The calendar has turned to June, and summer is almost officially in full swing. Many of the major streaming services, including Prime Video, do not release their biggest shows during this period, electing to save them for the fall or spring. This makes it the ideal time to catch up on shows you might have missed during the year.
If you have plans to travel on a plane this summer, make sure you take advantage of the Prime Video feature, which allows users to download TV shows on their mobile device, tablet, or computer. Prime Video offers several miniseries that can be completed during a plane ride, depending on the duration of the flight. Some of our picks include a unique Spider-Man show, a British crime drama, and a reimagining of a David Cronenberg movie.
Dead Ringers
Twice the Rachel Weisz
In most scenarios, creepy carries a negative connotation. In the case of David Cronenberg’s movies, it’s quite the opposite. Creepy is a word of endearment to Cronenberg, a master of body horror. 1988’s Dead Ringers is an eerie thriller about twin gynecologists who take advantage of their power to manipulate women. In 2023, Alice Birch created a gender-flipped reimagining of Dead Ringers in a limited series for Prime Video.
Rachel Weisz plays Beverly and Elliot Mantle, twin gynecologists who commit medical malpractice and experiment with new medical techniques in hopes of starting a birthing center. When Beverly falls in love with Genevieve (Britne Oldford), it causes tension between the twins, fracturing their symbiotic relationship. I prefer reimaginings over line-for-line remakes because they add fresh perspective to an old story. Thankfully, Dead Ringers carves its own, creepy path in this intriguing thriller.
There are six episodes of Dead Ringers with runtimes between 54 and 62 minutes.
The English
Emily Blunt tackles a Western
While many Westerns are based on true stories, The English is a fictional story. However, the show clearly draws inspiration from Western expansion in the 1890s. It also shares a common theme of many Westerns: revenge. Emily Blunt stars as Lady Cornelia Locke, an Englishwoman in search of the man she blames for her son’s death.
While on her journey in the American West, Locke gains an unlikely ally in Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a member of the Pawnee Nation who once served as a calvary scout. Whipp hopes to retire in Nebraska on land he’s owed for his war service. Plans change for both Locke and Whipp as they set their sights on Wyoming in a town plagued by mystery and murder. One of the show’s greatest strengths is the unconventional pairing of Locke and Whipp, who are excellent together in this unique spin on a popular genre.
The English consists of six episodes with runtimes between 47 and 69 minutes.
Spider-Noir
Nicolas Cage puts on the mask
Casting Nicolas Cage as an unconventional superhero feels like the right decision. Had he played the conventional version of Spider-Man, I probably wouldn’t be interested. However, Cage portraying an alternate version of Spider-Man in 1930s New York City has my undivided attention.
The Prime Video show is called Spider-Noir, and Cage stars as Ben Reilly, a private investigator who previously served as a vigilante named The Spider. Reilly is a struggling P.I. when a case forces him to resurrect the Spider and get back into the superhero game. The series certainly benefits from being a detective show first and a superhero adventure second. This grounded approach, along with Cage’s quirky performance, is a refreshing addition to the crowded comic book universe.
Spider-Noir consists of eight episodes with runtimes between 42 and 49 minutes.
The Girlfriend
Does mom know best?
I’m a fan of paranoid thrillers featuring significant others who might be a little off, to say the least. These stories have an obsessive side as lust, greed, and power rear their ugly heads. My mind immediately goes to Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction. The Girlfriend is inspired by those two movies, but its core conflict pits two women against each other instead of a battle of the sexes.
Based on the novel of the same name, The Girlfriend stars Robin Wright as Laura Sanderson, a wealthy woman who wants what’s best for her son, Daniel (Laurie Davidson). Laura’s dream of Daniel’s perfect woman is upended with the arrival of his new girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke). No matter how hard she tries, Laura doesn’t trust Cherry, and for good reason. Cherry is hiding something, and only Laura is keen to find out. You can’t trust anyone in this soapy thriller that you’ll want to finish in one sitting.
The Girlfriend has six episodes that run between 45 and 52 minutes.
Swarm
Why are you so obsessed with me?
Frankly, I’m not a fan of “stan culture.” If you’re unfamiliar with the term, Eminem’s song, “Stan,” revolves around an obsessed fan who forms a parasocial relationship with their idol. In this case, that was Eminem. Since then, stan culture has come to represent a rabid online community of fans who stoop to toxic levels of fanhood. I’m all for being a fan, but stans are dangerous.
Donald Glover and Janine Nabers tackled stan culture in a dark and satirical way in the Prime Video series Swarm. Set between 2016 and 2018, Swarm star Dominique Fishback plays Andrea “Dre” Greene, a young woman obsessed with the pop star Ni’Jah and a proud member of the singer’s fanbase, “The Swarm.” Dre’s fixation on Ni’Jah leads her down a murderous path, moving from victim to victim with reckless abandon. Fishback is ready for the challenge, and her commitment shines in this unforgettable and unnerving performance.
There are seven episodes of Swarm that run between 27 and 39 minutes.
A Very English Scandal
A cover-up of epic proportions
As an American, I’m a novice when it comes to Britain’s infamous political players and the scandals that brought them shame. A Very English Scandal is based on John Preston’s non-fiction novel about the Thorpe affairs of the 1970s. Jeremy Thorpe became a rising star in Parliament when he was named the youngest-ever Liberal Party leader in 1968. Behind closed doors, Thorpe was hiding a secret affair with Norman Josiffe (Ben Whishaw).
You might wonder why anyone would care about one’s sexual orientation, but it came at a time when homosexual acts were stigmatized. Following a murder conspiracy and a high-profile court case, Thorpe’s life comes crashing to a halt in A Very English Scandal, a riveting three-episode miniseries with a menacing Grant and a sympathetic Whishaw.
A Very English Scandal contains three episodes with runtimes between 57 and 60 minutes.
More shows to watch during a plane ride
Prime Video is not the only streaming service to offer miniseries that can be on a plane. Head to Netflix and give Mr. McMahon, Ripley, and Death by Lightning a shot on your next trip. Elsewhere, Paramount+ offers several shows to finish in one sitting, including The Madison and Waco.
- Subscription with ads
-
Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month
- Simultaneous streams
-
3
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
