Amazon Prime Video has just announced a huge slate of upcoming original movies and fans are getting hyped. The streamer has 13 new movies premiering on its service this fall. With some of the talent behind these projects, this could be a huge test for the viability of movies that skip the theaters and go straight to streaming.
Amazon’s slate for the fall of 2022 includes Samaritan, Flight/Risk, Goodnight Mommy, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, Catherine Called Birdy, Argentina, 1985, Run Sweetheart Run, My Policeman, The People We Hate at the Wedding, Good Night Oppy, Something From Tiffany’s, Nanny and Wildcat. They were all announced in a report by Deadline which noted that Amazon hopes some of these titles will be legitimate award contenders. Many will have their big premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival, and a few will have limited theatrical releases as well. However, the vast majority of viewers will watch it at home on the Prime Video app.
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Amazon Studios’ head of movies, Julie Rapaport, told reporters: “This slate reflects our commitment to providing customers a wide variety of entertaining, quality films to enjoy both at home and in theaters. We’re proud to work with extraordinary filmmakers and talent to bring these diverse movies to life and are excited to share them with our global audience.”
These movies will be premiering on Prime Video between August and December of 2022. Scroll on to read a bit about each of the projects and see trailers where applicable.
Samaritan
Samaritan is an original superhero story about a hopeful 13-year-old named Sam (Javon “Wanna” Walton) discovering that a living legend is enjoying retirement right in his neighborhood. Sylvester Stallone plays the mysterious Mr. Smith, who turns out to be Samaritan. However, Sam will find it more challenging than he expected to convince the vigilante to make his comeback.
Behind the scenes, this movie has a unique production history. Writer Bragi F. Schut originally wrote it as a spec script that was passed around Hollywood, but when no one bought it, he adapted it into a graphic novel that was published by Mythos Comics in 2014. Now the movie is finally getting made, but it’s not exactly an “adaptation” since Schut intended it for the screen in the first place.
Samaritan will be released on Friday, Aug. 26 on Prime Video. It is rated PG-13.
Flight/Risk
Flight/Risk is a documentary about two perplexing plane crashes that happened just five months apart in 2018 and 2019. It focuses heavily on the victims of the crash and their families as they seek justice and understanding. It also follows their legal teams, whistleblowers within the airline industry and journalist Dominic Gates who investigated these stories for The Seattle Times and won a Pulitzer prize.
Flight/Risk will be released on Friday, Sept. 9 on Prime Video. It was directed by Karim Amer and Omar Mullick, and is rated PG.
Goodnight Mommy
Goodnight Mommy is an English-language remake of a 2014 Austrian movie by the same name. It is an R-rated horror-thriller about twin brothers who come home to find their mother with her face covered in surgical bandages. As her demeanor changes, however, they begin to suspect that the woman under the bandages is not really their mom.
The trailer above is for the 2014 original, as there is no trailer for the upcoming version yet. However, it will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, Sept. 16. It stars Naomi Watts, Cameron Crovetti, Nicholas Crovetti and Peter Hermann. It was adapted to English by Kyle Warren and directed by Matt Sobel.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism
Another R-rated horror flick, My Best Friend’s Exorcism is set in 1988 and centers around two high school sophomores, Abby (Elsie Fisher) and Gretchen (Amiah Miller). The two are long-time best friends but their bond is put to the test when one is possessed by evil itself. Now, their only hope is for their friendship to be even stronger.
This movie is based on a 2016 novel by Grady Hendrix, and was adapted for the screen by Jenna Lamia. It was directed by Damon Thomas, and is set to premiere on Friday, Sept. 30.
Catherine Called Birdy
Catherine Called Birdy is one of the movies here that will get a theatrical release. It hits select theaters on Friday, Sept. 23 and then moves to Prime Video on Friday, Oct. 7. It may be getting the star treatment in part because it is written and directed by Lena Dunham.
Catherine Called Birdy is a PG-13 comedy set in the year 1290 CE. It is about a willful young girl from an aristocratic family that has fallen on hard times, and her father hopes to reverse their fortunes by arranging a profitable marriage for her. The crafty young Birdy (Bella Ramsey) must come up with increasingly outlandish schemes to scare these suitors away.
Argentina, 1985
Argentina, 1985 is the first international film on this list, written by Santiago Mitre and Mariano Llinás and directed by Mitre. It is inspired by the true story of Julio Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo who led the underdog prosecution team in the 1985 Trial of the Juntas. They sought to bring the military dictatorship that had ruled their country to justice. This drama will premiere in select theaters on Sept. 30 and then on Prime Video on Oct. 21.
Run Sweetheart Run
Run Sweetheart Run is another thriller about a single mother played by Ella Balinska who finds herself hounded by a seemingly unstoppable assailant, played by Pilou Asbæk. The movie was written by Shana Feste, Keith Josef Adkins, Kellee Terrell and directed by Feste. It comes from Blumhouse Productions and it actually premiered on the Sundance Film Festival in 2020, but this will be its first widespread release. It premieres on Prime Video on Friday, Oct. 28. It is rated R and, based on the information out there, it earns that rating.
My Policeman
Fans are dying to see Harry Styles’ movie debut next month in Don’t Worry Darling, but they may not realize that his second appearance is not far behind. Styles plays a policeman named Tom in My Policeman – an R-rated drama about a decades-long love triangle between Tom, a teacher named Marion and a museum curator named Patrick. All three characters are played by two separate actors to show the passage of time. Styles shares his duties with actor Linus Roache while Marion is played by Emma Corrin and Gina McKee and Patrick is played by David Dawson and Rupert Everett.
My Policeman premieres in some theaters on Friday, Oct. 21 and then on Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 4. It is based on a book by Bethan Roberts, and it was adapted for the screen by Ron Nyswaner. It was directed by Michael Grandage.
The People We Hate at the Wedding
Kristen Bell and Ben Platt play siblings Alice and Paul in The People We Hate at the Wedding – a family comedy based on a book by Grant Ginder. In it, the two reluctantly attend the wedding of their half-sister who is much wealthier than them and is estranged from their part of the family. They travel to the countryside with their mother, Donna (Allison Janney) and spend a week awkwardly reuniting with their family.
The movie also stars Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Karan Soni, Dustin Milligan, Tony Goldwyn, Isaach De Bankolé, Jorma Taccone and Julian Ovenden. It was adapted for the screen by Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin and Wendy Molyneux and directed by Claire Scanlon. It will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 18.
Good Night Oppy
Good Night Oppy is a documentary about the Mars rover named Opportunity, apparently related to a children’s book by the same name written by James McGowan and illustrated by Graham Carter. Opportunity was sent to Mars for a mission that was intended to last just 90 days, but it wound up surviving there for 15 years. Along the way, the rover became a symbol of hope and tenacity for the people back on earth following its journey.
The documentary is directed by Ryan White and is rated PG. It will have a limited theatrical run starting on Friday, Nov. 4 and will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 23.
Something From Tiffany’s
Something From Tiffany’s is a rom-com based on a book by Melissa Hill and adapted by Tamara Chestna. It is directed by Daryl Wein and produced by Reese Witherspoon under her Hello Sunshine production company. The movie is about a woman who accidentally obtains an engagement ring meant for someone else only to find that it leads her straight to her soulmate. It stars Zoey Deutch, Kendrick Smith Sampson, Ray Nicholson, Shay Mitchell, Leah Jeffries, Jojo T. Gibbs, Javicia Leslie, Chido Nwokocha, Stephanie Shepherd and Michael Roark.
This movie has not yet been rated, and little information is available about it so far. It will premiere on Friday, Dec. 9 on Prime Video.
Nanny
Nanny is yet another psychological horror – this time with a grim twist of social commentary. It is about an undocumented immigrant from Senegal named Aisha working as a nanny for a wealthy couple in New York City. She is looking forward to her son finally joining her in the U.S., but her excitement is interrupted by a mysterious, violent presence crashing into her life. She finds that her conception of “the American dream” is suddenly crashing down around her.
This movie was written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu. It stars Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Rose Decker, Leslie Uggams and Zephani Idoko. It will have a limited theatrical run starting on Wednesday, Nov. 23 and will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, Dec. 16.
Wildcat
Finally, Amazon Studios is closing out the year with Wildcat, a documentary directed by Melissa Lesh and Trevor Frost. It is about a British soldier returning from a tour in Afghanistan and seeking reprieve from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He finds it in the Amazon rainforest, where he helps an American scientist to foster an orphaned baby ocelot in an attempt at wildlife preservation.
This movie will premiere in some theaters on Wednesday, Dec. 21 and then on Prime Video on Monday, Dec. 30. If Amazon gets its way, this should be the culmination of a hot streak for movies premiering straight to streaming services this fall.
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Promotional art for 'The Grinch' (Credit: Universal Pictures)
