Close Menu
Geek Vibes Nation
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Geek Vibes Nation
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram TikTok
    • Home
    • News & Reviews
      • GVN Exclusives
      • Movie News
      • Television News
      • Movie & TV Reviews
      • Home Entertainment Reviews
      • Interviews
      • Lists
      • Anime
    • Gaming & Tech
      • Video Games
      • Technology
    • Comics
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Hockey
      • Pro Wrestling
      • UFC | Boxing
      • Fitness
    • More
      • Op-eds
      • Convention Coverage
      • Collectibles
      • Podcasts
      • Partner Content
    • Privacy Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
      • DMCA
      • Terms of Use
      • Contact
    • About
    Geek Vibes Nation
    Home » ‘The Day Of The Jackal’ Season 1 Review – Eddie Redmayne Stars In A Gripping Peacock Original Series
    • Featured, TV Show Reviews

    ‘The Day Of The Jackal’ Season 1 Review – Eddie Redmayne Stars In A Gripping Peacock Original Series

    • By M.N. Miller
    • November 27, 2024
    • No Comments
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Reddit
    • Bluesky
    • Threads
    • Pinterest
    • LinkedIn
    Eddie Redmayne stars in the Peacock original series, The Day of the Jackal (2024)

    The Day of the Jackal is easily Peacock’s most gripping original series this year. This new adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s classic novel is the first in a television format and delivers a compelling experience. Surprisingly, there have only been two prior attempts to adapt the 1972 Best Novel Edgar Award winner for the screen. And dare I say, this version of The Day of the Jackal rivals the best of them.

    Most notably in the critically acclaimed 1973 film by Fred Zinnemann. The Academy Award-winning director used a stoic, documentary-style approach to create an immersive and suspenseful story. The other is Bruce Willis’s take, The Jackal (1997), which I would call monotonous if it weren’t so laughable. (Do yourself a favor, head over to YouTube, and watch the scene with Jack Black, which is jaw-droppingly bad.)

    Eddie Redmayne stars in the Peacock original series The Day of the Jackal (2024) | Image via Universal International Studios
    Eddie Redmayne stars in the Peacock original series The Day of the Jackal (2024) | Image via Universal International Studios

    However, this version takes a different approach. The vehicle, designed for star Eddie Redmayne, leans toward mainstream entertainment but remains consistently interesting, suspenseful, and intriguing. Notably, Redmayne fully inhabits a role that is notoriously difficult to pull off. The duality of charm and coldness is a mix that the Academy Award winner handles exceptionally well, making Redmayne captivating in the role.

    Additionally, the script by showrunner and creator Ronan Bennett (Public Enemies, Top Boy) smartly humanizes a character who is far from redeemable. This is achieved by giving  Charles, aka “The Jackal,” a hidden personal life—a wife and child on the Spanish coast. Úrsula Corberó is excellent as Nuria, the Jackal’s wife, who begins to suspect that her husband is not a businessman when she catches a glimpse of him in a taxi rather than on the plane she believed he boarded after she dropped him off at the airport.

    Eddie Redmayne stars in the Peacock original series The Day of the Jackal (2024) | Image via Universal International Studios
    Eddie Redmayne stars in the Peacock original series The Day of the Jackal (2024) | Image via Universal International Studios

    Nuria doesn’t know Charles funds their lavish lifestyle as a highly paid assassin. Charles has just completed a job assassinating a far-right German political official. On his trail is MI6 agent and firearms expert Bianca Pullman (an excellent Lashana Lynch of Bob Marley: One Love), who works closely with German authorities. Bianca is a kick-ass agent, ruthless in her methods—she even sets up a mole to betray her husband by arresting their daughter, a plan that quickly goes bad. You’ll believe every moment of Lynch’s performance.

    Known for her standout roles in No Time to Die, Captain Marvel, and The Woman King, she portrays a modern-day spy with depth and flaws. That includes an obsessive streak that gives her character a rare three-dimensional quality. Bianca evokes an almost Popeye Doyle-like intensity from The French Connection. She’s unrelenting, driven, and morally complex. This duality in both her and Charles makes their dynamic fascinating. This makes them more layered and less enigmatic than the characters from the classic source material.

    Eddie Redmayne stars in the Peacock original series The Day of the Jackal (2024) | Image via Universal International Studios
    Eddie Redmayne stars in the Peacock original series The Day of the Jackal (2024) | Image via Universal International Studios

    That’s not all that makes The Day of the Jackal worth watching. For lack of a better term, the spycraft is incredibly cool. I dare anyone not to marvel at the ingenious ways Charles, especially in the first two episodes, manages to smuggle a highly advanced sniper rifle into some of the most secure locations. The series brilliantly offers shades of gray, subtly encouraging the viewer to root for the “bad guy” as he works to complete his mission.

    Overall, The Day of the Jackal is a thoroughly gripping, highly suspenseful, and exciting spy series featuring two outstanding performances from Redmayne and Lynch. While the series feels slightly stretched by one or two episodes—and there are moments when the chameleon-like assassin takes risks that seem questionably out of character—this genre series delivers pure popcorn entertainment from start to finish.

    You can stream The Day of the Jackal exclusively on Peacock. New episodes come out weekly, and the season finale will stream on December 12th. 

    8.0

    Overall, The Day of the Jackal is a thoroughly gripping, highly suspenseful, and exciting spy series featuring two outstanding performances from Redmayne and Lynch.

    • GVN Rating 8
    • User Ratings (1 Votes) 8.5
    M.N. Miller
    M.N. Miller

    I am a film and television critic and a proud member of the Las Vegas Film Critic Society, Critics Choice Association, and a 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes/Tomato meter approved. However, I still put on my pants one leg at a time, and that’s when I often stumble over. When I’m not writing about movies, I patiently wait for the next Pearl Jam album and pass the time by scratching my wife’s back on Sunday afternoons while she watches endless reruns of California Dreams. I was proclaimed the smartest reviewer alive by actor Jason Isaacs, but I chose to ignore his obvious sarcasm. You can also find my work on InSession Film, Ready Steady Cut, Hidden Remote, Music City Drive-In, Nerd Alert, and Film Focus Online.

    Related Posts

    Subscribe
    Login
    Notify of
    guest
    guest
    0 Comments
    Oldest
    Newest Most Voted
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments

    Hot Topics

    ‘Coyotes’ (2025) Review – Justin Long Vs Beasts In A Bloody And Funny Thriller
    7.0
    Hot Topic

    ‘Coyotes’ (2025) Review – Justin Long Vs Beasts In A Bloody And Funny Thriller

    By Phil WalshOctober 1, 20250
    ‘Good Boy’ (2025) Review – Man’s Best Friend In A Haunted House Makes For A Stirringly Poignant Horror Film
    8.0

    ‘Good Boy’ (2025) Review – Man’s Best Friend In A Haunted House Makes For A Stirringly Poignant Horror Film

    September 29, 2025
    ‘Anemone’ Review – Ronan Day-Lewis’ Debut Feature Is A Bold Visual Feast Anchored By Daniel Day-Lewis’ Tremendous Return [NYFF 2025]
    8.0

    ‘Anemone’ Review – Ronan Day-Lewis’ Debut Feature Is A Bold Visual Feast Anchored By Daniel Day-Lewis’ Tremendous Return [NYFF 2025]

    September 28, 2025
    ‘The Strangers: Chapter 2’ Review – Stranger Danger Has Lost All Meaning
    3.0

    ‘The Strangers: Chapter 2’ Review – Stranger Danger Has Lost All Meaning

    September 26, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram TikTok
    © 2025 Geek Vibes Nation

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    wpDiscuz