When the Past Comes Packing Heat

Read Time:5 Minute, 27 Second

TV SERIES REVIEW
The Assassin
–

Genre: Action, Thriller, Dark Comedy
Year Released: 2025 (AMC+, UK)
Runtime: 6 episodes (approx. 5h total)
Director(s): Lisa Mulcahy, Daniel Nettheim
Writer(s): Harry Williams, Jack Williams, Hamish Wright, Krissie Ducker, Selina Lim
Cast: Keeley Hawes, Freddie Highmore, Gina Gershon, David Dencik, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Gerald Kyd, Devon Terrell, Alan Dale, Richard Dormer, Jack Davenport
Where to Watch: premieres exclusively on AMC+ Thursday, November 20, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: From the opening gunshot echoing across the Aegean, THE ASSASSIN makes one thing clear — this isn’t your standard spy thriller. Keeley Hawes stars as Julie, a retired contract killer trying to live quietly on a sun-drenched Greek island, only for her estranged son Edward (Freddie Highmore) to arrive with questions that crack open her carefully sealed past. What begins as an awkward family reunion quickly unravels into an international chase, testing both their survival skills and their ability to trust each other.

Hawes remains the glue holding everything together. Her portrayal of Julie is cool under fire but visibly fractured beneath the surface. Hawes captures that contradiction — the hardened professional and the regretful mother — with subtlety that most of the surrounding chaos doesn’t deserve. Her sardonic edge makes even the quieter moments sting with tension. There’s a weariness in her performance, as if she’s as exhausted by the show’s constant tonal shifts as Julie is by her own life.

Freddie Highmore’s Edward, meanwhile, feels like the wildcard that never fully connects. The father-mystery subplot that drives his motivations could have deepened the story, but the writing undercuts it with uneven humor and clumsy dialogue. Highmore brings his trademark sincerity, yet Edward’s frustration often feels more like sitcom discomfort than emotional rupture. The two leads share moments of chemistry — especially when they’re arguing between dodging gunfire — but their relationship rarely grows beyond strained repartee.

There are flashes of brilliance. The first episode’s setup — the serene island life violently interrupted by ghosts of the past — promises more than the series delivers, but the pacing is taut. Episode two gives the duo a brief chance to breathe, building a rhythm of near-misses and sardonic exchanges that almost feel like Coen Brothers light. When the show leans into its absurdity, it works. When it attempts to tap into emotional depth, it stumbles.

The most interesting thread, and the one that deserved more attention, is the show’s underlying theme: whether redemption is possible for someone whose entire life has been defined by killing. Julie’s attempts to mother while staying one step ahead of assassins should have been fertile ground for moral conflict. Instead, it’s often sidelined in favor of flashy set pieces and uneven humor. There’s a version of this story that’s tighter, darker, and far more affecting — but AMC+’s take leans toward the disposable fun of a mid-budget streaming thriller.

Technically, THE ASSASSIN is polished. The cinematography balances natural light with sleek, close-quarters action, and the editing keeps the pace moving briskly. The soundtrack, blending pulsating electronic cues with traditional Greek instrumentation, gives the chase scenes a unique texture (along with a sampling from a score that I’ve heard but couldn’t quite place). Yet the production values can’t fully disguise a script that’s content to recycle tropes rather than reinvent them.

Hawes and Highmore’s dynamic hints at something profound — two people forced to see each other not as parent and child but as equals in danger — but the writing rarely follows through. There are moments when the series almost earns its emotional impact, especially when Julie confronts the ghosts of her former targets. Unfortunately, these glimpses of depth are often overshadowed by filler dialogue and uneven humor, which dilutes their impact. I think Highmore’s best role will forever be his lead in THE GOOD DOCTOR, for better or worse.

That said, the show never collapses. Even at its most inconsistent, THE ASSASSIN remains watchable thanks to its leads and visuals. It’s stylish escapism with moments of sharp character work, and it benefits from AMC+’s typically high production polish. Still, it’s hard not to wish the story had trusted its own premise more — an aging assassin confronting both her mortality and motherhood could have been a fascinating, character-driven study. Instead, it settles for being a breezy, sometimes confused blend of espionage and family dramedy.

By the finale, the series seems aware of its contradictions. It doesn’t resolve every question, nor does it try to. Instead, it leaves the door open for more — or perhaps wisely closes it on a story that’s stylish but emotionally hollow. THE ASSASSIN fires in every direction but rarely hits its mark. Saved by Keeley Hawes’s commanding performance and a sleek visual presentation, this AMC+ thriller entertains without ever becoming essential. It’s a fun watch with a promising premise that never quite finds its aim — too self-aware to be serious, too restrained to be bold, and too scattered to leave a lasting scar.

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[photo courtesy of AMC+, ALL3MEDIA INTERNATIONAL, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, STAN, TWO BROTHERS PICTURES, ZWEITES DEUTSCHES FERNSEHEN (ZDF)]

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