Prime Video movie of the day: The Burial is a legal drama with an unlikely duo

Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones shine in this gripping drama

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Every day, we cut through the bottomless list of streaming options and recommend something to watch. See all ourNetflix movie of the daypicks, or ourPrime Video movie of the daychoices.

Unlikely duos and ‘inspired by true events’ are hardly unique sells in cinema these days – with these tropes making up a large number of box office and streaming hits – but don’t let that stop you from catchingThe Burialas it manages to nail both of these, earning its place as one of thebest Prime Video movies.

Our unlikely duo in question is a flashy personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx) and his financially troubled client, a funeral home owner Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), who work together to file a lawsuit against the Loewen funeral company that is threatening O’Keefe’s family business. The movie is inspired by a real life case, which was documented in a New Yorker article of the same name by Jonathan Harr, published in 1999.

Throughout the course of the case, we watch as these two men bond over their determination to expose this web of injustice that only seems to get more complicated as time goes on. There are shocks, laughs and victories along the way, so don’t let the word ‘legal’ put you off. It manages to be thoroughly entertaining even when they’re quoting the law to you. If you’re looking for a slick, smart legal drama,The Burialis an excellent place to start.

A solid courtroom drama

When we first heard about its October release date in 2023,The Burialquickly became one offive movies and shows that we were most excited to watchon Prime Video – and it looks like we weren’t the only ones. At the time of writing, the drama has a certified fresh rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and an audience score of 82%, so while the audience didn’t favour itquiteas much, it’s still overwhelmingly positive.

Many have praised the movie for its performances, nuance and entertainment drama, despite it being an “old-fashioned” courtroom thriller.The Burialis a “nuanced and intelligent legal drama that neatly combines big characters and big ideas. By focusing on wider issues of race and injustice, Betts finds continuing resonance in a case nearly 30-years-old,“Empire Magazinesaid.

Rolling Stonewas full of praise for Jamie Foxx in particular, adding: “The movie may ping between social drama and IRL [in real life] courtroom saga. Whenever Foxx struts and frets his two hours upon this stage, you realize that it may simply work best as a star vehicle.”

While theChicago Sun-Timessaid: “The Burialis about a contract dispute between a white small business owner and a white billionaire. Soon, though, it becomes about much more than that, and the result is a thoroughly entertaining, old-fashioned yet timely courtroom thriller.”

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Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What’s on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.

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