Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To GeekBy now, if you’re a Prime Video subscriber in the U.S., you should have already had your way with Masters of the Universe and Project Hail Mary, both of which are still all over the Top 10 charts. The real question is, what to watch next.
Luckily, it hasn’t been too long since Prime re-upped its library with new movies for August, and I’ve got some for your movie nights this week—the oldest turns 39 this year, the newest (and my top pick) is a fun animated biography that hit theaters barely two years ago, and the others include an Oscar-nominated comedy and one with Florence Pugh before she was an assassin.
4
RoboCop
Come for the cop, stay for the classic ‘80s quotes
Worth it just for the classic movie quotes (“I’ll buy that for a dollar!” and, “Dead or alive, you’re coming with me”) and satirical ads (a game of Nukem, anyone?). Directed by Paul Verhoeven (Starship Troopers), RoboCop is classic ’80s sci-fi that defined a genre, bringing adult ultra-violence and satire back to mainstream cinema.
Set in a dystopian, corporately controlled futuristic Detroit, police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is killed by notorious gangster Clarence Boddicker (That ’70s Show‘s Kurtwood Smith), only to be brought back to life, his memory completely wiped, as the perfect cyborg crime fighter, RoboCop, who gets to work cleaning up the streets. But as RoboCop works to bring down Omni Consumer Products corporation, they send their own competing police droid to put an end to him, just as he starts to remember who he really is. RoboCop is a classic that spawned two sequels (both also available on Prime Video) and several other reboots and spinoffs.
Cast
Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O’Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui, Ray Wise, Felton Perry, Paul McCrane, Jesse D. Goins, Del Zamora, Calvin Jung, Rick Lieberman, Lee de Broux, Mark Carlton, Edward Edwards, Michael Gregory, Freddie Hice, Neil Summers, Gene Wolande, Gregory Poudevigne, Charles Carroll, Kevin Page, Yolonda Williams
Runtime
102 minutes
Director
Paul Verhoeven
Writers
Edward Neumeier, Michael Miner
Producers
Arne Schmidt
Main Genre
Action
3
Fighting with My Family
Florence Pugh body slams her way to WWE stardom
I recently saw Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and was reminded of how much I like Florence Pugh. The versatile actor is good in virtually everything she does, whether it’s high drama like Little Women or twisted horror like Midsommar, which, coincidentally, both came out the same year as this critically-acclaimed gem, Fighting with My Family.
Quiz
Florence Pugh characters and movies
Trivia challenge
From royal courts to secret agents — how well do you know Florence Pugh’s
best roles?
CharactersMoviesMarvelDramaAction
Characters
What is the name of Florence Pugh’s traumatized protagonist in the 2019 folk horror
film Midsommar?
travels to Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends, only to find herself caught up in a terrifying
pagan ritual. Pugh’s raw, grief-stricken performance earned widespread critical acclaim.
Midsommar. Pugh delivered one of her most celebrated performances as a young woman processing immense
loss while visiting a seemingly idyllic Swedish midsummer festival.
Drama
In the 2019 Greta Gerwig adaptation of Little Women, which of the four March sisters
does Florence Pugh play?
of the sisters. Her portrayal was widely praised for bringing unexpected depth and complexity to a
character often dismissed as the spoiled sibling, and it earned her an Academy Award nomination.
sisters. Her performance was so compelling that many viewers found themselves rooting for Amy in ways
they never had before, earning Pugh an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Marvel
Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova is the adoptive sister of which other Marvel
character?
a fake family unit during a covert Soviet mission in the 1990s. The two were both trained as Black
Widows, and their sisterly bond became the emotional core of the 2021 film Black Widow.
original Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson. The two shared a fabricated childhood family as part
of a Soviet intelligence operation, and their reunion drives much of the plot of Black Widow.
Movies
Fighting with My Family is based on the true story of which real-life WWE wrestler,
played by Florence Pugh?
Paige, in this 2019 biographical comedy-drama. The film follows her journey from wrestling in small UK
venues with her family to making it onto the main WWE roster, and it was produced in part by Dwayne
Johnson.
name is Saraya-Jade Bevis. The film chronicles her unlikely rise from a tight-knit wrestling family in
Norwich, England, to becoming a WWE Divas Champion, and Florence Pugh’s energetic performance earned
strong reviews.
Marvel
In which Disney+ Marvel series did Yelena Belova make a chilling appearance as she
hunted down Hawkeye?
Disney+ series Hawkeye. She was hired to kill Clint Barton, believing he was responsible for Natasha’s
death, creating one of the show’s most tense and entertaining dynamics.
contracted to kill Clint Barton after being manipulated into believing he caused Natasha’s death. Her
scenes opposite Jeremy Renner were highlights of the show and hinted at a larger future in the MCU.
Movies
In Dune: Part Two, Florence Pugh plays Princess Irulan, who is the daughter of which
galactic emperor?
ruler of the known universe in the Dune universe. Pugh brought regal composure and subtle political
cunning to the role, and Irulan ultimately becomes Paul Atreides’ empress by the end of the story.
reigning galactic emperor in Frank Herbert’s Dune universe. Florence Pugh portrayed her as a shrewd and
calculating figure navigating the dangerous politics of an empire on the verge of collapse.
Action
In Thunderbolts*, Yelena Belova leads a team of morally grey Marvel antiheroes.
Which of the following characters is NOT part of that team?
Thunderbolts* roster. The team instead pulls together outcasts like Ghost, US Agent, and Red Guardian,
with Florence Pugh’s Yelena at the emotional center of this unconventional Marvel ensemble.
includes characters like Ghost, US Agent, Red Guardian, Bucky Barnes, and Bob, brought together under
murky government circumstances — with Yelena emerging as a central, reluctant leader.
Characters
In Midsommar, which Scandinavian country does Dani travel to for the film’s
unsettling midsummer festival?
attend a once-every-90-years midsummer celebration. Director Ari Aster used the perpetual daylight of a
Swedish summer to create a uniquely bright and deeply unsettling horror atmosphere.
called Hårga. Director Ari Aster deliberately set the horror in blazing sunlight rather than darkness,
making Midsommar one of the most visually distinctive horror films of the decade.
Your Score
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Call it pre-training for Yelena, as the story (written and directed by Extras and The Office’s Stephen Merchant) follows Saraya (Pugh), a member of a family of semi-pro wrestlers in Norwich, England. When the WWE comes calling, and Saraya heads to America to train, jealousy and resentment unravels her brother back home, sending ripples through her family. The critically-acclaimed movie also stars Vince Vaughn, Dwayne Johnson, and Lena Heady, and has an excellent 93% on RT.
Cast
Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Nick Frost, Vince Vaughn, Jack Lowden, Dwayne Johnson, Thea Trinidad, Aqueela Zoll, Stephen Merchant, Julia Davis, James Burrows, Hannah Rae, Kim Matula, Paul Wight, Stephen Farrelly, Mike Mizanin, Tori Ellen Ross, Thomas Whilley, Jerry Lawler, Olivia Bernstone, Leah Harvey, Mohammad Amiri, Christine Ozanne, Grace Link, Hannah Dodd
Runtime
108 minutes
Director
Stephen Merchant
Writers
Stephen Merchant
Producers
Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Misher, Michael J. Luisi, Stephen Merchant
Main Genre
Comedy
Budget
$11 million
Studio(s)
United Artists
Distributor(s)
United Artists
Executive Producer(s)
Andy Berman, Daniel Battsek, David Kosse, Hiram Garcia, Rhodri Thomas, Tracey Josephs
2
Bridesmaids
Kristen Wiig and an all-star cast create wedding party chaos
Written by SNL legend Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumolo, Bridesmaids was a critical and box office smash in 2011, and it earned two Oscar nominations—a first ever for a Judd Apatow production. Wiig stars as Annie, a single Milwaukee woman who’s been unlucky in love and in need of a kickstart to her life. When her best friend, Lillian (fellow SNL alum Maya Rudolph), gets engaged, she names Annie her maid of honor, putting the pressure on.
Lillian’s bridesmaids are an eclectic cross-section of her idyllic life, including her cousin Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), a coworker named Becca (Ellie Kemper), the rough-around-the-edges Megan (Melissa McCarthy), and snooty socialite Helen (Rose Byrne). As Annie tries to fit in with the ladies (the sedated airplane scene alone is worth the price of admission), she cracks under the pressure of the maid of honor role and her crumbling life; she learns that true friendship will always save the day. It’s a classic chaos comedy with an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cast
Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Chris O’Dowd, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Hamm, Jill Clayburgh, Rebel Wilson, Matt Lucas, Michael Hitchcock, Tim Heidecker, Franklyn Ajaye, Lynne Marie Stewart, Terry Crews, Jessica St. Clair, Kali Hawk, Andy Buckley, Matt Bennett, Nancy Carell, Melanie Hutsell, Carnie Wilson, Chynna Phillips, Wendy Wilson
Runtime
125 minutes
Director
Paul Feig
Writers
Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
Producers
Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend
Main Genre
Comedy
Budget
$32.5 million
Studio(s)
Apatow Productions, Relativity Media
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
1
Piece by Piece
Pharrell’s creative life story, told brick by brick
In one of the most creative biographies (it’s also a documentary and a musical!) I’ve ever seen, Piece By Piece could only have come from the minds of its master builders, pop superstar Pharrell Williams and director Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom).
Make no mistake, it is a documentary, but told with stunning color and Lego goodness, as Pharrell narrates his own story—the interviews, the career flashbacks, and the music that made him—rendered in glorious Lego. The story traces his career from his childhood in Virginia Beach, as a kid with synesthesia (he literally sees music as color), through becoming a producer, forming The Neptunes, and to the writing of his international hit song, Happy. Helping him tell the story are adorable Lego versions of Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, and more. It’s literally Lego eye candy, with a great story and music.
Cast
Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Morgan Neville, Pusha T, N.O.R.E., Shay Haley, Oprah Winfrey, Missy Elliott, Jimmy Iovine, Teddy Riley, Mimi Valdes, Tyler, the Creator, Carl Sagan
Runtime
93 minutes
Director
Morgan Neville
Writers
Aaron Wickenden, Jason Zeldes, Morgan Neville, Oscar Vazquez
Producers
Pharrell Williams, Mimi Valdes
Main Genre
Animation
Studio(s)
The LEGO Group, Tremolo Productions, I Am Other
Distributor(s)
Focus Features
Executive Producer(s)
Jill Wilfert, Keith Malone
Those should tide you over till next week
Take on your busy work week with the help of a cyborg cop, a wrestling family, a disastrous wedding party, and a fun life story told with Lego bricks. If you prefer, say, more real fare, we cover the latest documentaries every week, too, or just head to our streaming section for loads more suggestions.
Subscription with ads
Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month
Simultaneous streams
3
Live TV
No
Price
Included with Amazon Prime subscription ($15/month or $139/year) or $9/month standalone
