Tom & Jerry

Right now you can watch Tom & Jerry in Australia on Netflix — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Chloë Grace Moretz is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Tom & Jerry is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Tom & Jerry gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse get kicked out of their home and relocate to a fancy New York hotel, where a scrappy employee named Kayla will lose her job if she can’t evict Jerry before a high-class wedding at the hotel. Her solution? Hiring Tom to get rid of the pesky mouse. Chloë Grace Moretz and Michael Peña lead a cast that never overplays a joke. It hit screens in 2021. Tom & Jerry earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Tom & Jerry respects your intelligence. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Chloë Grace Moretz's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.