February is here, and, in addition to the anticipated—or dreaded—Day o’ Love festivities, it also brings with it the celebration of Black History Month. In this week’s recommendations, I omit the lovey-dovey stuff and present you with a hearty cultural mix of drama with special interest, action with gritty crime and biker gangs, and fantasy that includes a suspenseful, witchcraft-enhancing tale.
As you venture into your weekend, make time to binge any or all of these must-see shows on Amazon Prime Video.
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Roots
In honor of Black History Month, Roots is first up on the list. The seven-time Emmy-nominated miniseries is based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel, which explores his family history. While it does include plenty of facts, it also includes fictionalized elements, so keep that in mind. Personally, what I love about it is how it challenges viewers to confront the roots of racial injustice in society, regardless of the time period.
Set in the 1760s, the multi-generational epic traces the lineage of a young man named Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby of A Thousand Blows), who is taken from The Gambia at 17 years old and sold into slavery in North America. The narrative doesn’t just focus on him, though. It also details his descendants’ struggles for freedom and identity over 7 generations, culminating in Haley’s (Laurence Fishburne) ancestral research as a free man. It is, for all intents and purposes, a raw, unflinching, eye-opening portrayal of American slavery.
If you’re part of the crowd who has yet to see the hit show, I strongly urge you to do so. It’s essential viewing that, yes, provides crucial historical context on the brutality and inappropriateness of chattel slavery, but more importantly, it showcases the profound resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of family bonds against slavery’s dehumanization.
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Suga: Ride or Die
Of all the streaming content I watch, the one genre I cannot get enough of is the gritty crime drama, even if it’s in another language, like this one happens to be. Suga: Ride or Die stopped me in my tracks. It’s not just gritty crime, it’s also an addictive, immersive, moody biker drama, and as a huge Sons of Anarchy fan, I dove right into its dark world of power struggles and internal betrayal.
Suga is the president of the notorious Dutch motorcycle club the Devil’s Drifters. After a stint in prison, Suga is released early only to find his world shattered by the news of his daughter’s death. Additionally, his empire is collapsing thanks to his brothers’ betrayal, which has left him in bad standing not just with his own MC but also with rival gangs and police. He soon finds himself in a desperate fight to reclaim power and protect his family, all while working to locate a large shipment of lost drugs for the Irish mafia.
It’s a fast-paced, bloody fight for survival, so expect copious amounts of adrenaline-fueled, realistic action in an increasingly dangerous landscape wrought with complicated character dynamics and violently complex conflicts over turf wars and drug deals. Just like Sons gave us a high-stakes drama amidst family loyalty, betrayal, and revenge, so too does Suga, and it does it extremely well.
In case you’ve seen or heard of the documentary Suga: Road to D-Day and are wondering, no, the two are not related. Road to D-Day is a completely different, introspective, musical watch.
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Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale
Adapted from the bestseller by V.V. James, Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale is a compelling British thriller centering on the suspense of witchcraft and the secrets lurking in the shadows of a small English town named Sanctuary.
Set in a world where witches live openly among humans, the show is a dark mystery about four women, a murder investigation, and a wicked little secret. After a local teen is found dead, presumably because of magic, resident witch Sarah Fenn (Elaine Cassidy of The Others) and her daughter Harper (Say Nothing’s Hazel Doupe) become the prime suspects in a town-wide witch hunt. As fear and prejudice take the wheel, the fragile balance between magic and society starts to unravel, forcing the emergence of deep-seated truths.
If you enjoy a good murder mystery supported by supernatural elements, you’ll be glad you watched this show. It’s often been described as a British take on Mare of Easttown but with witches and a heavy focus on human fear and scapegoating. It’s also often compared to Big Little Lies but with an added magical twist.
From documentaries and docuseries to new shows and movies, there’s plenty to keep you entertained this month. Given that we’re also facing another six weeks of winter, per Punxsutawney Phil, you’ll want to fluff up that watchlist with all the new titles coming to Prime Video in February.
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