No Good Deed

Right now you can watch No Good Deed in Australia on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel, and in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel and Starz Roku Premium Channel — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Idris Elba leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. Start it on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

No Good Deed is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. At its heart, No Good Deed understands what makes crime drama work — character first, plot second. Terri is a devoted wife and mother of two, living an ideal suburban life in Atlanta when Colin, a charming but dangerous escaped convict, shows up at her door claiming car trouble. Terri offers her phone to help him but soon learns that no good deed goes unpunished as she finds herself fighting for survival when he invades her home and terrorizes her family. The writing gets a boost from Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, who sell every scene they're in. It hit screens in 2014. What makes No Good Deed hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. 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 No Good Deed. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Idris Elba anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.