Ben Stiller has been in some of the biggest comedy movies of the 21st century. He's an understated star in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenanbaums, an overly aggressive tour de-force in Dodgeball and a hapless security guard in Night at the Museum. Arguably his most unique performance of them all however is as a superstar male model in Zoolander, which leaves Amazon Prime Video on the 22nd of January.
To parody the fashion industry, you have to go pretty far so be warned, this is undoubtedly one of the silliest movies ever made, and that's why I love it so. This movie might set a record for the number of wacky faces pulled to the camera, and it's all the better for it. Throw in some superstar cameos from the likes of David Bowie, Winona Ryder, Paris Hilton and...Donald Trump (that's aged poorly) and really anything goes.
Stiller plays Derek Zoolander, a male model at the peak of his game. A superstar who Natalie Portman describes as "almost too good-looking", and the sole model capable of his signature 'Blue Steel' look. He has everything until the sudden emergence of rival Hansel (Owen Wilson) sees him dethroned, and a tragic gasoline fight accident (who would've known?) robs him of his only friends in the world.
From there, things only get wackier, but it's best if I leave you to revel in it fresh for yourself. Let's just say that Derek isn't exactly the most intelligent man in the world, but whatever he does. he'll look fabulous doing it.
The elephant in the room is the sequel, Zoolander 2, which is also leaving Prime Video, but don't race to watch it. Aside from Stiller and Wilson's performances it has very little of the original magic and is best left for completionists only. Still, the original is a classic of screwball cinema.
Although this is one movie leaving Prime Video, there have been a number of big additions to the streaming service recently, including one of 2023's biggest movies and a sci-fi flick with two big-name leads.
