Had a rough day? Hey, join the club, pal! When you’re going through it, it’s always good to take your mind off things by watching something interesting. But let’s face it: you can only watch so many funny cat videos on YouTube before you start to go a little insane.
To keep that from happening, you need to swap out bite-sized videos for a good, feature-length film. Looking for a few great movies to turn your day around? With this roundup of great films on Prime Video, a better day is just a click away!
1
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies is a horror comedy that gets the ratio just right. That is, it’s equal parts hilariously funny and chillingly scary. The premise is that a group of friends get together for a hurricane party and plan on a weekend of lazy debauchery. This includes playing a party game where one person is secretly a killer. But once people start turning up dead, it’s clear that somebody is taking this game deadly seriously. And the result is one of best films to help you get into horror movies if you don’t already love the genre.
There are some great performances in this quirky comedy, particularly from Pete Davidson (who plays a more frat bro version of himself) and Lee Pace (who plays an older party guest who may not be what he seems). Beyond the performances, it’s worth watching this bloody film for its entertaining kills and its razor-sharp dialogue. Plus, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies even features a fun twist that will leave you wanting to rewatch the whole movie again as soon as the credits roll.
2
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (or just Buckaroo Banzai for short) is one of the strangest science fiction movies ever made. The titular character is played by Peter Weller, who would later become a household name thanks to playing RoboCop. But in this earlier sci-fi film, he plays an insanely talented man who is just as good at being a rockstar as he is at being a physicist and a neurosurgeon (no, really). But when Earth is invaded by a group of angry aliens, all of his skills combined may not be enough to stop them.
Buckaroo Banzai has plenty of other genre bigshots in its cast, including Christopher Lloyd, John Lithgow, and Jeff Goldblum. Collectively, they help to keep things light, which is good because this film leans into the inherent schlockiness of its premise. The movie has plenty of light comedy, but it’s also weirdly earnest about the swashbuckling antics of its title character. A star-studded, big-budget blockbuster that has elements of sci-fi, comedy, adventure, and fantasy all rolled into one? Now, that’s fun for the whole family!
3
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
In some ways, Killer Klowns From Outer Space is the perfect ‘80s horror film. That’s because this B-movie doesn’t take itself too seriously and delivers on the promise of its title: this is a film where evil alien clowns have invaded a tiny town in California. The police (including Animal House legend John Vernon) are basically useless, so it’s up to a group of horny, clueless teens to save the day. But it’s just a few of them versus an entire army of killer clowns, and there’s nothing funny about what these monsters want to do to humanity.
Unless you have a sick sense of humor, of course. These clowns put humans in cotton candy coccoons, they turn shadow puppets into lethal objects, and they use lethal candy guns on their prey. All of this movie’s mayhem is wonderfully deranged, and the whole thing is wrapped up in an undeniably charming aesthetic. That’s especially true of the clown costumes by the Chiodo brothers, which are now considered some of the most iconic designs in horror history.
4
Saved!
Saved! is a typical teen movie with a twist: this black comedy sets its sights on religion by delivering a tale of a Christian school student (played by Jena Malone) who accidentally gets pregnant while trying to help her gay boyfriend become heterosexual again. When he gets sent to a Christian treatment center, her life begins to fall apart. She subsequently questions her faith, causing her to be shunned by her bestie (played by Mandy Moore) even as she tries to rebuild her life from the ground up.
As a comedy, Saved! offers plenty of laughs, especially through the dialogue of Rory Culkin’s relentlessly sardonic character. But what makes this film fascinating is that (despite its subject matter) it is not interested in tearing down religion or mocking the faith of its viewers. Rather, it emphasizes the tolerance of Jesus while questioning the problematic actions of his most intolerant followers. That makes it (as Roger Ebert noted) a somewhat “political” movie, though one that never (ahem) preaches to us and instead lets its acidic punchlines do the talking.
5
Ghost in the Shell
If you only ever watch a single anime film, you should watch Ghost in the Shell. That’s partly because this movie is an iconic franchise unto itself, spawning numerous sequels, a spinoff TV show (one of the essential cartoons of classic-era Toonami), and a big-budget, live-action film. But the other reason to watch Ghost in the Shell is that it inspired countless other sci-fi films, such as The Matrix. Long before Neo learned kung-fu, this anime film introduced a world where human minds can be put into robot bodies and even hacked by nefarious criminals.
If you like crunchy sci-fi philosophy, Ghost in the Shell offers plenty for you to think about long after the credits roll. Are you less interested in the philosophy lecture, though? Don’t worry: this movie also delivers one killer action sequence after another. Throw in a sexy protagonist, pitch-perfect world-building, and an unforgettably haunting soundtrack, and you have what might be the best anime film ever made!
Ghost in the Shell
- Release Date
-
December 8, 1995
- Runtime
-
83 Minutes
- Director
-
Mizuho Nishikubo, Mamoru Oshii
These Prime Video films are the perfect way to turn your day around. And don’t forget to spread the love and tell your friends about each of these excellent films and where they can stream them!
- Subscription with ads
-
Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month
- Simultaneous streams
-
3
Prime Video always has something new to watch. And with these movies, you can turn every night into an unforgettable adventure!
