Oh summer, when will it be over? It seems like the hotter temperatures chase us further into the fall every year. And while there’s not much we can do about the weather outside, we can make your stay more comfortable in cooler quarters. After all, there’s no better way to pass the summer months than by staying inside and catching up on all of the flicks that you’ve been meaning to see. Amazon Prime Video has an impressive array of films that can appeal to almost any cinema buff. However, there are only a few days left to catch some of Prime Video’s top choices before they depart. To help you make your plans, check out our list of the best movies that are leaving Amazon Prime Video at the end of July.
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The Addams Family (1991)
“They’re creepy, and they’re kooky, mysterious, and spooky. They’re all together ooky, the Addams family!” Admittedly, most TV-to-movie adaptations fail to capture the spirit of the original. But not this one. The Addams Family feature film is a blast, thanks largely to some very lively performances by the late Raul Julia, as well as Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, and a star-making turn by Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams. In a bid to steal the Addams’ fortune, loan shark Abigail Craven (Elizabeth Wilson) passes her son, Gordon (Lloyd), off as Fester Addams, the long-lost brother of Gomez (Julia). While Gomez happily welcomes his “brother” back to the family, Gordon finds himself getting closer to the kids and questioning his course of action.
Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
Stars: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Workman
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 99 minutes
Chicken Run (2000)
It’s time for The Great Escape, as translated into a stop-motion animated film called Chicken Run. Julia Sawalha stars as Ginger, a chicken who is determined to free herself and the rest of the hens from the farm owned by the Tweedy family. Mr. Tweedy (Tony Haygarth) and his wife, Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson), want to turn all of their birds into chicken pot pies with their new machine. A circus rooster, Rocky Rhodes (Mel Gibson), may be the only hope that the chickens have. But when Rocky abandons his duty, Ginger steps up to enact her own plan.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Stars: Phil Daniels, Lynn Ferguson, Mel Gibson, Tony Haygarth, Jane Horrocks
Director: Peter Lord, Nick Park
Rating: G
Runtime: 84 minutes
Clue (1985)
You won’t be bored with this board game adaptation. In Clue, Tim Curry headlines the cast as Wadsworth, the butler for the nefarious Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving). Boddy lures his blackmail victims to a dinner at his remote mansion. But when the host turns up dead, he won’t be the only body to hit the floor. Wadsworth and the remaining guests race through the mansion in a bid to solve the murders before the police arrive. There are even multiple endings for the film that change the killer’s identity every time.
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
Stars: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Rating: PG
Runtime: 96 minutes
Fight Club (1999)
We have to break the first rule of Fight Club to tell you why it’s a classic. Ed Norton stars as the unnamed narrator, a downtrodden man who is befriended by Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). Tyler and the narrator soon form a fighting group for men, while Tyler romances serial liar Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter). However, the narrator soon learns that Tyler’s plans go far beyond a few underground fight clubs. Tyler wants to change the world with his Project Mayhem group, and he doesn’t care who he has to hurt to do it.
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto
Director: David Fincher
Rating: R
Runtime: 139 minutes
The French Connection (1971)
Few films in the ‘70s can match the thrills of The French Connection. Gene Hackman stars as Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, with Roy Scheider as his partner, Detective Buddy “Cloudy” Russo. Together, they uncover a massive drug deal in the works that leads them back to Alain “Frog One” Charnier (Fernando Rey). When Popeye gets too close to making the bust, Alain sends his right-hand man, Pierre Nicoli (Marcel Bozzuffi), to assassinate him. However, Popeye is far from a defenseless target, and his pursuit is relentless.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Stars: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi
Director: William Friedkin
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 103 minutes
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Master and Commander is one of those films that is so good it’s hard to believe a sequel was never made. Russell Crowe stars as Jack Aubrey, the captain of the HMS Surprise during the Napoleonic Wars. Throughout the film, Jack and his crew are bedeviled by the Acheron, a French privateer ship that is preying on the British fleet and the Surprise itself. The movie also gives a lot of attention to Jack’s relationship with his crew, particularly the ship’s surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). Despite the pursuit of the Acheron, Jack makes it clear that he cares about Stephen and all of the men under his command. That’s why they follow him into impossible situations and beyond.
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Stars: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D’Arcy, Edward Woodall, Chris Larkin, Robert Pugh
Director: Peter Weir
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 102 minutes
Ran (1985)
You’ve seen William Shakespeare’s stories, but have you seen them in the original Japanese? All kidding aside, director Akira Kurosawa’s Ran — a take on Shakespeare’s King Lear — is a samurai epic. Ichimonji Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) wants to divide his empire among his three sons while retaining some of his former power — but Ichimonji “Saburo” Naotora (Daisuke Ryu) warns his father that this approach will lead to ruin. Saburo is exiled and disowned because of this, but his prediction comes to pass. Soon, Ichimonji “Taro” Takatora (Akira Terao) and Ichimonji “Jiro” Masatora (Jinpachi Nezu) are at each other’s throats, and their father’s sanity is shattered. There’s no stopping this family tragedy, but it is very entertaining to watch.
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Mieko Harada, Peter Hisashi Igawa
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Rating: R
Runtime: 162 minutes
Scent of a Woman (1992)
Al Pacino won an Oscar for Best Actor thanks to his performance as lieutenant colonel Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman. Chris O’Donnell co-stars as Charlie Simms, a young man who is hired to temporarily look after Frank. Charlie soon learns that Frank is blind, but that doesn’t stop him from having a good time. However, Frank’s eagerness to enjoy an impromptu trip is hiding a darker purpose, and he deflects the pain he feels over the loss of his sight. As Charlie befriends Frank, he also goes out of his way to ensure that Frank doesn’t give in to his suicidal urges.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Stars: Al Pacino, Chris O’Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Director: Martin Brest
Rating: R
Runtime: 158 minutes
The Towering Inferno (1974)
There are few disaster movies of the ‘70s that can match The Towering Inferno in terms of scale or star power. Paul Newman headlines the cast as Doug Roberts, the architect who designed the Glass Tower, a newly opened building that may be the tallest in the world. Unfortunately, Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) and other contractors cut corners along the way. During the building’s opening ceremony, a large fire breaks out on the 81st floor. And because the builder, James Duncan (William Holden), refuses to order an early evacuation, not everyone will make it out of the building alive.
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Stars: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely
Director: John Guillermin
Rating: PG
Runtime: 165 minutes
Unbreakable (2000)
Director M. Night Shyamalan has had a shaky record over the last two decades, but Unbreakable is still one of his best films. The reason it still makes an impact is that Unbreakable feels like it takes place in the real world even after the fantastical elements are revealed. Bruce Willis stars as David Dunn, the only survivor of a horrific train accident, and he’s without any apparent injuries. David’s story captures the attention of Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a man with an outlandish theory about David’s true nature. Much to David’s horror, he realizes that Elijah may be right.
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Stars: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 106 minutes
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