It's hot out there, and the couch is looking better than ever these days. Prime Video added a whopping 57 new movies so far in August, enough to make our good ol' friend decision paralysis rear its ugly head again. That's why I've already sifted through all the new releases to shine a spotlight on the best of the bunch. No one wants to waste all that time searching just to settle on a dud.
Slim pickings this week. "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is one of the better sequels in the series, and it's got enough spectacle to keep your interest. Especially after it picks up in the second half. If you don't mind Christmas coming a little early this year, "Journey to Bethlehem" will scratch that musical itch.
Me? I'll be watching "Fargo," my second favorite Coen brothers movie. In case you were wondering, the first is "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" — still the best Odyssey adaptation imo. "Fargo" is always good for a laugh in my household, and I'm pretty sure all Midwesterners are required by law to watch it at least once.
For even more streaming recommendations, check out everything new on Prime Video in August. So without further ado, let's dive into the best new movies on Prime Video to add to your watchlist.
'Journey to Bethlehem' (2023)
The vibe: A less horny "Jesus Christ Superstar"
It's a strange time of year to be recommending a Christmas musical, but we live in Unprecedented Times, I 'spose. I'm not exactly the target audience for "Journey to Bethlehem," but the grown-up theater kid in me yearns for musicals, and I must feed it something every few months lest I get stuck watching Gerard Butler play the Phantom of the Opera again.
"Journey to Bethlehem" seems like just the earworm-y cotton candy to stuff in its maw. It borrows from the biblical story of Jesus' birth, weaving in the struggles of Mary (Fiona Palomo) and her betrothed, Joseph (Milo Manheim) and other creative liberties, most notably the inclusion of pop songs and yuletide greatest hits.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%
Watch "Journey to Bethlehem" on Prime Video now
'Fargo' (1996)
The vibe: Cozy ridiculousness to cool you off
If better movies had come out on Prime Video this week, I wouldn't have to put a 20-year-old Cohen brothers flick on this list. Yet here we are. "Fargo" is what happens when the world's most pathetic criminals collide. Unfortunately for them, it's in the crosshairs of Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), a Midwest nice police chief who's entirely too pregnant for this foolishness when she gets caught up in one of the strangest cases in North Dakota history.
This being a Coen brothers film, you'll find plenty of quirky characters — not to mention the delightfully pitch-perfect Midwest accents of McDormand and William H. Macy’s Jerry Lundegaard, a schmuck in every sense of the word. His scheme to have his wife kidnapped to extort his father-in-law for money kicks off the whole string of unfortunate events. Steve Buscemi is slimy as ever as one of the two-bit criminals Jerry hires, and he meets a pretty grisly end (if ykyk).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Watch "Fargo" on Prime Video now
'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' (2024)
The vibe: Another underbaked unnecessary sequel, but at least this one's kinda fun to watch
"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" is the latest installment in the "Planet of the Apes" franchise. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where intelligent apes have risen to dominance, the movie is set several years after the events of "War for the Planet of the Apes." Apes have long established themselves as the dominant species, with what humans are left either enslaved or barely scraping by as scavengers in the wilderness.
The ruthless Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) seeks to strengthen his reign, but one serious thorn in his side arrives after a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) meets a human scavenger named Mae (Freya Allan). Their unlikely friendship threatens to throw a wrench in everything, and Proximus will stop at nothing to see his plans realized.
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Watch "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" on Prime Video now
