The Untouchables

The Untouchables has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in Australia on BINGE and Foxtel Now, and in the US on fuboTV and Paramount Plus Premium. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Kevin Costner sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on BINGE.

The Untouchables is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The Untouchables treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. Elliot Ness, an ambitious prohibition agent, is determined to take down Al Capone. In order to achieve this goal, he forms a group given the nickname “The Untouchables”. The writing gets a boost from Kevin Costner and Sean Connery, who sell every scene they're in. It hit screens in 1987. The plot mechanics of The Untouchables never overwhelm the human cost underneath them. The hit rate here is high enough that skipping ahead never feels like an option.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find The Untouchables proves them wrong. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Kevin Costner's performance is the kind that shows up on best-of lists years later. If you have been looking for something to fill the gap left by a recently finished story, this is a reliable answer.