Boyka: Undisputed IV

Boyka: Undisputed IV is currently streaming in the US on Amazon Prime Video and fuboTV, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 1,477 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Scott Adkins anchors it, but the writing does the real work. Start it on Amazon Prime Video whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Boyka: Undisputed IV is worth clearing space for. The plotting gives Boyka: Undisputed IV its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. In the fourth installment of the fighting franchise, Boyka is shooting for the big leagues when an accidental death in the ring makes him question everything he stands for. When he finds out the wife of the man he accidentally killed is in trouble, Boyka offers to fight in a series of impossible battles to free her from a life of servitude. Credit to Scott Adkins and Teodora Duhovnikova for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. It hit screens in 2016. Boyka: Undisputed IV 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.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Boyka: Undisputed IV. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Scott Adkins's performance is the kind that shows up on best-of lists years later. If you have been looking for something to fill the gap left by a recently finished story, this is a reliable answer.