Over the past several years, countless websites have added paywalls. If you want to read their articles, you have to sign up and pay a monthly subscription cost. Some sites have a “metered” paywall—meaning you can read a certain number of articles for free before they ask for money—and others have a hard paywall, where you’ll have to pay to read even one article.

Paywalls are mostly an thing with news websites, largely because relying on advertising income alone isn’t a viable strategy anymore, and news companies are pursuing more direct revenue sources, like monthly subscriptions. Of course, paywalls aren’t entirely a bad thing—it’s worth it to support journalism you find valuable, so by all means, if you can afford to pay to read articles, you absolutely should. But whether you lost your password, haven’t saved it on your phone, are in a rush, or are just strapped for cash and promise yourself that you’ll subscribe later, there are several ways to bypass paywalls on the internet.

You may be able to use some of these methods successfully today, but that could change in the future as websites clamp down on bypass methods. If nothing else, I hope you support the websites that you do read—especially your friendly local news outlet. But if you can’t right now, here are some of the best ways to bypass paywalls online.

Paste the headline into Google

The simplest ways are often the best. There are plenty of paywalled websites that have an arrangement that lets people arriving from Google search access their articles for free. Your first port of call should be to copy the headline and paste it into the search bar on Google. The article should appear as the first result, so just click that to read it for free.

Try a Facebook redirect

Some paywalled websites let readers arriving from Facebook read articles for free, and the method works even if you don’t have a Facebook account. To do it, open the article you want to read and go to the address bar of your web browser. Now paste https://facebook.com/l.php?u= before the URL of the paywalled article and open the page. This’ll show you a Facebook redirect page, and you can click Follow Link to open the website. The paywalled article should now be free to read.

Open the link in an incognito window

Another quick way is to open the paywalled articles in an incognito window in your web browser. Just note that this method works with metered paywalls only. If you’ve used up your free article quota for the month on any website, opening its articles in an incognito window could let you keep reading without paying yet.

Disable JavaScript in your browser

Some websites use JavaScript to hide content behind paywalls, and you can circumvent those blocks by disabling JavaScript in your browser. Note that disabling JavaScript can (and will) break most websites—some may not let you view comments, while others may not load at all. But it’s worth trying if you just need to read the content of the post.

Ideally, you’d use a separate browser for this so that you don’t have to keep enabling and disabling JavaScript. Once you’ve chosen your secondary browser, check out our guide to disabling JavaScript in various ones.

Enable "reader mode"

Most modern browsers now have a "reader mode" that strips extraneous elements from the page (like ads, formatting, and empty space). As a bonus, reader mode will sometimes also allow you to bypass paywalls. This article will tell you how to use reader mode in Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Chrome.

Use a VPN

Some paywalled sites, like The Washington Post, will let you read a limited number of articles for free each month, then throw up the wall once you've hit the limit. You can use a VPN to change up your IP address and trick the site into giving you more freebies. This method won't help you on sites that don't offer any free access, but it's worth trying, and will work with both paid and free VPNs.

Use Bypass Paywalls from GitHub

If you're using a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge) or Firefox, you can install the Bypass Paywalls extension from GitHub. It's slightly intimidating if you've never installed an extension outside of the Chrome Web Store, but it's pretty simple—just click this link and follow the instructions for your browser of choice. For Chrome, for example, that involved downloading the extension, turning on "Developer Mode" in the browser's settings, and dragging the extension file into the browser window. Once completed successfully, this extension grants seamless, paywall-free access to more than 160 sites, including Vulture, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal—there's a complete list on the GitHub resource page. (Hat tip to reader dsww in the comments for pointing this one out.)

Try another browser add-on

There are lots of browser extensions that allow you to bypass paywalls on many websites. For academic articles, Unpaywall (Firefox, Chrome) is a good choice. For Chrome or Edge, you can also try Postlight Reader, which can also do you the favor of cleaning away the clutter of ads and generally making online content easier to read.

Edit a couple of elements on the webpage

If you understand a bit of HTML and CSS, you can edit elements using your browser to go past some paywalls. Essentially, you’re editing the page to remove the banners that lock content behind a subscription. It’s a lot like opening the curtains to reveal the nice view outside your window.

It works with some websites, but others have added a hard block that reveals the article only if you’ve signed in with a paid account. Still, it’s worth trying once to see if it works:

On any website, right-click the banner just below the last visible sentence of the article and select Inspect Element. This will open up a console where you can search for the offending elements and hide or change them. The exact element varies from site to site, but it’s often labeled display, paywall, or subscribe. Here’s a neat GIF on Reddit that shows you how to get it done.

Use 12ft.io

12ft.io is a simple website created with the sole purpose of breaking through paywalls—and it's so simple to use, it appears to have become an easy target for those who'd like to keep you from easily bypassing a paywall. A few months ago, the site was taken offline (the link returned an error message reading ”This Deployment has been disabled. Your connection is working correctly. Vercel is working correctly,” whatever that means). It's now back, but who knows for how long. (Previously, there was an alternative, 1ft.io, that worked in much the same way, but the developer recently shut it down permanently, as evidenced by an announcement posted to that URL.)

To use 12ft.io, simply paste the paywalled link in the text field and hit “Submit.” (Alternately, you can type “https://12ft.io/” before the URL in your browser bar.) The site will then show you the cached, “unpaywalled version” of the page. The only problem is that the site doesn't always work on all websites (The Wall Street Journal being a notable example). If you get the “access denied” message, try this next tool.

Explore the web 'shackle-free'

If 12ft.io isn't working for you, there's a similar alternative, shacklefree.in. You can either visit that site and paste your link into the address bar, or you can type shacklefree.in/, and paste the article link directly into the browser bar after the slash. The service claims to work with "150+ websites."

Use Archive.today to archive the page

Archive.today is a website that archives any website you paste the link on their bar. Think of it like taking a screenshot of any website with a time stamp (a self-described “time capsule,” if you will). It “saves a text and a graphical copy of the page for better accuracy” and gives you a short link to an unalterable record of any web page. As a bonus, you can often use this functionality to bypass a paywall and read the entire article. Pate your link into the black “I want to search the archive for saved snapshots” bar. If the article you’re trying to bypass isn’t already archived, then put the URL into the red “My URL is alive and I want to archive its content” bar. This tool is a good bet if 12ft.io has already failed you.

Spaywall promises to "legally bypass paywalls"

Another site that works similarly to 12ft.io and Archive.today, Spaywall states that the site "legally [bypasses] paywalls by redirecting you to archived news and research papers." In testing links, it appears it takes the site a big longer to archive pages than some of your other options, so it's probably best for reading older articles.

Use a paywall bypass shortcut on Android

If you are trying to read a paywalled article on an Android phone, you can get around it with the Bypass Paywalls Clean browser extension. This extension used to be available for Firefox but has been removed from the Mozilla store. However, you can add it to a different browser; Reddit users recommend trying the Kiwi browser.

Use a paywall bypass shortcut on iPhone

The last method on our list works only on iPhones: Apple’s free Shortcuts app lets you run automation routines on your iPhone, and its tools have been used to bypass paywalls on various websites. There are plenty of these shortcuts, and they may all not work with all websites. Get started by trying AntiPaywall, Bypass Paywall, Paywall and Cookie Bypass, or Unpaywall.

Check if your local library provides access

Many libraries offer access to paid magazine and newspaper subscriptions online. Typically you'll have to go to your library's website, log in with your card number or account details, and then access different publications indirectly, via the library's portal (for example, if you live in Marin County, California, you can easily read The Washington Post for free). There are too many library systems out there to count, so you may or may not be lucky enough to be in one that allows this perk, but it's worth a shot; since the library is paying the publication for the service, you don't even need to feel guilty. (Not sure if your system has a news portal? Ask your local librarian!)

Ask a subscriber for a "gift article"

This one isn't likely to be feasible often, but it's worth a shot for when you're trying to read that one paywalled article that's going viral: Many publications allow paid subscribers to "gift" a copy of a certain number of articles every month (The Washington Post and The New York Times each allows gifting 10 articles per month, for example). If you know your aunt subscribes to The New York Times, it can't hurt to ask if she's willing to gift you the occasional read.

Buy a single article with Blendle

If you can't pay for a subscription but don't mind paying for a single article, you can try the Blendle app. This news aggregator partners with publications and will sell you a single article for a nominal fee—according to the App Store page, most articles cost a quarter. The downside: The selection of publishers is limited in the U.S. (the company is based in Europe), but includes The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and more.

A wise man once said, “I love it when a plan comes together.” I certainly do too—especially when I'm watching a movie.

At a time when much of daily existence is consumed by stressing out over the way the people in power are screwing up our lives and the planet, there’s a certain pleasure in sinking into a narrative in which all of the characters are incredibly good at what they do—whether that’s exploring space, playing chess, carrying out skillful assassinations, or getting their asses to (or off) of Mars.

If you too seek to be inspired by watching a bunch of smart people manage not to absolutely fuck everything up, members of the Lifehacker staff suggest these 30 films (and a few TV shows), all of which are basically explicit competence porn. (That’s hot.)

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Individually, you’d be hard-pressed to call the near-dozen members of Danny Ocean’s crew of thieves, forgers, and con artists highly competent; they are all one brand of fuckup or another, which is probably why they say yes when asked to participate in an impossible scheme to rob three Las Vegas casinos at the same time. The fact that they pull it off without a hitch (more or less) is evidence enough that sometimes, 11 heads are better than one. —Joel Cunningham

Where to stream: Digital rental

Moneyball (2011)

Moneyball is based on a true story about Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane, who attempts to build a competitive baseball team on a bare-bones budget. He cobbles together a group of undervalued talent using some extra-brainy data analysis served up by a Yale economics graduate, and the results are dramatic, funny, and endearing. It’s a classic sports team underdog story, with a nerdy twist. —Meghan Walbert

Where to stream: Netflix, digital rental

The Fast Saga (2001 – )

You might wonder how this endless parade of meatheads, dudebros, and thirst traps could be filed anywhere near competence, but I urge you to expand your mind: Within the Fast universe, these petty thieves-turned-international-action-heroes are the best at what they do. They remind you every movie—11 and counting, including Hobbs and Shaw—that they can do anything, which qualifies as extreme competence...even if what they’re doing includes anything from petty heists (Fast and Furious), to bounty hunting (2 Fast 2 Furious), to international destruction under the guise of crime fighting (basically Fasts 5 through 8). The best part, though, is that you don’t have to be competent at all to enjoy their ridiculous antics and to feel like, just maybe, you too could powerslide your Mitsubishi around the corner, if you really wanted to. —Jordan Calhoun

Where to stream: Peacock (most of them), digital rental

Apollo 13 (1995)

Ron Howard's best movie dramatizes one of the dodgier moments in the history of the United States space program, the 1970 mission during which the (sadly) aptly numbered Apollo 13 lunar craft experienced an electrical short that threatened not just the moon mission, but also the lives of everyone onboard. The disaster itself is harrowingly portrayed, but the movie's most effectively thrilling moments involve ground control working with the Apollo crew to jury-rig solutions to an escalating series of problems. Just a bunch of smart, very motivated people being very clever. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Apple TV+, Digital rental

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

You could slot in nearly any Star Trek series here, but TNG takes the franchise's celebration of science-backed competence further than just about any of them. Lead by stalwart diplomat Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), this crew warps into trouble spots and solves problems with minimal personal drama. Whether it's an outer-space archaeological mystery, yet another transporter malfunction, or a time travel dilemma on the sex planet, the Enterprise crew works together seamlessly, each bringing their own particular talents to bear (or stepping back and letting Wesley save the day). —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Paramount+, digital purchase

The Prestige (2006)

Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige pulls off some kind of magic trick in making you sympathize equally with the two men on opposite sides of the ultimate magicians’ duel. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play a pair of masters of deception, each aiming to continually trump the other with increasingly ingenious (and dangerous) feats of misdirection...until we discover, in the end, that one of them is willing to go so far to prove his genius that he has even figured out how to cheat death. Now that’s competence. —Joel Cunningham

Where to stream: Digital rental

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Mr. Grey, and Mr. Brown board the same NYC 6 train at different stations, taking hostages and demanding $1 million (which was real money in 1974). It's a motley crew, but lead with military precision by Blue (Robert Shaw), a former British Army colonel. On the other side is transit cop Lt. Garber (Walter Matthau), an unlikely hero who knows the subways system inside and out. Watching the equally matched opponents square off against one another—mostly over the radio—is deeply satisfying. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Tubi, digital rental

Hidden Figures (2016)

Behind the first men in space were the “human computers” who calculated how to get them there. And among these people—these hidden figures—were three women of color who were brilliant mathematicians and engineers employed at NASA during the “Space Race.” The movie is based on the true story of the women who were the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. —Meghan Walbert

Where to stream: Disney+, digital rental

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

On the lighter side of Steven Spielberg's filmography, but no less entertaining for it, Catch Me If You Can dramatizes the story of con man Frank Abagnale Jr., who, in his early life, claimed to have posed as a doctor and, more memorably, a Pan-Am pilot to carry out schemes he profited from to the tune of millions of dollars (again, allegedly—the real-life details are less certain, but we're here to enjoy a movie). Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank with a sly charm—you can imaging people being taken in—while Tom Hanks is an effective foil as the FBI agent on his tail. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Paramount+, digital rental

Haikyuu!! (2014 – 2020)

If you’re skeptical that a shonen anime volleyball drama belongs on this list, I understand: I, too, didn’t care about volleyball and couldn’t imagine how an anime could possible change that. But that’s the wonder of the show (and many other shonen anime, to be honest): the ability to take an otherwise negligible thing and use its characters’ passion to turn it into the most important thing in the world. And in the case of Haikyuu!! they do it by compensating for their individual weaknesses by becoming remarkably skilled when working together. Each player is the best at one single thing, and if you go on a limb to give this anime an honest chance, I promise you won’t regret it. —Jordan Calhoun

Where to stream: Netflix, Crunchyroll

The Incredibles (2004)

The entire Incredible family, lead by Holly Hunter's Elastigirl and Craig T. Nelson's Mr. Incredible, are very good at what they do: she can stretch her body, he's got superhuman strength. Daughter Violet can turn invisible and create force fields, son Dash can move at amazing speeds, etc. But they're all at their absolute best when working together. They're skilled superheroes, yes, and also serviceable detectives...but it all comes together because of their true talent for being a generally loving, supportive family. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Disney+, digital rental

The Martian (2015)

It goes without saying that Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is incredibly competent at his job(s)—astronaut/botanist—considering he’s able to survive on freaking Mars for more than a year after being stranded there due to a random spaceship accident. To do so, he must figure out everything from how to retrofit his meager shelter to how to grow potatoes in his own shit. But The Martian truly belongs on this list because basically every other character in it, from Watney’s former crew mates to the NASA engineers back on Earth, is similarly chock full of the right stuff. —Joel Cunningham

Where to stream: Digital rental

Contagion (2011)

Steven Soderbergh's medical disaster film plays rather differently in the wake of the COVID pandemic, especially given that the source and genetic origin of film's outbreak is surprisingly similar to our real-world contagion—or maybe not so surprising to scientists who were very aware of the risk for years prior. But I digress! Here we see previews of the misinformation and political interference that would plague us later, but we also see scientists and health officials doing what needs to be done to stop the virus in its tracks, and largely being listened to. It's oddly satisfying as a result, even if it all now feels a little pie-in-the-sky. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Apple TV+, digital rental

Ace of Cakes (2006 – 2011)

It’s been a full 15 years since Duff Goldman and his team of baker-artist-engineers taught us that a cake doesn’t exist just to be eaten. No, a cake can be a piece of art, and it can be a feat of engineering. It would be impressive enough if Duff’s team at Charm City Cakes was making volcano cakes on the regular, but what makes these cakes particularly awe-inspiring is that each one is uniquely designed and created per the customer’s request—and they get bigger (and maybe more ridiculous) with each of the show’s 10 seasons. Come for the cakes, stay for the quirky personalities of those who create them. —Meghan Walbert

Where to stream: Hulu

12 Angry Men (1957)

There's no escaping the high heat, literally and figuratively, in the scenario of 12 jurors hashing out the facts of a murder case involving a 19-year-old boy accused of killing his abusive father. This isn't competence of the slick and smooth variety, but instead a story of cooler heads prevailing during a scenario of heightened emotions. That measured passion in the face of such an important decision represents its own kind of proficiency. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Digital rental

Seven Samurai (1956)

Akira Kurosowa’s 1954 Japanese blockbuster concerns the plight of a small village under siege by bandits, and the crew of unassailable swordsman the villagers manage to recruit to save their skins. Watching the seven title characters being incredibly good at what they do—sometimes despite themselves—proved so winning a formula that it not only inspired disparate remakes (as a western, The Magnificent Seven; as a kids’ flick, A Bug’s Life), but forms the spine of Helen DeWitt’s celebrated 2000 novel The Last Samurai, in which a single mother, in lieu of a father figure for her young son, chooses to impart lessons of manhood by making him watch the movie over, and over, and over again. —Joel Cunningham

Where to stream: Max, The Criterion Channel, digital rental

The West Wing (1999 – 2006)

During an era (well, a generation, at least) of increasing political chaos, there's a tremendous sense of satisfaction in watching Aaron Sorkin's fast-walking, fast-talking cast of White House staffers go about their jobs with passion and integrity (usually). It might be a fantasy, but it suggests the possibility of a world where imperfect people can work within an imperfect system to make things just a little bit better. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Max, digital purchase

Now You See Me (2013)

To be clear, I think Now You See Me is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. In its desperation to be clever it shifts from overcomplicated, to overly contrived, and then to insulting, as you realize the biggest con this band of con artist magicians ever pulled was tricking you into watching their movie. But where the 2013 film succeeds—aside from baiting you with its all-star cast, including Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, and Morgan Freeman—is making you feel that you too can be the smartest person in the room. —Jordan Calhoun

Where to stream: Max, digital rental

Tampopo (1985)

Nobuko Miyamoto plays the title's Tampopo, a single mom struggling to keep her ramen shop, Lai Lai, afloat. With some help from a couple of surprisingly knowledgable truck drivers, she determines to turn the shop into a high-end ramen destination. It's not an easy road, but it's a lot of fun watching Tampopo and her quirky band of helpers turn things around by focusing less on the commerce of food and more on the love of making and serving it. (In the best scene, a wise ramen master teaches a younger man how to truly appreciate a good bowl of noodles.) —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Max

Away (2020)

One of Netflix’s countless flash-in-the-pan series, Away was a runaway hit... for about 48 hours. It stars Hilary Swank as the leader of a mission to Mars, and while it wasn’t as memorable as you might expect from its cast or production values—there’s a reason most of us forgot about it and it wasn’t renewed for a second season—it is full of the type of competence porn that makes you hopeful that humanity can conquer anything. It’s a typical space-survival drama, with the added twist of being the United Nations of the subgenre, featuring disabled characters and a diverse set of personalities, including astronauts from China, Russia, India, and a Black, Jewish British-Ghanian. If you like to think the power of science and teamwork can conquer our greatest challenges, Away will make you believe, even if your binge peters out partway through. —Jordan Calhoun

Where to stream: Netflix

Drive (2011)

There's (a bit more) to this extremely fun Nicolas Winding Refn action drama than driving, but it's called Drive for a reason. Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as getaway guy for various criminal enterprises. Before long, he's putting his not at all inconsiderable skills to use in helping out his neighbor Irene and her son. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Digital rental

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

Whether you play chess or not is fairly irrelevant to enjoying Queen's Gambit. Although, if you have even the most basic understanding of the game (the viewer category to which I belong), it does make the talents of this young chess prodigy—and the mentors and competitors around her—all the more exciting and impressive. But either way, the story is riveting. —Meghan Walbert

Where to stream: Netflix

John Wick (2014)

Is there any more effective beat in action cinema than the moment when we realize that the low-level criminals who pissed off quiet, unassuming John have, in fact, messed with exactly the wrong person? They messed with his dog (sad), but didn't know that they were invoking the multi-film-long wrath of (possibly) the most effective hitman in American cinema. No pet has ever been more thoroughly avenged. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Netflix, digital rental

Sunshine (2007)

I already talked about another movie featuring a crew of hyper-competent astronauts on a desperate life-or-death mission, so I won’t repeat myself too much. But Danny Boyle’s Sunshine deserves a callout too, because the stakes in this movie are a hell of a lot higher than the fate of one man. Like, “reignite the dying sun” higher. And these folks manage to pull it off (uh, spoiler) despite heading out entirely aware that there is a good chance they won’t be coming back—and that’s even before the murderer shows up. (The other reason it should be on this list is that it is criminally underrated, gorgeously filmed, and the ending made me cry.) —Joel Cunningham

Where to stream: Digital rental

Sisu (2022)

Think a more grizzled John Wick, but in Finland near the end of World War II. Prospector Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) is just trying to haul his gold find into town when he's harassed by Nazis storming through the countryside. Big mistake: Earlier in the war, Korpi had earned a reputation as a "one-man death squad" nicknamed The Immortal. After escalating and increasingly over-the-top violence, the Waffen-SS platoon will find that bringing the one-time Finnish Army commando out of retirement was not a smart move. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Digital rental

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Competence porn is at its best when the competent people in question are pitted against an equally competent adversary, which is exactly what happens in Avengers: Infinity War. Not only is Thanos strong enough to beat the Hulk into a sweater and some glasses, but his soft-spoken confidence is a worthy rival to even the smartest denizens of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s a testament to the fact that competence can work for the bad guys just as much as the good ones, and when he’s at his best, it’s almost hard not to cheer for him. As he sits to watch the sun rise on a grateful universe, you have to admit, he earned it. —Jordan Calhoun

Where to stream: Disney+, digital rental

The Sting (1973)

The Sting was not the first heist movie, but it is definitely one of the most entertaining. This 1973 Best Picture Oscar winner follows two con men (played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford, impossibly young) as they attempt to rip off a ruthless mob boss (Jaws’ Robert Shaw). The title refers to the moment in a caper where the thieves make off with the mark’s money; if they sting him just right, they’ll be long gone before he even realizes he’s been had. Newman and Redford’s con is so elaborate—it’s more like a series of nested operations—that it takes a whole crew of super-competent conmen to pull it off, and Shaw never feels a thing. —Joel Cunningham

Where to stream: Digital rental

All the President’s Men (1976)

This classic dramatization of the events surrounding the public reveal of Watergate somehow makes thrilling a naturalistic portrait of journalists doing their jobs. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are impeccable as Woodward and Bernstein, a couple of reporters on what starts out seeming like a very minor political piece that blows up into a story that brings down a president. Back when such things were possible. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Digital rental

Pride (2014)

Another one based on a true story, Pride follows a group of queer British activists who raised funds for striking miners during a strike in 1984. During the Thatcher-era strike, gay activist Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer) noticed that police were no longer harassing queers, as they were too busy going after strikers. During a local Pride parade, he starts a fundraising campaign, finding common cause with the miners. Over the course of the campaign depicted in the film, money is raised and bonds are formed such that rights for blue-collar workers and LGBTQ+ people are advanced in the U.K. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Peacock, digital rental

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Sidney Poitier came in for criticism, often from Black audiences, for his portrayals of perfect characters—the suggestion being that Americans might only accept people of color if they could be presented as flawless. He's a damn good cop here, but I think it works, as there's no other way that he'd survive Sparta, Mississippi of the 1960s. After an opening that plays like a horror movie that finds him trapped in the town after dark, he's ultimately asked to help the police solve a murder: it's not that the locals are willing to treat him quite like a human being, but he's so good that they have no choice but to ask for his help. His extraordinary competence here is a blessing and a curse. It's one part gripping police procedural, and several parts a portrait of American racism. —Ross Johnson

Where to stream: Tubi, digital rental