With recent original movie releases including All The Old Knives and I Want You Back, Amazon Prime Video continues to cater to film lovers of all kinds, whether looking for a spy thriller or a feel-good rom-com. When it comes to modern-day streaming, Amazon Prime has become one of the most used and sought-after platforms in the streaming industry. Since the start of 2019, they have been releasing their own movies, often to critical acclaim.
With high-profile films, however, come controversial opinions from fans. If anyone knows how to make controversial opinions, it is Reddit.
The Voyeurs Was A Great Film
The Voyeurs, starring Sydney Sweeney, was not supposed to be an Oscar-nominated film. It was meant to be an erotic thriller, reviving a genre that had long been dormant. Whether it accomplished that is up for debate as many who watched had issues with the film, as it currently sits at 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 45%.
While the film had detractors, some, such as Reddit user Prolelol, were absolutely entertained by the film. "I was really blown away by this movie. Yeah, the movie throws so many plot twists and many people were bothered by that, but it honestly works for me," they said, going on to compare it to the work of Hitchcock, particularly Rear Window. While the Hitchcock comparison may be a little strong for most film lovers, The Voyeurs did entertain, and that is what cinema is for.
Camila Cabello's Cinderella Was Good (2021)
Reddit user Uffda1990 knew they were going to ruffle some feathers the moment they said they liked the Camila Cabelo version of Cinderella. The film, noteworthy for a cringe-worthy promotional tactic, features an all-star cast but was not warmly received by many, in spite of some improvements to the original Cinderella story, being compared unfavorably to previous adaptations of Cinderella.
But the Reddit user got what they wanted from the film: entertainment. They state: "It was exactly what I needed. Something gloriously and unabashedly stupid and fun. It’s so balls to the wall dumb that it actually is kinda charming. And not in a “so bad it’s good way,” more of a “confident and not afraid to be what it is” kinda way." While it may not have been everyone's cup of tea, Cinderella at least showed that light entertainment will always have an audience.
Michael B. Jordan Was Not Good In Without Remorse
Without Remorse disappointed a lot of people, both those who like Tom Clancy books and those who like patriotic thrillers. A modern take on a book set in the '70s, the film didn't quite land how the makers likely expected. However, most critics and audience members agreed that it showed how good Michael B. Jordan is as a leading man.
Reddit user aCorgiDriver is not one of those people. When one user asked why Jordan was, to them at least, wooden here, the user responded with, "He’s not a great actor, that might be why." The original post would state that they think Jordan was still a good actor, with aCorgiDriver admitting to liking the Creed movies, but thinking he is often too stiff and overacts in most his films.
Coming 2 America Was As Good As The First Film
Coming to America is still fondly looked upon as a staple and gem of '80s comedy, fully taking advantage of Eddie Murphy's talent as a comedian and a great movie with him playing multiple characters. So naturally, the long-delayed sequel was going to have a hard time living up to its predecessor. While generally agreed upon to be a nostalgic and fun movie, with a lot of callbacks to the original, most did not see it as a classic like its predecessor.
User ModulRaziel was particularly fond of the film, saying, "Am I the only one who thinks it was just as good as the first? Like I'll admit it was an unnecessary sequel, but as far as unnecessary sequels go, this is how they should be done." Naturally, as with a lot of things on the internet, he was downvoted with little explanation, other than people not sharing his opinion.
Borat's Daughter Detracted From Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Although it ended up being somewhat overlooked, one of Amazon's more successful films was Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, a sequel to Sasha Baron Cohen's hit 2006 film. Released in conjunction with the then-upcoming presidential election, the film was praised not only for its not-so-subtle political satire but for the performance of breakout star Maria Bakalova, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work.
One user, however, not only did not think much of the performance but had the hot take that she completely hurt the film. User Oxygencube said "Borat's daughter just detracted from the film. I just found myself wishing her scenes would end so I could get back to Borat." This was immediately countered with a confused response that stated that she not only was great but reminded the poster of old Borat material, showing how most tended to agree that Bakalova was a net positive scene stealer for the film and its quality.
User Likes Bliss, But Not Hot On Its Leads
The ambitious sci-fi drama Bliss, starring Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek was released to apathy in 2021. Many criticized the film saying that it fell flat despite an intriguing premise, and was not promoted correctly, with the mental health aspects very much undercut in favor of the science fiction.
User Waldo_Pepper really liked the film but had interesting remarks about its two leads: "Can't stand Owen Wilson liked nothing he has ever been in. Meh on Salma. But they were both excellent in this." Given both of these performers' popularity, this is obviously not a popular take, but it shows how the arts and the artist can be interpreted and appreciated in different forms.
Sylvie's Love Had Poor Storytelling
Christmas 2020 saw the release of Sylvie's Love, a film starring Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha. The romance film, taking place in the 1950s, was widely praised as a sweet old fashion romantic film, that celebrates African-American love. However, in spite of praise from audiences and critics, the people over at Reddit were highly critical of the film's storytelling, calling it poor.
User RememberVideoStores commented, "Stylistically strong, but the storytelling is poor. Also, as a romance movie, it sadly never bothers to tease or linger." They also added that there were times when the film should have taken more time on one scene, and hurt the film instead, in their opinion.
The Vast Of The Night Was Bad (And So Are Its Fans)
The Vast of the Night was another film released in 2020 that was acclaimed, with many calling it a highlight in that year's motion pictures. The film, set in 1950's New Mexico, worked both as a period piece and a sci-fi film and was able to make an intriguing and original watch during a time when many people were looking for intriguing and original films.
So it came as a shock on r/movies when user Solomon871 not only said it was a boring film, but derided people who enjoyed the acclaimed film: "People have horrible taste in movies if i go by some of the comments in here." The user tried to say later on that they were just trying to add discussion on the film, but it shows how the internet can be an echo chamber and some people can't accept other ideas.
Chemical Hearts Wasn't Formulaic
Lili Reinhart starred in the 2020 picture, Chemical Hearts, based on the novel Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland. The film received mixed reviews, with some calling it formulaic compared with other teen romance films.
One Reddit user, Jestin_1, disagreed with this assertion and talked about how much they loved the film, saying "The story was very slow moving but in a nice and romantic way, it wasn't cheesy or very cliche like all teen romance movies, this one had a spark that will always make me go back to it whenever I can and that makes me really happy." Their only regret is that they did not watch it with their girlfriend.
Blow The Man Down Was Just "Fine"
When Blow the Man Down was released in 2019, it was touted as a cinematic masterpiece, a Coen-Brothers-like experience, similar to Fargo, considered one of their most rewatchable movies. Both films are dark comedies that deal with murder, so the comparison was obvious. The audience reaction was also positive for the most part, with many agreeing that it is a film worth experiencing.
Some viewers were actually disappointed, seeing it as a time waster more than a bonafide classic that they thought it was going to be. User Blueskidoowecantoo said, "It was a fine movie for turning on for background noise. It felt like it was building for a major climax that just never happened, or not to the extent it could have been." In addition, they also said that the film would have worked better as a miniseries, where they could have fleshed out the plot.