'Purple Rain' Is Definitely Worth Another Watch

On Thursday morning, the world was hit with devastating news. The musician and legendary cultural icon, Prince, was found dead in his residence at the age of 57. Prince's career spanned both decades and industries. In 1984 — at arguably the height of his career — Prince made his film debut in the musical drama, Purple Rain — a film that shared its name with Prince's sixth studio album, and I'm sure I'm not the only fan who is currently needing to relive that epic movie. But, where can you watch the film? Is Purple Rain available on Netflix?

The answer, unfortunately is, no. Not on instant streaming or in Netflix's renting service. You can, however, rent or buy Purple Rain on Amazon Video. And, of course, Purple Rain is available for purchase on iTunes. While Purple Rain has since been regarded as one of the best albums in the history of music (TIME ranked it the 15th greatest album of all time, and it came in at number 18 on VH1's Greatest Rock and Roll Albums of All Time countdown), Purple Rain the film hasn't received accolades for its story or production value — though it did give Prince an Oscar for "Best Original Song Score."

That being said, Purple Rain has become a cult classic since its debut, epitomizing '80s nostalgia, and the influence of its lead star. If you're looking to celebrate Prince's life by revisiting his career, then Purple Rain would be a momentous place to begin.

In the film, Prince stars as “the Kid,” a talented, but agonized singer, who just wants to make music with his band, the Revolution, and get away from his troubled home life. He spends the majority of his time trying to compose songs with his bandmates, until a rival musician gets in the way of his happiness and creativity. It's worth a first time look — or a re-watch — just for the sole glimpse of Prince during the peak of his career (though, to be fair, Prince's career was full of peaks.) And, if Purple Rain doesn't fix your Prince craving, there's a 1990 sequel to Purple Rain called Graffiti Bridge that you can rent or buy on Amazon as well.

As we honor Prince and celebrate his life, its important to look back at all the facets of his legacy, and remember him for what he truly was — a visionary and an icon whose presence changed the world.

Images: John Sartoris/YouTube