If you happen to’re in search of new movies on Amazon Prime Video, you then’re going to be very completely happy in August. For motion followers, there’s Looper and Face/Off, and even The Lord of the Rings trilogy. All-time nice Western As soon as Upon A Time In The West and a cult horror flick, From Past, are very engaging as effectively. Pulp Fiction, Fargo, and the unique Superman movies are additionally sturdy additions. However for us, the one Amazon Prime Video film that it’s a must to watch in August is Adventureland.
Greg Mottola wrote and directed Adventureland, and gave the movie a whole lot of coronary heart. It didn’t catch on on the field workplace, however it deserves a re-examination now that it’s on Prime Video. That’s why we’re sharing the 5 causes you need to watch Adventureland this month.
It’s an unconventional coming-of-age story
Most coming-of-age tales are usually about youngsters or youngsters. James (Jesse Eisenberg) is neither a teen nor a baby, however that is his coming of age as a post-college graduate. Due to his mother and father’ sudden shift in fortune, James’ plans to take a European trip are ruined and he has to take a job on the native amusement park, Adventureland, with the intention to earn some cash.
The summer time that James spends at Adventureland seems to be a extra formative expertise for him than his 4 years in school. James additionally has to confront some exhausting truths about his mother and father and himself as he makes the identical mistake that his father did … and he pays the value for it.
It has a really charming but life like love story
There isn’t love at first sight for James and Em Lewin (Kristen Stewart) in Adventureland, however their relationship is the center of this film. James and Em come collectively as a result of they discover that they’ve quite a bit in widespread with one another. However in addition they share some deep character flaws.
Em and James each make very massive errors throughout the course of their romance that in the end emotionally harm one another. That provides extra realism to their messy relationship and threatens to drive them aside. It’s straightforward to root for them as a pair, however it’s additionally obvious that they could not be capable of salvage their love after decisions they’ve made.
Kristen Stewart offers considered one of her finest performances
It must be stated that Eisenberg is excellent in Adventureland, however Kristen Stewart is the MVP of the film. Though Stewart is now a revered and Oscar-nominated performer, her function in Adventureland was popping out of her extensively derided flip in Twilight. However Stewart put any doubts about her expertise apart along with her efficiency as Em Lewin.
Stewart offers Em an emotional vulnerability whereas projecting a cool-girl picture to her co-workers. She additionally manages to maintain the viewers’s sympathy even after the reveal that she’s sleeping with Ryan Reynolds’ character, Mike Connell, whereas nonetheless seeing James. The film reveals why Em is so conflicted, and extra impressively, reveals off the guilt she feels for her actions. Em’s a multi-faceted character, and Adventureland wouldn’t work with out her.
The supporting solid may be very humorous
Reynolds has a smaller supporting function within the movie, and he makes a great impression as Mike. He’s humorous, however there’s additionally an undercurrent of desperation about Mike’s extramarital affairs that makes him appear pathetic. Saturday Night Live veterans Invoice Hader and Kristen Wiig don’t get as a lot depth as Adventureland’s managers Bobby and Paulette, however they get a whole lot of laughs of their supporting turns. Bobby and Paulette are ridiculous at instances, however they’re unaware of how they arrive off to others.
Martin Starr additionally has a co-starring function as Joel, considered one of James’ work associates at Adventureland. Starr doesn’t get fairly as many jokes as Hader or Wiig, however he’s very amusing in his function. The movie’s expanded solid additionally has extra dramatic turns by Jack Gilpin and Wendie Malick as James’ mother and father, which need to be acknowledged as effectively. They’re simply not giving broadly comedic performances just like the others.
The ’80s theme park vibe is irresistible
A part of the appeal of Adventureland is that it’s set in 1987, and that ’80s aesthetic and up to date music go a good distance towards enhancing the movie. It’s additionally enjoyable to see life from the angle of the employees at Adventureland, which is a theme park that’s nearer in spirit to a carnival than a Disney resort.
In truth, the employees should do some very carny issues to stop the park’s visitors from profitable their clearly rigged video games. That setup solely makes it even funnier when these plans inevitably crumble.
Watch Adventureland on Prime Video.
