The Green Mile

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, The Green Mile is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Philo right now. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 19,438 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Watch it for Tom Hanks — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Green Mile earns its spot. What makes The Green Mile work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution. Tom Hanks and David Morse lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. The Green Mile came out in 1999. The Green Mile resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. It sustains a level of quality that very few manage to hold onto all the way through.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The Green Mile a chance. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Watch for Tom Hanks in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.