Criminal

Criminal has built a real following in Australia on Stan, and in the US on YouTube TV and MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 1,893 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Kevin Costner sets the tone, and the world-building does the rest. Put it on tonight on Stan and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Criminal is worth clearing space for. What makes Criminal work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. CIA Agent Bill Pope is on a mission to track down a shadowy hacker named 'The Dutchman'. When he gets mysteriously killed, an experimental procedure transfers his memories into a dangerous ex-convict. When he wakes up Pope's memories, his mission is to eliminate The Dutchman before the hacker launches ICBMs and starts World War III. Kevin Costner and Gary Oldman lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2016. Criminal resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Criminal fits the bill. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Kevin Costner anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.