Hideous Kinky

Looking for romance that respects your intelligence, available in the US on Amazon Prime Video and The CW, and in the UK on BBC iPlayer? Hideous Kinky is that. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Kate Winslet's performance makes the emotional stakes feel real, not manufactured. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Hideous Kinky is worth clearing space for. Hideous Kinky treats its central relationship as something worth taking seriously. In 1972, disenchanted about the dreary conventions of English life, 25-year-old Julia heads for Morocco with her daughters, six-year-old Lucy and precocious eight-year-old Bea. Kate Winslet and Saïd Taghmaoui lead a cast whose chemistry carries the emotional beats. It was released in 1999. What makes Hideous Kinky work is that the leads feel like people first, a couple second. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Hideous Kinky is ideal for viewers who want romance served with real character development. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Kate Winslet carries the emotional throughline with real conviction. You will have strong feelings about it by the finale.

Hideous Kinky was released in 1999, directed by Gillies MacKinnon. The full 98-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.