The last month of the year is ushering in a fresh wave of new movies on Prime Video. The list of what's new on Prime Video in December 2023 is longer than Santa's naughty and nice lists combined, which could take hours to comb through. Nobody has time for that during the busy holidays, so we've plucked out the five new to Prime Video movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes.
All of these movies have pulled an impressive 90% or higher on the review aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes. It should be noted that a high RT score doesn’t guarantee that you will enjoy a movie, but it’s a good indicator that most critics feel it’s worth checking out. These Prime Video picks run the gamut from insightful documentaries to classic dramas that have stood the test of time, so there should be something to suit your tastes.
If you’re looking for something to watch in between marathoning classic Christmas movies this month, then these 5 movies are a great place to start.
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Often cited as one of the great American movies ever made, In the Heat of the Night cleaned up at the 40th Academy Award scooping both Best Picture and Best Actor (for Rod Steiger), and its reputation has only grown over the decades since. Even all these years later it still offers a compelling mystery and a social message that remains relevant. It opens with a black detective named Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) being arrested when a wealthy industrialist is found dead in Sparta, Mississippi. Once his identity is revealed, Tibbs is set free with plans to leave town on the next possible train, but he’s convinced to stick around and help solve the case.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream it on Prime Video
Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)
The third installment in the very enjoyable Barbershop franchise, Barbershop: The Next Cut is a more-of-the-same sequel, but that’s not a bad thing. In The Next Cut, Calvin Palmer (Ice Cube) is still running his barbershop in the city of Chicago, but due to financial difficulties has merged his business with a beauty salon owned by Angie (Regina Hall). While this partnership might have saved both shops for now, the growing crime rate in the neighborhood is starting to impact customers. It's up to Calvin, Angie and their eccentric friends to devise a scheme that just might bring about some real change.
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream it on Prime Video
Support the Girls (2018)
Lisa (Regina Hall) never thought she'd become the general manager of a highway-side sports bar, but she’s come to love her position steering the ship at Double Whammies. A protective den mother to her female staff, she loves her colleagues and even enjoys taking care of the restaurant’s quirky customers. But Lisa’s unshaken optimism and resolve are firmly shaken over a seemingly never-ending day when life batters her from just about every single angle possible. Hall won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for her performance and became the first African-American to win the award.
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Stream it on Prime Video
Every Body (2023)
Every Body is an inspirational documentary that aims to dispel misconceptions about and provide vital information for the intersex community. More than just an educational tool, Every Body is also a deeply emotional but highly fulfilling doc in its own right. It focuses on three individuals who faced shame, secrecy and even unauthorized surgery in their childhoods, but all of them emerged from these tricky situations as successful adults. By refusing to conceal their bodies or who they truly were, they were able not just to survive their trauma but move beyond it. Reviewers highlighted its essential educational value, but also its high watchablity factor.
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Stream it on Prime Video from Dec. 19
I Wish (2011)
Described as “a gem of world cinema” by The Guardian, I Wish is a Japanese coming-of-age story written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It tells the story of two young brothers who live in different cities after their parents divorce. Koichi (Kohki Maeda) lives with his mother, while his younger brother Ryunosuke (Oshiro Maeda) lives with their father in the city of Fukuoka. Hearing a strange rumor that a wish-granting miracle can happen when two bullet trains pass each other, Koichi and Ryunosuke gather up their friends and embark on a mission to reunite their family once again. An utterly charming exploration of childhood, I Wish is not to be missed.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Stream it on Prime Video
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