Naked Lunch

Naked Lunch has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in the UK on ARROW. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 1,217 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Peter Weller leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. Put it on tonight on ARROW and see for yourself.

There is a reason Naked Lunch keeps coming up in conversation. The plotting gives Naked Lunch its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. Blank-faced bug killer Bill Lee and his dead-eyed wife, Joan, like to get high on Bill's pest poisons while lounging with Beat poet pals. After meeting the devilish Dr. Benway, Bill gets a drug made from a centipede. Peter Weller and Judy Davis lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1991. Naked Lunch is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in Naked Lunch. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Watch Peter Weller work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.