The price of streaming services is increasing, and as someone who subscribes to many of them, one day, I will have to start being more selective. I have said that Netflix would be the first one to go. It is the one I use the least and is one of the most expensive. Then they release "The Killer" and "May December," and I wonder if getting movies like these is worth the price.

Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) is an actress who, researching for a role, spends time with Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles Melton). Gracie and Joe started their relationship when Joe was 13 years old and she was 36.

The caliber of acting on display in this movie is staggering. Portman and Moore are spectacular. Portman's Elizabeth claims to be searching for the truth in her performance of Gracie, but you are never really sure if that is her real motive. Is she getting close to the family in order to give a good performance or add details that the tabloids didn't get? Moore's Gracie starts as someone you might sympathize with, but you see how controlling and manipulative she can be.

Even with two incredible performances from two of the best actresses, Charles Melton and his role as Joe stand out. I watched the first few seasons of "Riverdale," the CW show where Melton gained fame. He does a lot with his screen time. Joe is a man who had his childhood stolen from him by this woman. It is something that never occurs to him until he is on the roof with his son and is offered a joint. His son finds it hard to believe Joe has never smoked before, and Joe tells him that he never really got the chance. That is when Joe realizes the damage that has been done to him. It is a star-making performance, and I hope it propels Melton to bigger, leading roles.

I don't know if this is an easy movie to recommend. It is dark and methodical. The subject matter is not something that is a crowd-pleaser, but the performances in it are stunning and worth some unpleasantness.

May December is available on Netflix.

8/10

Rated R for language, graphic nudity, drug use, and some sexual content.

1hr 53min.