Each month, new films and TV shows are added to Amazon Prime Video‘s Australian library. Eliza Janssen presents her picks for titles worth watching. For the full list of everything arriving on the platform, scroll down.
Top picks: TV
The Rig: Season 2 (January 2)
Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Or, uh, whatever the super cold and foggy version of that metaphor would be. In this returning sci-fi mystery, the poor beleaguered workers of rig Kinloch Bravo have been swept away to secret facility the Stac, where further conspiracies and terrifying deep-ocean threats simply will not leave folks like Iain Glen and Martin Compston alone.
Adam Fresco has checked out the sophomore batch of episodes and liked what he saw, his review assuring fans of the first season “that things go from bad to even bloody worse, as the surviving Bravo crew, fresh from the fire, are thrown into a whole new frying pan of dire machinations, deadly mystery, and devious manoeuvrings.”
On Call: Season 1 (January 9)
Pretty Little Liars star Troian Bellisario and 13 Reasons Why actor Brandon Larracuente are all grown up now, and tackling a job with immense moral and physical stakes—appearing as Long Beach officers in this brand new crime drama. Attending to emergency calls at all hours, the pair are also wracked with turmoil after the death of a fellow officer, and if the name Dick Wolf as a producer doesn’t clue you in on the personal-professional gossip we’re in for, then I suppose you’ll just have to tune in and get hooked without any warning.
I always find that conversation really flows when you’re driving, perhaps because there’s no pressure to make eye contact while chatting. Or because neither of you can leave as quick as you might want to. Let’s cross our fingers that this nimble and tense new show captures that easy intimacy between passengers, heading to a complicated and possibly dangerous destination.
Top picks: Movies
Jurassic Park movie marathon (January 1)
Why not start the year by going back in time: to the 1990s, or to a far, far earlier period? The first four films in the dino-necromancy franchise kicked off by Michael Crichton’s book and Steven Spielberg’s incredible original movie drop on Prime Video on January 1, and what a fabulous way to start the year! The special effects in the 1993 film are still remarkably striking and convincing to this day, even if the movie didn’t get to hold its mantle as the highest-grossing film of all time for long. The second movie is darker, stranger and more of a mess—let’s not dwell on that velociraptor vs. gymnastics scene. The third is broader but features some clever setpieces, like a pterodactyl enclosure cloaked in fog. The sequel franchise? Eh, I can take it or leave it.
Unstoppable (January 16)
Based on the life story of wrestler Anthony Robles, this inspiring sports biopic plays all the hits: a glorious rise from adversity, a devoted mum (J.Lo) and a disapproving, emotionally abusive dad (Bobby Cannavale), some rousing speeches from coach Don Cheadle. But star Jharrel Jerome is worth the price of admission (or, I guess, subscription?), working in perfect harmony with laudable CGI effects to convince us that he’s lived—and thrived—without one leg, not letting any disability or discouragement stop him from proving his worth.
The sport at the film’s centre is wrestling—collegiate wrestling, to be precise. While The Iron Claw captured the bombast and performance of a flashier athleticism back in 2023, you can feel Robles’ desperation to really win here, and that’s all down to Jerome’s incendiary talent and empathy.
You’re Cordially Invited (January 30)
Save the date, prepare for chaos. In this breezy new comedy, Will Ferrell’s daughter and Reese Witherspoon’s sister are getting married. Not to each other, no: their separate weddings have been double-booked at the same small venue, and each of the families are desperate to make sure their own preferences and traditions get the limelight.
Director Nicholas Stoller has helmed some really solid studio comedies in his time, from Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Bad Neighbours. We haven’t seen Ferrell or Witherspoon in such straightforwardly funny, bubbly material in quite some time, so the alchemy of a simple, fruitful premise and a loveable supporting cast might make this a ceremony worth attending.
All titles arriving on Prime Video Australia in January
January 1
Bad Boys
Carrie
The Cat in the Hat
Failure To Launch
Jurassic Park
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park III
Jurassic World
Rain Man
Teen Wolf: Seasons 1-6
January 2
The Rig: Season 2
January 7
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
January 9
On Call: Season 1
January 10
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
The Creator
January 11
Ubel Blatt: Season 1
January 15
Spider-Man: Far From Home
January 16
The Calendar Killer
Unstoppable
January 17
Molly-Mae: Behind It All
January 23
Harlem: Season 3
January 28
After
Elevation
January 30
After We Collided
You’re Cordially Invited
See also
* Best new movies and TV series on Netflix
* Best new movies and TV series on Stan
* Best new movies and TV series on Binge
* All new streaming movies & series
