After a slow start, Amazon Freevee has gradually increased in popularity and standing, particularly after the release of the Emmy-nominated breakout hit Jury Duty. Now, Freevee has cemented itself as a legitimate participant in the ever-competitive streaming world.
Although it doesn’t have Prime Video’s massive movie catalog, Amazon Freevee has many free films available to watch with ads. Several major hits are in there, from blockbusters to prestige dramas. However, Freevee also has a few underrated films that are worth your time. These overlooked gems are perfect to watch on a lazy afternoon and they’re only a click away.
Let Him Go (2020)
Academy Award winner Kevin Costner joins Academy Award nominee Diane Lane in Thomas Bezucha’s 2020 neo-Western drama Let Him Go. Set in 1960s Montana, the plot centers on a retired sheriff and his wife as they attempt to rescue their grandson from a dangerous family living off the grid following the death of their son. Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville co-stars as one of the film’s antagonists.
Let Him Go is an interesting combination of genres and themes. It juggles elements of adult drama and revenge thriller with uneven results; however, Lane and Costner are so compelling in the lead roles that it’s easy to forgive the film for its faults. Manville is also delightfully wicked as the film’s villain, delivering an unhinged performance worth the audience’s time. Let Him Go may not win any new fans for Costner’s brand of rough Western heroes, but it will surely satisfy those already converted.
Let Him Go is available to watch on Amazon Freevee.
Wind River (2017)
MCU stars Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) star in Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western crime thriller Wind River. The plot follows Cory, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker, and Jane, an FBI agent, attempting to solve a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Joe Bernthal and Graham Greene appear in supporting roles.
Wind River plays to Taylor Sheridan’s strengths as a writer and director. It’s a tense, character-driven mystery benefitting from lush vistas and a distinctively chilling atmosphere. Boasting strong work from Olsen and Renner, Wind River is an old-fashioned thriller ideal for fans of Sheridan’s crowning jewel, Yellowstone. However, the film offers something for everyone, especially fans of the Western and crime genres.
Wind River is available to watch on Amazon Freevee.
Villains (2019)
Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s 2019 black comedy horror film Villains stars Bill Skarsgård (Barbarian), Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan, and Kyra Sedgwick. The plot revolves around Mickey and Jules, two lovebirds whose car breaks after they incompetently rob a convenience store. Upon encountering a house, the two break in, hoping to find money or gas; however, they stumble into something much darker.
Deranged and hysterical, Villains is a near-perfect combination of dark humor and thrills. The film benefits from a stellar cast led by Skarsgård in his most absurd role, with Donovan and Sedgwick hamming it up as the demented house owners with a very twisted idea of parenthood. Short on the jump scares, but overflowing with wit and humor, Villains is an effective and surprisingly sweet horror film with enough laughs and chills to satisfy thrill-seeking audiences.
Villains is available to watch on Amazon Freevee.
