If you’ve ever spent time browsingAmazon Prime Video, you know that the streaming service tends to recommend the same few things every time you log in. That’s partially by design. After all, Amazon is just like any other streaming service — it has an algorithm that points you toward specific things.
If you want to branch out, though, we’ve got you covered. We’ve pulled together three underrated movies that are all perfect ways to spend the weekend and might involve checking out movies that Amazon hasn’t shown you a million times.
We also have guides to thebest new movies to stream, thebest movies on Netflix, thebest movies on Hulu, thebest movies on Amazon Prime Video, thebest movies on HBO Max, and thebest movies on Disney+.
The Perfect Storm (2000)
A great blockbuster from an era without superhero movies,The Perfect StormstarsGeorge Clooneyas a ship captain whose crew is hit by three massive weather events that combine to create the titular perfect storm.
Featuring effects that hold up remarkably well 25 years later and a cast filled with dudes who you come to care about over the course of the movie,The Perfect Stormhas aged remarkably well. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it has a performance as magnetic as Clooney’s, holding things together at the center.
You can watchThe Perfect Stormon Amazon Prime Video.
Smile 2 (2024)
The originalSmilewas a pretty interesting horror movie, but it also felt constrained in ways thatSmile 2definitely does not. This sequel follows a major pop star struggling with addiction who becomes haunted by a series of smiling ghouls, leading to a descent into madness.
Smile 2is dark, twisted, and largely unpredictable. It’s anchored by a remarkable central performance from Naomi Scott, who manages to make the psychological terror at the heart of this movie feel totally real.
You can watchSmile 2on Amazon Prime Video.
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
An important reminder thatWill Ferrellis a better actor than you might think,Stranger Than Fictionfollows an IRS auditor who starts hearing narration that convinces him that he’s a fictional character.
As he rebels against the narrator that dictates his every move and tries to prove that his life is an interesting and fulfilling one,Stranger Than Fictionbecomes both more interesting and circular. While it can be a difficult movie to wrap your head around,Stranger Than Fictionis the exact right combination of funny and compelling.
