The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones has built a real following in Australia on Stan, and in the US on Philo and AMC Plus Apple TV Channel among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 4,663 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Lily Collins sets the tone, and the world-building does the rest. Start it on Stan whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. What makes The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. In New York City, Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary teenager, learns that she is descended from a line of Shadowhunters — half-angel warriors who protect humanity from evil forces. After her mother disappears, Clary joins forces with a group of Shadowhunters and enters Downworld, an alternate realm filled with demons, vampires, and a host of other creatures. Clary and her companions must find and protect an ancient cup that holds the key to her mother's future. The human element stays intact thanks to Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower, who anchor every scene. It was released in 2013. What separates The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones a chance. 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. Watch for Lily Collins in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.