National Treasure: Book of Secrets

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, National Treasure: Book of Secrets is available in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus and Hulu right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 5,603 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Nicolas Cage sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. 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, National Treasure: Book of Secrets is worth clearing space for. The plotting in National Treasure: Book of Secrets is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. Benjamin Franklin Gates and Abigail Chase re-team with Riley Poole and, now armed with a stack of long-lost pages from John Wilkes Booth's diary, Ben must follow a clue left there to prove his ancestor's innocence in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The writing gets a boost from Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger, who sell every scene they're in. National Treasure: Book of Secrets came out in 2007. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — National Treasure: Book of Secrets passes that test consistently. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Nicolas Cage's performance is the kind that shows up on best-of lists years later. If you have been looking for something to fill the gap left by a recently finished story, this is a reliable answer.