Only God Forgives

Only God Forgives has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in Australia on Stan, and in the US on The CW and Kanopy. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 2,614 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Ryan Gosling anchors it, but the writing does the real work. Start it on Stan whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Only God Forgives arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Only God Forgives treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. Julian, who runs a Thai boxing club as a front organization for his family's drug smuggling operation, is forced by his mother Crystal to find and kill the individual responsible for his brother's recent death. Credit to Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. Only God Forgives came out in 2013. What makes Only God Forgives 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.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find Only God Forgives proves them wrong. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Ryan Gosling 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.

Only God Forgives was released in 2013, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The full 89-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.