As titles go, The Assassin is pretty generic. But Prime Video's new action thriller is a fresh and fun take on the genre, as the hitwoman of the title is a middle-aged mum wrestling with her love for her son in between the headshots and wisecracks.
Streaming now on Amazon Prime Video (it landed last Friday), it's a six-episode shoot-'em-up starring Keeley Hawes as Julie, living a lonely, boozy retirement on a Greek island. Her anxious son Edward, played by Freddie Highmore of Bates Motel and The Good Doctor, arrives for a visit, but he has more than sunbathing in mind.
He wants his mum to finally tell him the truth about the father he's never known – and why a strange company has just transferred him a ton of cash.
Luckily for Julie, she's saved from answering. Unluckily, the interruption comes in the form of a sniper trying to kill them.
That bloody twist throws mother and son headlong into a globetrotting adventure pursued by armies of hitmen. Edward can hardly keep up as his sarcastic, savage mum races into the chaos and the air is filled with bullets, banter and plenty of loopy plot twists.
Basically, it's Shirley Valentine meets John Wick. Indeed, as The Guardian nicely put it, it's "like nothing else" out there.
If you liked Hawes in Bodyguard, or the recent mum-on-a-mission action of Netflix's Black Doves, then The Assassin is for you. From the opening one-shot shootout, the action is fast-paced and thrilling.
And there's a streak of dark humour in everything from Julie's straight-talking parenting style to the kitchen implements deployed in a brutal fight scene.
It's tough to balance this mix of tones, particularly when innocent bystanders are massacred. The plot also has a go at being a serious geopolitical spy thriller, like The Night Manager, with a conspiracy involving an imprisoned hacker and a vicious mining magnate.
But don't be fooled: this is more like an airport paperback – pulpy, self-aware fun that romps to the next kinetic set piece or high-stakes twist zooming into view.
And at the heart of it all is the relationship between mother and son. Highmore is wounded and sympathetic, while Hawes plays a mother who lies constantly but can't bring herself to fake maternal warmth.
Radio Times called their exchanges "hugely entertaining and funny", while Digital Spy noted that Julie’s struggles with her identity as a mother are “captivating”.
The emotional connection is what gives The Assassin a fresh twist on the genre – and if that's not your thing, the next shootout is barreling along on any second.
MORE:
The very best TVs to watch The Assassin on, curated by our expert TV reviewers
Missed out on Oasis at Wembley? This under-appreciated live album is the next best thing
This "bonkers" body horror movie now on home streaming is perfect for your Friday fright night
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
