Ray

Right now you can watch Ray in Australia on BINGE and Foxtel Now, and in the US on Philo and Starz Apple TV Channel — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. With 2,244 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for Jamie Foxx — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Start it on BINGE whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Ray arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Ray trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together. Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2004. The performances in Ray do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Drama fans who appreciate slow-burn storytelling will feel right at home with Ray. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Jamie Foxx's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.