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In December 2015, Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq" began its theatrical run. With this title, Amazon officially began its forays into original cinema. From here, tons of new movies would emerge, including the 12 best Amazon Prime movies. Initially, Amazon's projects were sent exclusively to theaters before dropping on the Prime Video streaming service. However, starting in 2019, titles like "The Report" and "The Aeronauts" went directly to the small screen, a sign that Amazon was prioritizing streaming exclusive motion pictures just like competing streaming company Netflix.
Today, Amazon still sends some titles (like "Project Hail Mary," which blew everyone away at the box office) to theaters first, but the majority of its feature film offerings are sent straight to Prime Video. Sometimes, this approach ensures something infamously bad, like "Balls Up" or "My Spy: The Eternal City," can vanish into the streaming ether. However, there are some high quality motion pictures that have ended up debuting on the Prime Video streaming service. The five best Amazon original movies (in other words, Amazon features that had no theatrical presence beyond Oscar-qualifying screenings) according to Letterboxd users provide hope. For those rummaging through Prime Video for movies, they may search knowing not everything exclusive to this platform is dire.
These five films (ranked from "lowest" to highest average Letterboxd user score) symbolize how far Amazon's cinema offerings have come from the days of "Chi-Raq." They also reflect which 2020s Amazon titles Letterboxd users especially adore.
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5. Soorarai Pottru
The sky has always beckoned human beings (as seen by ancient myths like that of Icarus) and it has entranced filmmakers. After all, one of the earliest narrative films was "A Trip to the Moon," which took viewers and fictional characters far beyond the grounded world most people are confined to every day. This fascination underpinned the 2020 feature "Soorarai Pottru," which focused on Nedumaaran Rajangam (Suriya) and his dreams of making air travel accessible to everyone. Realizing that concept is, inevitably, easier said than done. This 153-minute Tamil-language production chronicles the many hardships standing between Rajangam and his dream.
Generally, critics gave "Soorarai Pottru" decent but mixed marks. Much like various horror movies audiences loved that critics hated, though, "Soorarai Pottru" went over swimmingly with the general public. This extended to the title scoring an average rating of 3.8 out of 5 on Letterboxd, with many of the positive assessments stemming from (among other achievements) the title's willingness to show all of its protagonists' messy faults. Meanwhile, Nedumaaran Rajangam's complicated existence was realized with cinematography and performances that were also widely lauded. The ability of "Soorarai Pottru" to leave so many viewers deeply inspired also tremendously informed its illustrious Letterboxd reputation.
Some of those Letterboxd reviews did lean more negative and mention flaws like this title's proclivity towards excessively positive depictions of institutional and government forces. Mostly, though, the Letterboxd rave reviews for "Soorarai Pottru" reaffirmed the enduring appeal of movies fixated on the sky.
4. Argentina 1985
Quality courtroom dramas never go out of style. Whether it's 1959's "Anatomy of a Murder" or 1992's "A Few Good Men," films focused on judges, lawyers, and people shouting "objection, Your Honor!" are persistently popular. Dropping on Prime Video in October 2022 was an example that also intersected with the world of historical dramas: "Argentina 1985." This feature follows a ragtag group of lawyers working to prosecute the rulers of Argentina's military dictatorship. These brutal leaders that left a lengthy trail of blood must see justice. With powerful veteran lawyers on their side, though, will they submit to it?
"Argentina 1985" centers its plot on the ticking clock drama of watching underdog lawyers prosecuting fascists. Many Letterboxd reviewers saw the realization of these historical events as mesmerizing, as evidenced by its 4.0 average user rating on Letterboxd. Many reviews on this site come directly from Argentinian moviegoers praising the film for handling a major event in the country's history with immense tact and artistry. Other positive assessments hailed elements like the deft interweaving of comedic moments into such a heavy story, as well as the sharply realized editing. Even some positive reviews that acknowledged "Argentina 1985" not being groundbreaking in form still lauded how transfixing it was.
With all this praise from Letterboxd users, "Argentina 1985" made the 15 best historical movies of all time proud. Never count out a quality courtroom drama to win audiences everywhere over.
3. Sardar Udham
The image of corpses lingering on the ground and blood stained walls fills the mind of Udham Singh (Vicky Kaushal), the protagonist of "Sardar Udham." It's based on truth: In 1919, British troops executed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which left hundreds (if not more) Indians dead in the street. Since then, Singh spent decades preparing for vengeance. His mission is to assassinate Michael O'Dwyer, the man responsible for the slaughter, in London. Singh refuses to forget the horrors perpetrated against his loved ones, a microcosm of how "Sardar Udham" is dedicated to chronicling the lives and atrocities often erased in the larger geopolitical conversation.
The realization of those lofty aspirations from director Shoojit Sircar and screenwriters Shubhendu Bhattacharya and Ritesh Shah garnered tremendously positive reviews. That response extended to the Letterboxd community, who gave "Sardar Udham" an average rating of 4.0. Amongst this site's breakdowns of "Sardar Udham" is a recurring declaration that this project's craftsmanship left viewers haunted. Given the heavy historical subject matter, it only made sense that it would be a tough watch. Others were impressed by the exquisite visual sensibilities. Overall, many Letterboxd reviews observed that "Sardar Udham" was significantly better than typical 2020s mainstream Hindi-language films.
Vicky Kaushal's lead performance was also hailed as a key ingredient to the title's immense success. In every respect imaginable, "Sardar Udham" was classified as a triumph by Letterboxd users. Sircar and the rest of this creative team excelled at crafting a reflection of historical horrors.
2. Sarpatta Parambarai
The 61 best sports movies of all time reflect the vibrant storytelling and emotions that only this genre can offer. A July 2021 Tamil-language entry came via "Sarpatta Parambarai" from writer/director Pa. Ranjith (who penned the script with Tamizh Prabha). This project followed Kabilan Munirathnam (Arya), who struggles between two wildly differing obligations. Should he engage in a deadly boxing match on behalf of his clan? Or lead a normal life and not disappoint his mother? As all the "Sarpatta Parambarai" posters showing Kabilan Munirathnam in boxing gloves indicate, the allure of the ring proves impossible to resist.
The epic journey this character goes on fueled a movie that Letterboxd users were cheering on like it was their local sports team. With a 4.0 average user rating, reviewers on this site praised "Sarpatta Parambarai" for imbuing familiar sports movie terrain with distinctive art, via the potent and visceral filming of the various boxing matches. This 173-minute movie being so well-paced is another feat commonly brought up in these glowing Letterboxd reviews, as well as the emotionally engrossing performances of actors like Arya.
Many of these reviewers even declare that they've rewatched "Sarpatta Parambarai" multiple times. This feature's depiction of an underdog champion proved so exhilarating that countless Letterboxd reviewers couldn't watch it just once. That's the kind of knock-out achievement many great sport movies crave.
1. Sound of Metal
Movie theaters shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 meant that several new release films didn't get the attention they deserved. Some of the best movies of 2020 were tiny indies like "Miss Juneteenth," "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," "Saint Frances," or "Lingua Franca." All struggled to get on people's radar, given the chaos permeating the year. "Sound of Metal" was another one of these smaller films that slipped past many when it hit Prime Video in December 2020. In another timeline, this Riz Ahmed star vehicle would've become a cultural sensation that enraptured people.
"Sound of Metal" follows drummer and recovering addict Ruben (Ahmed) who learns that he's losing his hearing. He then goes to a rehab clinic for the deaf so he can prepare for the unavoidable next stage of his life. What follows is a mesmerizing piece of art that more than earns its 4.2 average Letterboxd user rating. Whether it's the incredible sound work, Riz Ahmed's magnificent performance, or its immensely thoughtful script, there was no shortage of glorious aspects of "Sound of Metal" to secure enthusiasm from Letterboxd reviewers.
Many of the most popular "Sound of Metal" reviews also highlighted its unexpected relevance to 2020, where many people were also grappling with their lives suddenly spiraling into new directions (albeit through COVID, not hearing loss). Great art like "Sound of Metal" resonates, no matter the era.
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Read the original article on Looper.
