It may be light on latest and greatest, but Amazon Prime Video Australia offers a treasure trove of cinema hits from the past twenty years. Catch up on the modern classics you've missed or find a blast from the past here with our editors' hand-picked favourites.
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Palm Springs
Alex's analysis: One of 2020's best movies, which is appropriate, because Palm Springs is a very 2020 movie
Alex's rating:
Starring the always excellent Andy Samberg (Nyles) and Cristin Milioti (Sarah), Palm Springs is a fun comedic twist on Groundhog Day time loop genre. The pair play strangers who meet at Sarah's sister's wedding, only to get stuck in a time loop where they are forced to relive the day over and over. The film never takes itself too seriously, drips so much charm you'll need a bucket and a mop, and has a strong emotional core to back it up. And given how 2020 shook out, I'm sure most of us can relate to being stuck in a time loop - Alex Choros
Director: Max Barbakow | Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, Camila Mendes, Tyler Hoechi | Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Time travel romcom
The Holiday
Kate's comments: If you can push past the idea of Jack Black as a romantic lead, The Holiday is feel-good fun any time of the year.
Kate's rating:
What would happen if you could swap lives… just for the holidays? That’s exactly what highly-strung LA producer Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and heart-broken English newspaper columnist Iris (Kate Winslet) do when they agree to swap homes. They soon find that opposites attract as they navigate love and life on the other side of the world.
It’s a little bit cheesy and a whole lot of fun, so snuggle under the doona with a hot chocolate for the ultimate festive flick - Kate Reynolds
Director: Nancy Meyers | Cast: Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, Jude Law, Eli Wallach | Language: English | Rating: PG
Genre: Rom-com
Freaky
Alex's analysis: A devilishly fun body swap slasher
Alex's rating:
Clearly a homage to Freaky Friday, Freaky is a body swap horror comedy where middle-aged serial killer the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) unwittingly switches bodies with teenager Millie (Kathryn Newtown) while attempting to murder her. To make matters more complicated, Millie only has until midnight the following day to get her actual body back. While Freaky has its gory moments, it also delivers plenty of laughs. An incredibly fun watch - Alex Choros
Director: Christopher Landon | Cast: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Alan Ruck | Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Body swap slasher
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John Wick
Tara’s take: A fast-paced revenge film that’s seriously fun to watch - except when the dog dies. 🙁
Tara's rating:
Perfect and pure human angel Keanu Reeves is John Wick - also known as ‘Baba Yaga’, a legendary hit-man who retired from the murder-for-hire game to settle down and get married. But after his wife dies of illness and his puppy is killed by Russian mobsters, Wick goes straight-up beast mode in his quest for vengeance. John Wick is an excellent return to action form for Matrix star Keanu, and a future neo-noir classic - but you’ll have to pick up the sequel to see just exactly how the titular Wick can kill three men in a bar with only a pencil.
Director: Chad Stahelski, David Leitch | Cast: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Michael Nyqvist, Bridget Moynahan, Willem Dafoe | Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Action / Keanu Reeves vehicle
Pitch Perfect
Anula's notions: It's acca-awesome.
Anula's rating:
You acca-believe it's worth spending 90 minutes of your life watching this movie. Check out every female stereotype, hilariously over exaggerated, and crammed together as an acapella singing sensation. Oh and Rebel Wilson is there. Get set on your couch for some horizontal running - Anula Wiwatowska
Director: Jason Moore | Cast: Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine, Ester Dean, Anna Kendrick | Language: English | Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
I Care A Lot
Alex's analysis: Awful people do awful things
Alex's rating:
In this pitch black comedy, Rosamund Pike plays a scammer who makes bank by becoming a court appointment guardian to the elderly and taking their assets for her own. The scheme hits a road bump when she unwittingly becomes entwined in the world of crime lord Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage). While I Care A Lot gives you no one to root for, the two antagonists deliver chilling performances that leave you questioning just how awful people can be - Alex Choros
Director: J Blakeson | Cast: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, Dianne Wiest | Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Blacker than the blackest black comedy
The Vast of Night
Alex's analysis: A suspenseful sci-fi slow burn.
Alex's rating:
The Vast of Night isn't your usual sci-fi. Instead of relying on flashy special effects or CGI, the film plays out more like a radio drama or a podcast. It tells, rather than shows. Set in 1950s New Mexico, The Vast of Night follows switchboard operator Fay and radio host Everett and on a supernatural scavenger hunt after this discover a strange audio frequency on the air. While the dialogue does all the heavy lifting, The Vast of Night is nonetheless a suspenseful tour de force - Alex Choros
Director: Andrew Patterson | Cast: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis, Greg Peyton | Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Sci-fi
Her
Alex's analysis: Would you date an AI?
Alex's rating:
Before Joaquin Phoenix played the Joker, he starred in Her, a near-future sci-fi about a man who falls in love with his Siri-like virtual assistant. While the concept may sound surreal, impeccable performances from Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson make this Black Mirror-esque drama a compelling and soulful watch - Alex Choros
Director: Spike Jonze | Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde | Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Sci-fi romance
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#1
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Exetel 
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#2
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Tangerine Telecom 
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#3
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Buddy Telco 
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Jolt
Alex's analysis: A dumb, violent romp
Alex's rating:
In Jolt, Kate Beckinsale plays Lindy Lewis, a bouncer with anger issues. Anger issues so bad she uses an electric vest to shock herself to supress her extremely violent tendencies. Those tendencies do however come in handy after the first dude Lewis has ever fallen for is murdered and she takes matters into her own hands. There's nothing overly profound about Jolt, but sometimes you just need to watch Kate Beckinsale kick a whole lot of ass - Alex Choros
Director: Tanya Wexler | Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Bobby Cannavale, Laverne Cox, Stanley Tucci | Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Fight fight fight fight
Baby Driver
Jacqui's gist: So much more than just an action movie, Baby Driver is a nearly two-hour long car chase / music video / action / comedy / piece of genius.
Jacqui's rating:
It's hard to know where to begin with Baby Driver. The whole thing is shot like a music video, complete with gun-shots, action and sometimes even dialogue that syncs with the music. It's full of fast-paced, car chasing heists and the action is really gosh darn cool. It's an Edgar Wright movie so it's got that stylised comic book feel and the dialogue is super slick. It's also really funny. The complete package, really, and a flawless piece of entertainment - Jacqui Dent
Director: Edgar Wright Cast: Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Action comedy gold
Somm
Alex's analysis: A must-watch journey down the rabbit hole into the world of professional wine tasting.
Alex's rating:
Somm is a nerve-wracking look into one of the weirder parts of the wine world, following four nerds in their attempt to pass one of the hardest tests in the world: the Master Sommelier. While studying might seem a drab premise for a movie, Somm succeeds at turning wine tasting into a tense tale of obsession. You'll need a glass or two to get through this one - Alex Choros
Director: Jason Wise | Language: English | Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Food (well, wine) porn
Inglourious Basterds
Jacqui's gist: One of the most satisfying World War II movies ever made.
Jacqui's rating:
In
one of Quentin Tarantino's finest features, Brad Pitt leads a team of guerrilla
soldiers behind enemy lines during World War II. Their one mission: to kill
Nazis. Or more specifically, to terrify Nazis by brutally killing as many as
possible. The "Basterds" are good at what they do and eventually
graduate from persecuting Hitler's troops to coming after the man himself.
Revenge has never been so sweet - Jacqui Dent
Director: Quentin Tarantino, Eli Roth | Cast: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christopher Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger | Language: English and German | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Tarantino movie
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#1
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SpinTel 
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#2
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Tangerine Telecom
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#3
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Dodo 
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Arrival
Alex's analysis: A smart sci-fi slow burn.
Alex's rating:
Arrival is an instant classic; a smart science fiction flick that trades in blockbuster spectacle for an unforgettable story. Sure, it's the story of a translator trying to decipher an alien language in attempt to prevent intergalactic war, but trust me, this is far more than a language lesson. Sophisticated and thoughtful - Alex Choros
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma | Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Smart sci-fi
The Social Network
Alex's analysis: Come for the bangin' Trent Reznor soundtrack, stay for one of 2010's best movies.
Alex's rating:
Aaron Sorkin's sharp writing doesn't make Zuckerberg any more likable, but this David Fincher directed take on the birth of Facebook (and the ensuing lawsuits) is far more interesting than it has any right to be. Even if the film may take some liberties with the subject, The Social Network is nonetheless a must watch - Alex Choros
Director: David Fincher | Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella | Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Docudrama
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#1
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Dodo
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#2
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SpinTel
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#3
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TPG 
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Sharknado
Jacqui's gist: I know this is a list of great movies and Sharknado is legit terrible. But shut up, okay? Bad movies can be so good to watch.
Jacqui's rating:
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to watch a grown man chainsaw his way out of a shark's belly, you're in luck. Because Sharknado delivers. Sure, you might have questions about the physics of it. But you might also have questions about the physics of a hurricane filled with sharks. Don't worry about the physics. Worry about the sharks. The angry, flying sharks and the chainsaws and the bombs that will be needed to kill them. Sharknado takes the "it's so bad it's good" movie and elevates it to a kind of artform. The story is crazy stupid, the graphics are bad and the acting is downright awful. And the result is magnificent. Watch with friends and beers - Jacqui Dent
Director: Anthony C. Ferrante | Cast: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, John Heard | Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Movies you'll love to hate
Mean Girls
Jacqui's gist: Fourteen
years on, Tina Fey's teen comedy has become "one of the most referenced
cultural products of all time online," according to
The Guardian. That is so fetch.
Jacqui's rating:
If you're one of the millions of people who love Mean Girls, you don't need me to tell you why it's awesome. Just know that you can relive the magic now on Amazon Prime. If you haven't seen Mean Girls yet, you need to get onto that. It's a ridiculously smart and funny exploration of toxic social cliques in high school. More importantly, it will help you understand all the memes and GIFs that have been going over your head for years. This is unapologetically a movie for teen girls but if you're not one, still watch it, because who says teen girl issues aren't important? - Jacqui Dent
Director: Mark Waters | Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lizzy Caplan, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, Tina Fey | Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Teen comedy
The Nice Guys
Jacqui's gist: Not even Russell Crowe can ruin this hilarious story of two incompetent private investigators in over their heads.
Jacqui's rating:
Ryan Gosling is a detective with a drinking problem. Russell Crowe is a thug with a heart. When a girl called Amelia hires one to beat up the other, the two realise the girl is in danger and team up to investigate. Badly. The Nice Guys is the latest effort from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang writer/director Shane Black and it more than measures up to the comic genius of its PI comedy predecessor. Gosling and Crowe excel in their roles and young Australian actress Angourie Rice proves herself their equal with her own stand-out performance. The Nice Guys is clever, gripping and laugh-out-loud funny - Jacqui Dent
Director: Shane Black | Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley | Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Crime comedy
Silver Linings Playbook
Jacqui's gist: Jam-packed with incredible performances, Silver Linings Playbook is a totally off-the-wall comedy drama about learning to function within dysfunction.
Jacqui's rating:
After his release from psychiatric hospital, Pat Solanto (Bradley Cooper) makes a deal with his erratic neighbour Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence): he will be her partner in a dance competition if she will help him get in contact with his estranged ex-wife. Pat and Tiffany are like dynamite together - and not always in a good way. But there's something about their volatile relationship that works and as the dance competition draws closer they both start to have doubts as to whether Pat still wants to be with his ex-wife. Silver Linings Playbook is a delightfully frenetic and ultimately uplifting story about surviving and thriving with mental illness - Jacqui Dent
Director: David O. Russell | Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper | Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Offbeat rom-com
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