The Two Faces of January

Skip the prestige-TV noise — The Two Faces of January, in the US on YouTube TV and Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, and in the UK on Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel and Sundance Now Amazon Channel, is quietly one of the better ones. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. With 741 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Viggo Mortensen anchors it with a performance that rewards close attention. Put it on tonight on YouTube TV and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Two Faces of January is worth clearing space for. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — The Two Faces of January earns every emotional beat it goes for. After he kills a detective, a con artist and his wife must trust a potentially dangerous stranger to help them get out of Greece. Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst lead a cast that treats the material with real seriousness. It hit screens in 2014. What elevates The Two Faces of January is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, The Two Faces of January delivers. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Viggo Mortensen carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.

The Two Faces of January was released in 2014, directed by Hossein Amini. The full 96-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.