Reimagined into a contemporary political setting, this series is based on a classic novel which centres on a ruthless British assassin (Eddie Redmayne), known only as the “Jackal”, and the intelligence officer tasked with capturing him.

When it comes to the thriller genre, Fredrick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal ranks as one of the all-time great narratives. An immediate sensation when it was published in 1971, Forsyth’s novel was a hit with audiences due to its focus on authenticity, detail and real-world tradecraft that Forsyth meticulously researched in the writing process. It also introduced audiences to his terrifying antagonist, the nameless assassin known only as The Jackal, whose clear, precise and sociopathic nature continues to ensnare audiences to this day. Now, in 2024, The Day of the Jackel is back. The result is a sprawling espionage thriller of international scope and tense, dramatic moments, with lauded actor and Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne taking on the role of the sinister assassin, and audiences will get caught up in this series very quickly.

The Day of the Jackal elevated the political thriller in the early 1970s to new heights, with its legacy being felt throughout successive film and television narratives over the last five decades. Series showrunner Ronan Bennett understands this legacy and finds a new way into the story through its focus on international politics, the worlds of high finance and technology, and the tensions between those who want to retain the status quo and those who wish for a new social order. Bennett directs the action of this series into two direct narratives, the first follows that of the actions of The Jackal, as he is recruited for his most dangerous, and possibly, final mission, and that of Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch), an MI6 firearms expert, who is assigned to uncover who this mysterious assassin is, and their dual narratives become a twisting, intertwined journey in a race against time. Bennett understands the need for tension and pace, and he keeps both of his characters busy, which fuels the thrilling experience of the series.

Taking on the lead of the mysterious and utterly lethal assassin known only as The Jackal is Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne. And he makes for a perfect fit. Redmayne has long stated that he was a fan of both the original novel and the 1973 film, and in this new adaptation, he makes the Jackal his own. Redmayne totally transforms into the dead-eyed, calculating and utterly ruthless killer who goes to great lengths to see his contracts through. It’s clear through Jackal’s multiple physical transformations and applications of identities that Redmayne gives the character an almost thespian sense, like an actor who is obsessed with performance but whose ultimate expression is the art of death. Redmayne also invests in the real Englishness of the character, and via his mannerisms and shifting actions such as checking exists, avoiding security cameras and staying in the shadows, audiences will buy into his past as a former elite soldier who has now found a new purpose for his impressive set of skills. Redmayne builds out a multi-layered performance as The Jackal, and audiences won’t be able to look away.

Facing off against Redmayne’s elusive killer is rising star Lashana Lynch as MI6 weapons expert and wannabe field agent Bianca Pullman, and her character presents a direct contradiction to that of the Jackal and thus holds the attention of audiences. Battling a choking bureaucracy around her, along with a raw family dynamic, Bianca is a talented, if not flawed, agent, and her personal life, plus her brash decisions, keeps this narrative on a razor’s edge. Lynch is pulled in every direction via this narrative, and there’s plenty of drama for her to sink her teeth into. Showrunner Ronan Bennett also throws her into the action, and Lynch jumps at the chance to get thrown into the fray.

While The Day of the Jackal is a great example of why long-form television is now the place to be for thrilling narratives, the international scope and incredible detail of the series make this series almost feel like one long extended movie. And once you start watching this series, you won’t want to stop. The opening episode’s first act, which consists of a thrilling 20-minute scene in which The Jackel sets up multiple kills and showcases his brilliance for the art of death, is an utterly thrilling experience to witness, and it sets the stage for the drama that is to come. Like the original novel, Bennett and his team focus heavily on real-world espionage tradecraft to keep the action interesting, and the heightened tension, which comes from both the series’ brutal action and the side effects of the Jackal’s multiple personalities and lives coming back to haunt him keeps you on edge the whole time.

The Day of the Jackal is a perfect narrative for two performers at the top of their game to show off their craft while reinterpreting a genre classic in a new light and providing some incredible thrills for audiences. This is a series with a definite bite to it, and right from the start, you’ll be hooked with a thriller that will seriously elevate your heart rate.

The Day of the Jackal is now streaming on TVNZ+.

Image: TVNZ

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With Gellert Grindelwald’s (Mads Mikkelsen) power rapidly growing, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) entrusts Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his friends with a mission leading to a clash with Grindelwald’s army. Dumbledore must also keep track of how long he will stay on the sidelines in the approaching war.

Moving from the late 1920s into the early 1930s, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore finds the Wizarding World gripped by the threat of growing darkness and chaos with the rise of the charismatically dangerous Gellert Grindelwald at the helm, and it’s going to take a plucky team of would-be heroes to stop him. This is the world and narrative that director David Yates introduces us to and the action builds quickly in this bold new chapter of the Fantastic Beasts saga. Looking to the film noir genre for inspiration, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a darker more intense experience for Potter fans, and Yates focuses his attention on building this film out as a globe-trotting adventure film.

Along with the fast-paced action of his narrative, Yates also builds out Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore as a team movie and focuses on an ensemble cast and the formation of Dumbledore’s ‘first army’ to combat the actions of Grindelwald adds to the excitement of the film. Along with quirky magic zoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), this team include his brother Theseus (Callum Turner); Ilvermorny tutor Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks (Jessica Williams); respected wizard Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), Newt’s dedicated assistant Bunty Broadacre (Victoria Yeates) and Newt’s No-Maj friend Jacob Kowalski. All of these characters have an interesting part to play, and each actor brings a unique talent and skill which is in keeping with the classic team movie and Dumbledore’s plan.

Returning to the screen as the much respected and honoured British wizard and Hogwarts professor Albus Dumbledore is celebrated British thespian Jude Law and here he gets to expand on, and look deeper into the character of a younger Dumbledore. While we first met Dumbledore’s younger self back in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, here we get a far deeper picture of his role within the Wizarding World and his dark and complicated past. Key to this past was his one-time attraction to Gellert Grindelwald and it’s very clear that Law’s Dumbledore is seeking a path to redemption and is looking for a way to atone for his past transgressions. Law again plays this young Dumbledore with a keen inquisitiveness, along with the ability to think on his feet and act accordingly.

Making his debut in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and bringing a dangerous new threat to the Wizarding World is celebrated actor Mads Mikkelsen who takes on the role of Gellert Grindelwald. And he brings a devilish charm to the character. Mikkelsen brings an air of menace, authority and dangerous charisma to the character and whenever he’s on-screen you can’t take your eyes off of him. He brings an enticing and calculating quality to the character and you can see why so many would turn to the dark side in order to follow him. His confrontations with Law’s Dumbledore also play up well and their bitter and violent duel on the peaks of Bhutan, is a spectacle to behold as sparks fly and the action heats up.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has amazing worldbuilding and some great key performances and audiences seeking a confrontation between light and dark in the form of Dumbledore vs Grindelwald will be well pleased.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

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Making good on his threat, Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) has escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

In The Crimes of Grindelwald things take a much darker turn and director David Yates takes this continuing story in a bold new direction. While his previous film, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, introduced us to a whole new time period of the Wizarding World in the 1920s, here in The Crimes Of Grindelwald, the Wizarding World is dealing with the fallout of the presence of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) and his escape from  MACUSA. Thrown into all of this is our magical zoologist hero Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and once again he embarks on a journey that will take him to new locations and throw plenty of new obstacles and a host of new creatures in his way.

While I had expected Yates to merely follow on in the same direction, I really wasn’t expecting him to changes things up in the way that he did and I very greatful that he took this film in the direction that he did. Taking the setting to Paris, Yates guides us through a new corner of the magical world and gives the film a certain film noir polish thanks to his sepia inspired colour palette and the Art Nouveau styling of his Parisian setting. Sets, costuming, hair and make-up and extensive cinematography really pull you into this exotic European setting and just like all the other corners of the world, Paris has its own distinctive style of magic and you really sense its presence here. I loved the rich textures of the city and all of it pulled me deeper into the narrative that was presented up on screen.

I also believe this film noir, Art Nouveau styling also pulls out the film’s central theme of a world in conflict. While the shadows of the First World War are still being felt, dissension and diversion are in the air and Grindelwald’s escape has many on edge. Yates captures all of this for his audience, and you feel the mounting hostilities amongst our characters as they begin to question everything they have ever believed in. But do not despair for its not all doom and gloom and Newt once more takes some time to attend to his menagerie of magical creatures which feature many of our favourites, such as the devious little Niffler’s, and a host of fantastical new creatures such as the Zouwu, a Chinese lion type beast that gives Newt a good run for his money.

Part of every good sequel is that it should work to grow our characters and that is indeed what we find here. Eddie Redmayne is once again front and center as magical zoologist Newt Scamander and this time we get an insight into how his personality and mind works and how his past relationships have shaped him into the man he is today. This is most pressing with his estranged relationship with his one time love interest Leta Lestrange (Zoë Kravitz) and the friction that they share between one another leads to some very interesting narrative moments.

While The Crimes of Grindelwald certainly has an inherent darkness to it, Newt remains the hopeful optimist of the piece. Far from being your typical dragon slaying hero, Newt is a person who likes to find the possibility in the world and whose eternal belief in the power of goodness inside every individual makes him someone we want to look up to and root for. This is especially present in his search to find the troubled Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), whom he once tried to help before and who is the fascination of every wizard for his extraordinarily dangerous Obscurus parasite that he keeps hidden from the world.

With a growing film franchise we’re also lucky enough to once again find ourselves in the presence of the great Albus Dumbledore who this time is plaid by the dashing Jude Law. Law’s performance is that of a confident, and supremely intelligent Dumbledore who knows more than he’s letting on and who sees the bigger picture that is at play with Grindelwald. I really liked the confidence that we saw in this younger Dumbledore and although he is already a fully-fledged professor at Hogwarts he is only beginning to develop the sage wisdom that will inform the character that a young Harry Potter will one day meet. Again it is the unexpected moments that I enjoyed here with Law’s Dumbledore and I can tell you that I’m excited to see more of him as we move down the line with later adaptations.

And finally there’s Johnny Depp who makes a triumphant return as Gellert Grindelwald. I still maintain that Depp is one of my favourite actors of all time and he really hits the ball out of the park here. Possessed of a creepy and adversarial intelligence, his performance as Grindelwald reminds me of a rock-god/revolutionary whose commitment to an ultimate vision is a very scary thing to behold. As a performer Depp is someone who imbues his whole being into a character and does everything he can to fall into them and this is entirely present here. As Grindelwald he carries himself with a dark elegance and his cast down eyes will fill you with dread. It’s a great return to form for the actor and I’m really excited to see what the next move is for this dark and dangerous wizard.

Thematically The Crimes Of Grindelwald asks its audience to question everything they hold dear and makes the point that in this divided world everyone must pick their side. The one character who doesn’t hold to any of this is Newt and its his stance as the outlier, who believes in the possibility of an inclusive world where everyone and everything has meaning that gives the film its hope.

And can I also say that you should expect plenty of shocks here as well. While I can’t go into anything without risking running into serious SPOILER territory I will say that the twists and turns come straight out of left field and this ending will leave your heart pounding.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald really changes things up and it’s rocketing good time from beginning to end. It really shakes up the Wizarding World and if you’re a long time Rowling fan then you’ll seriously love this film.

Image: Roadshow Films.

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Well here we go again. Harry Potter fans of the world can once again plunge into J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, and it’s awesome. This time, we cross the Atlantic to 1926 New York City, and to Newt Scamander, future famed author of the Hogwarts first-year textbook staple the movie is named after.

Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is visiting America with his suitcase full of creatures (using, by the way, an Undetectable Extension Charm that shits on anything you’ve seen before). By a mix up with No-Maj/Muggle, Jacob (Dan Fogler), some of those creatures are inadvertently released. Scamander must team up with Jacob, former Auror Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and her sister Queenie (Alison Sudol) to track them down while avoiding the clutches of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA).

As you watch, like Scamander and Jacob you look in awe at the American wizarding while exploring new realms like the MACUSA headquarters or goblin-run speakeasies. For me it brought back the nostalgic wonder of first following Harry Potter to Hogwarts fifteen years ago. Fantastic Beasts has all the familiar, light-hearted, sweeping shots of wizarding life and quirky magical displays, but doesn’t forget its primary audience is in their thirties now and as such, is not scared to delve into the much darker aspects of the story.

Whilst the love you have for the world of Harry Potter gets you into the cinema, the outstanding visual effects keeps you rooted to your seat. From interactions with other-worldly animals to reconstruction spells by MACUSA officials, it’s an absolute delight to see.

Redmayne makes for a perfect Newt Scamander. No, I suppose there’s no reference material save for J. K. Rowling’s mind, but he’s exactly what you’d picture a Magizoologist to be like from his quiet politeness to his subtle uneasiness around people. And you have to give special mention to Fogler’s portrayal of Jacob, who is a total scene stealer as a No-Maj completely in over his head. He kills with his throwaway lines and outbursts.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is everything the Harry Potter fan could want. It’s a completely new world laced with the familiar and peppered with references to the original series. The best thing is the joy of speculating what the next four films will bring, and what story arcs will be followed.

Image: Roadshow Films

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