Colette

Right now you can watch Colette in Australia on Foxtel Now and Beamafilm, and in the US on YouTube TV and Cinemax Amazon Channel — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 953 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Keira Knightley anchors it with a performance that rewards close attention. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Foxtel Now.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Colette earns its spot. The writing in Colette treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. After marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as Willy, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette is transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. She pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. Keira Knightley and Dominic West lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2018. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Drama fans who appreciate slow-burn storytelling will feel right at home with Colette. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Keira Knightley carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.