41/40
The Jackal is a cunning assassin who makes his living by carrying out assassinations for the highest fee. He soon meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who pursues him in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe. Check out our list of renewals and cancellations to see if your favorite show made the cut. Forsyth was working as a freelance journalist covering the Biafran War. When it ended, he returned to Britain, unemployed and unsure of what to do next. He said: “I came back at Christmas of ’69, completely broke. I have no chance of a job, no apartment, no car and no savings. So I had this crazy idea to write a novel. ‘Everyone said you must be joking or crazy because the odds of even getting it published are hundreds to one, even thousands to one.’ Within weeks of publication, the film rights were snapped up. Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars fought to play the Jackal in the 1973 film, but the role went to then-unknown Edward Fox because director Fred Zinnemann thought he could pass unseen in a crowd. (Air Mail). Referenced in The Graham Norton Show: Denzel Washington/Paul Mescal/Saoirse Ronan/Eddie Redmayne/Blossoms (2024). Eddie Redmayne delivers a riveting performance, embodying the titular killer with a chilling precision that makes him both terrifying and magnetic. Redmayne’s meticulous approach to the role ratchets up the tension, making every move Her character’s plot feels calculated and inevitable. Her ability to mix charm with menace ensures that the audience is both repelled and fascinated, capturing the essence of the character’s duality. Unfortunately, Lashana Lynch’s performance pales in comparison, coming across as wooden and uninspired. Her portrayal of a determined intelligence agent lacks depth, often coming across as one-dimensional and overly reliant on clichés. In a series that thrives on nuance and detail, her character’s lack of complexity stands out as a negative. Overall, the film is an engaging adaptation, but it struggles at times with uneven performances. Redmayne’s brilliance alone makes it worth watching, but Lynch’s shortcomings do take the edge off the experience.