Forget the turkey. Skip the family drama. Ignore your relatives asking when you’re getting married. Because Prime Video just lined up three films that justify spending Thanksgiving weekend on your couch instead of making awkward small talk with your uncle who peaked in high school.
A British funeral gone catastrophically wrong. Hitchcock’s greatest film that’s still mind-bending 67 years later. And Bob Odenkirk transforming from sad suburban dad into one-man army. That’s not just a random selection. That’s a perfectly curated movie marathon that hits every mood you’ll cycle through during the holiday weekend.
Death at a Funeral gives you the dark comedy you need when family gatherings make you question your life choices. Vertigo provides the prestige cinema credentials you can casually mention when someone asks what you’ve been watching. Nobody delivers the cathartic violence of watching a guy your dad’s age beat the hell out of people who deserve it.
Three movies. Three completely different experiences. All streaming on Prime Video right now. All worth prioritizing over literally anything else on your Thanksgiving to-do list.
Here’s what makes this trio special: they’re not algorithm-recommended filler content. Death at a Funeral is Frank Oz’s masterclass in ensemble cringe comedy. Vertigo regularly tops “greatest films ever made” lists and earned that reputation honestly. Nobody launched a franchise because Bob Odenkirk proved action heroes don’t need to be jacked 30-year-olds.
The other thing? All three are perfect mood enhancers for specific situations. Dealing with dysfunctional family gathering? Death at a Funeral will make yours seem functional by comparison. Need something to impress the film snob in your life? Vertigo is unimpeachable classic cinema. Want to zone out and watch stylized violence? Nobody serves that on a silver platter with an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Share this with your movie group chat because Thanksgiving weekend just became about strategic couch positioning and remote control custody.
Death At A Funeral: When British Comedy Gets Brutally Uncomfortable
Credits: TV Insider
Frank Oz directed Muppets. He also directed one of the most uncomfortable comedies ever made. Death at a Funeral, released in 2007, is the perfect example of cringe comedy done right. Not mean-spirited. Not exploitative. Just deeply, hilariously awkward in ways that make you laugh while simultaneously wanting to hide.
The setup is simple: a dysfunctional British family reunites for their father’s funeral. What could go wrong? Everything. Literally everything that can go wrong does go wrong in escalating fashion until the funeral becomes absolute chaos barely held together by British social niceties.
Matthew Macfadyen plays Daniel, the responsible son trying to give his father a dignified send-off while his more successful brother (Rupert Graves) shows up from New York acting like the golden child. That sibling rivalry alone would fuel most comedies. But Death at a Funeral is just getting started.
Alan Tudyk plays Simon, the boyfriend trying to impress his girlfriend’s family. He accidentally takes acid thinking it’s Valium. Watching Tudyk’s physical comedy as Simon descends into hallucinogenic nightmare at a funeral is comedy gold. He ends up naked on the roof. It gets worse from there.
Then there’s Peter Dinklage as Peter, a mysterious stranger who shows up with photos proving he was the deceased’s secret lover. Dinklage plays the role with perfect mix of menace and vulnerability, revealing layers as the blackmail plot unfolds. His presence destabilizes everything, forcing the family to deal with secrets they’d rather bury along with their father.
The ensemble cast includes Keeley Hawes, Andy Nyman, Daisy Donovan, Ewen Bremner, Kris Marshall, Jane Asher, and Peter Vaughan as the incontinent Uncle Alfie whose wheelchair antics provide their own subplot of chaos. Every actor commits fully to the escalating absurdity while keeping characters grounded enough that you believe these people exist.
Frank Oz’s direction balances broad farce with genuine character moments. The script by Dean Craig finds humor in uncomfortable situations without punching down. The result is comedy that makes you laugh at the situations rather than at people’s pain.
Death at a Funeral earned strong reviews upon release and cult following afterward. It was remade in 2010 with Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, but the original remains superior. There’s something about British sensibility around death and propriety that makes the chaos funnier. Americans are loud about everything. Brits trying to maintain decorum while everything burns around them creates specific comedy the remake couldn’t replicate.
The film runs 90 minutes, perfect length for comedy. It doesn’t overstay its welcome. The pacing escalates steadily from mild awkwardness to complete pandemonium, giving each character their moment while maintaining focus on the overall chaos.
For anyone who’s ever been to dysfunctional family gathering, Death at a Funeral hits different. The sibling rivalries. The secrets people keep. The way funerals force people who barely tolerate each other to pretend they’re close. The film exaggerates everything but roots it in recognizable family dynamics.
And it’s genuinely funny. Not just clever. Not just well-crafted. Actually laugh-out-loud funny in ways that hold up on repeat viewings. The physical comedy. The verbal sparring. The escalating revelations. It all builds to conclusion that’s both satisfying and appropriately chaotic.
Don’t miss what Hitchcock did in 1958 because it’s still better than most thrillers released this year.
Vertigo: When The Master Of Suspense Made His Masterpiece
Credits: THR
Alfred Hitchcock made 53 feature films. Psycho. Rear Window. North by Northwest. The Birds. Rebecca. Notorious. Rope. All masterpieces. And yet Vertigo, released in 1958, is widely considered his greatest achievement. That’s not hyperbole. That’s consensus among critics, filmmakers, and audiences who’ve grappled with its psychological complexity for nearly seven decades.
The plot sounds straightforward: former San Francisco detective John “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart) is hired to follow the wife of an old friend. She’s been acting strange, possibly possessed by a dead woman’s spirit. Scottie develops obsession with her. Then things get complicated. Very complicated.
To say more spoils the experience for anyone who hasn’t seen it. But even knowing the twists, Vertigo works because it’s not really about plot. It’s about obsession, control, loss, and how far people will go to recreate what they’ve lost. Hitchcock made deeply personal film about his own obsessions with blonde actresses and controlling their images.
James Stewart, known for playing everyday heroes, gives one of his darkest performances. Scottie isn’t likable protagonist. He’s obsessive, controlling, and increasingly unhinged. Stewart makes him sympathetic despite these flaws, showing the desperation underneath the manipulation.
Kim Novak plays both Madeleine, the woman Scottie follows, and Judy, someone he meets later who resembles Madeleine. Discussing how these roles connect spoils the film, but Novak’s dual performance is remarkable, creating two distinct characters who are inextricably linked.
The cinematography by Robert Burks is stunning. The use of color, particularly greens and reds. The famous 360-degree kiss. The pioneering “dolly zoom” effect Hitchcock and cinematographer created for the vertigo-inducing shots. Every frame is composed like painting.
Bernard Herrmann’s score is one of cinema’s greatest. The swirling, obsessive main theme. The haunting love theme. The music doesn’t just accompany the film. It’s integral to its psychological impact, creating auditory equivalent of Scottie’s spiraling mental state.
Vertigo initially received mixed reviews and disappointed at box office. Critics found it slow and confusing. Audiences expected Hitchcock thriller with clear heroes and villains. What they got was complex psychological study that refused easy answers.
Then something happened. Over decades, critical reassessment elevated Vertigo’s reputation. By 2012, Sight & Sound’s poll of critics ranked it the greatest film ever made, displacing Citizen Kane which had held that position for 50 years. It remained number one in 2022.
What makes Vertigo great isn’t just technical mastery. It’s emotional honesty. Hitchcock made film about male obsession with controlling female image. About trying to recreate lost love rather than accepting loss. About how fantasy can become more important than reality. These themes resonate because they’re universal and uncomfortable.
The film is also masterclass in suspense and structure. Hitchcock reveals major twist at the two-thirds point, transforming what seemed like mystery into character study. The final act forces audiences to identify with both Scottie and Judy, understanding and fearing for both despite their flaws.
At 128 minutes, Vertigo is deliberately paced. Modern audiences accustomed to rapid editing might find it slow. But that pacing is intentional, allowing obsession to build naturally rather than rushing toward plot points. It rewards patience with one of cinema’s most devastating endings.
For Thanksgiving weekend viewing, Vertigo provides what prestige cinema should: entertainment that also provokes thought. It’s thrilling enough to keep casual viewers engaged while offering layers of psychological and thematic complexity for anyone wanting deeper experience.
Roger Ebert called it Hitchcock’s most confessional film. Martin Scorsese cited it as major influence. Countless filmmakers have tried replicating its psychological intensity. None have quite matched it. Because Vertigo isn’t just well-made thriller. It’s Hitchcock using every tool at his disposal to explore his own obsessions and fears through cinema.
Share this with your film buff friend who thinks they’ve seen everything because Vertigo never gets old.
Nobody: When Bob Odenkirk Became The Most Unlikely Action Hero
Credits: Variety
Bob Odenkirk was 58 when Nobody released in 2021. Fifty-eight. That’s older than Liam Neeson was in Taken. And Odenkirk made it work because Nobody understands something most action films don’t: rage doesn’t disappear with age. It just gets better at hiding.
Odenkirk plays Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad whose life is monotonous routine. Dead-end job. Strained marriage. Kids who barely acknowledge him. He’s invisible in his own life. Then home invaders break in. Hutch lets them go despite having opportunity to fight back. His family looks at him with disappointment. That look breaks something.
Turns out Hutch isn’t just mild-mannered nobody. He’s former “auditor” for government agencies, someone sent to deal with problems no one else could handle. He retired, tried normal life, and almost convinced himself it worked. Almost.
What follows is cathartic violence as Hutch rediscovers the man he tried to bury. A bus fight scene where he takes on drunk thugs harassing a young woman. A showdown with Russian mobsters. Increasingly elaborate action sequences that showcase Hutch isn’t invincible super-soldier. He’s skilled fighter who takes hits, bleeds, and has to think his way through situations because he can’t just overpower everyone.
Director Ilya Naishuller (Hardcore Henry) brings kinetic energy to action sequences. They’re brutal, creative, and grounded enough to feel dangerous. Derek Kolstad, who created John Wick franchise, wrote the script with similar sensibility: elaborate action grounded in simple story about man reclaiming his identity through violence.
The supporting cast is perfect. Connie Nielsen plays Hutch’s wife Becca with more complexity than “wife who doesn’t understand him” trope usually allows. Christopher Lloyd plays Hutch’s father, a nursing home resident who’s also retired killer. Watching 82-year-old Lloyd get back in action alongside Odenkirk is pure joy. RZA plays Hutch’s brother, another retired government operative running furniture company as cover.
The villain, played by Aleksey Serebryakov, is Russian mobster whose brother Hutch accidentally injures. The escalation from minor slight to full-scale war feels earned because both men are operating on codes that don’t allow for backing down.
Nobody earned $57.5 million worldwide on $16 million budget, impressive for March 2021 pandemic release. Critics praised it, audiences loved it, and Odenkirk’s physical commitment (he trained extensively and suffered heart attack during production before returning to finish) earned respect.
The 83% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects critical consensus: Nobody delivers exactly what it promises without being lazy about it. The action is well-choreographed. The humor lands. The family dynamics feel real despite heightened circumstances. And Odenkirk proves action heroes don’t have to be Marvel-level buff or 30 years old.
The success spawned Nobody 2, released in 2025. Timo Tjahjanto directed the sequel, which ups the action while bringing back the core cast plus Sharon Stone. The sequel’s existence proves Nobody wasn’t fluke. Audiences want action heroes who look like actual people rather than gym advertisements.
For Thanksgiving weekend viewing, Nobody is perfect palate cleanser. It’s 92 minutes. Fast-paced. Entertaining without demanding deep analysis. The kind of film you can zone out to while still being impressed by craftsmanship behind the scenes.
But it’s also more than just dumb action. The themes about masculinity, identity, and violence are present without being preachy. Hutch’s journey isn’t about becoming alpha male. It’s about reconciling different parts of himself rather than suppressing one to be the other.
The film also understands that action movies work best when stakes feel personal. It’s not about saving the world. It’s about one man protecting his family and reclaiming dignity he lost somewhere between mortgage payments and soul-crushing routine. That’s relatable even when the violence is heightened.
Drop a comment: Which movie are you watching first? Team British funeral chaos, Hitchcock psychological masterpiece, or dad becomes killing machine? Share this with every person stuck at family gathering who needs escape plan because these three films justify faking food poisoning to get out early.
Follow for more streaming recommendations that actually respect your time instead of pushing whatever algorithm thinks you’ll tolerate. Because life’s too short for mediocre movies when Death at a Funeral, Vertigo, and Nobody exist on the same platform right now.
Prime Video’s Thanksgiving week lineup isn’t random algorithm nonsense. It’s three genuinely excellent films from three different eras showcasing three different styles of filmmaking. Death at a Funeral proves cringe comedy can be smart and heartfelt. Vertigo reminds us why Hitchcock is considered master and why some classics earned that status honestly. Nobody shows that action heroes can be 58-year-old character actors who look like they’d help you move rather than headline UFC. One of these will be your favorite. All three are worth your time. And when your relatives ask what you did over Thanksgiving weekend, telling them you watched one of cinema’s greatest films, a cult comedy classic, and the movie that made Bob Odenkirk an action star sounds way better than admitting you ate too much pie and took three naps. So cancel your plans. Clear your queue. These three movies just became your Thanksgiving weekend whether you planned for it or not. Because sometimes the algorithm gets it right. And sometimes Frank Oz, Alfred Hitchcock, and Bob Odenkirk being available on one streaming service at one time is the universe telling you exactly how to spend your holiday.
