Like every other streamer out there, Prime Video got a new batch of movies this month. And if you’re having trouble deciding where to start, we can help with that.
By our count, the streamer got at least 70 new movies added to their catalogue for the month of May, covering the full spectrum of genres. So, we tried to include a little bit of everything in this here list. You’ll find an Oscar dominator, a few comfort films, some action, some comedy, and some horror. We know you have range too!
Here are the 7 best new movies to stream on Prime Video in May.
One Battle After Another
There’s a reason “One Battle After Another” was one of the most talked about films last year, and cleaned up at the Oscars earlier this year. It picked up both Best Picture and Best Director, along with several other awards at the show, breaking an 11-nomination losing streak for director Paul Thomas Anderson.
That said, the movie was a bit divisive too. You’re pretty much either going to love “One Battle After Another” or hate it, with very little middle ground, especially as it clocks in at nearly three hours long. (You can see what TheWrap’s critic thought about it here).
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and more, it tells the story of an ex-revolutionary, played by DiCaprio, who gets forced back into his former combat lifestyle when he’s pursued by a corrupt military officer (Sean Penn).
Mamma Mia!
Listen, does every major actor involved with “Mamma Mia!” cringe a little when they see clips of this film? Yes. Even Meryl Streep couldn’t watch more than a few seconds. Were they all drunk while filming it? Maybe! (Probably not). And yet, they all encourage a third film every chance they get.
“Mamma Mia!” is an example of a film adaptation of a musical gone right. It’s campy, boasts a cast way more stacked than it has any right to, and even got serious actors like Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth to sing and wear sparkly spandex. You simply cannot help but have a good time while watching this movie, and odds are, it’ll inspire you to travel too.
It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but at the same time, no one in it treats it like a complete joke. It’s just a winner (and the winner takes it all).
Because I Said So
If you’re missing Diane Keaton, as many of us are, you probably need a “Because I Said So” rewatch. It’s one of her sweetest films, in which she plays a mom to Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo.
Granted, she’s a deeply overbearing mother, who puts out a personal ad trying to find a husband for her still-single daughter. The worst part is, she doesn’t tell said daughter about it, and instead lets her think that she met the man organically. Keaton is excellent as always, even if her character is…not so excellent.
As an added bonus, Keaton gets her own love story in this, and it’s treated with as much sweetness and levity as it deserves. This is the definition of a comfort film, it’s just one that gets a bit overlooked considering the films it came out around in 2007/
Agent Cody Banks
Once upon a time, Frankie Muniz was the frontrunner to star in the film adaptation of “Holes.” The book was beloved, as was Muniz, having become a household face and name thanks to “Malcolm in the Middle.” He was signed on and everything, and then “Agent Cody Banks” came along. And millennials everywhere were given the dream of becoming a teen spy.
Muniz stars as Cody Banks, a kid who applied for a junior field ops position in the CIA’s Special Activities Division after completing a training summer camp. What he doesn’t expect is to actually get called into work. His mission? Hilary Duff. Well, technically her name is Natalie here, but it’s Hilary Duff, and she needs protecting, as her scientist dad is working with some unsavory folks.
Think of this as James Bond for kids, if your kids are too young for those particular spy movies.
Long Shot
With “Long Shot,” you come for Charlize Theron becoming the first female President of the United States, and you stay for her calling Nick Fury from the MCU “the pirate guy.”
“Long Shot” is so much more charming than you’d expect, starring Theron alongside Seth Rogen, who have incredible chemistry. The two are childhood friends — though Charlotte (Theron) was always Fred’s (Rogen) crush — and are reunited when Charlotte hires Fred to be her speechwriter during her campaign for president. The movie is both sweet and hilarious, and also deceptively deep.
It’s a pleasant surprise for nearly all first-time watchers, and a comfort for returners.
Blink Twice
If you’re in the mood for something scarier, “Blink Twice” is going to be the one you want to check out on Prime Video this month. This is one where you definitely want to avoid spoilers, so broadly speaking, it follows a group of people who are to the private island of a billionaire tech mogul, and discover something strange and sinister happens to those who go.
We’ll note, however, that the film does touch on the subject of sexual assault.
“Blink Twice” marks the directorial debut of Zoe Kravitz, and it’s an undeniably strong one. She assembled a stacked cast, including Channing Tatum — the film even led to a 3-year relationship between the two — Naomie Ackie, Christian Slater, Adria Arjona, Geena Davis and more.
The Equalizer
If you’re in the mood for some vigilante justice, the “Equalizer” films are the ones to watch this month. Starring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, both the first and second film hit the streamer in May.
McCall is a former Marine and retired defense officer who’s now living a mostly peaceful life. Except, when he encounters criminals, he handles them himself. These aren’t necessarily movies that make you think deeply, but rather allow you to turn your brain off for a bit and enjoy watching Denzel give bad guys what they deserve, in very cinematic ways.