The start of a new month is just around the corner, and Prime Video is adding a whopping 51 new movies on August 1 to keep us inside on the couch instead of braving a summer heatwave. With so much to choose from on Prime Video, decision paralysis can take all the fun out of the process, not to mention the fact that Prime Video is constantly cycling new blockbusters and fresh originals into its rotation.
To help you skip the scrolling and get to streaming, I've done the hard work for you and spotlighted the best new movies of the bunch. This includes a seriously slept-on Best Picture nominee, one of the best Coen brothers movies of all time, and a nostalgic Ice Cube comedy. The downside is you'll have to wait until tomorrow to watch them. Prime Video didn't have much in the way of new movies this week, but thankfully the new month means a slew of additions to its already sprawling library.
For even more streaming recommendations, check out everything new on Prime Video in August.
'Women Talking' (2023)
Based on Miriam Toews' acclaimed novel, Sarah Polley's "Women Talking" centers on the tragic story of a group of Mennonite women who are being abused by the men in their community. But the movie is less interested in the horrors these men have committed and more concerned about what the women will do in response.
Told with remarkable restraint, the film refuses to sensationalize their trauma, instead keeping the women's experiences and resilience at the forefront. Claire Foy and Rooney Mara deliver powerful, widely praised performances that anchor this ensemble drama that's definitely worth watching on Prime Video this month.
Watch "Women Talking" on Prime Video on August 1
'Fargo' (1996)
"Fargo" shows how anyone can become a criminal, all they need is a few bad decisions and two braincells to rub together. This Coen brothers' black comedy follows Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), a Midwest nice police chief caught up in one of the strangest cases her small North Dakota town ever saw.
This being a Coen brothers film, it’s filled with quirky characters — not to mention the delightful midwestern accents of McDormand and William H. Macy’s Jerry Lundegaard, a schmuck whose scheme to kidnap his wife and extort his father-in-law for money kicks off the whole string of unfortunate events. Steve Buscemi is also suitably slimey as one of the two-bit criminals Jerry hires, though he meets a pretty grisly end (if ykyk). McDormand won an Academy Award for Best Actress, and the Coen brothers picked up an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Watch "Fargo" on Prime Video on August 1
'Barbershop' (2002)
I've got a soft spot for a lot of Ice Cube's movies — you'll still catch me watching "Friday" on a Friday where I ain't got nothing to do. All three "Barbershop" movies landed on Prime Video in August, but as with the "Scary Movie" series before it, the original is really the only one worth watching.
Set entirely over the course of one long, cold day at a neighborhood barbershop on Chicago’s South Side, "Barbershop" stars Cube as Calvin, an overworked barber fed up with keeping his father's shop alive. He decides to wash his hands of the money pit and sells it to a loan shark (Keith David). But once Calvin realizes he plans to turn it into a strip mall, he has a change of heart — just as another barber (Michael Ealy) faces jail time. Cue misadventures with plenty of slapstick as the two set out to prove his innocence and save the shop in the process.
Watch "Barbershop" on Prime Video on August 1
