3 Underrated Movies on Amazon Prime Video You Must Watch in October

It's nice to go to the cinema every now and then to see a new movie, especially when highly anticipated films are playing now and coming out later this month Joker: Folie à Deux, Smile 2Venom: The Last DanceAnd The wild robot. But sometimes it's nice to sit comfortably at home in sweatpants with microwave popcorn and a streaming service. If you're looking for a hidden gem for a quiet evening, check out three underrated films on Amazon Prime Video in October.

From old favorites to new films, you'll find some notable actors in these films. Critics didn't entirely like these films, but the audiences who saw them love them.

Need more recommendations? 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+.

Gifted (2017)

Criticized for its predictability, the film is sometimes exactly what you want from a film, as long as it has a solid beginning, middle and end, and a cast of talented actors. That is the case with Gifteda drama starring Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate and Octavia Spencer. Frank Adler (Evans) is the uncle and guardian of 7-year-old Mary (Grace), a gifted child with impressive math skills. Frank insists that she go to a normal school and have a normal childhood. But others disagree and believe the young girl is wasting her potential.

The situation comes to a head when Mary's grandmother Evelyn (Duncan) disagrees with Frank's decisions and fights for custody. But there's a reason Frank believes Mary shouldn't be pushed too far. The story in Gifted explores the complexities of childhood, parenting, and “proper” parenting. Michael Clark of Epoch Times praises the film for the “insights and life lessons” that “could actually make you and your children better people.”

Electricity Gifted on Amazon Prime Video.

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

“You're having a baby… in a bar!” The crucial line of this film sums up the endearing theme perfectly. Reese Witherspoon plays Melanie Sweet Home Alabamaa fashion designer from New York who has been trying to leave her Southern roots behind and embrace this new, high-profile lifestyle. Before she can put the icing on her new start by marrying her wealthy, handsome boyfriend Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), Melanie still has a few unanswered questions to clear up at home.

With Candice Bergen as Andrew's disapproving mother (and mayor of New York City) and Josh Lucas as Melanie's estranged husband Jake, the dichotomy between Melanie's two worlds colliding is nothing short of hilarious. Is Sweet Home Alabama predictable? It's a romantic comedy, so of course it is. But that's what makes it such a lighthearted and sweet film that leads to a satisfying ending. It's the perfect date night movie.

Electricity Sweet Home Alabama on Amazon Prime Video.

American Dreamer (2022)

game of Thrones“Peter Dinklage stars in this black comedy based on an excerpt from the radio show This American life. He is Dr. Phil Loder in American dreameran associate professor of economics who, ironically, doesn't own a house. But he dreams of doing so one day and believes he has found the perfect way to get exactly the kind of luxurious residence he wants. There's a property owned by a lonely widow named Astrid (Shirley MacLaine) that's up for sale at a killer deal. The catch? She will only sell it for a bargain if the property buyer lives on the modest upper floor and allows her to live out the rest of her days in the main house.

Once she dies, the house is theirs. It sounds like a pretty simple waiting game, but when Phil moves in and learns about Astrid's two children, plumber Boris (Raresh DiMofte) and lawyer Maggie (Kim Quinn), he thinks taking ownership will prove more difficult could be better than he expected.

So begins a fight between daughter and new homeowner, with Phil getting closer and closer to the older woman through a series of mishaps that always work in his favor. The audience was thrilled American dreamer far more than critics, but some critics also appreciate the humor. The Observer's Rex Reed, for example, calls the film “fresh, original, unpredictable and unexpectedly funny.”

Electricity American dreamer on Amazon Prime Video.