Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch lead a solid contemporary reimagining of The Day of the Jackal
“Something definitely went wrong in Belarus”
With what seems like every other new major TV show, the powers-that-be find a new and different way to release their content. Showing on Sky Atlantic in the UK(Peacock in the US), The Day of the Jackal has opted to drop half of its ten episodes in one fell swoop to announce its arrival, switching to a weekly release thereafter for the second half of the series. Trying to get the best of both worlds (of bingeing and appointment to view) often means that things disappoint on both levels, so we’ll have to wait and see in that regard, if the show manages to build a head of steam in the weeks to come but if we’re brutally honest, Sky Atlantic isn’t the channel where things go to get noticed.
Written and created by Ronan Bennett, The Day of the Jackal is an adaptation of the Frederick Forysth novel, previously made into a well-regarded film in 1973 but reimagined here into a sleekly contemporary political setting. Eddie Redmayne plays The Jackal, an assassin with a peerless reputation of being one of the most talented marksmen in the world. He’s ruthless too, a major plot strand here sees him executing a high-profile, high-difficulty kill, leaving that particular country only to discover payment hasn’t been made so he circles back to also then kill his client for withholding the funds due to him. A gruesomely efficient killer, who also happens to have a wife and baby.
This aspect feels less well developed thus far which is a real shame as Money Heist’s Tokyo herself Úrsula Corberó plays the Jackal’s wife Nuria. The scenes in their Spanish home feel somewhat bolted on and disconnected to the rest of the show, her family’s increasing suspicion of a guy who is forever taking long business trips away almost sitcom-like in their plodding nature. More effective is the contrast with Lashana Lynch’s Bianca, the British intelligence officer who has made it her mission to track down the Jackal but even she is lumbered with a family side plot that distracts as much as it details her life. It is much substantively integrated into the wider narrative which helps.
In the spirit of all good British TV dramas, there’s some serious thespian heavyweight talent supporting the leads. Lia Williams. Chuk Iwuji and Jonjo O’Neill are all simmering tension in their MI6 departments, Charles Dance is fun as a ne’er-do-well, Eleanor Matsuura is intriguing as someone on the wrong side too, and Kate Dickie and Patrick O’Kane are marvellously good as a Belfast couple wrapped up in MI6’s attempts to track the Jackal down through the gunsmith who crafted the unique sniper rifle he’s been using to such devastating effect. Overall, rather watchable, although it’s not quite fun enough to merit the binge – I’d spread out the episodes a couple at a time to maintain the interest.
