The Good Doctor

Right now you can watch The Good Doctor in Australia on Hoopla, and in the US on Philo and YouTube TV — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. With 260 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch Orlando Bloom work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Hoopla.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Good Doctor is worth clearing space for. The plotting gives The Good Doctor its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. Dr. Martin Blake, who has spent his life looking for respect, meets an 18-year-old patient named Diane, suffering from a kidney infection, and gets a much-needed boost of self-esteem. However, when her health starts improving, Martin fears losing her, so he begins tampering with her treatment, keeping Diane sick and in the hospital right next to him. Orlando Bloom and Riley Keough lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2011. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — The Good Doctor passes that test consistently. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Crime and mystery fans will find exactly what they are after in The Good Doctor. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Orlando Bloom carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.