The best films coming to Prime Video in January 2023

A few weeks ago the eagerly awaited teaser for the final Indiana Jones film (featuring Harrison Ford, that is) dropped and it looked … pretty great! Sure, the de-aged Indy was a bit off-putting, but the title for the newest installation, Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, as well as what appears to be more Nazi-busting, more than made up for that issue. Sensing a need to revisit the classic Indiana Jones films, Prime Video is taking it back to where it all began with the OG Indy flick, 1981’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

After the massive success of 1981’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark there was nary a doubt of a sequel. The film was pretty much guaranteed to be a hit due to the fact two of the biggest pop culture tastemakers of all time, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, put their heads together to harken back to the matinee serial films of their youth. But what they came up with in 1984’s Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom is honestly a semi-kid friendly horror action movie that was so dark and gory, a new rating was created after the film’s release. (For those of you backlogging trivia knowledge, the first ever PG-13 movie was Red Dawn, also in 1984). Nonetheless, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom maintains the fun, frenzied adventure pace of its predecessor but with more dark themes and scenes. Plus it introduces the fairly problematic but also indelible character of Short Round, played by young Ke Huy Quan, who is not only back for the franchise’s fifth installment Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, he’s also on the Oscar shortlist for his fantastic performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

We hope you get where we’re going with this … the original Indiana Jones trilogy is plopping on Prime Video and there’s scarcely a more entertaining way to stream your way through the cold start of the year. In the first two installments of the original Indiana Jones trilogy, we get to know Indy as a dashing, fallible ladies man who is also a huge flake when it comes to falling in love. But, where did such a man come from? This is answered in an unusual but unforgettable way as we meet Indy’s dad, the cranky Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) who, if you’ve not seen the film but are good at putting things together, reveals Indy’s real name is Henry Jones Jr., a point the senior Jones makes very clear. As if this familiar exposition wasn’t enough, we also get to flashback to see a young Indy on an early adventure played fabulously by River Phoenix, where we also discover how Indy got that scar on his chin. There’s also the plotline of the discovery of the tomb from a knight in the Last Crusade. Indeed, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade is the cherry atop the original trilogy and it ties everything together wonderfully. So much so, there needed not be another film. But, alas.

1971’s Harold And Maude was an unexpected, low-key hit for its time that has managed to grow in fanhood and respect over its 50 years in existence. This is no rare feat, and while it’s undoubtedly director Hal Ashby’s most well-known film, it’s really just a peek at an underrated auteur who is finally starting to get his due. But enough about the brilliance of Hal Ashby, let’s revel in the thickly dark humor of a true original, Harold And Maude. The plot concerns wealthy older teen Harold (Bud Cort), whose beyond annoying mother (Vivian Pickles) is trying to get her morbid son to pursue a “normal life” by pursuing a career and a wife. She arranges dates for him, which go wonderfully awry due to Harold’s wont to drive the women away. Soon he meets Maude, an octogenarian free-spirit who captures his heart. It’s a truly weird and wonderful film that, if you haven’t seen you should, and if you have, you know you’re probably overdue for a rewatch.

The uneven yet thoroughly entertaining O Brother, Where Art Thou? Is undoubtedly one of the better known Coen Brothers films. While its plot line is a bit forgettable, George Clooney gives a million percent as charming hustler Ulysses Everett McGill (the “Ulysses” part of that name is a tip of the hat to the source material for the film, Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey) who embarks on a quest for lost treasure alongside two doper companions named Delmar and Pete (Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro). Along the way they become singing sensations, meet some beautiful sirens, get stuck in a tornado and then this happens and that happens, which is kind of the problem with the film. But, what isn’t a problem is the fantastic and catchy roots soundtrack put together by American treasure T-Bone Burnett, who kind of steals the show. Storytelling nitpicks aside, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a lot of fun. Clooney is great, as is the cinematography of the great Roger Deakins, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work in 2001.

As The Fabelmans continues to remind people that Steven Spielberg is capable of anything, it’s also nice to remember that before The Fabelmans, Spielberg only wrote the screenplay for two other films, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind in 1977 and A.I. Artificial Intelligence in 2001. Yes, he has multiple “story by” credits but when it comes to writing an actual feature, Spielberg has only done it three times and each one is a weird mix of everything that makes him great as a filmmaker. It’s interesting to place all three films together with A.I. Artificial Intelligence as a centerpiece that kind of balances the other two. Ostensibly a futuristic Pinocchio in which an android boy (Haley Joel Osment) who has become obsolete still pines to finish his mission as a child. But in the way that only Spielberg can, he wants to have just one last perfect day with his mother (Frances O’Connor). Sickly sentimental with a wide dark streak, everyone knows Spielberg was working on the film with Stanley Kubrick before he passed. But A.I. Artificial Intelligence has little if anything to do with Kubrick, and it’s nice to think he gave this to Spielberg as a parting gift to cinephiles.

After breaking into Hollywood with Mimic in 1997 with a horrible experience via one Harvey Weinstein (for producer reasons, not Weinstein’s typical disgusting behavior), the genius Guillermo del Toro hightailed it back to his Spanish/gothic roots for the brilliant 2001 film The Devil’s Backbone. Clearly the first in a (so far) trilogy of films where del Toro examines the horrors of fascism on the individual (the others being Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)) The Devil’s Backbone takes place in 1939 at the end of the vicious Spanish civil war. Ten-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) has been orphaned and is sent to a dilapidated orphanage run under strict tutelage of headmistress Carmen (Marisa Paredes) where sweet natured Professor Cesares (Federico Luppi) takes a shine to the boy. Also taking a liking to Carlos is a child ghost named Santi (Junio Valverde) who keeps young Carlos awake at night and is a general annoyance. But much like the seemingly dark forces in the other two del Toro films mentioned here, all is not as it seems and the filmmaker proves that the horror genre may be the richest in terms of exploring all kinds of human elements.

You didn’t think we’d straight up diss 2008’s controversial Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull in this January lineup by including the other three but not this one, did you? Look, Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull was not the movie fans of the original trilogy wanted it to be. But if one takes off their fanhood fedora and looks at the film objectively, it’s pretty much a fine sequel to three classics. For those firing up a snarky comment about surviving a nuclear explosion by hiding in a fridge or how Jones’ son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) is not only in the movie at all but also swings with monkeys through trees, we thinks thee doth protest too much. Was outrunning a massive boulder that somehow stayed unmoored for thousands of years too much? Or how about inflating a raft and throwing it out of an airplane to have it land in whitewater rapids and go over a waterfall while all three people aboard survive? If that was totally believable how about approaching a vast chasm and taking a “leap of faith” that an invisible bridge will appear to guide your way? That was OK, but hiding in a lead-lined refrigerator to survive a nuclear blast is just a bridge too far? Fine, you do you, but completists and fans can enjoy Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull again and maybe the distance of a few years will increase its viability.

If you’d like to have a moment of outdated cringe, pop open that trailer for 1995’s action/comedy Money Train. Don’t worry, we’ll wait. Not even taking into consideration that the person interviewing transit cops John (Wesley Snipes) and Charlie (Woody Harrelson) about how they can possibly be brothers is convicted murderer Robert Blake, that’s some mid-’90s social commentary humor that was de rigueur back then but likely makes you a wee bit uncomfortable now. Still, Money Train is a fun distraction in which Harrelson’s Charlie, tired of being pushed around by those wealthier than him devises a plot to steal millions through the New York City public transit train system. John, the smarter of the two brothers does his best to stop his brother while also trying to keep him from being killed. A young Jennifer Lopez is also along for the ride and Harrelson and Snipes show similar chemistry onscreen to their work in the great White Men Can’t Jump (1992).

The year was 1993 and indie film was the talk of the film world as was the Sundance Film Festival where low-budget breakout hits such as Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Steven Soderbergh’s sex, lies and videotape and Kevin Smith’s Clerks found themselves in cinemas worldwide. Perhaps the grittiest film in that conversation is Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi, which the filmmakers financed by becoming a guinea pig for a pharmaceutical company testing a new drug. That story can be found in Rodriguez’s excellent book on DIY filmmaking, Rebel Without A Crew. The film details a traveling mariachi who is mistaken for a murderous criminal and must hide from a bloodthirsty gang. The film is a ton of fun on it’s own, but cinephiles will enjoy the low-budget aspects and sheer force of will it took to make the lil gem.

Filmmaker Alexander Payne burst onto the scene with his indie darling Citizen Ruth in 1996 (sadly, that film is all too prescient with the abortion debate back on the front burner, but we digress) and came back even stronger with 1999’s acerbic and hysterical Election. Featuring truly impeccable casting with Reese Witherspoon as overachieving winner Tracy Flick, who runs up against miserable teacher, Jim McAllister played to heelish perfection by Matthew Broderick. Election is also a great example of lower-key cringe comedy as Broderick’s McAllister progressively spirals as he tries to knock Tracy down a few pegs in her bid for the class presidency. It should also be noted that Payne’s longtime writing partner Jim Taylor deserves a bunch of credit as well.

The mockumentary Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul enjoyed a wonderful film festival run after its debut at Sundance in 2022. It was then snatched up by Focus Features who, frankly, did an extremely poor job of promoting the film. With that title, it’s easy to think this is one of those sly attempts at religious propaganda or, the opposite in which low hanging fruit of religious zealots are made fun of. And, it is sort of both, but Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul also stars the amazing Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown and that should have helped the film become a bigger hit than the flop it actually was. Maybe the mockumentary format has been played out? The storyline focuses on Trinitie Childs (Hall), matriarch of a mega church who is tasked with rebuilding the trust (and bank account) of her church after her husband Brown is caught up in a scandal.

The King’s Speech is a great film based on the true story of Britain’s Prince Albert (Colin Firth) who is prematurely thrust into the throne following the death of King George VI. Sure, he knew the day would come but, not so soon, which is why he really hasn’t been practicing his public speaking. See, the prince has a stammer and it’s thought that such an issue would cause him to be confusing and even weak when addressing his kingdom. If that seems like something that wouldn’t matter, reflect on the right-wing attacks on Joe Biden who suffered a similar affliction. The King’s Speech is really a feel-good sports movie couched as a drama in which Albert must work to overcome his issues and demons in order to achieve his goals. He’s aided by his loyal wife (Helena Bonham Carter) and father-figure and mentor, played by Geoffrey Rush. The film cleaned house at the 2011 Oscars with awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Firth), Best Director (Tom Hooper) and Best Original Screenplay (David Seidler).

Back in 2009 the horror/thriller film Orphan was one of those insane movies that you had to go see before someone spoiled it for you. Every once in a while a film can still pull off that trick of a twist so out there no one sees it coming. That was the case with Orphan. The twist in the film also would apparently render another film with the lead character Esther (an eerie Isabelle Fuhrman) unimaginable. That is until Orphan: First Kill seemingly dropped out of nowhere in the middle of 2022. Of course a proven winning method for a film means there must always be more via a reboot, sequel or, as is the case here, a prequel, Orphan: First Kill not only pulls it off, it’s managed to be just as insane and easy-to-spoil as the original. So much so that you probably shouldn’t read too much about it.

Boots Riley’s outstanding social satire Sorry To Bother You (2018) is the kind of film where you feel like you’ve been inside the filmmaker’s mind for a real journey. LaKeith Stanfield stars as Cassius Green, a harried telemarketer in a sort-of parallel universe Oakland, California. In a laugh-out-loud moment, Green is told that if he uses “his white voice” when speaking to customers perceived over the phone to be white, he will have more success. The trick works and propels Green into becoming the star of a company that has treated employees so poorly, there are threats of a walkout. With his newfound power and financial gain, Green begins to become unmoored from the fairly grounded life he’s led with supportive girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson), who is slowly losing touch with him. The supporting cast in the bizarro film is also great, with moments from Patton Oswalt, Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, Armie Hammer, Robert Longstreet, David Cross and many more. If you’ve yet to see Sorry To Bother You, you’re in for a treat.