Latest news with #TheAssassin
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
You can now binge all episodes of 'wall-to-wall action' Amazon spy thriller
Just days after Amazon Prime Video dropped The Assassin, which has been climbing up the streaming chart ever since, they have something else for TV watchers. All six episodes of Butterfly have now arrived, offering another tale of international espionage. Set in the bustling South Korean city of Seoul, the drama stars Daniel Dae Kim (of Lost and The Good Doctor) as the semi-retired gun-for-hire David Jung. The show kicks off in a high-end hotel, where a visiting politician is under surveillance for a bold assassination attempt (think Day of the Jackal vibe) which is being organised by a shady and deep-pocketed private intelligence agency. The young assassin on the job is Rebecca, played by Reina Hardesty. Next on her kill list is the rogue and not-really-retired agent David, who's highly trained in field work. Adapted from a graphic novel by Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett, it turns out that David and Rebecca are known to one another. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The former intelligence agent is on a mission to protect his wife and daughter, while also reckoning with an incident from his past that comes back to haunt him. Ominous stuff. 'A central question in our entire season is, 'Who can you trust?',' Kim told USA Today. 'And just because they're family, can you trust them? The ending to our season really speaks to that question.' Kim was an executive producer on the show and has already teased what they could tackle with a second season, saying there's 'a lot more story to tell, and there are places for all of our characters to go that I find really intriguing'. He added: 'So let's hope people like it enough to make that happen.' More Trending So far so good on that front. The show has totted up a 71% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with several positive write-ups to its name. Collider praised the 'wall-to-wall action' in the show, while The AV Club wrote: 'With a tight focus and impressive performances, Butterfly's basic spycraft story feels both elevated and entertaining.' TV Guide described the show as 'slick' and a 'solid spy series'. However, not every review can be glowing and The Hollywood Reporter bemoaned the show 'needed more time in the chrysalis'. You be the judge! View More » Butterfly is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Amazon Prime's ‘amazing' new crime thriller jumps to top of streaming charts
The Assassin, which was released on Amazon Prime Video last month, has leapt to the top of the platform's streaming charts. The action thriller stars Keeley Hawes as titular assassin Julie, who reunites with her estranged son (Edward, played by Freddie Highmore) after he tracks her down with questions about her past. The pair soon become entangled in a high-octane, high-stakes conspiracy when her past catches up with her. With a huge target on their backs, mother and son are forced to go on the run, in an ambitious plot Metro's own Sabrina Barr describes as 'Mamma Mia combined with Taken.' Released on July 25, the series earned rave reviews for its 'entertaining action' and shocking twists. This has helped The Assassin to fend off heavy hitters like Clarkson's Farm, The Summer I Turned Pretty and Neighbours in the battle of the UK streaming charts. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As per a report by Flixpatrol, The Assassin has become the most streamed piece of entertainment on Amazon Prime, beating 2023's Barbie and the Eddie Murphy vehicle The Pickup on its journey to supremacy. The Assassin is currently sitting at a 92% 'Fresh' rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with Empire Magazine praising its 'cutthroat action' and 'cutting' dynamic between its stars. Elsewhere, The Guardian described it as 'so much fun,' while The Telegraph called it 'Mamma Mia! with a sniper rifle.' While the audience score is more divided at 38%, those who enjoyed the show have responded well to its dark sense of humour and explosive action. 'Super fun. If you liked the tourist you'll like this series. Dark quirky humour with lots of action. This isn't for everyone you'll need to be able to think on your feet to enjoy the ride!' wrote Rotten Tomatoes user Kay M. 'This was fun, exciting and thrilling. I wished it lasted longer,' said Yeremiah A. Sas B chimed in: 'I loved this – the acting is amazing, the characters and situations fairly hilarious.. it's a dark comedy! More please!' Speaking on the blend of comedy and action, Freddie told Metro: '[The humour's] not too broad or too silly, but it complements the seriousness of it and gives it a bit of texture and nuance, and also keeps it quite real,' Freddie outlines. 'The characters are all accessible and approachable and definitely make mistakes. Even with Keeley's character, who's incredibly accomplished at what she does, the show doesn't try to make her impossibly perfect. 'I think a part of that is the sense of humour and that British dose of self-deprecation.' Meanwhile, Line of Duty and Finding Alice star Keeley has weighed in on her turn as the titular assassin, describing herself as 'basically the new Tom Cruise.' More Trending Reacting to the description of her character as a 'perimenopausal James Bond' she told The Observer: 'When I saw that line in the script, I howled with laughter. You even glimpse her popping HRT pills. I don't think I've ever seen that in a drama before. Going into the specifics of her action hero training she revealed: 'I had weapons training. There's a scene where I assemble a sniper rifle in a slick way. It's worryingly easy, actually. Even if you put the components of a rifle in front of me now, a year later, I could probably do it quite quickly. It's a bit like riding a bike.' View More » The Assassin is now available to watch on Prime Video in the UK & Ireland. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: All 6 episodes of 'spectacular' British thriller shoot up Netflix top 10 MORE: Jeremy Clarkson reveals Diddly Squat Farm has suffered another 'disastrous' blow MORE: 'Spicy' revenge thriller tops Netflix chart after being binged for 56,900,000 hours
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘The Assassin' series review: Keeley Hawes, Freddie Highmore stumble through a sporadically funny spy thriller
The absolute best thing about Harry and Jack Williams' The Assassin is Greece. The blue-green sea, the brilliant sunshine, the towering cliffs and the marvellous, hardy houses make you want to book the next flight (a cruise would be better) to Crete or Rhodes, and if you are feeling glamorous enough, the blue-and-white skyline of Mykanos. Since, however, one is watching a show for review, one has to firmly put away idyllic Grecian sojourns on sleek yachts belonging to crude millionaires and stare open-mouthed at the screen, wondering if there were flip phones in 1994. The Assassin cannot make up its mind if it is a spoof or should play it straight, so it hedges its bets with wit and bloody violence. At the end of six episodes, we are still not sure of the tone. The distracting plot holes include carrying a dead man's thumb around to open his phone, even though one can change the password in settings after the first time. To be fair, a character does suggest that course of action after taking out the thumb a million times to unlock the phone. Sigh. After the hit in Bulgaria in 1994 in the first episode, which took place in a time when there were flip phones in an alternate universe, the assassin Julie (Keeley Hawes) lives quietly on the prettiest Greek island ever. She is preparing for her journalist son, Edward's (Freddie Highmore) visit. Since the last time she saw him, Edward has turned vegan (there goes the wagyu beef into the bin). The Assassin (English) Creators: Harry and Jack Williams Cast: Keeley Hawes, Freddie Highmore, Gerald Kyd, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Devon Terrell, David Dencik, Alan Dale, Gina Gershon, Jack Davenport, Richard Dormer Season: 1 Episodes: 6 Runtime: 44- 51 minutes Storyline: A retired assassin and her estranged son work together to untangle a gigantic conspiracy Edward has questions about his father, especially since he got a big chunk of money when he turned 30. Julie gets a call from whom she first thinks is her handler, Damien (Richard Dormer), but later figures out he is not, based on the fact that he does not make tasteless comments. There is a shooting at a wedding, and suddenly, Julie, Edward and the local butcher, Luka (Gerald Kyd), swim to a swanky yacht, conveniently moored offshore. A mining baron, Aaron Cross (Alan Dale), owns the yacht and his children, Kayla (Shalom Brune-Franklin) and Ezra (Devon Terrell), are on the yacht when Julie, Luka and Edward crash in. Edward tells his mum he and Kayla are engaged, while Julie reveals that Kayla has the one she was ordered to kill by not-Damien. Kayla takes care of the charitable end of the family business while Ezra, the good times guy, is trying desperately to prove to his father that he is a worthy heir. There are all sorts of plots and sub-plots including brutally killing a former colleague, Sean (Jack Davenport); the permanently trenchcoat wearing Marie (Gina Gershon), who might be Edward's aunt or real mum; Jasper (David Dencik), a fingerless computer nerd trapped in a Libyan prison who might have the dirt on Cross; and a mysterious word, Chantaine, that could either be a fruit spread, a beloved poodle's name or a code word. The action flits from Tirana to London, France to Libya, Athens to Tripoli and Spain, which is all jolly good. While The Assassin is nothing like The Day of the Jackal, it is sporadic fun but mostly a patchy ride — massacring an entire village during a wedding is nothing to laugh at no? The Assassin is currently streaming on BBC Player
Metro
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'One of the smartest shows on television': Your favourite TV spy thrillers
Intricate plots, heart-pounding action sequences and bucketfuls of suspense. Just three of the ingredients that make the spy genre so gripping. Amazon Prime Video's new crime thriller, The Assassin, is no exception, having proved popular with critics since landing on the streamer last week. Metro's own TV editor, Sabrina Barr, awarded the series four stars, praising its 'gripping twists' and confessing it had her on the edge of her seat from the very beginning. The series stars Keeley Hawes, who is no stranger to spy thrillers, having previously appeared in Bodyguard and Spooks, as a retired former assassin living in Greece. Her life is turned upside down when her estranged son (played by Freddie Highmore) arrives on the remote island. They soon find themselves on the run, and she is reluctantly drawn back into her former profession. Following the popularity of The Assassin, we asked Metro readers to share more of their favourite TV spy thrillers. From a 'tantalising' limited series to long-running classics, these are the five shows that came highly recommended by our readers… 'I was immediately enraptured by The Assassin's fast-paced action and cleverly choreographed fight sequences, as well as the wry British wit embodied by Julie and Edward as they strive to make something of their awkward relationship. Despite the wild twists and turns of the story, it still feels relatable and grounded at its core. 'Julie's no-nonsense wisecracks are a joy to watch, as is Edward's bumbling nature as he's forced to grapple with his entire world being flipped upside down. While he's the sensible one, his mother lives life on the reckless side – an entertaining subversion of the typical roles played by a parent and child.' Read Sabrina's review in full. Metro readers James Lyddall and Pramuditha Lakshan both recommended The Night Manager, which boasts a star-studded cast including Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Debicki and Tom Hollander. The BBC thriller is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by John le Carré, who is known for his gripping novels about espionage. The critically acclaimed thriller aired on BBC One in 2016, picking up three Golden Globes among many other awards. It follows Jonathan Pine (Hiddleston), a former British soldier working as a hotel night porter, who must infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Roper (Laurie). In good news for its many fans, the BBC revealed last year that the spy thriller will be returning for not one but two new series, with Tom Hiddleston reprising his role. The release date for series two has not yet been confirmed. Where to watch: All six episodes of The Night Manager are available to watch on BBC iPlayer and Prime Video. Another award-winning series, The Americans, came highly recommended by Metro readers. Simone Rumfitt and Chathurinda Sumithraarachchi both suggested the series, which is set during the Cold War and follows the marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) are in an arranged marriage, but their connection soon becomes genuine. As the demands of their job increase, so does the personal toll, and their ability to protect both their cover and their family's safety becomes much more difficult. One reader said of the series, which aired between 2013 and 2018: 'This is a top five favourite show for me, not a single misstep or bad season, just a show that started great and got consistently better season to season and ends perfectly.' Many fans have raved about the ending of The Americans, with one reader hailing it as: 'One of the best series finales ever.' Where to watch: All six seasons of The Americans are available to stream on Channel 4. Unsurprisingly, several Metro readers also praised Apple TV Plus smash hit Slow Horses — and particularly Gary Oldman's performance as the dishevelled and obnoxious Secret Service agent Jackson Lamb. A user calling themselves Green4cl0ver added of the series, which follows a dysfunctional group of MI5 outcasts: 'This is how modern spy shows should be!' The show is so popular that it's already been renewed for a seventh season, even though the fifth instalment is yet to air. Set in modern-day London, the agents, who have been relegated to a run-down office called Slough House, must navigate the smoke and mirrors world of espionage along with their rude and flatulent boss. Slow Horses season five will arrive on Apple TV Plus on September 24. Metro TV reporter Ruth Lawes awarded the latest season of Slow Horses five stars in her review, writing that the show 'should be bigger than Line of Duty'. 'The drama does away with most thriller tropes – from an overabundance of female victims to missing children in backwater towns – and is all the more compelling for it. 'Season 4 takes this up a notch by making the plot, normally what drives any thriller, almost secondary to the characters. 'Despite their various vulgarities, I cried twice during the season because, for the first time in a long time in a crime drama, I actually cared about them. 'It's not just Oldman, who puts in a performance of a lifetime, but the rest of the Slough House misfits I'm rooting for too.' Read Ruth's full review. Where to watch: All four episodes of Slow Horses are available to watch on Apple TV Plus. Elsewhere, Netflix hit The Diplomat was praised by Metro readers as 'one of the smartest shows on television'. The series follows a US diplomat (played by Keri Russell), who juggles her job as ambassador to the United Kingdom with her strained marriage to a political star (Rufus Sewell). As she attempts to defuse international crises and form strategic alliances with other countries, her husband Hal finds it difficult to step out of the spotlight and let his wife shine. And there's more to come, with the series soon returning for a third season. Though the release date is yet to be confirmed, Netflix has said The Diplomat season three is expected to land in Autumn 2025. Where to watch: Both seasons of The Diplomat are available to watch on Netflix. Several readers mentioned BBC series Spooks, which ran for 10 seasons between 2002 and 2011. It follows a group of MI5 operatives who are tasked with keeping Britain safe from organised crime and terrorist activity. Metro reader Val Howard said it's so good that they're rewatching all the old episodes. More Trending The show saw a number of stars make appearances throughout, including The Assassin's Keeley Hawes as well as Matthew Macfadyen, Robert Hardy, Nicola Walker and Hugh Laurie, to name a few. The complex plots and strong characters made Spooks an instant hit for the BBC, with audiences showering praise on the series. Though some viewers at the time criticised the activities of the intelligence officers as unrealistic, audiences in recent years have commented on how relevant some of the storylines are to today. View More » Where to watch: All 10 series of Spooks are available to watch on BBC iPlayer and UKTV. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Channel 4 comedy branded 'a gift' to be greatest comeback of 2025 MORE: 'I'm a TV critic – I'm convinced Netflix's August thriller will blow me away' MORE: TV fans can finally binge 'unmissable' crime drama on free UK streamer
The Advertiser
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Killer thriller takes you on a wild European ride
When 30-year-old journalist Edward arrives on a small Greek island to spend some time with his distant mum Julie, he finds himself thrown into a world he never knew existed and ends up running for his life. That's because Julie is an assassin, and she's forced out of retirement when other professionals are sent to take her out. This leads to a massacre at a wedding in the village, and some very awkward conversations between the pair. Edward had no idea his mother was a trained killer and now he's got to go on the run with her. The duo are played by Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor, Bates Motel) and Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard, Line of Duty), each straddling the line between drama and dark comedy. While Hawes owns the role and brings a great energy, Highmore seems a little out of his depth and never quite matches his co-star's tone. The six-episode series is a British-Australian co-production with action taking place all over Europe. There's conspiracies, blackmail, pursuits, you name it. But as the series progresses you find yourself increasingly wondering if The Assassin knows where it's going. It teases so many different story threads that you'd hope would have a solid payoff, but ultimately just fizzle out. By the time the finale rolls around, it seems that teenagers have taken over the writing tasks because this train goes completely off the rails. You might be tempted to finish the show just to solve the mysteries, but The Assassin is really not worth the trouble. That said, Aussie Devon Terrell (Totally Completely Fine) gives a spirited performance as the shallow, drug-taking son of an Aussie billionaire played by Alan Dale. Based on the novel by Esi Edugyan, Washington Black is a historical fiction series, following the titular George Washington Black across two timelines. In one, the young 'Wash' as he's known is a slave on a plantation in Barbados, looked after by another enslaved person with no knowledge of his birth family. The brother of the English slave-owner rolls into town in a fancy steam-powered vehicle - a shocking sight in the 1800s - and takes an interest in young Wash's astute mind. The pair end up setting out on an adventure together, but the dynamic is always awkward being that Wash is technically still owned by this man's family. The second timeline sees a now older Wash going by the name 'Jack Crawford' and living in Nova Scotia, Canada, in a city at the end of the famous Underground Railroad. He meets an English woman with mixed ancestry and is immediately taken with her, despite their differences in circumstances. The show is sprawling and beautifully costumed, but the reliance on CGI and weirdly juvenile storytelling is a drawback. In the grand tradition of RPA or 24 Hours in A&E, Netflix's Critical: Between Life and Death, takes viewers behind the scenes of series medical emergencies. Set in London, the docuseries focuses on significant trauma cases, and the paramedics, dispatchers, helicopter pilots, doctors, surgeons, nurses and coordinators who make these cases run as smoothly as possible. What's remarkable is how calmly and quietly these medical professionals go about their jobs - a far cry from the chaos people who religiously watched ER would come to expect from such occasions. The show also catches up with the people and their families involved in the accidents and incidents that led them to needing serious medical attention. There's plenty of documentary action to be found on your streaming services this week. On Stan you'll find The Accidental President, a fascinating feature documentary about the remarkable story of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who challenged the Belarusian dictator by running for president against him. Disney+ has a docuseries from producer Ryan Coogler (known for Black Panther, Sinners) called Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, looking back at the devastating natural disaster of 2005 in New Orleans. Also on Disney+ is a true crime docuseries, Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit. Over on Prime Video you'll find another season of docuseries Shiny Happy People, this time focusing on Teen Mania, an evangelical Christian youth organisation out of Texas. While Netflix has some happier documentary fare with Hitmakers, a series focusing on the songwriters and producers behind some of the world's biggest musical artists. There's also, of course, Netflix's huge film release of recent times: Happy Gilmore 2. When 30-year-old journalist Edward arrives on a small Greek island to spend some time with his distant mum Julie, he finds himself thrown into a world he never knew existed and ends up running for his life. That's because Julie is an assassin, and she's forced out of retirement when other professionals are sent to take her out. This leads to a massacre at a wedding in the village, and some very awkward conversations between the pair. Edward had no idea his mother was a trained killer and now he's got to go on the run with her. The duo are played by Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor, Bates Motel) and Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard, Line of Duty), each straddling the line between drama and dark comedy. While Hawes owns the role and brings a great energy, Highmore seems a little out of his depth and never quite matches his co-star's tone. The six-episode series is a British-Australian co-production with action taking place all over Europe. There's conspiracies, blackmail, pursuits, you name it. But as the series progresses you find yourself increasingly wondering if The Assassin knows where it's going. It teases so many different story threads that you'd hope would have a solid payoff, but ultimately just fizzle out. By the time the finale rolls around, it seems that teenagers have taken over the writing tasks because this train goes completely off the rails. You might be tempted to finish the show just to solve the mysteries, but The Assassin is really not worth the trouble. That said, Aussie Devon Terrell (Totally Completely Fine) gives a spirited performance as the shallow, drug-taking son of an Aussie billionaire played by Alan Dale. Based on the novel by Esi Edugyan, Washington Black is a historical fiction series, following the titular George Washington Black across two timelines. In one, the young 'Wash' as he's known is a slave on a plantation in Barbados, looked after by another enslaved person with no knowledge of his birth family. The brother of the English slave-owner rolls into town in a fancy steam-powered vehicle - a shocking sight in the 1800s - and takes an interest in young Wash's astute mind. The pair end up setting out on an adventure together, but the dynamic is always awkward being that Wash is technically still owned by this man's family. The second timeline sees a now older Wash going by the name 'Jack Crawford' and living in Nova Scotia, Canada, in a city at the end of the famous Underground Railroad. He meets an English woman with mixed ancestry and is immediately taken with her, despite their differences in circumstances. The show is sprawling and beautifully costumed, but the reliance on CGI and weirdly juvenile storytelling is a drawback. In the grand tradition of RPA or 24 Hours in A&E, Netflix's Critical: Between Life and Death, takes viewers behind the scenes of series medical emergencies. Set in London, the docuseries focuses on significant trauma cases, and the paramedics, dispatchers, helicopter pilots, doctors, surgeons, nurses and coordinators who make these cases run as smoothly as possible. What's remarkable is how calmly and quietly these medical professionals go about their jobs - a far cry from the chaos people who religiously watched ER would come to expect from such occasions. The show also catches up with the people and their families involved in the accidents and incidents that led them to needing serious medical attention. There's plenty of documentary action to be found on your streaming services this week. On Stan you'll find The Accidental President, a fascinating feature documentary about the remarkable story of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who challenged the Belarusian dictator by running for president against him. Disney+ has a docuseries from producer Ryan Coogler (known for Black Panther, Sinners) called Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, looking back at the devastating natural disaster of 2005 in New Orleans. Also on Disney+ is a true crime docuseries, Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit. Over on Prime Video you'll find another season of docuseries Shiny Happy People, this time focusing on Teen Mania, an evangelical Christian youth organisation out of Texas. While Netflix has some happier documentary fare with Hitmakers, a series focusing on the songwriters and producers behind some of the world's biggest musical artists. There's also, of course, Netflix's huge film release of recent times: Happy Gilmore 2. When 30-year-old journalist Edward arrives on a small Greek island to spend some time with his distant mum Julie, he finds himself thrown into a world he never knew existed and ends up running for his life. That's because Julie is an assassin, and she's forced out of retirement when other professionals are sent to take her out. This leads to a massacre at a wedding in the village, and some very awkward conversations between the pair. Edward had no idea his mother was a trained killer and now he's got to go on the run with her. The duo are played by Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor, Bates Motel) and Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard, Line of Duty), each straddling the line between drama and dark comedy. While Hawes owns the role and brings a great energy, Highmore seems a little out of his depth and never quite matches his co-star's tone. The six-episode series is a British-Australian co-production with action taking place all over Europe. There's conspiracies, blackmail, pursuits, you name it. But as the series progresses you find yourself increasingly wondering if The Assassin knows where it's going. It teases so many different story threads that you'd hope would have a solid payoff, but ultimately just fizzle out. By the time the finale rolls around, it seems that teenagers have taken over the writing tasks because this train goes completely off the rails. You might be tempted to finish the show just to solve the mysteries, but The Assassin is really not worth the trouble. That said, Aussie Devon Terrell (Totally Completely Fine) gives a spirited performance as the shallow, drug-taking son of an Aussie billionaire played by Alan Dale. Based on the novel by Esi Edugyan, Washington Black is a historical fiction series, following the titular George Washington Black across two timelines. In one, the young 'Wash' as he's known is a slave on a plantation in Barbados, looked after by another enslaved person with no knowledge of his birth family. The brother of the English slave-owner rolls into town in a fancy steam-powered vehicle - a shocking sight in the 1800s - and takes an interest in young Wash's astute mind. The pair end up setting out on an adventure together, but the dynamic is always awkward being that Wash is technically still owned by this man's family. The second timeline sees a now older Wash going by the name 'Jack Crawford' and living in Nova Scotia, Canada, in a city at the end of the famous Underground Railroad. He meets an English woman with mixed ancestry and is immediately taken with her, despite their differences in circumstances. The show is sprawling and beautifully costumed, but the reliance on CGI and weirdly juvenile storytelling is a drawback. In the grand tradition of RPA or 24 Hours in A&E, Netflix's Critical: Between Life and Death, takes viewers behind the scenes of series medical emergencies. Set in London, the docuseries focuses on significant trauma cases, and the paramedics, dispatchers, helicopter pilots, doctors, surgeons, nurses and coordinators who make these cases run as smoothly as possible. What's remarkable is how calmly and quietly these medical professionals go about their jobs - a far cry from the chaos people who religiously watched ER would come to expect from such occasions. The show also catches up with the people and their families involved in the accidents and incidents that led them to needing serious medical attention. There's plenty of documentary action to be found on your streaming services this week. On Stan you'll find The Accidental President, a fascinating feature documentary about the remarkable story of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who challenged the Belarusian dictator by running for president against him. Disney+ has a docuseries from producer Ryan Coogler (known for Black Panther, Sinners) called Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, looking back at the devastating natural disaster of 2005 in New Orleans. Also on Disney+ is a true crime docuseries, Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit. Over on Prime Video you'll find another season of docuseries Shiny Happy People, this time focusing on Teen Mania, an evangelical Christian youth organisation out of Texas. While Netflix has some happier documentary fare with Hitmakers, a series focusing on the songwriters and producers behind some of the world's biggest musical artists. There's also, of course, Netflix's huge film release of recent times: Happy Gilmore 2. When 30-year-old journalist Edward arrives on a small Greek island to spend some time with his distant mum Julie, he finds himself thrown into a world he never knew existed and ends up running for his life. That's because Julie is an assassin, and she's forced out of retirement when other professionals are sent to take her out. This leads to a massacre at a wedding in the village, and some very awkward conversations between the pair. Edward had no idea his mother was a trained killer and now he's got to go on the run with her. The duo are played by Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor, Bates Motel) and Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard, Line of Duty), each straddling the line between drama and dark comedy. While Hawes owns the role and brings a great energy, Highmore seems a little out of his depth and never quite matches his co-star's tone. The six-episode series is a British-Australian co-production with action taking place all over Europe. There's conspiracies, blackmail, pursuits, you name it. But as the series progresses you find yourself increasingly wondering if The Assassin knows where it's going. It teases so many different story threads that you'd hope would have a solid payoff, but ultimately just fizzle out. By the time the finale rolls around, it seems that teenagers have taken over the writing tasks because this train goes completely off the rails. You might be tempted to finish the show just to solve the mysteries, but The Assassin is really not worth the trouble. That said, Aussie Devon Terrell (Totally Completely Fine) gives a spirited performance as the shallow, drug-taking son of an Aussie billionaire played by Alan Dale. Based on the novel by Esi Edugyan, Washington Black is a historical fiction series, following the titular George Washington Black across two timelines. In one, the young 'Wash' as he's known is a slave on a plantation in Barbados, looked after by another enslaved person with no knowledge of his birth family. The brother of the English slave-owner rolls into town in a fancy steam-powered vehicle - a shocking sight in the 1800s - and takes an interest in young Wash's astute mind. The pair end up setting out on an adventure together, but the dynamic is always awkward being that Wash is technically still owned by this man's family. The second timeline sees a now older Wash going by the name 'Jack Crawford' and living in Nova Scotia, Canada, in a city at the end of the famous Underground Railroad. He meets an English woman with mixed ancestry and is immediately taken with her, despite their differences in circumstances. The show is sprawling and beautifully costumed, but the reliance on CGI and weirdly juvenile storytelling is a drawback. In the grand tradition of RPA or 24 Hours in A&E, Netflix's Critical: Between Life and Death, takes viewers behind the scenes of series medical emergencies. Set in London, the docuseries focuses on significant trauma cases, and the paramedics, dispatchers, helicopter pilots, doctors, surgeons, nurses and coordinators who make these cases run as smoothly as possible. What's remarkable is how calmly and quietly these medical professionals go about their jobs - a far cry from the chaos people who religiously watched ER would come to expect from such occasions. The show also catches up with the people and their families involved in the accidents and incidents that led them to needing serious medical attention. There's plenty of documentary action to be found on your streaming services this week. On Stan you'll find The Accidental President, a fascinating feature documentary about the remarkable story of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who challenged the Belarusian dictator by running for president against him. Disney+ has a docuseries from producer Ryan Coogler (known for Black Panther, Sinners) called Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, looking back at the devastating natural disaster of 2005 in New Orleans. Also on Disney+ is a true crime docuseries, Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit. Over on Prime Video you'll find another season of docuseries Shiny Happy People, this time focusing on Teen Mania, an evangelical Christian youth organisation out of Texas. While Netflix has some happier documentary fare with Hitmakers, a series focusing on the songwriters and producers behind some of the world's biggest musical artists. There's also, of course, Netflix's huge film release of recent times: Happy Gilmore 2.
