Hard to Kill

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, Hard to Kill is available in Australia on Netflix right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 679 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch Steven Seagal work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

There is a reason Hard to Kill keeps coming up in conversation. The plotting gives Hard to Kill its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. Mason Storm, a 'go it alone' cop, is gunned down at home. The intruders kill his wife, and think they've killed both Mason and his son too. Mason is secretly taken to a hospital where he spends several years in a coma. Steven Seagal and Kelly LeBrock lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1990. Hard to Kill 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, Hard to Kill delivers. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Steven Seagal 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.