Detachment

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, Detachment is available in Australia on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels, and in the US on Kanopy and Hoopla right now. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 2,033 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Adrien Brody sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels and see for yourself.

Detachment is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The writing in Detachment treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. A chronicle of three weeks in the lives of several high school teachers, administrators and students through the eyes of substitute teacher, Henry Barthes. Henry roams from school to school, imparting modes of knowledge, but never staying long enough to form any semblance of sentient attachment. The performances from Adrien Brody and Marcia Gay Harden give it more weight than the premise alone would suggest. Detachment came out in 2011. The performances in Detachment do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. The hit rate here is high enough that skipping ahead never feels like an option.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Detachment delivers. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Adrien Brody 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.