The Color Purple

Right now you can watch The Color Purple in the UK on HBO Max Amazon Channel — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 1,993 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for Danny Glover — one of the stronger performances out there right now. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on HBO Max Amazon Channel.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Color Purple earns its spot. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — The Color Purple earns every emotional beat it goes for. An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing 'Mister' Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1985. The performances in The Color Purple do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. The hit rate here is high enough that skipping ahead never feels like an option.

The Color Purple is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Danny Glover's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.