True Crime

True Crime has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in Australia on Netflix and ABC iview. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 866 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Clint Eastwood 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 Netflix.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, True Crime earns its spot. The plotting gives True Crime its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. Boozer, skirt chaser, careless father. You could create your own list of reporter Steve Everett's faults but there's no time. A San Quentin Death Row prisoner is slated to die at midnight – a man Everett has suddenly realized is innocent. Clint Eastwood and Isaiah Washington lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1999. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — True Crime passes that test consistently. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find True Crime 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. Clint Eastwood'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.