The Normal Heart

The Normal Heart, in Australia on Foxtel Now and HBO Max, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel, takes its characters as seriously as it takes its plot. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 8/10 TMDB score, built from 922 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Mark Ruffalo sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Available now on Foxtel Now — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

There is a reason The Normal Heart keeps coming up in conversation. The writing in The Normal Heart treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. The story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial. Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer lead a cast that treats the material with real seriousness. The Normal Heart came out in 2014. The Normal Heart resists tidy resolutions in a way that respects how messy real consequences actually are. The hit rate here is high enough that skipping ahead never feels like an option.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, The Normal Heart delivers. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Mark Ruffalo is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.

The Normal Heart was released in 2014, directed by Ryan Murphy. The full 133-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.