Maleficent

Maleficent has built a real following in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 13,801 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Angelina Jolie leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Maleficent earns its spot. Maleficent uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. She rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her heart into stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading King's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. The human element stays intact thanks to Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning, who anchor every scene. It hit screens in 2014. What separates Maleficent from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Maleficent fits the bill. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Angelina Jolie grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.