I've scoured the November releases on Amazon's Prime platform to find the best new and new-to-streaming movies and shows.
In November, Prime is dropping a ton of previously released movies—over 170 titles, and that's just on November 1! (Check out the full list here.) In terms of originals and first-showings, though, Prime is more selective. There's high-concept comedy My Old Ass starring the amazing Aubrey Plaza, the Prime original crime series Cross, a reboot of 1999 feature Cruel Intentions, and more.
My Old Ass (2024)
A twist on the coming-of-age story, My Old Ass stars Maisy Stella as confused 18 year-old Elliott. She takes mushrooms on her summer vacation, and instead of just seeing brighter colors, she's visited by the 39-year-old version of herself, played by the great Aubrey Plaza. Plaza is one of a kind, and My Old Ass gives her plenty of room to flex her deadpan, eye-roll delivery, but it's also a smart, sensitive movie. Not to be missed.
Starts streaming November 7.
Every Minute Counts
This Amazon original series dramatizes the 1985 earthquake that devastated Mexico City. Prime Video Latin America’s most expensive production ever, Every Minute Counts is an intense look of the hours after the 8.1 on the Richter scale quake shook the city apart, following a doctor and his nurses working to rescue the unfortunate souls trapped underneath the rubble of the General Hospital.
Starts streaming November 8.
Cross
Based on a series of novels by James Patterson, Cross tells the story of forensic psychologist and D.C. Metro Detective Alex Cross. Played by Aldis Hodge, Cross uses his big brain, training, and unique insight into the human mind to solve cases no one else can. But mucking around in the psyches of serial killers takes a toll, especially when his work life starts to threaten his family.
Starts streaming November 14.
Cruel Intentions
1999's cult classic Cruel Intentions is getting the reboot treatment. Judging from the trailer, this eight-episode series contains some nods to the original, like the "Bittersweet Symphony" theme song and the source material, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, but it won't be dragging Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe out of the mothballs. The new cast of rich, sexy college students includes Sara Silva, John Harlan Kim, and Khobe Clarke. The show seems to be aiming for the same cynical-but-campy vibe of the original movie as it tells the story of an indecent wager between step-siblings, this time involving the daughter of the vice-president.
Starts streaming November 21.
Jeff Dunham's Scrooged-Up Holiday Special
Jeff Dunham and his collection of wooden pals take on the holidays in this new stand-up special. Specifically, this is a take on Dickens' A Christmas Carol in which Walter plays Scrooge and argues with with Bubba J, Peanut, Little Jeff and Achmed over their assigned parts in the story. My life's mission is to watch every version of A Christmas Carol, so this one is high on my personal gotta watch list.
Starts streaming November 19.
Last month's picks
Canary Black
In Canary Black Kate Beckinsale plays Avery Graves, a CIA operative so undercover her own husband thinks she has a normal job. When he's kidnapped by terrorists, Graves must choose between saving his life and betraying her country. Cut off from everyone, Graves must rely on training, her wits, and her fighting skills to deliver the ransom and save her husband.
Starts streaming October 24.
House of Spoils
If The Bear had a female lead and was a horror movie, it might be something like House of Spoils. Ariana DeBose plays a hungry young chef who scores a potentially career-making gig: the chance to run her own high-end restaurant. While her spot has the usual new eatery hurdles—a remote location, a less-than-perfect-staff, a questionable investor—the biggest problem is supernatural. It seems the "farm" part of her farm-to-table menu comes from a witch's garden, and haunted food makes a Michelin star much harder to earn.
Starts streaming October 2.
Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? Season 1
This game show isn't exactly Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader? but you get the idea. In Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, normal people match wits with "stars" like comedian Nikki Glaser, football analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick, and reality star Lala Kent. I was going to say I was smarter than all those people and host Travis Kelce combined, but then I realized they're getting paid to answer trivia questions on TV and I'm writing about it, so who's the idiot now?
Starts streaming October 16.
The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, season 1
The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh is a family comedy with a mystery at its center. The titular family are fresh off the plane from India, but their new life in America quickly turns bizarre as a run-in with a polar opposite family in their new neighborhood spins out of control. Told partly through flashback from an interrogation room, this comedy promises a touch of Rashomon and a new twist on the immigrant comedy genre.
Starts streaming October 17.
Brothers
Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage play (non-identical) twins in crime-comedy Brothers. Brolin is a former criminal trying desperately to stay straight, but his reprobate brother drags him into a cross-country roadtrip in pursuit of a score so big it will change the entire family's lives—if they can keep from killing each other along the way.
Starts streaming October 17.
The Legend of Vox Machina, season 3
The first and second seasons of animated series The Legend of Vox Machina earned perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores for their epic adventures and hilarious comedy, and season 3 aims to bring fans more of the same. Based on a D&D campaign from YouTube series Critical Role, this rowdy adventure show is the perfect treat for fans of comedy, adventure, and role-playing games, and I'm pretty sure that covers everyone.
Starts streaming October 1.
Citadel: Diana, season 1
In Citadel: Diana, Matilda De Angelis plays Diana Cavalieri, a secret agent without an agency. Citadel, a once-powerful international spy organization, has been taken over by evil Manticore, leaving Cavalieri out in the cold: trapped behind enemy lines and working as a mole in Manticore itself. To escape, she'll have to rely on unlikely allies and make dangerous moves. If you're into cloak and dagger, give Citadel: Diana a spin.
Starts streaming October 10.
The Devil's Hour, season 2
Jessica Raine and Peter Capaldi return for another season of this Emmy-nominated, critically lauded series. Season 1 of The Devil's Hour is a known for its mind-screw plot twists, solid acting, and touches of black humor. Season 2 sees former adversaries Lucy (Raine) and Gideon (Capaldi) teaming up to hunt down a horrific monster. To make matters worse, Lucy is in the crosshairs of her ex-husband from a past life. If you're looking for intelligent, psychological horror, this should do the trick.
Starts streaming October 18.
