'71

Right now you can watch '71 in the US on Philo and Starz Apple TV Channel, and in the UK on Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel and Channel 4 Plus — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 1,225 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Jack O'Connell leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Philo.

'71 arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. '71 treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. A young British soldier must find his way back to safety after his unit accidentally abandons him during a riot in the streets of Belfast. Jack O'Connell and Sean Harris lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2014. '71 is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find '71 proves them wrong. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Watch Jack O'Connell work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.