Stitches

Stitches is currently streaming in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Philo, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video and Shudder Amazon Channel, and it rewards the patience it asks of you. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 457 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Ross Noble anchors it with a performance that rewards close attention. Available now on Amazon Prime Video — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Stitches is worth clearing space for. Stitches takes its time building the world its characters inhabit, and the patience pays off. The clumsy and unfunny clown Richard "Stitches" Grindle entertains at the 10th birthday party of little Tom, but the boy and his friends play a prank with Stitches, tying his shoelaces. Stitches slips, falls and dies. Six years later, Tom gives a birthday party for his friends at home, but Stitches revives to haunt the teenagers and revenge his death. The performances from Ross Noble and Tommy Knight give it more weight than the premise alone would suggest. It hit screens in 2012. What elevates Stitches is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling will find plenty to sit with in Stitches. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Ross Noble 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.

Stitches was released in 2012, directed by Conor McMahon. The full 86-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.