Featuring historical action, a Spielberg classic, and a heist movie
If you're staying home this weekend, or are planning a family film night, then this guide to three of the best new movies on Prime Video is for you. This is where we pull out three great titles that are all new to the streamer this month.
We're on a journey through the decades this week, starting our selections with the relatively-recent historical action film The Woman King. That's followed up with an early-'90s Steven Spielberg classic - but can you guess which one? And then we're going back to the '60s with the original version of heist movie classic, The Thomas Crown Affair.
This page is designed to bring you all killer no filler selections from Prime Video's vast back catalog. When you've worked your way through these three, make sure to check out our guide to the best new shows and movies, as well as our lists of the best shows on Prime Video and the best movies to watch on Prime Video right now.
The Woman King
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Available: US
This exciting 1800s-set action film stars Viola Davis as General Nanisca, who leads a regiment of all-female warriors known as the Agojie. When the Agojie free a group of women who have been abducted by slave traders working for the Oyo Empire, King Ghezo of Dahomey (John Boyega) declares war on the Oyo and their Portuguese allies. Nanisca sets out to train a new cadre of soldiers to help protect their kingdom.
Inspired by real events, The Woman King is a gripping adventure, energetically directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, with some fantastic fight choreography. Viola Davis shines as Nanisca, in a film that feels like a modern take on a Gladiator-style historical epic.
Watch The Woman King.
Hook
Director: Steven Spielberg
Available: US/UK
The story of Peter Pan gets a '90s update in this beloved Steven Spielberg classic. Acting as a sequel to J. M. Barrie's novel, Peter and Wendy, Hook centers on Peter Banning (Robin Williams), a middle-aged father of two who has no memories of his childhood. When his kids, 9-year-old Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and 6-year-old Maggie (Amber Scott), are abducted, Peter's friend Wendy (Maggie Smith) reveals to him that he is really Peter Pan. The kids have been taken by Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), and to get them back, Peter must return to Neverland.
Hook was a long-in-development passion project for Spielberg and a reasonable-sized hit when it was released in 1991. Since then, its fanbase has only grown and grown, thanks in no small part to the presence of the much-missed Robin Williams.
Watch Hook.
The Thomas Crown Affair
Director: Norman Jewison
You may have seen the 1999 remake, but have you ever watched Norman Jewison's 1968 original? This super-stylish film helped lay the template for the modern heist movie and is a huge amount of fun. The perennially-cool Steve McQueen stars as wealthy businessman Thomas Crown, who - out of sheer boredom - decides to mastermind a $2.66 million heist from a bank in Boston. An investigator, Vicki Anderson (screen icon Faye Dunaway) is hired to recover the money and quickly clocks that Crown may be the crook. As the two grow closer, however, an undeniable attraction forms between the two.
With a killer cast, and slick direction and editing, this is a pacy adventure full of witty banter, exciting set pieces, and red hot chemistry between its two leads.
Watch The Thomas Crown Affair.
