Crossing the Streams is our monthly look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out the new Amazon Prime arrivals for December 2020. This month’s titles include a drumming movie that’s not Whiplash, a suspenseful female riff on Lord of the Flies, and more!
Amazon Prime Pick of the Month for December 2020
The great Riz Ahmed headlines the already acclaimed Sound of Metal (2020), which premieres December 4th, where he plays a drummer who loses his hearing. Drug addiction, depression, and doubt plague him, but good people — including the highly talented Olivia Cooke — help him hear the light at the end of the tunnel. The film apparently uses some innovative sound design techniques to immerse viewers in the characters’ world, and early word on the movie has been universally positive. Ahmed is always an actor worth watching, and this nod to the power of the human spirit feels like a perfect match for his talents.
A Pair of Promising Prime Originals
2018’s Fast Color is one of the best movies you didn’t see that year, and now director/co-writer Julia Hart is following it up with another female-centric genre tale. I’m Your Woman (2020) arrives on December 11th and tells the story of a young mother forced on the run after her husband messes up in a big way. Rachel Brosnahan stars in this 70s set crime drama, and it looks to deliver a compelling mix of period thrills and dramatic suspense.
While not a movie, the new series The Wilds (starts December 11th) is equally promising with its Lord of the Flies riff focused on a group of teenage girls trapped on an island. A plane crash lands them there, a crash with mysterious origins, and the girls are forced into a struggle of survival. I don’t expect it to go the Lost route with its story, but even a straight tale of survival can make for fascinating, must-watch television.
Stream Some Science Fiction
Season 5 of The Expanse lands on December 16th, and while I’ve yet to catch an episode of the series, its longevity means I expect to soon. Science fiction shows don’t tend to last long these days, and when you add in the series’ overwhelming positive praise from fans and critics alike. The show’s premise was already epic from the start, and it’s only grown larger in scope and ambition since then. While name talents pop up throughout, including Thomas Jane and David Strathairn, the core cast remains comfortably off most folks’ radar, which adds to the possibility. I’ll be digging in soon.
On the other end of the critical appreciation spectrum sits Priest (2011). The action/sci-fi/fantasy film offers a tale of humans battling vampires in a post-apocalyptic setting — or a whole other world, I’m not sure — while also taking time to criticize organized religion. It’s silly shenanigans, but as popcorn fluff, it delivers some solid spectacle and fun action.
A Tom Hanks Double Feature!
Look, typically the ideal double feature involves two great movies linked together in some way. This isn’t that. But both of these picks do feature Tom Hanks, so what can go wrong? You’ll start with Angels & Demons (2009). Yes, it’s a sequel, but it will be just as enjoyable if you haven’t seen The Da Vinci Code (2006). It’s overly serious and wacky, you’ll be confused, but you’ll come out the other end yearning for perfection.
Which is when you press play on A League of Their Own (1992). Penny Marshall’s ode to crying in baseball remains an ensemble comedy masterpiece, every bit as funny on rewatch as it was the very first time, and it leaves viewers on a high of possibility. That’s not a bad thing.
The Complete Amazon Prime List for December 2020
| Release Date | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 12/1 | 12 Disasters (2012) | |
| 2012 (2009) | ||
| Air Force One (1997) | ||
| Anaconda (1997) | ||
| Angels & Demons (2009) | ||
| Assassin Of Youth (1938) | ||
| Body Of Evidence (1993) | ||
| Cake (2006) | ||
| Christmas Chalet (2019) (Up Faith & Family) | ||
| The Chumscrubber (2005) | ||
| Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (2009) | ||
| Diary Of A Mad Black Woman (2005) | ||
| Dr. No (1963) | ||
| Euphoria (2019) | ||
| Full Moon High (1981) | ||
| Gandhi (1982) | ||
| Ghost Town (1936) | ||
| Ghost Town (1936) | ||
| Goldfinger (1965) | ||
| Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee (2016) (Showtime) | ||
| Gun Brothers (1956) | ||
| Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (2008) | ||
| Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004) | ||
| Hemingway's Garden Of Eden (2010) | ||
| Hot Air (2019) | ||
| The Hurt Locker (2009) | ||
| Into The Blue (2005) | ||
| The King's Speech (2010) | ||
| The Kingmaker (2019) (Showtime) | ||
| Letters To Juliet (2010) | ||
| Los Rodriguez el más allá (2019) (Pantaya) | ||
| Love at the Christmas Table (2012) (Lifetime Movie Club) | ||
| The Natural (1984) | ||
| Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) | ||
| Outlaw's Son (1957) | ||
| The People Vs. Larry Flynt (1996) | ||
| Priest (2011) | ||
| The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006) | ||
| Snowbound for Christmas (2019) (Up Faith & Family) | ||
| Spanglish (2004) | ||
| The Spy Who Loved Me (1997) | ||
| Thank You For Smoking (2006) | ||
| Tombstone (1993) | ||
| True Confessions (1981) | ||
| True Lies (1994) | ||
| Why Did I Get Married? (2007) | ||
| Year One (2009) | ||
| 12/4 | Sound of Metal (2020) | Amazon Original Movie |
| 12/7 | Valley Girl (2020) | |
| 12/8 | The Bernie Mac Show: Seasons 1-5 | |
| Mad About You: Seasons 1-8 | ||
| 12/11 | I'm Your Woman | Amazon Original Movie |
| Victoria Small (Pequeña Victoria): Season 1 | ||
| The Wilds - Season 1 | Amazon Original Series | |
| 12/16 | The Expanse - Season 5 | Amazon Original Series |
| 12/17 | La Pachanga (1958) | |
| 12/18 | Blackbird (2020) | |
| The Grand Tour Presents: A Massive Hunt | Amazon Original Special | |
| 12/23 | The Little Hours (2017) | |
| Pawn Sacrifice (2015) | ||
| Someone Marry Barry (2017) | ||
| 12/25 | Soldiers Of Fortune (2012) | |
| Sylvie's Love (2020) | Amazon Original Movie | |
| 12/27 | The House Sitter (2016) | |
| 12/28 | Hope Gap (2020) | |
| 12/30 | Yearly Departed | Amazon Original Special |
| 12/31 | Supervized (2019) |
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