Shooter

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, Shooter is available in Australia on Stan, and in the US on fuboTV and Paramount Plus Premium right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 5,512 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Mark Wahlberg anchors it, but the writing does the real work. Put it on tonight on Stan and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Shooter earns its spot. The plotting gives Shooter its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. A top Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, leaves the military after a mission goes horribly awry and disappears, living in seclusion. He is coaxed back into service after a high-profile government official convinces him to help thwart a plot to kill the President of the United States. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, Swagger becomes the target of a nationwide manhunt. Mark Wahlberg and Michael Peña lead a cast that never lets the mystery feel thin. It was released in 2007. Shooter is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. 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 Shooter proves them wrong. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Mark Wahlberg's performance is the kind that shows up on best-of lists years later. If you have been looking for something to fill the gap left by a recently finished story, this is a reliable answer.