American Gangster

American Gangster is currently streaming in Australia on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Netflix and YouTube TV, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 6,102 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Denzel Washington 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 Netflix.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, American Gangster is worth clearing space for. The plotting in American Gangster is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. Loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina, who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie Roberts. The writing gets a boost from Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, who sell every scene they're in. American Gangster came out in 2007. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — American Gangster passes that test consistently. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, American Gangster delivers. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Denzel Washington anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.