In Dubious Battle

In Dubious Battle, in the US on Amazon Prime Video and The CW, takes its characters as seriously as it takes its plot. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 159 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Watch it for James Franco — one of the stronger performances out there right now. 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, In Dubious Battle is worth clearing space for. In Dubious Battle trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. In the California apple country, 900 migratory workers rise 'in dubious battle' against the landowners. The group takes on a life of its own—stronger than its individual members, and more frightening. Led by the doomed Jim Nolan, the strike is founded on his tragic idealism—'courage, never submit, or yield'. The performances from James Franco and Nat Wolff give it more weight than the premise alone would suggest. It was released in 2016. What elevates In Dubious Battle is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling will find plenty to sit with in In Dubious Battle. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. James Franco carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.

In Dubious Battle was released in 2016, directed by and starring James Franco. The full 110-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.