Barabbas

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, Barabbas is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Fawesome right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Billy Zane anchors it with a performance that rewards close attention. Start it on Amazon Prime Video whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Barabbas is worth clearing space for. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — Barabbas earns every emotional beat it goes for. Barabbas or Jesus Barabbas (literally "son of the father" or "Jesus, son of the father" respectively) is a figure in the account of the Passion of Christ, in which he is the insurrectionary whom Pontius Pilate freed at the Passover feast in Jerusalem, instead of Jesus Christ. Billy Zane and Cristiana Capotondi lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2012. What elevates Barabbas is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Drama fans who appreciate slow-burn storytelling will feel right at home with Barabbas. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Billy Zane's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.