At an hour each episode, Cross isn’t exactly an easy watch. It might be extra hard to stomach if you’re sensitive to violence and gore. But with Aldis Hodge playing the titular detective, it makes for a compelling watch. Hodge commands your attention every time he’s on screen, and he manages to make some of the weaker lines and story developments gripping and believable. If the central mysteries don’t keep you hooked, though, the social commentary will. As a high-ranking Black policeman, Cross is at the crossroads of duty and solidarity. Whenever he and his circle grapple with this contradiction, Cross isn’t just gripping but thought-proving as well.

Why isn’t Aldis Hodge in more films?