Prime Video has proved to be a great alternative to Netflix, releasing hundreds of great original movies over the years. Films falling under the “original” category are normally produced or co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios or licensed to Amazon, as Amazon Originals. From comedy to horror, the streaming service has catered to fans of all genres. However, superhero movie fans have largely been forgotten. Even though there are great shows like The Boys and Invincible on the platform, subscribers would have to look hard to find a feature film.
- Release Date
- August 26, 2022
- Runtime
- TBA
So far, Prime Video only has a single superhero film, starring Sylvester Stallone. Released in August 2022, Samaritan is a co-production of Amazon MGM Studios and Balboa Productions and is adapted from the Mythos Comics graphic novels by Bragi F. Schut, Marc Olivent, and Renzo Podesta. With a budget of $100 million, the streaming giant bet big on the film, and it appears the results were satisfactory since a sequel is currently in development.
'Samaritan' Is a Gang Story, with a Superhero Gloss
Samaritan is a soulful and pleasing tale that transforms a bleak, close-to-life circumstance into a gritty, monologue-laden ode to low-class struggle. It ushers us into the proceedings with a “Once upon a time…” approach, taking us back to a period when rival superhuman twin brothers named Samaritan and Nemesis lived in Granite City. They hated each other, but the residents hated them more.
It's revealed that their neighbors burned down their home one day, hoping to kill them, only for them to escape. Samaritan grew up to be a superhero while Nemesis became a villain, intending to make the world pay for what they had done to his family (the fire killed his parents). During a fight between the two brothers at the city's power plant, both were seemingly killed, but were they?
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Twenty-five years later, we get to see poverty's heartless capacity to rob a parent of the thing an impressionable child needs to see most — their basic dignity. We are introduced to 13-year-old Sam Clear, who has been forced to join a gang because his mother is facing the threat of eviction. The gang’s street boss, Reza, hates Sam, but the real Don loves him, creating a conflict.
When Reza and his friends attack Sam one day, he is saved by Joe Smith (Stallone), a garbage collector who lives in an apartment next to Sam. Given how easily Joe dispatches the gang members, Sam begins suspecting he is Samaritan. Is he the legendary hero? What does his reemergence mean for crime in the city? The plot only gradually reveals its hand, but by the time Joe shows what he is truly made of, we are thoroughly and irrevocably hooked.
In Samaritan, director Julius Avery cleverly offers acid commentary on class struggles, prejudice, and malefaction in the guise of a superhero film. In the opening minutes, we learn that residents have been conditioned to see superhumans as outsiders who are a danger to society. Driven by herd mentality, they are quick to burn the brother's home, a move that evokes harsh memories of the Ku Klux Klan era where members would frequently torch the homes of black people, believing they had no place in America.
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The link between poverty and crime is also explored extensively in Samaritan. Here, we have a society where people have limited options to make a decent living. Those with a great moral compass (like Samaritan), either have to settle for low-paying jobs like garbage collection or factory labor. Women have it worse, so those living alone face the threat of eviction like Sam’s mother. Given these harsh conditions, most young people find themselves leaning towards crime, just as is the case in many cities in the real world.
Overall, director Julius Avery keeps an eye on the vulnerability of each character, but he neither overplays his hand nor allows melancholy to drown each scene. We thus get a relatable and refreshing superhero flick, one that sidesteps most of the tropes. There is no major organization running things. There are no supervillains keen on conquering the world either. The threat is local and so are the implications. Sophisticated costumes? Complicated powers? None of that? Add the crime angle and you have a superhero movie that can be enjoyed by fans of any genre.
Stallone’s Superhero Movie Resume Is Admirable
Samaritan might feel like an unfitting shoe for someone like Sylvester Stallone, but he isn’t playing wildly against type here. He has proven himself in the genre several times. Even though he is primarily known for playing some of the greatest action heroes, the actor has always been willing to diversify his portfolio. His portrayal of the Ravager pirate captain, Stakar Osgord, in the Guardians of the Galaxy film series was widely praised. He also voiced King Shark in James Gunn’s suicide squad, making him one of the few actors to star in both Marvel and DC movies.
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The franchise roles are admirable, but Samaritan is richer thematically and showcases Stallone’s acting abilities much better. The star might have a mansion in Beverly Hills, but his detailed vision of the pains of the underclass feels thoroughly authentic. He channels a wide range of emotions, ranging from sympathy to frustration, and the movie, as a whole, doesn’t over-depend on action to push the plot forward.
The version of Stallone we get here is the kind we see in Cop Land, Creed, or Tulsa King, restrained yet delivering a great emotional impact. Most importantly, he isn’t a team player. Like many high-profile actors, Stallone impresses more when he is in control of the proceedings, and this is very much his show.
Need help finding a great superhero movie to watch? Samaritan is perfect.
Samaritan
is available to stream in the US on Prime Video, Apple TV+ or FreeVee
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