Defiance

Right now you can watch Defiance in Australia on Stan, and in the US on fuboTV and Paramount Plus Premium — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 1,913 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Daniel Craig leads a cast that never overplays its hand. Available now on Stan — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

There is a reason Defiance keeps coming up in conversation. The writing in Defiance treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. Based on a true story, during World War II, four Jewish brothers escape their Nazi-occupied homeland of West Belarus in Poland and join the Soviet partisans to combat the Nazis. The brothers begin the rescue of roughly 1,200 Jews still trapped in the ghettos of Poland. Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber lead a cast that treats the material with real seriousness. It was released in 2008. The performances in Defiance do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Drama fans who appreciate slow-burn storytelling will feel right at home with Defiance. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Daniel Craig carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.