Gold

Gold is currently streaming in the US on Netflix, and in the UK on Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Matthew McConaughey sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Gold is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The plotting gives Gold its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. Kenny Wells, a modern-day prospector, hustler, and dreamer, is desperate for a lucky break. Left with few options, Wells teams up with an equally luckless geologist to execute a grandiose, last-ditch effort: to find gold deep in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Matthew McConaughey and Bryce Dallas Howard lead a cast that never lets the mystery feel thin. It was released in 2016. Gold is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, Gold delivers. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Watch Matthew McConaughey work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.