The 3 Best Movies to Watch on Prime Video This Weekend

“12 Angry Men” (1957)

In “12 Angry Men,” Sidney Lumet makes a small jury room into a microcosm of society, one that simultaneously feels claustrophobic and boundless. For a debut feature, it’s nothing short of miraculous, a masterpiece of pacing, staging and atmosphere. Reginald Rose’s screenplay (adapted from his own teleplay) moves like lightning to this day, an eternally engaging story that never dulls upon rewatch. “12 Angry Men” is a must-see movie and one of the great achievements of single-location cinema.

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

This month is a particularly good time to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life,” though any weekend spent revisiting this film is a good one. Frank Capra’s Christmas classic is one of the purest representations of humanity ever put to film, an ode to the common man whose life is extraordinary merely because it is spent in kindness. Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey is fully realized and achingly human — he errs, he envies, he shouts, he lusts, but he can’t keep himself from helping his fellow man in the end. Stewart plays the part beautifully.

Some viewers may call it slow (and at times, perhaps they’re right), but one of the great and surprising decisions of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is just how much time you spend with George Bailey before his life-saving angelic intervention. You feel as if you’ve lived a whole life and seen a whole world before you arrive at the final act, making the final 30 minutes all the more powerful. The ending of this film is, simply put, one of the greatest stretches of film in cinematic history. When Harry Bailey raises a toast “to my big brother George: the richest man in town,” one can’t help but arrive at the same conclusion.

“Spotlight”

As the awards race begins to kick into full swing, revisit one of the finest Best Picture winners of the 21st century. Tom McCarthy’s “Spotlight” features an exceptional ensemble filled with a number of quiet, internal and highly impactful performances. Rachel McAdams delivers career-best work as a centerpiece in the film, while actors like Stanley Tucci and Billy Crudup make feasts out of stray lines and small glances. A year after getting a Best Actor nomination, Michael Keaton (starring in back-to-back Best Picture winners) immediately reminds viewers of his cinematic power in a far smaller performance.