For some people, Memorial Day weekend is a time to catch up on things they’ve put off doing. If you’re an Amazon Prime Video subscriber, there’s probably a movie in your queue that you never got around to watching.
If that sounds like you, or if you’re just looking for a good film to watch, you’ve come to the right place. Watch With Us is here to recommend three underrated movies to watch over the next three days.
Our selections include an action-comedy starring several silver screen legends, an intense thriller with Denzel Washington and a charming 2024 coming-of-age comedy.
‘Space Cowboys’ (2000)Veteran astronauts William “Hawk” Hawkins (Tommy Lee Jones) and Frank Corvin (Clint Eastwood) have hated each other for years, but when a rogue Soviet communications satellite carrying nuclear weapons starts plummeting to Earth, they are the only ones with the knowledge and experience to stop it. Along with a younger space crew, Hawk and Frank blast off into space to avert a catastrophe that could change the world forever.
Despite its disaster movie plot, Space Cowboys is a surprisingly chill movie that blends macho action with good-natured humor. The cast, which includes Donald Sutherland, James Garner and a young Jon Hamm, is terrific, and the special effects still hold up today. Space Cowboys has fun with its premise without being too melodramatic (we’re looking at you, Deep Impact), and it’s fun watching these retired space cowboys suit up for one last trip to the stars.
Space Cowboys is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
‘John Q’ (2002)Desperate times lead to desperate measures, and no one is more desperate than John Quincy Archibald (Denzel Washington). His young son needs a heart transplant, but John’s insurance won’t cover the $250,000 cost. Broke and with no options left, John decides to hold an ER hostage so his son can get the heart he needs to live. While John’s illegal act attracts the media’s attention (and sympathy), the cops treat John as a dangerous criminal who is a threat to others in the hospital. Will John succeed in saving his son’s life before he loses his own?
John Q was released more than 20 years ago, but it feels more resonant today than ever. John’s transformation into a criminal is due to a broken healthcare system that he feels left him no choice but to threaten others. John is no Luigi Mangione, though, since he only uses the threat of violence to try to get what he needs. Maybe that makes John Q less interesting than it could have been, but it’s still a compelling thriller with an intense performance from a never-better Washington.
John Q is on Amazon Prime Video right now.
‘Didi’ (2024)
It’s the summer after junior high ends and before high school begins, and 13-year-old Chris “Didi” Wang (Izaac Wang) is finding his place in life. He spends his days filming goofy videos to upload to YouTube and trying to impress a girl who makes him ashamed of his Asian American heritage. He also pushes away his well-meaning mother, Chungsing (Joan Chen), who doesn’t know that all her love and attention embarrasses him. With school fast approaching, can Didi figure out his identity and learn to appreciate his friends and family?
Didi was one of 2024’s buried treasures, and that’s due to its sweet and simple coming-of-age story. It’s still uncommon for movies to focus on the Asian American experience, which is why Didi feels so fresh and different. As the titular character, Wang is what you’d expect a teenage boy to be like — funny, a little silly, exasperating and impossible. Chen is terrific as Didi’s mom, who has to deal with her own parenting issues while raising her son.
Didi is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
