Training Day

Training Day has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in Australia on Stan, and in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. Its 8/10 TMDB score, built from 6,675 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Denzel Washington sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on Stan and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Training Day earns its spot. The plotting in Training Day is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears. The writing gets a boost from Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, who sell every scene they're in. It was released in 2001. Training Day is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, Training Day will keep you hooked. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Denzel Washington'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.