Do you know those captcha tests where websites make you click on all the traffic lights to prove you're not a robot? Well, I've come up with a better system, all you have to do is watch 50/50. Any human will shed at least one tear. Luckily, it's just been added to Amazon Prime Video.
Seth Rogen is best known for his stoner comedy films like Knocked Up, This is the End and Bad Neighbours (which is no bad thing) but he has a gentler side too. 50/50 is arguably his finest performance as the best friend to Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Adam. It makes sense as it's a role he played in real life as a friend to the film's screenwriter (Will Reiser) who was diagnosed with spinal cancer.
That's right this is a comedy movie about cancer, that's not usually a subject for great laughs but 50/50 is the exception. We follow Adam as he struggles to accept his own mortality at just 27 years old and with relationships around him crumbling, his best friend Kyle (Rogen) is determined to give him the best possible life, however long that is. Cue Adam shaving his head with a razor Kyle uses for unspeakable things, and an ill-fated attempt to pick up girls. Believe it or not "I have cancer" isn't a foolproof pickup line.
With an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 93% I'm not the only fan of this movie. What's great about 50/50 is that there is a character for everyone to relate to. Anyone who's been through hardship and felt lost can relate to Adam. Freinds treat him differently;y while the new faces he meets all simply spout the same platitudes (except notably for fellow cancer patients). Meanwhile, Kyle's experience of watching someone you care about suffer and feeling powerless to help is arguably even easier to identify with.
Prime Video has been impressive with some of its recent additions to the streaming service, including a superb medieval family movie and a high-profile 2023 sci-fi.
