Daylight

Right now you can watch Daylight in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel and YouTube TV, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 1,713 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch Sylvester Stallone work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. Start it on Starz Apple TV Channel whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Daylight is worth clearing space for. The plotting in Daylight is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. A group of armed robbers fleeing the police head for the New Jersey Tunnel and run right into trucks transporting toxic waste. The spectacular explosion that follows results in both ends of the tunnel collapsing and the handful of people who survived the explosion are now in peril. Kit Latura is the only man with the skill and knowledge to lead the band of survivors out of the tunnel before the structure collapses. Sylvester Stallone and Amy Brenneman lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1996. Daylight is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Daylight. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Sylvester Stallone's performance is the kind that shows up on best-of lists years later. If you have been looking for something to fill the gap left by a recently finished story, this is a reliable answer.