Intimacy

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, Intimacy is available in the US on Kanopy and Fawesome right now. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Mark Rylance — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Kanopy.

Intimacy arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Intimacy treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. Failed musician Jay abandoned his family and now earns a living as head bartender in a trendy London pub. Every Wednesday afternoon, a woman comes to his house for graphic, almost wordless, sex. One day, Jay follows her and learns about her. Mark Rylance and Kerry Fox lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. Intimacy came out in 2001. What separates Intimacy from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Intimacy is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Watch for Mark Rylance in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.