Stuck inside with nothing to do during the last weekend of January? Watch With Us is here to help.
If you’re one of the many people sheltering in place from the extreme cold this weekend, you might be desperate for the perfect movie to watch from the comfort of your home.
Amazon Prime Video has a fantastic movie library and a great selection of all-new additions this month.
Here are my top recommendations for what to watch this weekend. My Prime Video picks include stars like Chris Hemsworth and Andy Samberg.
‘Blackhat’ (2015)
Convicted hacker Nick Hathaway (Hemsworth) is offered a pardon in exchange for his help in tracking down a dangerous cybercriminal. When the Mercantile Trade Exchange in Chicago and a Hong Kong nuclear plant are both compromised, China and the FBI must work together with Nick’s help to find the perpetrators. But as the investigation deepens, Nick begins to uncover a far more sinister plan, as the attack was not a one-off but a domino in a far-reaching scheme that will have devastating consequences.
Michael Mann‘s action thriller Blackhat (and his last directed film before 2023’s Ferrari) was widely disliked upon release but has steadily cultivated a passionate fan following. And there were some critics at the time who did get on the film’s wavelength, praising the thoughtful exploration of humanity’s relationship to computers in addition to some fantastic action sequences. Ultimately, Blackhat is a gorgeously rendered look at the dangerous ways the tangible and the virtual intersect in our modern era, a more thoughtful work than many gave it credit for.
‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ (2016)
After making it big with his hip-hop group, the Style Boyz, pop star Conner Friel (Samberg) goes solo with the stage name Conner4Real and becomes an instant breakout success. With his ego now inflated bigger than a weather balloon, Conner prepares to release his new album, Connquest, and hires a documentary crew to film the lead-up and aftermath of his next big hit. But when the album is a major flop, the cameras keep rolling on Conner’s plunge to the bottom — as well as his climb back up to the top.
From Samberg and his Lonely Island crew, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is a hilarious mockumentary lampoon of pop star docs like Justin Bieber: Never Say Never and One Direction: This Is Us that manages to feature music that is just as catchy as it is hilarious. The movie indulges in multi-layered comedy styles, alternating deftly between absurdity, gross-out, vulgarity and genuinely intelligent satire. And its who’s-who of celebrity cameos like Usher and Ringo Starr make it all even funnier.
‘The Blues Brothers’ (1980)
After Jake (John Belushi) is released from prison, he reunites with his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) and discovers that the orphanage they grew up in together is at risk of closing due to unpaid back taxes. To save it, the two attempt to resurrect their revue band, the Blues Brothers, to throw a concert and raise the $5,000 needed. To do this, they’ll have to find all their band members, and along the way they end up making enemies such as neo-Nazis and the police, which threatens their ability to get the money on time.
This cinematic adaptation of Belushi and Aykroyd’s “Blues Brothers” SNL recurring sketch has become a beloved cult favorite over the years, in large part due to the memorable cameos and musical numbers from legends such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and James Brown. While the plot of The Blues Brothers is positively wafer-thin, the entertainment value of the songs, the comic chemistry between Aykroyd and Belushi, and the sheer absurdity of the number of destructive car chases make the film an undeniable heater over forty years later.
