The Day of the Jackal

Munich, London, Paris, New York, Seville, Belfast, Bavaria, Riga… new spy thriller The Day of the Jackal has gone all out to envelop you in bustling metropolises and sumptuous locations.

There’s money on the screen in the new series starring Eddie Redmayne as the conniving Jackal of the title.

The reimagining of Frederick Forsythe’s novel of the same name is expanded 10 episodes which, unlike a good ol’ James Bond adventure, demands much of its audience. Thankfully it delivers on several fronts.

The action opens with the Jackal heavily disguised and undertaking his first of many covert activites, first in Munich. While the original 1973 film centered around a plot to kill French President Charles de Gaulle, this time a target is a candidate for German Chancellor (review embargos forbid me from detailing if he is successful). Is that slightly awkward given recent events in the USA?

Suffice to say his actions attract the attention of MI6 intelligence officer Bianca (Lashana Lynch) who is both compelled by his finesse and determined to halt him in his tracks. Biance is both skilled MI6 officer and devoted mother to a teenage daughter, the first of several family characters to not know what their loved one is truly undertaking in their unique employ.

Meanwhile our anti-hero is secretly offered a multi-million dollar hit job on a software billionaire (Khalid Abdalla) who in a gift to the world is about to release new software known as River, which will effectively make all bank accounts transparent.

When he isn’t a master of disguise, aiming his high-powered long range rifle, or eluding authorities at every step, Jackal is chilling in his stunning Spanish villa overlooking the Meditteranean with equally-stunning wife Nuria (Úrsula Corberó) and baby son. Once again, the character lives a double life. The work-life balance of these characters is notably highlighted as an emotive tug-of-war, whether goodies or baddies….

Other key characters include Bianca’s Belfast asset Isabel (Lia Williams), a US corporate mogul Timothy Winthorp (Charles Dance) and go-between Zina (Eleanor Matsuura).

Amid the alluring city skylines, cat-and-mouse chases and spy tricks -all of which are pretty darn satisfying- we are left with moral choices and duplicitous actions which are increasingly similar on both sides of good / evil. It’s ok to lie, cheat, steal, kill as a means to an end, right? Who cares when there is another drop-dead gorgeous Euro-setting that looks sensational on the screen….. hmm.

Eddie Redmayne plays it completely cool, whispering dialogue and betraying his boyish charms with cold-blooded killer precision. This helps make the series unexpected fun.

Lashana Lynch is no shrinking violet as a smart, gritty MI6 officer, whose instincts must win the day. Just a pity that she missed parent-teacher night in order to save the world.

The series also oozes in sleepy, sultry pop songs which all sound like they have dropped off the latest Billie Eilish album. They are often dragged out for effect, just because.

The jury is out on whether this requires 10 episodes to tell its tale, but like the best of The Night Manager or Spooks, it hums along as a handsome, sometimes dastardly ride, all the same.

The Day of the Jackal 9pm Thursday on Showcase / Binge.