Project Hail Mary.
Photo: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios/Everett Collection
It’s a somewhat light month for new releases on Prime Video, but the service is making up for that by becoming the exclusive home for two of the most acclaimed releases of 2026 in Project Hail Mary and The Sheep Detectives. While radically different narratively, they’re both films that appeal to all demographics, the kind of flicks that you can watch with your entire family or friend group. They’re accompanied below by several films that live in the revolving door of content that is Prime Video: off one month, on the next.
Year: 2000
Run time: 1h 42m
Director: Mary Harron
Mary Harron’s adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel was instantly controversial but also instantly iconic. Christian Bale stepped into the role of a serial killer, which caused an uproar in the literary world and redefined the way we see psychopaths in cinema. His performance has been mimicked so many times in the quarter-century since this unforgettable film was released. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 2006
Run time: 1h 49m
Director: Bennett Miller
The film world hasn’t been the same since it lost Philip Seymour Hoffman. Any debate about the best performance of his career that doesn’t include his Oscar-winning turn as Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s 2005 drama is simply incomplete. Hoffman bypasses the typically shallow nature of playing real people to offer something deeper and truer about how the story of In Cold Blood changed Capote’s life. It’s even more poignant now that PSH is gone. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 1967
Run time: 2h 58m
Director: Sergio Leone
Is this Sergio Leone’s best movie? It might be. It’s arguably his most influential, changing the landscape of the western in ways that are still being felt a half-century later. Clint Eastwood plays “The Good,” Lee Van Cleef plays “The Bad,” and Eli Wallach plays “The Ugly” in this quest for gold, soundtracked by Ennio Morricone. It’s even better than you remember. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 2015
Run time: 2h 21m
Director: Ridley Scott
One of the best late-career films from an all-time master, this sci-fi gem sees Matt Damon playing an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars and has to use his ingenuity to get home. One of the many reasons this movie rules is how much it values intelligence and knowledge, two things that more blockbusters could stand to elevate. It would also be a great movie to double feature with Project Hail Mary, both because their source material comes from the same author and because their filmmaking shares a lot of DNA. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 2012
Run time: 2h 17m
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
One of P.T. Anderson’s best films, and one of the best films of the 2010s by anybody, is this drama starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. Originally seen as a dissection of the creation of Scientology, The Master is a lot more than that, breaking down leader-follower relationships, trauma, and doubt in ways that only one of our best filmmakers could. It’s a masterpiece. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 2006
Run time: 2h 12m
Director: Michael Mann
Just over 20 years after the premiere of the hit series that introduced the world to Crockett and Tubbs, Michael Mann returned to Florida for this stylized adaptation (and it’s hard to believe it’s been another 20 years since the movie) starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. Polarizing on its release because it’s not exactly a traditional blockbuster, Miami Vice has developed a loyal following over the years for its gorgeous cinematography and intoxicating style. It’s a must-see for fans of action filmmaking and Michael Mann. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 2026
Run time: 2h 36m
Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Ryan Gosling stars as a reluctant savior for planet Earth in this brilliant blockbuster, a movie based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir. Gosling is a middle-school teacher who wakes up on the other side of the universe, where he has to piece together how he got there and the role he’s going to play in saving Earth from dying. He befriends another lonely space traveler of another species in this smart, moving piece of blockbuster filmmaking that stands as one of the best of 2026 so far. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 2026
Run time: 1h 49m
Director: Kyle Balda
It’s not inaccurate to say that this film crosses Babe with Knives Out. Hugh Jackman leads a flock of sheep that end up forced to solve his murder in a small village. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O’Dowd, and Bryan Cranston lead an excellent voice cast in a family film that doesn’t talk down to the little ones while also providing cozy comfort for their parents. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 2008
Run time: 1h 40m
Director: Ben Stiller
A sharp spoof of Hollywood blockbusters, Ben Stiller’s hit comedy has become divisive over the years in terms of how comedy has changed since its release. Yes, some of it hits differently now, but there’s no denying the fearless performances that carry it — including from Stiller, Jack Black, and, most of all, Robert Downey Jr. — do anything to get the laugh. ➽ Streaming now.
Year: 2011
Run time: 2h 19m
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Anyone in the mood for an ugly cry? You’ll get it with this sports movie featuring some of the career-best work of Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. Hardy and Edgerton play brothers who happen to enter the same MMA tournament, leading to inevitable conflict. It’s a smart family drama with excellent performances, including a truly great turn from Nolte, who landed an Oscar nomination for his work, probably his last. ➽ Streaming now.
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