Secretariat

Secretariat has built a devoted audience in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus among viewers who want their drama to earn its emotional beats. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 643 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Diane Lane sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Available now on Disney Plus — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Secretariat arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Secretariat takes its time building the world its characters inhabit, and the patience pays off. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery - with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin - manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. The performances from Diane Lane and John Malkovich give it more weight than the premise alone would suggest. Secretariat came out in 2010. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Drama fans who appreciate slow-burn storytelling will feel right at home with Secretariat. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Diane Lane is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.