Amazon Studios

Sometimes, you just need to watch a sweet and straightforward movie about someone experiencing personal growth and overcoming an obstacle. If that's the case, check out "Brittany Runs a Marathon." When we first meet the titular Brittany Forgler (Jillian Bell), she's approaching her 30s and living in New York City ... but after a night of partying and an attempt to get an Adderall prescription from a doctor, she learns that she's overweight and experiencing health problems.

In an effort to get healthier, Brittany, who can't afford to go to a gym, takes up running — and along the way, she makes friends, like fellow runner Catherine (Michaela Watkins). Even through a stress fracture and the fracture of a new relationship, Brittany doesn't quit ... and when she finally runs that marathon (minor spoiler alert, but it's right there in the title!), you'll be cheering for her.

: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar
Paul Downs ColaizzoR103 minutes88%

Amazon Studios

What if the First Son of the United States and a prince of England fell in love? That's the question posed by "Red, White & Royal Blue," a film based on Casey McQuiston's bestselling novel of the same name. When Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zahkar-Perez) and Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) first meet, it is not love at first sight ... but after the two cause a cake-related international incident, they're forced to fake a friendship, which becomes something more. 

Zakhar-Perez and Galitzine are excellent as two public-facing young men grappling with their identities, and while Uma Thurman's Texas accent as the President is a bit much, this movie is just delightful. You can't go wrong with "Red, White & Royal Blue."

: Nicholas Galitzine, Taylor Zakhar-Perez, Uma Thurman
Matthew LópezR118 minutes76%

Amazon Studios

If you've ever wanted to get back together with a former flame, you may identify with "I Want You Back." This romantic comedy stars Charlie Day and Jenny Slate as Peter and Emma, who just got dumped by their respective partners Anne (Gina Rodriguez) and Noah (Scott Eastwood), so to try to make their exes "want them back," Peter and Emma devise a plan. Emma decides she'll try to get Anne's new boyfriend Logan (Manny Jacinto) to cheat, while Peter becomes friends with Noah so he'll ditch his new girlfriend Ginny (Clark Backo).

You can see where this is going, which is that Peter and Emma fall in love ... but just because the ending isn't predictable doesn't make it less fun. Day and Slate are endlessly charming together, and "I Want You Back" is a great Amazon exclusive.

: Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Gina Rodriguez, Manny Jacinto
Jason OrleyR111 minutes87%

Amazon Studios

Ben Affleck pulls double duty yet again as director and star in "Air," the story of how Air Jordans helped Nike stay afloat as an athleticwear and shoe company in the mid-1980s. Throughout the movie, we follow Nike's marketing vice president Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman) and basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) as they try to find a new spokesperson for their shoes; ultimately, they decide that up-and-coming basketball superstar Michael Jordan (who's never seen on screen) is the perfect choice.

Eventually, Nike locks Jordan down as an ambassador, and considering that Air Jordans still sell insanely well, this eventually ends happily. If you love biopics and ever wondered about the origin of Air Jordans, "Air" is a slam dunk.

: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis
Ben AffleckR112 minutes93%

Amazon Studios

American writer and actor Mindy Kaling and Dame Emma Thompson might seem like a strange pairing, but they work perfectly together in "Late Night." When we first meet Thompson's acerbic late night host Katherine Newbury, her ratings are dropping ... and if she doesn't fix the show's problems, she'll get replace. That's why Katherine hires Molly Patel (Kaling), who has no experience as a comedy writer but is just a huge fan — and despite the other longtime writers looking down on her, she grows into her role on staff.

Unfortunately, Katherine's personal life — meaning, her affair with one of the show's writers, Charlie (Hugh Dancy), becomes front page news, betraying her husband Walter (John Lithgow) — threatens to derail the show for good, but in the end, Katherine turns things around. "Late Night" is a fun, frothy romp with two incredible leading ladies; definitely add it to your watchlist.

: Mindy Kaling, Emma Thompson, Hugh Dancy
Nisha GanatraR102 minutes80%

Amazon MGM Studios

What if you could give advice to your younger self? That's the question asked by "My Old Ass," a sweet and deeply emotional coming-of-age film exclusive to Amazon. When we first meet Elliott (Maisy Stella in her film debut), she's 18 and about to go to college ... but during a night camping with her friends where they all partake in psychedelic drugs, Elliott hallucinates her 39-year-old self, played by Aubrey Plaza. When Older Elliott warns Younger Elliott to avoid a boy named Chad, the plot thickens.

"My Old Ass," despite its irreverent title, is extraordinarily heartfelt and a lot deeper than you might think — and Stella and Plaza are particularly phenomenal as two versions of the same person. We all wish we could have some do-overs in life, and that's what "My Old Ass" perfectly expresses.

: Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella
Megan ParkR89 minutes90%

Amazon Studios

Emmy and Oscar-winning actress Regina King stepped behind the camera worked with a screenplay by Kemp Powers ("Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse") for "One Night in Miami..." — which takes place on February 25, 1964. Based on real events, the film focuses on four major historical figures — Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Cassius Clay, who later changes his name to Muhammed Ali (Eli Goree), football star Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and crooner Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) — spending time in a Miami hotel room after Clay fights fellow boxer Sonny Liston (Aaron D. Alexander). Though most of them expect a party, Malcolm is looking for a philosophical exchange of ideas, and the conversations that ensue fuel the rest of the film.

"One Night in Miami..." is more of a showcase for its performers than anything else, but Ben-Adir, Goree, Hodge, and Odom Jr. are all so phenomenal that the movie itself still holds up beautifully. For a retelling of a private night between four great men, give this one a try.

: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
Regina KingR114 minutes98%

Amazon Prime Video

"The Idea of You," which is based on Robinne Lee's book of the same name, introduces us to divorced single mother Solène Marchand (Anne Hathaway), who runs a successful art gallery in Los Angeles while parenting her teen daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin). When Izzy wants to go to see boy band Harvest Moon in concert, Solène is reluctant ... but a chance meeting leads her to one of the band's eligible bachelors, Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine). Despite an age gap, Hayes pursues Solène, and the two fall hard and fast.

It's not just the age difference that affects Solène and Hayes' relationship — fame takes a toll on them as well — but even so, "The Idea of You" is a deeply sweet, gorgeously performed love story about an unlikely couple with a real connection. (Also, it's pretty steamy, if you're into that.)

: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine
Michael ShowalterR116 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 81%

Amazon Studios

Fourteen years after the first "Borat" movie convinced a bunch of guys to say "my wiiiife" at their own weddings, Sacha Baron Cohen donned his gray suit and fake beard once again for its sequel "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," which adds a welcome element into the mix: Borat's daughter. Played by brilliant then-newcomer Maria Bakalova, Borat's daughter Tutar is just as absurd and guileless as her father, and throughout the movie, the two mess with a bunch of real people (including a physician, who is alarmed to hear that Borat "put a baby" in Tutar, even though they're talking about a figurine she swallowed).

Throw in a ... really unflattering "cameo" from disgraced New York mayor and former lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a particularly wild take on the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, and you've got "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," which is just as ridiculous as the first movie (and perhaps, even a little better). Brace yourself, get ready to cringe, and turn on "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm."

Amazon Studios

Anyone who ever read Karen Cushman's 1994 young adult novel "Catherine Called Birdy" was likely delighted when it got a film adaptation in 2022 courtesy of writer-director Lena Dunham. "Game of Thrones" and "The Last of Us" standout Bella Ramsey stars as Lady Catherine — who, as the title says, prefers the nickname "Birdy" — who lives in England in the 13th century. As she gets older, her father Lord Rollo (Andrew Scott) is determined to marry his daughter off to a wealthy and eligible suitor, while Birdy would prefer to run free and hang out with her uncle George (Joe Alwyn), who's not actually her uncle and on whom Birdy has a bit of a crush.

Ramsey is perfectly cast in this beloved literary role, and with Scott, Alwyn, and "Doctor Who" veteran Billie Piper on hand, the entire movie is a delight from start to finish. Relive your childhood (or experience this story for the first time) and turn on "Catherine Called Birdy."

Cast: Bella Ramsey, Andrew Scott, Billie Piper
Director: Lena Dunham
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 108 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 88%

Amazon MGM Studios

What if you leaned into a ton of negative stereotypes ... and it led to overwhelming professional success? That's the question posed by Oscar nominee for best picture "American Fiction," which catches up with author Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright, who also snagged an Oscar nod) as he struggles to sell more books. After meeting another Black author whose book trafficks in genuinely offensive stereotypes, Monk abandons all principles and submits a draft of a work called "My Pafology" to various publishers as a joke. When they're all interested, Monk is torn between his desire to succeed (and make these publishers look like fools in the process) and his intrinsic need to maintain his principles.

With phenomenal supporting performances from Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Issa Rae, "American Fiction" is a funny, smart depiction of the way that stories from people of color are often prioritized only if they focus on suffering, real or imagined. If nothing else, watch "American Fiction" for Wright, a powerhouse actor relegated to supporting roles for years who finally gets his chance to shine.

Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander
Director: Cord Jefferson
Rating: R
Runtime: 117 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%

Amazon Studios

Another Best Picture nominee that scored a nomination for its lead actor to boot, "Sound of Metal" focuses on heavy metal drummer Ruben Stone, played by Riz Ahmed ... whose life is torn apart when he learns that he's experiencing severe hearing loss from a lifetime of exposure to loud music. When Ruben goes to a doctor and finds out that he will lose his hearing entirely unless he gets a cochlear implant, his life is shattered, as it's completely tied up in his identity as a musician and drummer.

Throughout "Sound of Metal," Ruben adjusts to his new reality and, in the process, becomes a part of the deaf community thanks to a shelter run by Joe (Paul Raci, also an Academy Award nominee for best supporting actor). There's another major shift in the movie when Ruben does receive the implants and they're not what they seem, forcing him to decide his path forward. Ahmed is spectacular in "Sound of Metal," which is a touching, astonishing story of human resilience and identity.

Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci
Director: Darius Marder
Rating: R
Runtime: 120 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%

Amazon Studios

Penned by Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon, "The Big Sick" is actually a retelling of Nanjiani and Gordon's real-life courtship ... and the impossible situation they overcame together. Nanjiani, who plays "himself," is working as an Uber driver in Chicago when he meets graduate student Emily Gardner (Zoe Kazan), and the two hit it off quickly. Though they separate when Kumail's familial "obligations" — specifically, his parents' overwhelming desire for him to marry an eligible Pakistani girl — Kumail rushes to Emily's side when she experiences a sudden and unexpected health issue that leaves her in a medically induced coma.

That's when Kumail meets Emily's parents Beth and Terry, played by legends Holly Hunter and Ray Romano ... and as they all wait for Emily to get better, the three of them bond in wholly unexpected ways. The fact that "The Big Sick" is based on a very real story is astounding enough, but even if the story was completely made up, this emotional romantic comedy-drama would be well worth a watch thanks to Nanjiani and Gordon's script and the performances from Nanjiani, Kazan, Hunter, and Romano.

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
Director: Michael Showalter
Rating: R
Runtime: 120 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%

Amazon MGM Studios

If you need a major adrenaline rush and want to see three phenomenal actors at the top of their game, please check out "Challengers." The story takes place across two timelines, and when we return to 2006, we meet young tennis stars Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor), and Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), all of whom possess preternatural talent in the sport. Tashi, after playing with the emotions of both boys, goes on to date Patrick ... but after an injury cuts her entire career short, she rekindles a romance with Art, and the two get married and start a family, leaving Patrick on his own.

In the 2019 timeline, Tashi is Art's coach as he rises through the ranks of professional tennis, and when she enters him as a wild card player in a Challenger event in New Rochelle, New York, she and Art are shocked when Patrick is in the competition as well. Patrick's mere presence sends both Art and Tashi into a tailspin, and the metaphorical game between the three heats up in a big way. "Challengers" is an intense, beautifully shot, and outstandingly performed film — which also features an all-timer of a score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross — and it's one of the very best films you can watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Cast: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Rating: R
Runtime: 131 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 88%