Mad Max

Mad Max is currently streaming in Australia on Stan and HBO Max, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Fawesome, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 5,009 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Mel Gibson anchors it with a performance that grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Put it on tonight on Stan and see for yourself.

There is a reason Mad Max keeps coming up in conversation. Mad Max uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. In the ravaged near-future, a savage motorcycle gang rules the road. Terrorizing innocent civilians while tearing up the streets, the ruthless gang laughs in the face of a police force hell-bent on stopping them. Mel Gibson and Joanne Samuel lead a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. It was released in 1979. The rules of Mad Max's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Mad Max is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. 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. Mel Gibson grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.