Netflix is set to remove one of its most acclaimed dramas of the 21st century – and fans don’t have long to catch it before it’s gone.
Doubt, the 2008 film starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis, will be leaving the streaming platform on June 4, giving subscribers only a few weeks to stream it before it becomes unavailable.
Adapted from John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play of the same name, Doubt received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its performances and the moral ambiguity at its heart.
At the 81st Academy Awards, Doubt earned five nominations: Best Actress for Meryl Streep, Best Supporting Actor for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress for both Amy Adams and Viola Davis, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Shanley.
Set in 1964 in the Bronx, New York, the story centres on Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), the formidable headmistress of a Catholic elementary school, who becomes convinced that the parish priest, Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), has developed an inappropriate relationship with Donald Miller, the school’s only Black student.
Sister Aloysius’s suspicions are triggered by Sister James (Amy Adams), a young and idealistic teacher, who notices a few unsettling interactions between Father Flynn and the boy. Though Sister James isn’t entirely sure of what she’s witnessed, she confides in the stern principal, setting off a moral crusade that begins to consume the school.
What follows is a tense and tightly controlled drama that plays out almost like a psychological thriller, hinging on a single, unanswered question: Is Father Flynn guilty of misconduct, or is Sister Aloysius seeing what she wants to see?
Viola Davis appears in just one scene, playing Mrs. Miller, Donald’s mother – but it was enough to earn her an Oscar nomination and critical acclaim.
The film had a 78% grade on reviewing platform Rotten Tomatoes, where itsCritics Consensus reads: ” Doubt succeeds on the strength of its top-notch cast, who successfully guide the film through”.
Whether you haven’t watched it or just want to revisit the story, this may be the last chance to see Doubt, a movie with unmatched acting performances and themes that are timeless.
Doubt is available to stream on Netflix until June 4.