The Pet

If you want a crime drama that treats its mystery as more than a puzzle, The Pet is available on streaming right now. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 31 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Watch Pierre Dulat work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Pet is worth clearing space for. The plotting gives The Pet its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. A young woman in dire financial straights accepts an offer to be a wealthy aristocrat's human "pet" for six months. Then ruthless modern "pet-nappers" kidnap the woman to sell her on the GSM (Global Slave Market). Pierre Dulat and Andrea Edmondson lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2006. The Pet is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, The Pet delivers. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Pierre Dulat 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.