April 17, 2020 – What can you binge-watch while stuck at home? For ideas, you can take a sneak peak at my not-yet-public 2020 Smart Awards list here. Or, see some older bingeable options below, in case you haven‘t already seen them…
This is one of my favorite cop shows of all time. One British outlet called it “the king of the crime dramas.” Another called it “the decade’s best British drama.”
Creator: Jed Mercurio (Bodyguard)
Cast: Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar
IMDb: 8.6
Where: Acorn TV (for season 5), Hulu (for previous seasons), iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
LA detective yarn with solid performances and storylines. Based on books by Michael Connelly. This is a slow-paced police procedural, but for some reason the pacing doesn’t bother me. Also has well-written small talk, which is unusual for a cop show.
Creators: Michael Connelly, Eric Ellis Overmyer
Cast: Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino
IMDb: 8.4
Where: Amazon Prime, Amazon On Demand
If you’re into spy stories… A CIA analyst is transferred to its Berlin Station and must learn the ropes of being a field operative while uncovering a mole within the organization. Intelligently done.
Creator: Olen Steinhauer
Cast: Richard Armitage, Rhys Ifans, Michelle Forbes, Leland Orser, Richard Jenkins
IMDb: 7.5
Where: EPIX, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
In 2008, Liam Neeson did a little, low-budget action movie (Taken) that became a big hit and started a franchise. The same thing happened in 2014 with Keanu Reeves and John Wick. Reeves plays a legendary hitman who’s forced out of retirement. Reeves does most of his own stunts. Look for the two sequels that came out in 2017 and 2019.
Director: Chad Stahelski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen
IMDb: 7.4
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A trippy sci-fi tale that begins with a missing child. The Germans getting in on the Nordic noir craze. Fresh, clever, and haunting. If you like solving puzzles, you’ll like this show.
Creators: Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese
Cast: Oliver Masucci, Karoline Eichhorn, Jördis Triebel
Language: German
IMDb: 8.8
Where: Netflix
A theme park for the rich, with perfectly lifelike robots called “hosts.” But what if the hosts rebel? HBO’s intelligent, modernized version of the novel by Michael Crichton. More enjoyable when you recognize the different time jumps taking place.
Creators: Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy
Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris
IMDb: 8.9
Where: HBO, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
An FBI agent (Blunt) learns the harsh realities of the war on drugs when she joins an interagency task force. One of the top movies of 2015, for sure. Can be watched again and again, which is the true sign of a well-done movie. Sequel (without Emily Blunt): Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018).
Director: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)
Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro
IMDb: 7.6
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Google Play, Vudu
A tough-but-sweet Yorkshire police sergeant pursues the young man who abused her daughter eight years earlier, which led to her suicide. Has some strong accents, but even stronger acting. Lancashire has created a very memorable character. Another great Brit crime drama. (Supposedly a third season is coming at some point.)
Creator: Sally Wainwright
Cast: Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, James Norton, Charlie Murphy
IMDb: 8.5
Where: Netflix, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu, Google Play
Grizzled detective John Luther, a DCI for the Serious Crime Unit, can’t seem to shake the darkness of the crimes he solves. Series has elements of film noir and Nordic noir. Very well done and well acted. A perfect fit for Elba.
Creator: Neil Cross
Cast: Idris Elba (The Wire), Warren Brown, Dermot Crowley
IMDb: 8.5
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
One family’s struggle to survive and find each other after being caught in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. How Watts didn’t win Best Actress for this is puzzling. Maybe the second best performance ever (behind Paul Newamn in The Verdict). Tom Holland became the new Spider-Man probably because they saw him in this film. A must-see movie.
Director: J.A. Bayona
Cast: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland
Original title: Lo imposible
IMDb: 7.6
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A woman is found murdered in the exact middle of a bridge between Sweden and Denmark. So Swedish and Danish detectives must work together to solve the case. This is one of main foreign shows that ignited the passion for “Nordic noir” in Britain and the U.S.
Creator: Hans Rosenfeldt (Marcella)
Cast: Sofia Helin, Kim Bodnia, Rafael Pettersson, Dag Malmberg
Original title: Bron/Broen
Language: Swedish, Danish
IMDb: 8.6
Where: Hulu, iTunes, Amazon On Demand