The Departed

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, The Departed is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on fuboTV and MGM+ Amazon Channel right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 16,335 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Leonardo DiCaprio anchors it, but the writing does the real work. Available now on Amazon Prime Video — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Departed earns its spot. The plotting gives The Departed its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them. Credit to Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. It was released in 2006. The Departed is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, The Departed will keep you hooked. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Leonardo DiCaprio anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.