Seven shows to binge on Amazon Prime this month
During the COVID-19 outbreak, a seemingly endless parade of shows and movies is flaunted before our eyes via social media advertising. While for many, forced isolation is a good time to catch up on the season’s top shows, it can be hard to know what to choose among such a plethora of choices. For the Amazon Prime users out there, we’ve rounded up the top shows to binge this month – everything from romantic comedies to sports docuseries.
The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, series 1-3
This critically acclaimed comedy-drama stars Rachel Brosnahan as Midge Maisel, a 1950s housewife from Manhattan desperate to realise her dream of becoming a standup comic. Charting Midge’s rise from the comedy clubs of the Lower East Side to TV stardom, the show has been nominated for multiple awards, winning a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy for Best Comedy Series. It also boasts an impressive roster of supporting actors, including Tony Shalhoub, Kevin Pollak and Jane Lynch. Series 1-3 are available to stream on Prime now, and the series is renewed for an upcoming fourth season.
Good Omens
Based on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s smash-hit 1990 novel of the same name, Good Omens is the thinking nerd’s delight. The six-episode series was written by Gaiman, and retains all of the intense wit and philosophical games of its source material. Michael Sheen is in fine form as the bleach-blond Aziraphale, an angel who must team up with David Tennant’s wildly enjoyable demon Crowley to protect Earth from the coming of the Antichrist (an unsuitably angelic child named, appropriately, Adam). With an implausibly starry transatlantic cast – Jon Hamm, Anna Maxwell Martin, Miranda Richardson, Nick Offerman, and Frances McDormand as the narrating voice of God – and slick production values, Good Omens is the perfect binge-worthy miniseries.
Modern Love
Surprisingly based on a popular New York Times column, Modern Love is a lot more fun than it has any right to be. Each episode of this eight-parter explores a different facet of love in the city, with a rotating cast including Tina Fey, Anne Hathaway and Adam Scott. While uneven, as most portmanteau efforts are, there are some standout episodes, including Sharon Horgan’s tennis-and-divorce comedy “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive”. Despite the annoying titles of most episodes, Modern Love is a worthwhile comfort watch.
All or Nothing: Brazil National Team
This sports docuseries charts the efforts of the Brazilian football team to win the 2019 Copa América in the wake of their near miss at the 2016 World Cup. We follow the team from the locker room to the pitch, via strategy meetings with manager Tite. With disillusioned fans and the loss of star player Neymar due to injury, can the Brazil team beat the odds and gain the cup?
Mr Robot
Oscar-winner Rami Malek first gained attention for his star-making turn in this sci-fi thriller series. As depressed and anxious hacker Elliot Alderson, Malek won an Emmy; it’s easy to see why. His innocent face and doe eyes are the windows into a deeply troubled mind.
The Expanse
Set in a (not-so-distant?) future world where humanity has colonised the solar system, The Expanse is the perfect choice for an immersive sci-fi mystery. Space detective (don’t laugh) James Miller sets out to solve the case of a missing young woman, Julie Mao, and in the process uncovers an intergalactic conspiracy that threatens the fragile peace of the solar system. Originally run on the Syfy network and then adopted by Amazon after its cancellation, The Expanse will return to our screens for a fifth season soon, so now is the time to catch up on the first four.
Hunters
Hunters has been out for a month, and has already kicked up a significant stink among Holocaust historians, with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum criticising its inaccuracy and possible denier-baiting. Controversy aside, it’s a show full of black comedy, often shocking in tone, about a group of vigilantes committed to hunting down Nazis in 1970s America. With acclaimed performances from Al Pacino, Logan Lerman, and a strong ensemble, Hunters is this season’s most contentious hit.
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Image: Hunters
All shows are available to stream on Amazon Prime now. Visit Amazon Prime Video’s website for more information.
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