Savages

Savages is currently streaming in the US on Netflix, and its case-by-case structure never gets in the way of the bigger story. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 2,303 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Taylor Kitsch anchors it, but the writing does the real work. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

Savages is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. At its heart, Savages understands what makes crime drama work — character first, plot second. Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel that kidnapped their shared girlfriend. Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2012. What makes Savages hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find Savages proves them wrong. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Watch Taylor Kitsch work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.