Justice League

Justice League is currently streaming in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel and YouTube TV, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 13,745 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Ben Affleck's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. Put it on tonight on Amazon Prime Video and see for yourself.

There is a reason Justice League keeps coming up in conversation. What makes Justice League work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. Fuelled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince assemble a team of metahumans consisting of Barry Allen, Arthur Curry and Victor Stone to face the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and the Parademons who are on the hunt for three Mother Boxes on Earth. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill lead a cast that keeps the bigger ideas grounded in something human. It hit screens in 2017. What separates Justice League from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Justice League fits the bill. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Ben Affleck anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.