A ‘masterpiece’ crime drama featuring what audiences are calling Eric Bana’s ‘career best performance’ is a perfect choice to revisit following the launch of Netflix series Untamed.
Bana takes the lead in this latest crime drama on the prominent streaming platform. It marks only the second time the star has taken on a television role since Dirty John, having previously focused on film roles.
The Australian actor portrays Kyle Turner, a special agent probing a mysterious death in Yosemite National Park. The series has received rave reviews, with many critics and fans highlighting Bana’s performance as a reason to binge-watch the series.
However, many fans still regard his breakout film role in 2000’s Chopper as his ‘career best’. His career took off after the film’s release, landing him major roles in Hulk, Troy, Munich and the 2009 reboot of Star Trek.
For fans who binge Untamed and wish to revisit an earlier part of Bana’s career, Chopper is available for streaming on Prime Video, reports the Mirror.
The film was inspired by the books of Mark Brandon ‘Chopper’ Read, arguably Australia’s most notorious former criminal. Chopper draws from police records, court transcripts, news reports and interviews with those who knew Chopper Read.
According to the synopsis, Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, a convict serving time in a maximum-security prison, is stabbed due to his eccentric behaviour. Upon release, Chopper frantically searches for his concealed enemy.
The film commands a 76% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes whilst achieving an even more remarkable 89% audience approval rating on the platform.
One reviewer, marking a significant anniversary, declared: “Chopper is more than a vehicle for Bana’s extraordinary performance; it’s an immaculately crafted masterpiece of Australian cinema that feels as fresh, energetic and provocative today as it was the day it was released.”
A fellow critic concurred, proclaiming: “This is a masterpiece of a film, a sign that Australian cinema can reach monstrous heights of glory.”
Cinema enthusiasts continue to champion the picture, with one devotee sharing online: “Eric Bana deserved an Oscar! Unbelievable portrayal of Chopper. This movie doesn’t get the credit it deserves.”
Another viewer reflected: “The directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik comes in the form of “Chopper,” a film that acts as a dramatised biopic of sorts on the real-life crimes of Australia’s most dangerous criminal in Mark “Chopper” Read. In a career-best performance from Eric Bana, we see the deep rooted insecurities in a man who thrives off chaos, violence, murder, and overall darkness but somehow managed to be charismatic and likeable to everyone he came across despite his reckless nature.”
They added: “The film embraced its tone of being a truly dark comedy as the moments of tension between Chopper and anyone he’s talking to feel terrifying to watch.”
Chopper is streaming on Prime Video.