The Book of Life

Right now you can watch The Book of Life in Australia on Disney Plus and Stan, and in the US on Disney Plus and fuboTV — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Diego Luna's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. Available now on Disney Plus — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Book of Life is worth clearing space for. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry The Book of Life through its more ambitious moments. The journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. Diego Luna and Channing Tatum lead a cast that keeps the bigger ideas grounded in something human. It hit screens in 2014. The Book of Life resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The Book of Life a chance. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Diego Luna's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.