John Q

John Q has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in Australia on ABC iview, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Denzel Washington anchors it, but the writing does the real work. Start it on ABC iview whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

John Q is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The plotting gives John Q its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the donor's list. Denzel Washington and James Woods lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2002. The plot mechanics of John Q never overwhelm the human cost underneath them. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, John Q will keep you hooked. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Denzel Washington 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.