Amazon Prime Video in January: 5 of the best shows and movies to check out

Amazon Prime Video might be your pick as the best streaming service out there right now, or it might not be, but either way there's no denying the size of its library. It's an asset that's getting bigger over time, too, as Amazon adds more and more shows and movies.

If you're looking ahead to your calendar in January, and wondering what sort of fun new content you can enjoy on Prime Video in the new year, I've done the hard work for you. I've scoured through the many additions coming to the platform, to pick out some highlights that you might want to pay attention to through the month.

You're Cordially Invited

You’re Cordially Invited | Official Teaser | Prime Video - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Thursday 30 January

I'm actually almost surprised that Amazon isn't making a bigger deal of this, but advertising will probably ramp up as the month progresses. You're Cordially Invited looks like a pretty classic comedy, starring two huge names in the form of Will Ferrell and Reece Witherspoon.

They'll play single parents who find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict when their daughters' wedding venue double books their big day. It looks like there will be plenty of slapstick moments to go around, and some truly shocking escalations in their feud. It doesn't arrive until the end of the month, but this looks like a surefire hit for Amazon.

On Call

On Call - Official Trailer | Prime Video - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Thursday 9 January

A good police series scratches an itch that can honestly be hard for any other genre to touch. This new cop series looks likely to go right for the jugular, too, with some of the most intense-looking chases and arrests I've seen, thanks to authentic-looking bodycam footage.

It'll tell a somewhat familiar story, as a rookie cop learns the ropes of everyday patrol scenarios from a grizzled veteran, but I'm pretty sure there'll be an overarching conspiracy that they start to uncover, too. That's something of a given, but On Call looks like it could be refreshingly well-paced, if everything goes right.

Unstoppable

Unstoppable - Official Trailer | Prime Video - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Thursday 16 January

Another original Amazon movie production, and another massive star to anchor it – Unstoppable tells a seriously inspirational true story, of an aspiring wrestler missing one leg who rose above his circumstances to make history. If you're wondering about that big name, though, it's Jennifer Lopez.

She plays his mother, determined to ensure that he gets as fair a shot at success as any other young athlete. This one looks likely to be a tearjerker, but in a good way, as its tale of adversity and odds overcome makes for a truly heartwarming watch.

The Rig Season 2

The Rig Season 2 | Official Trailer | Prime Video - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Thursday 2 January

I'll hold my hands up on this one – The Rig hasn't really been on my radar. Still, checking out the trailer for its second season has really piqued my interest, and I've added it to my watchlist in case I get a spare moment without another series on the boil.

Its story of oil rig workers uncovering something almost unbelievably big has a really nice blend of science fiction and gritty realism to offer up, and it looks like it'll be leaning more into the former of those two options the second time around. Expect more revelations about just what on earth is going on, and an extension of our main characters' time away from their homes and families.

Molly-Mae: Behind It All

Molly-Mae: Behind It All | Official Trailer | Prime Video - YouTube

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• Streaming from: Friday 17 January

Another bit of full disclosure here – I'm not the world's biggest Molly-Mae aficionado, so you'll have to bear with me. There's no escaping the scale of her influence, though. Since appearing as an unknown on Love Island, she's become a massive figure in the UK and internationally.

So, if you're a fan and want to know more about how her life's gone in the last couple of years, with some massive developments in her love life sure to feature in a big way. The trailer embedded above gives a better overview than I ever could, though, and legions of viewers are sure to troop to Prime Video when this one drops its three-episode premiere.