After a seemingly endless January we are now finally abandoning our New Year's resolutions and ushering in February, the shortest of the months.
Of course, with Valentine's Day (and Fat Tuesday/Pancake Day) there are plenty of excuses to snuggle up in front of the TV and start streaming. But what to watch? Here are the 5 best movies coming to or just added to Amazon Prime Video for February.
If you've got Netflix too, we've got you covered this month as well.
1. The Social Network
What do you get when you combine one of the finest screenwriters of the 21st century with one of the best directors? The Social Network is the result of a collaboration between Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher and is just as good as you'd expect. It's just been added to Amazon Prime Video too.
A film about the creation of Facebook doesn't necessarily sound like a must-watch, but this is no puff piece. Nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, there's a remarkable story to be told here about a college guy who just wanted to meet girls and ended up changing the world forever.
Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg in his pre 'Zuck' era with an unerring sense of disconnect from reality. Also joining him are Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake and Max Minghella.
2. Darkest Hour
There have been plenty of big-screen portrayals of Winston Churchill but Gary Oldman's performance and look is borderline spooky. The great actor won Best Actor for his portrayal of the Prime Minister during the first days of his premiership. Now you can stream it on the appropriately named Prime Video.
Under great pressure to push for a truce with the Nazis, Churchill stands firm that Britain will continue to fight on, leading eventually to the operation Dynamo AKA the evacuation at Dunkirk. You should know how it goes from there.
As historical dramas go, this is a real premier piece with an all-star cast including Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James and Ben Mendelsohn.
3. Rain Man
A 1989 classic road trip movie, Rain Man has just hit Prime Video and I can't recommend it enough. Seeing Tom Cruise's name attached to any movie nowadays makes you think of high-octane stunts and blood pumping action, but this is a much gentler film.
Cruise plays Charlie, a sleazy car salesman who is baffled to shocked to discover he is left out of his father's inheritance, with it instead going to a mental institution to take care of a brother he never knew he had. That brother is Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) who has both autism and savant syndrome.
Following what is essentially a kidnapping, Charlie and Raymond bond on a road trip that changes both of their lives forever. This is a really sweet film and direcctor Barry Levinson performed extensive research to make sure that its delicate subject matter was handled with care, and it shows. A must-watch.
4. Upgraded
Prime Video's contender for the Valentine's romcom crown is Upgraded. Releasing on the 9th of February, there is at least plenty of time to watch it before the big day.
Starring Camila Mendes (from Riverdale and the underrated Do Revenge) this original movie sees her playing an art intern (the kind of job that only exists in movies) on a work trip to London. After a surprise upgrade to first-class Ana meets a hunky rich man (Archie Renaux) and after a misunderstanding about her own wealth, decides she could get used to the fancier side of life
It all sounds pretty cheesy but in the best possible way. Plus it's great to see the star of Derry Girls, Saoirse Monica Jackson, make a splash on the other side of the pond.
5. Boyhood
A truly astounding project from visionary filmmaker Richard Linklater. Boyhood was filmed over 12 years, with the director wanting his cast to grow up with the story rather than just cast new actors. That's an incredible commitment to storytelling and it definitely paid off.
Running from 2002 to 2013, we follow the Evans family, focusing on Mason Jr (Played across all ages by Ellar Coltrane) as he grows up as a child of divorced parents (Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke). The plot was created as time passed by with Linklater and the cast incorporating their real-life progress.
There's nothing like Boyhood that's even comparable and you need to see it. Of course, with 12 years of filming to draw on, this is quite a long watch - nearly three hours - but it will fly by in a blur of nostalgia.
