300: Rise of an Empire

If you want action that respects the story underneath it, 300: Rise of an Empire is available in Australia on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and in the UK on HBO Max Amazon Channel and Sky Go right now. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 7,005 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Sullivan Stapleton's performance is the throughline that holds the set pieces together. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, 300: Rise of an Empire earns its spot. The choreography in 300: Rise of an Empire serves the story instead of interrupting it. Greek general Themistocles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. Themistocles faces the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god, Xerxes and Artemesia, the vengeful commander of the Persian navy. Sullivan Stapleton and Eva Green lead a cast that earns every set piece rather than just filling it. It hit screens in 2014. The geography of every set piece in 300: Rise of an Empire is legible, which is rarer in the genre than it should be. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

300: Rise of an Empire is the kind of thing you put on to unwind and find yourself sitting forward twenty minutes in. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Sullivan Stapleton is the obvious draw, but the supporting cast gives the action the context it needs to land. The action holds up because the character work underneath it never lets up.