Finding Forrester

Finding Forrester is currently streaming in Australia on Netflix, and in the UK on Netflix, and it rewards the patience it asks of you. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. With 1,230 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for Sean Connery — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Start it on Netflix whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Finding Forrester earns its spot. The writing in Finding Forrester treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. Gus Van Sant tells the story of a young African American man named Jamal who confronts his talents while living on the streets of the Bronx. He accidentally runs into an old writer named Forrester who discovers his passion for writing. With help from his new mentor Jamal receives a scholarship to a private school. Sean Connery and Rob Brown lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2000. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Finding Forrester delivers. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Sean Connery's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.