The 15 best films hitting Amazon Prime in May 2022

Underappreciated classics and a few controversial auteur efforts premiere on the streaming service this month

By Don Lewis  |  April 29, 2022 | 9:15pm
Film News Films
The 15 best films hitting Amazon Prime in May 2022
Frances McDormand and Michael Douglas in Curtis Hanson’s Wonder Boys Photo: Paramount Pictures

Amazon Prime was probably reveling in a bit of schadenfreude a few weeks ago when those Netflix quarterly profits become public. Well, that’s just mean, Amazon. Netflix only has movies and shows, you’re out there giving people lousy living wages while burning through fuel to deliver Amazon orders. Movies and shows are just an afterthought for you. Still, May features some pretty great additions to Amazon’s streaming service so, just like knowing we can get pretty much whatever we want delivered, we’ll just give in to convenience.

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Stanley Kubrick had a long gestating project based on a 1969 short story entitled Supertoys Last All Summer Long. Such was sadly the case for many of Kubrick’s projects, his habit of taking forever on each movie severely limited his time and output. Still, Kubrick looped in pal Steven Spielberg on the adaptation and eventually decided Spielberg was the one who should actually direct it. The result is 2001's hit and miss A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Haley Joel Osment stars as an android who—almost cruelly—is designed with the ability to love. While much of the movie is excellent, there are a few Spielbergian sections which detract from it as a whole. In his 2001 review, Keith Phipps said “with A.I., he [Spielberg] has created what history should confirm as , a compelling, moving inquiry into the most basic elements of existence, told with fear and awe in a vocabulary exclusive to moviemaking.

6 Comments

  • breadnmaters-av says:
    April 29, 2022 at 10:11 pm

    I have seen so many versions of The Elephant Man that I read the (linked) Roger Ebert review as a refresher. It’s an excellent review and, on the strength of it, I can’t recommend this version either.

    Reply
  • lattethunder-av says:
    April 29, 2022 at 11:08 pm

    ‘The Box’ is one of the best? Christ, I don’t want to think about how bad the worst must be.

    Reply
  • mytvneverlies-av says:
    April 30, 2022 at 5:31 am

    Gator is The Cajun James Bond.

    Reply
  • volunteerproofreader-av says:
    May 1, 2022 at 3:15 am

    a few weeks ago when those Netflix quarterly profits become public —> a few weeks ago when those Netflix quarterly profits became publiclong gestating project —> long-gestating projectmany of Kubrick’s projects, his habit of taking forever —> many of Kubrick’s projects; his habit of taking foreverdiffusing bombs —> defusing bombswhat could be better than a little trip down to sunny Florida circa 1976, before things got really weird down there. —> what could be better than a little trip down to sunny Florida circa 1976, before things got really weird down there?Keith Phipps says it best in his 2005 review, “Only a truly great director —> Keith Phipps says it best in his 2005 review: “Only a truly great directorReynolds’ blistering star personae —> Reynolds’ blistering star persona

    Reply
  • lattethunder-av says:
    May 2, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    Guess what? Looks like nothing here is actually on Prime this month. Good job.

    Reply

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