Never let it be said that Amazon Prime Video isn’t stacked with great dramas. Amazon wasn’t content to only have the great MGM film library at its disposal, as Prime Video regularly adds movies from other studios to bolster its lineup. While there are plenty of action flicks and comedies on the platform, Prime Video is also home to several world-class dramas that rank among the best in the genre.
This month’s selections for the three dramas on Prime Video that you need to watch in November all have a shared theme of mentorship and emotionally cathartic experiences. That’s why they’re such fitting choices for the holidays, and suitable for viewers who want to see some heartwarming moments.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck co-wrote and won an Oscar for Good Will Hunting, and they’ve kind of been riding that wave ever since. Damon plays the title character, who is a troubled young man out on parole and working as a janitor at MIT. When Will solves a difficult mathematical equation left by one of the instructors, Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård), it opens up a world of possibilities … but only if Will is willing to work through his issues with a psychologist, Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams).
This movie gave Williams his only Oscar win, for Best Supporting Actor, and his character’s relationship with Will is truly affecting. Will even finds the confidence to begin a romance with a woman named Skylar (Minnie Driver). But if Will truly wants to change, he’s going to have to accept some hard truths and make a difficult decision about what he really wants out of life.
Watch Good Will Hunting on Prime Video.
The Holdovers (2023)
Paul Giamatti (American Splendor) was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for The Holdovers, but it was his co-star, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who won for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards. This is a fitting choice for a holiday film, because Giamatti’s Paul Hunham is kind of Scrooge-like in his disdain for his students at Barton Academy boarding school and for the holidays in general.
Paul’s abrasive personality is why the headmaster forces him to stay on campus and supervise the remaining students who have nowhere else to go for Christmas break in 1970. The school’s cafeteria manager, Mary Lamb (Randolph), also stays because she is mourning her son, who died in Vietnam. Despite himself, Paul finds himself bonding with both Mary and one of his students, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa). It may be a life-changing experience for Paul, but not necessarily for the better.
Watch The Holdovers on Prime Video.
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
In case you were wondering, Bobby Fischer was a child prodigy who became a grand champion of chess, not unlike the main character of Searching for Bobby Fischer. This film is based on the true story of Josh Waitzkin (Max Pomeranc), who displays an aptitude for chess at only seven years old despite no formal instruction in the game.
Josh’s father, Fred Waitzkin (Joe Mantegna), is initially delighted that his son has the talents that he never had, while Josh’s mother, Bonnie (Joan Allen), is more wary about the whole thing. As Fred pushes Josh toward chess competition, his son finds himself torn between the unconventional strategies of his mentor, Vinnie Livermore (Laurence Fishburne), and his hardnosed chess instructor, Bruce Pandolfini (Ben Kingsley). Josh can master a chess board, but picking the right move for himself and his family isn’t always as easy.
Watch Searching for Bobby Fischer on Prime Video.
