Lone Star

Right now you can watch Lone Star on streaming — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Chris Cooper leads a cast that never overplays its hand. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Lone Star earns its spot. Lone Star trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town. Chris Cooper and Elizabeth Peña lead a cast doing genuinely serious work here. It hit screens in 1996. The performances in Lone Star do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Lone Star is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Chris Cooper is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.

Lone Star was released in 1996, directed by John Sayles. The full 135-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.