Kickboxer

Kickboxer has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in Australia on Stan and Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 1,587 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Jean-Claude Van Damme leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Stan.

Kickboxer is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The plotting gives Kickboxer its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. If your enemy refuses to be humbled... Destroy him. Accompanied by his brother Kurt, American kickboxing champion Eric Sloane, arrives in Thailand to defeat the Eastern warriors at their own sport. The writing gets a boost from Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dennis Alexio, who sell every scene they're in. It was released in 1989. The plot mechanics of Kickboxer never overwhelm the human cost underneath them. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, Kickboxer delivers. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Jean-Claude Van Damme 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.