Inglourious Basterds

Right now you can watch Inglourious Basterds in Australia on Netflix and BINGE, and in the US on Peacock Premium and Philo — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Brad Pitt anchors it, but the writing does the real work. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Inglourious Basterds earns its spot. The plotting in Inglourious Basterds is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers. Brad Pitt and Mélanie Laurent lead a cast that never lets the mystery feel thin. Inglourious Basterds came out in 2009. Inglourious Basterds is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, Inglourious Basterds will keep you hooked. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Watch Brad Pitt work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.