Now that HBO's The Penguin has finished – and in fine fashion, with all eight episodes netting 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (a rare feat indeed) – I've been fishing around my Sky account for 'the next big thing'™. Well, it didn't take long to find just that – as I'm now hooked on a great new show.
The Day of the Jackal is a 10-part series – based on the original 1973 movie of the same name, and some 27 years after the 1997 Bruce Willis and Richard Gere remake in Jackal – starring Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne as the titular character. It's action-packed, as you'd expect, and as the trailer below reveals oh so well.
The Day of the Jackal is a Sky Original that began with five episodes on 7 November, with successive episodes six through 10 airing weekly thereafter, concluding on 12 December for UK audiences. Peacock, meanwhile, nets streaming rights from 14 November – although Now users in the UK can also stream in sequence along with Sky's weekly schedule.
I was borderline obsessed with the 1997 Jackal movie, largely for its soundtrack – there's a Massive Attack track that was never released on the opening credits – so that memory served well to enter Redmayne's version. The series has an altogether different feel about it, mind, but I'm already hooked – and counting down the days to each weekly episode.
The show has been largely well-received, with its Rotten Tomatoes score currently held at a steady 83% critics score (narrowly higher than the 78% audience equivalent). I've not seen all the show yet, of course, so which side of the fence I sit I'm still working out – as there are some very questionable moments in the show, but some outstanding scenes and cinematography to please too.
Lashana Lynch plays Bianca, an M16 agent, who seems written with the greatest intent so you'll dislike her at almost every turn, while other well-known stars, from Charles Dance to Richard Dormer (both known for Game of Thrones roles) flesh out a great cast. I shan't give away any spoilers here, as the show continues onward to its imminent season end next month. It's well worth tuning in – and I'm very curious as to where it'll go...
