’s daughter, Izzy (Ella Rubin), than for Solène herself. But one unplanned encounter between Solène and Hayes soon leads to several others.
There is an age gap between Solène and Hayes that does come up in the film, but the bigger issue between them is the celebrity gap. As long as Hayes is a world-famous musician, he and Solène may never be able to enjoy a normal romance without being hounded by the press.
Road House (2024)
59%
6.3/10In this remake of the popular 1989 movie starring Patrick Swayze, Jake Gyllenhaal portrays Elwood Dalton as a former UFC fighter who has fallen on some hard times. Road House gives Elwood a chance for redemption when Frankie (Jessica Williams) recruits him to be the bouncer at her bar, which shares its name with the title of the film.
Elwood’s fighting skills go a long way towards keeping order at The Road House, much to the anger of a local mobster, Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen). Elwood took care of Brandt’s regular goons with ease, but he’ll have a much harder time handling Knox, an enforcer for Brandt who is played by an actual UFC fighter, Conor McGregor.
The Other Zoey (2023)
5.9/10The Other Zoey is not a remake of the Sandra Bullock rom-com While You Were Sleeping. But romantic comedy fans may notice some similarities between the two. Josephine Langford stars as Zoey Miller, a high school student who is definitely not the girlfriend of soccer star Zach MacLaren (Drew Starkey), whose girlfriend is also named Zoey (Maggie Thurmon).
When Zach suffers a head injury that gives him partial amnesia, he mistakes Zoey for his girlfriend, and his doctors warn her not to upset him with the truth. So Zoey carries on the deception and gets closer to Zach on a lavish vacation. At the same time, Zoey also feels attracted to Zach’s cousin, Miles Maclaren (Archie Renaux), who shares many of her views about love and life. So, which guy does Zoey really want? You’ll have to watch the film to find out.
Role Play (2023)
5.5/10Emma (The Flight Attendant‘s Kaley Cuoco) and Dave Brackett (David Oyelowo) are just about as happy as a couple could be in Prime Video’s Role Play. The Bracketts have two children and a beautiful home in a New Jersey suburb. What they’re lacking is the passion in the bedroom that they used to have before starting a family.
For their anniversary, Dave and Emma take a trip to New York and indulge in some role play. That turns out to be a mistake when Bob Kellerman (Bill Nighy) blows Emma’s cover and exposes her as an international assassin. Now, Emma has to use her skills to protect her family and keep her marriage to Dave intact.
A Good Person (2023)
50%
7.1/10Dune: Part Two star Florence Pugh sheds all aspects of her MCU Black Widow role as a broken young woman in A Good Person. Zach Braff wrote and directed the film, which casts Pugh as Allison, a woman who was once engaged to her high school boyfriend, Nathan (Chinaza Uche). But shortly after her engagement, Allison causes a car accident that claims the lives of Nathan’s sister, Molly (Nichelle Hines), and her husband, Jesse (Toby Onwumere).
One year later, Allison is attempting to kick her addiction to painkillers when she reunites with Nathan and Molly’s father, Daniel (Morgan Freeman). As Daniel attempts to forgive Allison, they reenter each other’s lives and she tries to make amends with Ryan (Celeste O’Connor), the daughter that Molly and Jesse left behind.
Memento (2000)
83%
8.4/10Christopher Nolan made his name in Hollywood with Memento, a brilliantly twisted story that is told out of order. L.A. Confidential’s Guy Pearce stars as Leonard Shelby, a man who is out to avenge the murder of his wife. The problem is that Leonard can’t make any new long-term memories, which is why his body is covered with tattoos designed to lead him to his wife’s killer.
Every face Leonard sees is the face of a stranger, so each time he meets Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), he’s unsure of who he can trust. And everyone who knows about Leonard’s condition takes advantage of it, including Leonard himself.
Totally Killer (2023)
60%
7.1/10Amazon Studios’ Totally Killer seems to welcome comparisons to Back to the Future, and it’s one of the more unique blends of sci-fi, comedy, and horror. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Kiernan Shipka stars as Jamie, a teenager who is very familiar with the story about how her mom, Pam (Julie Bowen), survived the Sweet Sixteen Killer 35 years ago. It’s something that Jamie has heard about many times in her life.
When the Sweet Sixteen Killer returns in the present, Jamie finds herself transported back in time to 1987, when her much younger mother (Olivia Holt) was apparently one of the mean girls in school. Yet if Jamie can’t protect Pam in the past then she may not have a future to go home to.
