Control

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, Control is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and MUBI, and in the US on Kanopy right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 942 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for Sam Riley — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Start it on Amazon Prime Video whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Control is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — Control earns every emotional beat it goes for. The story of Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis, from his schoolboy days in 1973 to his suicide on the eve of the band's first American tour in 1980. Sam Riley and Samantha Morton lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2007. Control resists tidy resolutions in a way that respects how messy real consequences actually are. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

Viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling will find plenty to sit with in Control. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Sam Riley anchors a cast that never overplays its hand. The kind of drama that stays with you well after the finale.