Dark Places

This week's sharpest crime pick in Australia on Stan, and in the US on Netflix and Kanopy is Dark Places. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. With 1,382 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Charlize Theron sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. Start it on Stan whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Dark Places is worth clearing space for. At its heart, Dark Places understands what makes crime drama work — character first, plot second. A woman who survived the brutal killing of her family as a child is forced to confront the events of that day. Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult lead a cast that never lets the mystery feel thin. It was released in 2015. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — Dark Places passes that test consistently. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find Dark Places proves them wrong. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Charlize Theron anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.

Dark Places was released in 2015, directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner. The full 113-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.