Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

3 comedies on Prime Video you need to watch in January

It’s a new year, so it’s time to return to watching random movies at home. Something uplifting is what the doctor ordered, and that means when you snuggle up on the couch to watch a good movie, you might want to stick with a comedy.

Amazon Prime Video has great comedies, and the three comedies on Prime Video you need to watch in January are all recently released brand-new movies with impressive casts.

Recommended Videos

Freelance (2023)

Freelance (2023) Official Trailer - John Cena, Alison Brie, Juan Pablo Raba, Christian Slater

John Cena has been making tons of movies alongside starring as Peacemaker in the Max series of the same name. Freelance is one of the latest, and while critics have panned the movie, fans of the wrestler-turned-actor are loving it, regardless of how corny it might be.

In the action comedy, he’s Mason Pettits, a medically discharged U.S. Army Special Forces member. Now, years later, he’s working as a lawyer but hates his job. When he is presented with the opportunity to work as personal security for a journalist named Claire (Spin Me Around‘s Alison Brie), he jumps. There’s one issue: he has to travel with her to interview the dictator Mason failed to assassinate.

As action-comedy tropes would suggest, Mason and Claire find themselves fighting villains and running for their lives on an adventure that turns out to be more than they expected. Interestingly, while Freelance has an abysmal 7% Rotten Tomatoes score, the audience score on the same review aggregator site is a respectable 77%. Bottom line: if you’re looking for a feel-good, fan-service movie and love Cena, Freelance will be right up your alley.

Stream Freelance on Prime Video. 

Role Play (2023)

Role Play - Official Trailer | Prime Video

The Flight Attendant‘s Kaley Cuoco has impressed since the end of The Big Bang Theory, showing that she can play more than just a sarcastic woman with great one-liners. Her performances in both The Flight Attendant and Based on a True Story gave her tremendous credibility, which translates to this action thriller in which she stars alongside David Oyelowo.

The title is in reference to what married couple Emma (Cuoco) and Dave (Oyelowo) decide to do to spice things up in the bedroom. But in doing so, Dave discovers that there’s more to Emma than meets the eye. She’s not just a garden-variety suburban mom; she’s also a secret assassin for hire. Corny? Yes. Totally fun? Yes. For light viewing to ease you back into those darker shows to come, Role Play will help you disconnect and turn your brain off for an hour and a half.

Stream Role Play on Prime Video.

Bottoms (2023)

BOTTOMS | Official Red Band Trailer

Created by Rachel Sennott, who had a recurring role in the failed series The Idol, Bottoms is a hilarious satirical teen comedy from last year. Two lesbian high school seniors PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edibiri) start their own fight club. At first, the purpose is to defend their actions when they purposely injured a mean quarterback, claiming it was practice for their feminist self-defense club. But they later realize a fight club is the perfect way to get the attention of the popular (and hot) cheerleaders.

Ironically, while the club is all about female empowerment, the ladies are only doing it to manipulate other women they want to bed. At its heart, however, Bottoms has a deeper message to deliver and accomplishes it in the most cleverly satirical way possible.

Stream Bottoms on Prime Video.

Christine Persaud
Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…
3 great Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (February 21-23)
Maika Monroe stares in fright in front of a bloody wall in a still from the movie "Longlegs."

Because February is the shortest month of the year, this is the final weekend before March arrives. The good news is that Hulu is facing the end of February with a handful of newly arrived films, including Longlegs, a really great horror flick that made waves last year. And that's just the first of three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend.

Our other picks include a sci-fi thriller that fell way under the radar, as well as a rom-com that's still charming nearly 23 years after its release.

Read more
3 underrated Netflix movies you should watch this weekend (February 21-23)
Manal Issa and Nathalie Issa in The Swimmers (2022)

Netflix keeps updating its catalog with crowd-pleasing blockbusters, including award-winning hits like Parasite, Interstellar, and even The Menu. Viewers looking for films that will surely entertain can't go wrong there, but there are also lesser-known movies on the platform that are worth checking out.
For anyone looking to watch films that are hidden gems, Netflix has a wide selection, with movies spanning many genres. The following three movies are among these underrated films worth checking out, including an animated pick, an emotional flick, and a unique biographical drama.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop-motion animated action fantasy film set in feudal Japan. Here, the young boy Kubo (Art Parkinson) lives in isolation with his sick mother, who warns her never to stay out after dark. This is to avoid encountering his vengeful grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes), and his creepy twin aunts (both voiced by Rooney Mara). When he accidentally breaks this rule, he's thrust into a dangerous adventure alongside unlikely companions — Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) — to recover his late father's enchanted armor.

Read more
3 underrated shows on Netflix you need to watch in February 2025
Vince McMahon in promo art for Mr. McMahon.

February is a great month to be a Netflix subscriber, especially if you love TV. The final season of Cobra Kai drops on February 13, as the students of Miyagi-Do close out the Sekai Taikai tournament. Kaitlyn Dever headlines a new limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, about a girl who lied about a cancer diagnosis to build a following as an influencer.

Two of Netflix's underappreciated sections are reality and documentary. Netflix continues to release high-quality reality shows and docuseries, from Love Is Blind and Selling Sunset to Tiger King and American Manhunt. Below are three under-the-radar shows to watch this month. Our picks include a rap competition, a WWE docuseries, and a golf showcase.

Read more