Cryptid

Between everything competing for your attention, Cryptid in Australia on Bloodstream, and in the US on Bloodstream and Fawesome is worth clearing space for. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 19 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Nicholas Baroudi anchors it with a performance that rewards close attention. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Bloodstream.

There is a reason Cryptid keeps coming up in conversation. Cryptid takes its time building the world its characters inhabit, and the patience pays off. A small rural town in Maine is shocked as a mysterious animal leaves a local resident brutally ripped apart. Deemed to be a random bear attack by town officials, freelance journalist Max Frome suspects it might be something more. The performances from Nicholas Baroudi and Ellen Adair give it more weight than the premise alone would suggest. It was released in 2022. 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. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Cryptid delivers. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Nicholas Baroudi is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.

Cryptid was released in 2022, directed by Brad Rego. The full 114-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.