The Day of the Jackal

TLDR: Redmayne nails it. Lynch is miscast.

Unfortunately the leads are not on par with one another, which detracts from the otherwise spectacular and high quality production.

No shade to Lynch, it is just a high bar that Redmayne has set.

A more seasoned actor may have delivered a more credible counterpart/adversary charachter necessary to challenge The Jackal.

Overall the story is viable adaptation. The charachter development sort of works, although some things are just left open in the main charachter narratives, but that might be wanted. The locations, varied interactions, and Redmaynes delivery of languages and change of charachters really adds a special layer to the story arc. The deception barometer is on all the time in the background. I'm looking forward to seeing how Se01 ends and how the quality is maintained or improved upon in Se02. Hopefully Lynch eases up to be less forced and gives a more nuanced performance to try and meet Redmayne. If she does, Se02 could be quite promising.

Lynch is completely miscast. Her acting is poor. Why she was cast in this role when there are plenty of actresses to be better at it. It baffles me. Her character is not interesting just another role of an obsessive agent.

Eddie Redmayne can do anything, his range as an actor is impressive from theater drama, musicals, films. He never disappoints. In this role, he is solid in anything he performs.

The plot is interesting and catching.....funny how we cheer for the Jackal.... Not for the MÍ 6 agent. The series location is impressive and the plot is high octane thrill. It is not comparable to the original, this is a worthy adaptation to our current times.

Something about Lashana just didn't work for me-I can't quite put my finger on it. I'm not sure why they chose her for that role. She wasn't terrible, but it bugged me the entire time. :(

Eddie Redmayne absolutely nails it as the assassin, bringing a chilling, magnetic energy to the role. He's terrifying but somehow impossible to look away from, and every move he makes feels super calculated. Redmayne's mix of charm and menace is spot-on, making the character both fascinating and unsettling. Lashana Lynch as I said doesn't quite measure up. Her performance as the no-nonsense intelligence agent feels flat and a bit cliché, lacking the depth you'd expect from a story like this. In a movie that thrives on detail and complexity, her character comes off as one-note and underwhelming.

Overall, the film is intense and gripping, but the uneven performances hold it back a bit. Redmayne's incredible performance makes it worth checking out, even if Lynch's misses take away some of the impact.

I certainly did not have Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal on my streaming series bingo card for this year but there you go. It's great to see a classic novel given such a lavish production and it all plays really well as far as I'm concerned. The locations look gorgeous, the action sequences thus far, have been gripping and the performances have been compelling. Like other reviewers, I don't buy Lashana Lynch as the MI:6 operative and feel she was miscast in the role. On the flip side, it's always good to see Charles Dance flexing his acting muscles. Úrsula Corberó is lovely to watch on screen though I fear she's been a little underused.

Otherwise, a fine piece of old school cloak and dagger entertainment.

Eddie Redmayne was truly brilliant in this, he was on point for all the different characters he's plays on the show, and makes an excellent villain, however you are always rooting for him... because the female lead (Lynch) isn't great.. she comes off as insanely arrogant, and cold hearted, even to her own family and colleagues and in no way do you want her to catch him. She shows no emotion at any point in the series, and you end up just hating her character. However the jackal - you see 2 sides, his assassin side but then the side he spends with his family, where you understand him a bit more.

I loved the different location shots across Europe, and the fact the jackal knows these different languages.

I really hope there's another season, but think they need to rethink the female lead.