Tau

Right now you can watch Tau in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 1,378 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Maika Monroe's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Tau earns its spot. Tau uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. Held captive in a futuristic smart house, a woman hopes to escape by befriending the A.I. Program that controls the house. Maika Monroe and Ed Skrein lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2018. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Tau fits the bill. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Maika Monroe grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.