Line of Duty

Line of Duty is currently streaming in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Fawesome, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Aaron Eckhart sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. Start it on Netflix whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Line of Duty arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The plotting in Line of Duty is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. Frank Penny is a disgraced cop looking for a shot at redemption. When the police chief's 11-year-old daughter is abducted, Frank goes rogue to try and save her. But to find the girl, Frank will need the help of Ava Brooks, whose live-streaming news channel is broadcasting Frank's every move. Aaron Eckhart and Courtney Eaton lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2019. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — Line of Duty passes that test consistently. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Line of Duty. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Aaron Eckhart 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.