Breakthrough

Breakthrough is currently streaming in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on fuboTV and YouTube TV, and it rewards the patience it asks of you. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Chrissy Metz's performance alone is worth the time investment. Start it on Disney Plus whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Breakthrough arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The writing in Breakthrough treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. Tragedy strikes when a woman named Joyce's son falls through the ice on a frozen lake and is trapped underwater for over 15 minutes. After being rushed to the hospital, the 14-year-old boy continues to fight for his life as Joyce, her husband and their pastor stay by his bedside and pray for a miracle. Chrissy Metz and Josh Lucas lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2019. The performances in Breakthrough do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Breakthrough delivers. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Chrissy Metz anchors a cast that never overplays its hand. The kind of drama that stays with you well after the finale.