Looking for something to fill the summer movie season void? We’re still gonna have to wait a while for our return to the MCU and reunion with Dom Torretto’sFastfamily, but for now, there’s a pretty dang good selection of old favorites and new movies onAmazon Prime Videothis month.
If you’re looking for something fresh out of the gate, Amazon’s new original thriller7500arrives on the streaming service this month, starringJoseph Gordon-Levittas a First Officer fending off terrorists aboard a Berlin-bound flight in his first major role since 2016’sSnowden. In the realm of new-to-streaming, Amazon’s June debuts includeRian Johnson’s Oscar-nominated mysteryKnives OutandAlexandre Aja’s slept-on monster movie masterworkCrawl(which wasone of Tarantino’s favorite movies last year, in case you think I’m overselling it.) And if you’re in the mood to revisit an old favorite,The NaturalandDirty Dancingare bringing their feel-good vibes to Amazon Prime this month.
Get the details on all our picks for the best new movies on Amazon this month below, and be sure to check out thecomplete listing of all their newly-added titles here. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for on Amazon, you can check out our guides to this month’s best new movies onHuluandNetflix.
How to Train Your Dragon
Available:June 1
Directors:Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Writers:Will Davies, Den DeBlois, and Chris Sanders
Cast:Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristin Wiig
Easily one of the best new kids and family franchises of the 21st Century, theHow to Train Your Dragonfilms are solid all the way through (and the inferior but still charming collection of Netflix original series inspired by the film franchise are there to help you if your kids get a littletoohooked on the adventures of Berk.) But for all the technological advancements in animation and the subsequent dazzling visuals of the sequels, there’s still raw magic inChris SandersandDean DeBlois’original film, which transported audiences to the Viking island of Berk where Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his outrageously adorable dragon Toothless begin their epic adventures.
Dirty Dancing
Director:Emile Ardolino
Writer:Eleanor Bergstein
Cast:Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes
Dirty Dancingis one of the most iconic romance movies of all time, but beyond the countless pop culture references and the undying quotable appeal of “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” it also genuinely holds up as one hell of a feel-good love story.Jennifer Greystars as Baby, she who will not be put in a corner, a young woman spending the summer with her family at a resort, where she falls in love with the sexy, sashaying dance instructor (played by a sexy, sashayingPatrick Swayze). Their chemistry is crackling as ever and the dance scenes are still a joy, butDirty Dancingis also a much more thoughtful, forward-thinking character drama than most folks remember. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a total swoon-fest, but there’s some lovely, ahead-of-its-time drama packed in among the hip-swaying romance and that iconic big move.
The Natural
Director:Barry Levinson
Writers:Roger Towne and Phil Dusenberry
Cast:Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey
Widely considered one of thebest sports movies of all time,The Naturalchannels the endless charisma ofRobert Redfordin a charming, if occasionally saccharine, ode to baseball. Redford stars as a middle-aged rookie looking to make his lifelong goal of sporting greatness come true, and he’s surrounded by a heck of a supporting cast, includingGlenn Close,Kim Basinger, andRobert DuVall.The Naturalsometimes veers a little too much into bleary-eyed sentiment and a heavy-handed sense ofdestiny, but it’s a quality feel-good underdog tale and all that emotion just makes it even more heart-warming when you’re in need of an old-fashioned swing-for-the-fences fairy tale.
Knives Out
Available:June 12
Writer/Director:Rian Johnson
Cast:Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Jaeden Martell, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford, Noah Segan
FromBricktoLoopertoThe Last Jedi,Rian Johnsonhas made a career as a filmmaker who brings his singular touch to familiar genres, reenvisioning them with panache while honoring the hallmarks of their respective cinematic staples. With his Oscar-nominated ensemble powerhouseKnives Out, Johnson brings that touch to the old-fashioned murder mystery, staging a twisy tale of death and inheritance through the lens of one fractured, fabulously over-the-top family.KnivesOutis funny and breezy, but it’s also gorgeously composed, with some supremely sly performances from its killer cast. It’s honestly worth your time just to watchMichael Shannonscream about cookies, but fortunately, that’s just one of many, many moments that makeKnives Outsuch a delightful and unusual film.
Available:June 18
Director:Alexandre Aja
Writers:Michael Rassmussen and Shawn Rassmussen
Cast:Kaya Scoldelario, Barry Pepper
If you are looking for a creature feature that 1) grabs you by the throat and never lets go, 2) lowkey features some of the best horror performances in recent memory, 3) whips ass, you’re gonna want to check outCrawl. Directed byHigh TensionandThe Hills Have EyesfilmmakerAlexandre Aja,Crawlis a no-nonsense monster movie that traps a woman (Kaya Scodelario) and her estranged father (Barry Pepper) in the crawlspace of their Florida home with a bunch of mean-ass, man-eating alligators and wastes no time stagging one nail-biting sequence after the next. Running a lean 87 minutes,Crawlis refreshingly straightforward, fun as hell, and features some of the best-composed monster movie action in years.
Available:June 19
Director:Patrick Vollrath
Writers:Patrick Vollrath and Senad Halilbasic
Cast:Joseph Gordon Levitt, Omid Memar, Murathan Muslu, Aylin Tezel
It’s been a while since we’ve seenJoseph Gordon-Levittin a starring role, but the prodigiously talented actor makes a heck of a return with the new Amazon original thriller7500. Set entirely in the cockpit of an airplane, the film stars Gordon-Levitt as the First Officer aboard the flight who has to try to protect the safety of his passengers when they’re boarded by terrorists. Doling out thrills from those tight quarters, filmmakerPatrick Vollrathwisely lets Gordon-Levitt’s reliably excellent performance carry the picture but delivers some sharp filmmaking flourishes of his own, keeping up the tension all along the way.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Available:June 30
Director:Brad Bird
Writers:Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec
Cast:Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton,
Mission: Impossibleis one of those franchises that is almost uniformly excellent (sorryMission: Impossible 2, excellent motorcycle fights do not an excellent movie make). But for many, the fourth film in the franchise,Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, is the high watermark to date. Easy to see why;Ghost Protocolhelped nudge the Ethan Hunt-centric spy saga towards the ensemble focus that’s become a calling card since,Brad Bird’s live-action filmmaking debut captured all the kinetic and intricately choreographic set-pieces that make his animated work such a joy, and speaking of set-pieces, that Burj Khalifa stunt is still an all-time great.
