From his long-running role onEverwoodas a well-meaning jerk to his breakout role onParks and Recreation, followed by his action-star renaissance inZero Dark Thirty, then lending his voice to a slew of recognizable characters,Chris Pratthas had many phases in his long career. Most people know him asStar-Lord in theGuardians of the GalaxyMCU filmseries, but he was a laugh factory long before he was shooting space rats and dancing on a dead planet. Being a huge movie hipster, let me drop some of the lesser-known gems with that Pratt charm you can enjoy on Prime Video.
For more recommendations, check out our list ofThe 4 Best Samuel L. Jackson Movies on NetflixandThe 5 Best Pedro Pascal Movies and Shows on Netflix.
Disclaimer: These titles are available in the US.
‘Passengers’ (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 30% | IMDb: 7.0/10
Passengers
Shortly after joining the rag-tag Guardians space crew,Chris Prattventured into the final frontier alongsideJennifer Lawrencein this romance thriller about two members of a hundred-year voyage across space who wake up from hibernation 90 years early. There is an existential question in the premise that begs the audience to consider how they would spend the rest of their life if they were alone with a stranger on a secluded space vessel. Lawrence and Pratt have superb chemistry as their characters slowly fall for one another, despite the dark truth of their situation. Plus,Passengersis a rare film in which Pratt plays the main antagonist. You may want to argue with me on that, but the movie is better if you go in knowing he may not bethebad guy, but he’s definitelyabad guy.
Watch on Prime Video
‘The Magnificent Seven’ (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 64% | IMDb: 6.9/10
The Magnificent Seven
Remaking the remake of the Western adaptation ofAkira Kurosawa’sSeven Samurai, directorAntoine Fuquaand writerNic Pizzolattobring an all-star cast to this classic tale. Pratt is joined by heavy hitters likeDenzel Washington,Ethan Hawke, andVincent D’Onofrioto breathe new life into the story about a ragtag group of gunmen coming together to protect a small town from a ruthless business tycoon and his legion of gunmen. As with the originals, the big draw ofThe Magnificent Sevenis the chemistry of the characters who come from all across the spectrum of Western archetypes, with Washington and Pratt standing out, in particular, as great foils for one another. Folks who love a good action comedy will definitely want to hit this target.
‘The Tomorrow War’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 52% | IMDb: 6.6/10
The Tomorrow War
Similar to the time-bending alien sci-fi filmEdge of Tomorrow,The Tomorrow Warcombines two great subgenres to create something fresh. Once again, Pratt takes the lead with some amazing actors by his side, particularlyJ. K. Simmons,Yvonne Strahovski, andSam Richardson, who feels like the heart of this action thriller. DirectorChris McKay, who also started in comedy like Pratt, makes his live-action debut with this story about an army from the future recruiting fighters from the past to defend the Earth against a deadly alien race. And while the trailers mainly focus on the war aspect, the movie has a lot to say about how generational trauma and dereliction of duty ripple into the future on both a micro and macro level.
‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 59% | IMDb: 7.0/10
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
After almost 30 years of Nintendo refusing to allow anotherSuper Mariomovieafter the weird, steampunk, cult classic of the ’90s, they finally brought the famous plumber to the big screen withChris Prattas the voice of our favorite turtle stomper. After the success ofThe Lego Movie, it only makes sense that Illumination would bring over the star of that film while mirroring aspects of what made it appeal to audiences: a journey through different worlds, familiar characters, and a cast stuffed to the brim with celebrity voices — not to mention a super-catchy song (lookin’ at you, “Peaches”!)The Super Mario Bros. Moviehas all the nostalgic fun that you want froma video game movie.
‘The Terminal List’ (2022 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 40% | IMDb: 7.9/10
The Terminal List
Giving us a peek at a different side of Pratt,The Terminal Listallows him to drop the roguish quipper persona and showcase a more serious performance. Taking on the role of a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy SEALs, Pratt embarks on a thrilling journey of conspiracy, government cover-ups, and covert ops that seamlessly weaves together political intrigue and heart-pumping action. The series is based on a book series written byformer Navy SEALJack Carr, which gives ita wonderful layer of realismbetween the big shootouts and explosions. Fans of series likeJack RyanorThe Night Agentwill instantly get sucked in this one.
‘Her’ (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Alright, listen… this last one doesn’t have a lot of Pratt, but itisjust an all-around good film that everyone should watch, especially in our current era ofparasocial relationships and AI integration, so if you give me a chance to recommend it, I’m gonna.Hermainly followsJoaquin Phoenixas a lonely man who falls for his Siri-like AI, voiced byScarlett Johansson, and explores the true definition of human connection and the ways that we can project our needs onto others, which only isolates us further. Beyond the social commentary, writer and directorSpike Jonzepaints a beautiful cinematic tapestry in which his subjects move about in vivid shades and color palettes that emphasize their inner world. Just watch it already!
