When it comes to streaming services, there is never a shortage of content, with constant cycles of binge worthy shows and compelling movies across platforms. We often talk about Netflix or Hulu Originals, generating a lot of buzz and recognition around their content, but today there’s a handful of other big names who also have a plethora of interesting content. Today’s list is your guide to my top three picks from Prime Video, released or re-released within the past year.
- Solos
Solos was released in 2021 and is a very unique show with an interesting format, revolving around one character per episode. With the more compact cast, they were able to cast big names like Anthony Mackie, Anne Hathaway, and Morgan Freeman. The short series is formatted to have stand alone episodes, making it interesting to follow for people who don’t want to commit to a lengthy, connected, twisting and turning storyline.
What I really appreciated about this series is how the episode will draw you in with a compelling one liner for an opener and then the storyline will almost work backwards from that one compelling question or statement at the beginning. Another thing I really appreciated about this series is how it’s set in the future and is one of the few shows that touches on the pandemic’s effect on individuals mental health & perseverance. I would definitely recommend this series for people who want to watch a different type of thought provoking series.
- Modern Love
Modern Love is another Prime Video series that ventures into the stand alone episode format with grace. Originally released in 2019, I actually watched season 2 (released in 2021) of this series first- accidentally- when it popped up as new content, before seeing that there was a season 1 available. I would recommend watching the series, regardless of the order you choose. I appreciated season 2 most, but I also liked that they touched on practical impacts the pandemic has had or relationship building in one episode of the series. Prime is the only platform that I have personally seen content from that actually touches on the pandemic’s impact in some of the series, even for just an episode, and I feel that this is a massive missed market for other streaming services. For me personally, it was very refreshing to see some of what I, and others, have experienced over the last 2 years in realistic and honest ways. It didn’t feel like the show was trying to shove it down the viewers throat or anything like that, but it was touched on in relatable ways and in a way that didn’t shy away from the fact that opportunities have been missed and people have been changed after going through the pandemic.
Another thing I liked about this series is how it shows so many different kinds of relationships. I saw so many different perspectives. Some of these episodes give you the perspectives from both love interests as well and this helped to draw me in more and gave the show a more realistic, less narrow-viewed perspective throughout the course of seeing the relationships playing out on screen.
- Pursuit of Love
The most recent of the Prime series I watched was The Pursuit of Love. Unlike the other two picks, The Pursuit of Love is set in the past, instead of the future. It’s set in Europe during wartime and follows two best friends on their journeys, love and life. I found this show to be very interesting in how it also showed conflict in friendships, instead of only in romantic love. It was rather ironic throughout the show when one of the main characters, Fanny, would be chasing men and romantic relationships, while leaving behind her best friend who loved her endlessly, in the midst of widespread crisis. I found the series to be insightful in the way that it shows just how blind people can act in the pursuit of one type of love.