Eye in the Sky

Eye in the Sky is currently streaming in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Kanopy and Hoopla, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 1,753 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Helen Mirren anchors it, but the writing does the real work. Available now on Amazon Prime Video — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Eye in the Sky earns its spot. At its heart, Eye in the Sky understands what makes crime drama work — character first, plot second. A UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” As American pilot Steve Watts is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute reaching the highest levels of US and British government over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare. Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. 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 — Eye in the Sky passes that test consistently. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, Eye in the Sky will keep you hooked. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Watch Helen Mirren work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.