Miracle

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, Miracle is available in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Netflix and Disney Plus right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 678 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for Kurt Russell — one of the stronger performances out there right now. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Miracle is worth clearing space for. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — Miracle earns every emotional beat it goes for. When college coach Herb Brooks is hired to helm the 1980 U.S. Men's Olympic hockey team, he brings a unique and brash style to the ice. After assembling a team of hot-headed college all-stars, who are humiliated in an early match, Brooks unites his squad against a common foe: the heavily-favored Soviet team. Kurt Russell and Patricia Clarkson lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2004. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling will find plenty to sit with in Miracle. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Kurt Russell's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.