Sniper: Reloaded

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, Sniper: Reloaded is available in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on YouTube TV right now. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch Chad Michael Collins work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

There is a reason Sniper: Reloaded keeps coming up in conversation. The plotting in Sniper: Reloaded is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. Marine Sgt. Brandon Beckett, son of the U.S. Marine Corps' deadliest sniper, Thomas Beckett, must turn to his father's former protégé (Billy Zane) to track down and kill a mysterious sniper before he kills his next target. Chad Michael Collins and Richard Sammel lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2011. Sniper: Reloaded is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, Sniper: Reloaded delivers. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Chad Michael Collins'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.