Peacock’s captivating new series The Day of the Jackalis something to marvel at. It’s a solid and inventive modern adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s stellar 1971 novel and the film that followed, consistently luring us deeper into its creative web, even when that web becomes a bit too sticky for its own good. Here’s the thing: Our protagonist, “Jackal” (Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne, worthy of an Emmy nom here), is steely and effective as a lone and elusive assassin. He’s also complex and haunted by the past. That makes him vulnerable. And that makes us, his audience, a bit torn. After all, don’t we want to witness him kill shady folks who need to be taken out? Or would we prefer to watch him decide whether he’s going to evolve emotionally and psychologically?
Tough call. But somehow, writer/executive producer Ronan Bennett (Top Boy) manages to effectively balance this taut new thriller, pouring as much nuance into who Jackal is as a damn effective assassin, and who Jackal is as a man living in two worlds, somebody suddenly reflecting on his life. That said, Bennett instantly establishes The D ay of the Jackal as a truly must-see outing.
Great Actors Playing Killer Characters in an Inventive Adaptation
An unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne), makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest kill, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lashana Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake.
- Release Date
- November 7, 2024
- Cast
- Úrsula Corberó , Eddie Redmayne , Lashana Lynch , Ben Hall , Sule Rimi , Florisa Kamara , Stuart Whelan , Jonjo O'Neill , Adam James , Christy Meyer , Lee Byford , Martin McDougall , Russell Balogh , Andreas Jessen , Jan-Martin Müller , Lucy Russell , Gerard Kearns , Eddie Elks , Charles Dance , Richard Dormer , Chukwudi Iwuji , Lia Williams , Khalid Abdalla , Eleanor Matsuura
- Seasons
- 1
- The central troika of stars are incredible, with Redmayne giving a defining performance.
- The cat-and-mouse trope is executed wonderfully, generating lots of thrills.
- Surprisingly emotionally complicated, but also with generous action and awesome characters.
- The show can be a little overly complicated at times and its action occasionally unrealistic.
By far, the sheer joy of experiencing this series is watching good actors at the top of their game embody incredibly well-written and cool characters. This is some of the best we’ve seen from Eddie Redmayne, matching and, at times, surpassing the brilliance he brought to The Danish Girl and The Theory of Everything. He’s in good company. Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die, Captain Marvel) is fierce, confident, and holds her own here as a tireless British intelligence officer hot on Jackal’s trail. Úrsula Corberó (Money Heist) delivers a memorable turn as Jackal’s suspicious wife, Nuria. The cast shines, and the series soars — if you can forgive some of its narrative meanderings midway through.
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Day of the Jackal Stars Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch Share Their Cat & Mouse Dynamic
Redmayne & Lynch discuss Peacock's new spy thriller series, an elaborate update of the classic '70s novel and film.
There are many moments where The Day of the Jackal matches the excitement found in the early seasons of series like Killing Eve and Homeland, pitting Jackal against two strong females seeking to obtain some kind of justice. There’s British intelligence officer Bianca Pullman (Lynch), who sets out on a mission to find Jackal, the mystery man who is assassinating people in seemingly impossible and unstoppable ways. Jackal’s wife Nuria becomes suspicious of her husband’s business and starts doing some of her own digging. She may not like what she finds.
This is a fine way to add some richness to the 1973 film, which tracked a far-right scheme to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle. It also gives Jackal more to juggle. Bianca and Nuria want Jackal for their own personal reasons — for Bianca, it’s a sense of accomplishment; for Nuria, a stand for herself and her family.
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There are others who want Jackal for something else entirely. In this series, several rich titans desperately want to thwart a giant tech entrepreneur, Ulle Dag Charles (Khalid Abdalla), dubbed UDC. Think softer Elon Musk. UDC’s new software, “River,” would reveal the true transparency of the financial dealings of the world’s richest people. Well, we know who Jackal’s next hit will be. He’s soon hired to take the guy out, but that proves to be tricky.
Day of the Jackal Is a Nail-Biting Tapestry of Thrills
All that certainly gives showrunner Ronan Bennett and the fine directors on board here — Anthony Philipson, Paul Wilmshurst, and Anu Menon — plenty to sift through. It also establishes the series as a straight-out cat-and-mouse spy thriller. This is a fine creative team who know how to tell a story well. It's refreshing, too, that Jackal isn't flawless in all his endeavors. There's an interesting creative swerve several episodes in which take Jackal far off track, putting him in newfound danger and at the risk of being exposed and caught by Bianca and Nuria both.
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We wouldn't be surprised if the core three — Eddie Redmayne, Lashana Lynch, Úrsula Corberó — receive Emmy nominations for their fine work here. Lynch, especially, delivers a tour du force performance, establishing Bianca as increasingly vigilant if not occasionally manic in her attempts to find Jackal. What it does to her home life and mom time is an eye-opener. Not that we had doubts about Lynch's acting skills, but this series perfectly sets up the fine actress for something even greater in the future. Meanwhile, between Redmayne's disguises and cool, calculated maneuvers his character must employ, even with loved ones and "friends," the actor is great at creating one of the most spectacular characters of the year.
The series does a fine job establishing all its characters as three-dimensional characters. There's not a lot of fluff. Every character feels fully realized. Kudos, too, to the series for also offering LGBTQ+ characters. It adds yet another layer of intrigue to this dynamic creative tapestry. Beyond that, there's a bevy of assassin hits, bombs, nail-biting cat-and-mouse scenarios — some far too over the top, but hey, they're wonderfully done — and jaw-dropping shockers. And that's more than enough to make The Day of the Jackal one of the best thrillers to hit streaming this year. The Day of the Jackal premieres on Peacock on November 7. Stream it through the link below:
Watch on Peacock
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