Animal Kingdom Season 1

Animal Kingdom Season 1 has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available on and . The 1-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. 552 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch Finn Cole work — the performance is a masterclass in restraint. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

There is a reason Animal Kingdom Season 1 keeps coming up in conversation. Animal Kingdom Season 1 treats its mystery as a means, not an end in itself. After his mother dies of a heroin overdose, Joshua 'J' Cody moves in with his estranged grandmother, Janine ‘Smurf' Cody in Oceanside, California. He finds himself drawn into a dark world funded by criminal activities that he's been shielded from for years, as she and his uncles plan their upcoming heist. J must prove his loyalty to stay alive, all the while learning that Smurf is the intense, beguiling, and complicated matriarch, who rules over "her boys" with a borderline incestuous love. Finn Cole and Ellen Barkin lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2016. What makes Animal Kingdom Season 1 hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, Animal Kingdom Season 1 delivers. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch if your schedule allows. Finn Cole anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.