Donnie Brasco

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, Donnie Brasco is available in Australia on Foxtel Now and Stan, and in the US on Netflix and YouTube TV right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Johnny Depp leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Foxtel Now.

Donnie Brasco is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The plotting gives Donnie Brasco its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob and identifies more with the mafia life at the expense of his regular one. The writing gets a boost from Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, who sell every scene they're in. It hit screens in 1997. What makes Donnie Brasco hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, Donnie Brasco will keep you hooked. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Johnny Depp 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.