The Godfather Part II

Right now you can watch The Godfather Part II in Australia on BINGE and Paramount Plus, and in the US on fuboTV and Paramount Plus Premium — 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 9/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Al Pacino sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on BINGE and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Godfather Part II is worth clearing space for. The plotting gives The Godfather Part II its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba. Credit to Al Pacino and Robert Duvall for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. It was released in 1974. What makes The Godfather Part II hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. It sustains a level of quality that very few manage to hold onto all the way through.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find The Godfather Part II proves them wrong. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Al Pacino 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.