A self-explanatory mystery thriller shunned first time around finally lives up to expectations on streaming

One of the most reliable genres on the entire streaming circuit is true crime, with subscribers to any platform determined to seek out and devour as much mystery-tinged content as possible. With that in mind, it was only a matter of time before the forgotten 1999 flop literally named True Crime embarked on a resurgence of its own.

Despite boasting Clint Eastwood pulling double duty as both director and star, the hard-boiled thriller cratered at the box office. That came somewhat out of the blue given that the decade had thrown up plenty of adult-skewing crime stories that found plenty of favor among critics and audiences alike, but the adaptation of Andrew Klavan’s novel of the same name wasn’t one of them.

Of course, the self-explanatory title is realistically more than enough on paper to convince the at-home masses that satiating their true crime desires with True Crime is a worthwhile endeavor, and that’s precisely what’s transpired. Per FlixPatrol, the gritty street-level investigative adventure has been surging up the Prime Video global charts this week, which was to be expected based on nothing but the nomenclature.

It may not be the greatest or most original spin on the standard setup you’ve ever seen, but Eastwood is good value as a journalist and recovering alcoholic who finds both his career and marriage reaching breaking point. Tasked to interview a death row inmate who does what they all do and protests his innocence, the dogged veteran soon discovers that the doomed prisoner might actually be telling the truth, plunging him headlong into a high-ranking conspiracy.