The Assassin

I rarely bother writing reviews, but having read some of the reviews here, felt I had to say a few things, as it seems people are taking this series far too seriously and not getting the daft and dry British humour of the show.

Before watching, I guessed this would be a ludicrous plot and would be a parody of the whole "retired assassin" genre. I mean, Keeley Hawes as a menopausal super assassin and her son played by the eternally child-like Freddie Highmore? Yeah, this is no John Wick lol.

Of course it's not a masterpiece, but it's great fun throughout, never gets boring and is well written and acted - and ridiculously violent and gory for good measure. It's a massive pisstake, as we say in the UK, of the entire "badass comes back from retirement" movie/TV trope. You almost expect Keeley Hawes character to get out a tissue and wipe the blood off her son's cheek throughout.

It's completely unbelievable, but then that's the point. It's also incredibly funny and enjoyable, and "knows" it is ridiculous, so it knowingly takes us viewers along for the ride. Just sit back and enjoy that ride and you'll not be disappointed.

Love Keeley Hawes & Freddie Highmore in everything they've done, such talented actors. In this they are also fabulous but the script & some of the cast let them down. It went from a fun farce to what felt like a dated daytime soap opera. Not great & certainly not interesting enough to make me want to watch more than the 1st episode & that was painful.

Starts in 1994 where she takes out a flip phone that was released in 2004 That was a bad start and after doesn't get much better.

I really can't tell if this is supposed to be series of a bad comedy Freddie Highmore stuck in his spectrum doctors voice from his other terrible show I'm only surprised he doesn't walk around shouting I'm A Surgeon I'm A Surgeon.

Having consumed all six episodes of 'The Assassin' (2025) in a single viewing, I can confidently assert the reliability of my assessment. A common sentiment among lower-rated reviews suggests an expectation of a more somber tone, akin to 'Dept. Q,' perhaps with a touch of humor and tones of cursing/F-word. However, 'The Assassin' distinguishes itself from such comparisons, save for the presence of dry British humor, which may not resonate universally out of the UK. While I also totally enjoyed 'Dept. Q,' finding it comparable to 'Sherlock Holmes,' 'The Assassin' aligns more closely with the unserious nature of 'The Black Doves,' released during the Christmas season.

What's undeniable is that Keeley Hawes absolutely shines as a retired assassin obliged to get back into murky business, continually delivers compelling moments amidst a narrative that embraces its own absurdity. The series thus eschews seriousness in favor of an entertaining and unpredictable experience, balancing humorous dialogue and actions with intense action sequences; even if those sequences occasionally stretch the boundaries of the believability and the established rules of espionage/assassin thrillers. While Freddie Highmore's performance occasionally falters, particularly in portraying stronger reactions to early violence as he's still unfamiliar with lethal territory (I firmly believe he's still stuck in "The Good Doctor" phase - since he played the role for so long that he could've easily obtained an MD degree and even further pursued a PhD in medicine - that he should take the very much needed break to try to get out of the character), his dedication is certainly quite evident.

Ultimately, I recommend viewers approach 'The Assassin' with an open mind, appreciating it for its intended nature rather than preconceived expectations.

Watched this as I was told it was good by a friend. May need to reconsider my friends.

The opening few minutes combine very poor acting, bad fight choreography, very questionable directing decisions and childish staging to make what is supposed to be an exciting opener into an amateur mess.

The plot gets no better with scripting and storylines that are forced and obvious. The acting is generally poor (sorry guys) but I don't blame them entirely as the whole thing is really difficult to get into. Wooden characters, bad writing etc.

I'd avoid. There are much better assassin/spy programmes. Don't waste your time.