Take the Lead

Right now you can watch Take the Lead on streaming — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 749 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Antonio Banderas's performance alone is worth the time investment. Available now — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

There is a reason Take the Lead keeps coming up in conversation. Take the Lead takes its time building the world its characters inhabit, and the patience pays off. A former professional dancer volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system and, while his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulane. Antonio Banderas and Rob Brown lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2006. The performances in Take the Lead do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, Take the Lead delivers. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Antonio Banderas 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.