Pain & Gain

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Pain & Gain is available in Australia on BINGE and Foxtel Now, and in the US on Paramount Plus Premium and Starz Apple TV Channel right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 4,849 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Mark Wahlberg's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on BINGE.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Pain & Gain is worth clearing space for. Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate Pain & Gain from the crowd. Daniel Lugo, manager of the Sun Gym in 1990s Miami, decides that there is only one way to achieve his version of the American dream: extortion. To achieve his goal, he recruits musclemen Paul and Adrian as accomplices. After several failed attempts, they abduct rich businessman Victor Kershaw and convince him to sign over all his assets to them. The chemistry Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. Pain & Gain came out in 2013. The timing in Pain & Gain is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Pain & Gain is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Mark Wahlberg anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.