Looking for something new to watch on Amazon Prime Video? You’ve come to the right place. While it can be difficult to find exactly which movies available on Prime Video you haven’t seen before, below we’ve rounded up a list of some new titles added in April that are well worth checking out, from a variety of genres that include classic films, acerbic comedies and Oscar-nominated sci-fi.
Check out our list of the best new movies on Amazon Prime Video in April 2022 below.
District 9
If it’s sci-fi you’re in the mood for, 2009 Best Picture nominee “District 9” offers something unique and throught-provoking. The film from director Neill Blomkamp takes place years after an alien spaceship landed over South Africa, bringing with it over one million malnourished aliens. The extraterrestrials now live in a fenced-in terrestrial camp known as District 9, and the story follows a man named Wickus (played by Sharlto Copley) who is helping lead the relocation of the aliens to a new camp outside the city, captured documentary-style. As the story rolls out, an allegory for prejudice unfolds in surprising fashion while also boasting some truly incredible visual effects that bring the aliens to life.
Raging Bull
Wanna watch a classic? Go with 1980’s “Raging Bull.” Director Martin Scorsese’s boxing drama is a tough but rewarding watch, as it follows the life of Jake LaMotta through his various boxing matches and familial unrest. LaMotta was known for his bouts of rage, and Robert De Niro brings the character to life in stunning fashion. This is one of the best performances ever put on film, and it’s no wonder De Niro won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
This one tickles the funny bone and is a treat for cinephiles. The Coen Brothers are known for their wry humor, and their 2000 comedy “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” combines that hilarious sensibility with a Grammy-winning soundtrack to tremendously entertaining results. Loosely based on Homer’s “The Odyssey,” the film takes place in 1937 rural Mississippi and follows three fugitives played by George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as they traverse the American South on an epic journey. The soundtrack won the Grammy award for Album of the Year, and Roger Deakins’ cinematography pioneered a process called “bleach bypass” that results in a unique, washed-out aesthetic.
Young Frankenstein
If you love comedy and classic film, you can’t go wrong with “Young Frankenstein.” This 1974 comedy is a love letter to classic monster movies, as filmmaker Mel Brooks transcends parody to craft a hilarious ode that works surprisingly well as a unique twist on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” Gene Wilder is brilliant as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, a descendant of the infamous mad scientist who is lured to his family’s estate in Transylvania where he ends up following in his grandfather’s footsteps. This comedy is full of iconic moments and boasts career-defining work from Cloris Leachman and Teri Garr.
The Sixth Sense
Here’s your horror pick for the month. Even beyond the twist that no one saw coming in 1999, “The Sixth Sense” remains one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best films. Haley Joel Osment plays a young boy who can see and talk to ghosts. He begins a relationship with a child psychologist, played by Bruce Willis, who is dispatched to help him cope with his supposed abilities. Part horror film, part ghost story and all family drama, “The Sixth Sense” is a humdinger of a film that firmly established Shyamalan as a filmmaker to watch.
Fargo
One of the best movies ever made, “Fargo” holds up tremendously well. The 1996 Oscar winner is written and directed by The Coen Brothers and stars Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief in Minnesota who’s investigation into a dead body threatens to unravel a conspiracy and kidnapping. Supporting turns by William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare are all-timers, and the score by Carter Burwell is one of the best ever.
Cast Away
This 2000 survival drama is best known for Tom Hanks talking to his volleyball “Wilson,” but “Cast Away” holds up as a pretty astounding piece of filmmaking and a showcase for one of the best actors alive. Hanks stars as a FedEx troubleshooter who is stranded on an island after a plane crash, and the story follows his struggles to adapt, survive and brainstorm a way off the island. The production was unique in that filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (who also directed gems like “Back to the Future” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”) split the production in half – they shot the first half of the movie with Hanks at a chubbier weight, then took a year off for Hanks to lose a substantial amount of weight to reflect a time jump in the film. The result is one of the best survival movies ever made.
