Among the major streaming services, Amazon Prime Video should never be overlooked. That’s because Prime Video boasts one of the largest and most diverse lineup of movies that you can stream. In fact, the new movies on Prime Video in July are so impressive that we can pick three Oscar-winners for Best Picture from the latest arrivals and truthfully say that these are the three dramas on Prime Video that you need to watch in July.
Our first choice is 1990’s winner for Best Picture, but it’s only going to be around through the end of July… so you really do need to watch it this month! The other two films will be sticking around at least into next month, but it’s never too early to watch a great movie from the comfort of your own home.
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Although Horizon flopped at the box office this summer, there’s a reason why Kevin Costner keeps coming back to his favorite genre. Costner’s biggest hit was a western, Dances with Wolves, which earned him Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. The story takes place shortly after the Civil War, as Union soldier John J. Dunbar (Costner) accepts a remote posting deep in the frontier and far from the battles that nearly ended his life.
John soon befriends a nearby Sioux tribe, including a white woman, Stands with a Fist (Mary McDonnell), who was raised among them. The natives in turn give John his Sioux name, which means Dances with Wolves. But their peaceful co-existence can’t last forever, and not even John can keep his fellow American soldiers from encroaching into Sioux territory.
Watch Dances With Wolves on Prime Video.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Despite taking place in 1980, No Country For Old Men also fall under the Western genre, though neo-Western is the preferred term for it. This may be the best movie ever directed by the Coen brothers, and given their track record together, that means a lot. Josh Brolin stars as Llewelyn Moss, a man who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and thousands in cash.
The drug cartel understandably wants that money back, and so do the American criminals who hire Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a remorseless killer who relentlessly pursues Moss. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, a lawman who is completely unprepared for the level of violence that Chigurh and the cartel bring into his town. But surrender isn’t an option for Moss, especially since Chigurh plans to target his wife, Carla Jean Moss (Kelly Macdonald), unless Llewelyn kills him first.
Watch No Country For Old Men on Prime Video.
Rocky (1976)
Sylvester Stallone was nominated for Best Actor and for Best Screenplay for Rocky. While Stallone didn’t win either of those awards, Rocky picked up three Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director for John G. Avildsen. The irony of this film spawning five sequels and three Creed spinoffs is that it wasn’t meant to be a franchise. Rocky Balboa (Stallone) was just a journeyman boxer who was supposed to be an easy opponent for the world champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
What makes this flick such a great sports film is that it’s got a lot of heart even outside of the ring, as Rocky awkwardly tries to court a shy woman named Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire). The odds are stacked against Rocky, and all he really wants to do is to go the distance and prove his worth. Following his journey is incredibly inspiring, and you may get the Rocky theme music stuck in your head for days after watching this movie.
Watch Rocky on Prime Video.
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