5 Prime Video Movies You Need to Watch This Week (January 5 – January 11)

Happy New Year, fellow Primers. I hope your holidays were as magical as the movies. Speaking of which, let’s jump right into what we can watch during this first week of what I hope will be your best year yet.

From two Oscar-nominated films and a highly underrated family drama to a pulse-pounding dark comedy and a shoot-’em-up movie helmed by a math genius, these are the five movies you can watch this week on Amazon Prime Video.

5

Animal kingdom

If you’ve seen and loved the hit TNT series Animal kingdomyou’ll want to enjoy the Oscar-nominated film of the same name now, if you haven’t already. The 2010 Australian crime thriller has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% and features an incredible cast including Joel Edgerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Jacki Weaver and James Frecheville.

Animal kingdom follows 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 intently as he settles in with a family he never knew, only to find himself trapped between his powerful crime family and the grasp of a compromised cop (Guy Pearce) desperately trying to save him.

Jacki Weaver’s performance as the formidable Smurf is remarkably affecting; it’s no wonder she was nominated for an Oscar. In case you’re wondering, the series came after the movie, but both were inspired by the real-life Melbourne crime family, the Pettingills, and their gangland events.

4

The family tooth

I believe that you can never go wrong with a Jason Bateman film, especially when he is both in front of and behind the camera. Everything he touches turns into genuine comedy gold. A good example—The family toothin which the actor directs and plays the lead role.

Based on Kevin Wilson’s bestseller, the film is a drama 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). In the process, they are forced to examine their wildly bizarre upbringing, including elaborate public hoaxes staged as art, as they struggle to determine whether their parents’ disappearance is a real crisis or just a performance.

The family tooth is really funny, witty and entertaining. It is full of intrigue, complexity and an inherent interest not only 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 knack for making things warm and fuzzy, then immediately injecting comedy to soothe and heal a tender moment. You’ll love it.

3

Gringo

If you choose to pass on 2018’s Gringo When it came out, maybe it’s time to reconsider that decision, especially given its satirical take on corporate greed and the greedy masters it produces. The film is full of dark comedy, suspense and more heart-pounding action than your heart can handle.

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 turns from a strict, law-abiding citizen into a wanted criminal – all over his company’s new cannabis pill.

Gringo is a super fun watch that strikes and sticks to its own tone, 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 I’ve seen and enjoyed that one in the meantime The accountant 2I must confess that I chose it this week as a preemptive strike to remind you that tax season is coming, so be prepared. If only all our accountants could be this cool…

The highly anticipated sequel stars Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff, an accountant extraordinaire with a serious talent for solving complex financial crimes. This time, he uses his brilliant mind and illegal methods to piece together the unsolved puzzle of the murder of a Treasury Department executive, with the help of his estranged, deadly brother Brax (Jon Bernthal) and a Treasury Department agent (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Together they discover a deadly conspiracy and a network of killers.

Unlike its super serious predecessor, The accountant 2 takes on a different tone fueled by action, humor and the striking on-screen chemistry between Affleck and Bernthal as bickering brothers with big brains and skills with big guns. Expect a lot less accounting and a lot more explosions here, so don’t forget the sweets and popcorn.

1

The Creator

I looked The Creator during my holiday and was pleasantly surprised. While, like any film, it has its minor narrative flaws, I can certainly 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 film follows former special forces agent Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) as he is tasked with destroying the Creator, the architect of AI. Follow along as Joshua, along with co-stars Gemma Chan and Ken Watanabe, travel into AI-occupied territory to carry out their mission. What none of them know is that the weapon to kill is a robot simulant in the form of a child who has the ability to control technology.

Since its release in 2023 The Creator has become a cult hit among science fiction fans. It features a heartfelt, dynamic plot with breathtaking visuals and aesthetics of futuristic technology mixed with lush nature. It also showcases excellent sound work and strong performances, delivering awe and escapism through a compelling sci-fi spectacle.

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As we begin a new year of binge-watching, now’s the time to make sure your Prime Video viewing experience is set up to give you simplicity and convenience over the next 11 months.