Taken 3

Right now you can watch Taken 3 in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on YouTube TV — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch Liam Neeson work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Taken 3 arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Taken 3 treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. Ex-government operative Bryan Mills finds his life is shattered when he's falsely accused of a murder that hits close to home. As he's pursued by a savvy police inspector, Mills employs his particular set of skills to track the real killer and exact his unique brand of justice. Credit to Liam Neeson and Forest Whitaker for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. Taken 3 came out in 2014. Taken 3 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.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, Taken 3 delivers. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Watch Liam Neeson work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.