Crash

Crash is currently streaming in Australia on MUBI and Beamafilm, and in the UK on BFI Player and ARROW, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. James Spader anchors it, but the writing does the real work. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on MUBI.

There is a reason Crash keeps coming up in conversation. The plotting in Crash is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. A car crash victim inexplicably finds himself aroused by car accidents and becomes involved with an underground subculture of like-minded souls. Credit to James Spader and Holly Hunter for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. It hit screens in 1996. What makes Crash hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Crash. 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. James Spader carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.