Not everyone's sold: Catherine Zeta-Jones’ John Wick-like TV show is already polarizing critics
Catherine Zeta-Jones’ new John Wick-like series is already splitting critics ahead of its streaming debut, and the early score being bandied about won’t calm any nerves.
Right then, here's where we are with Kill Jackie, the new action-thriller series led by Catherine Zeta-Jones. This one's been billed as the latest addition to the 'John Wick, but posh' TV club, and the early buzz? Let’s say it's less fireworks, more sparklers-at-a-wet-bonfire. The critics are seriously torn, and after trawling through the pile of reviews, it’s safe to say the show has split opinion right down the middle.
At the time of writing, ‘Kill Jackie’ is sitting on a 40% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is It Ambitious or Just the Same Old?
The biggest draw here is undeniably Catherine Zeta-Jones, parachuting in as a high-flying art dealer with a suspiciously useful bag of assassin skills. She’s being stalked by a band of contract killers called The Seven Demons, and instead of doing a runner, she goes on the offensive and takes them out (ideally with a bit of stylish ultraviolence and probably some lingering shots of expensive interiors).
If that doesn't sound familiar, you've clearly avoided every blockbuster action series from the last decade. Still, the source material—Nick Harkaway’s novel The Price You Pay—does have its own fans, so there’s potential. Alongside Zeta-Jones, the cast includes Daniel Ings, Darci Shaw, Raff Law, Sidse Babett Knudsen, plus assorted bad guys who presumably spend a lot of time lurking in shadowy corridors.
Critics: Pick a Side
- Some critics are eating it up—FandomWire’s M.N. Miller reckons Zeta-Jones brings a 'ruthless edge' that totally outweighs whatever else the show is lacking.
- Cher Thompson at Screen Rant is also generally upbeat, calling it 'wickedly smart, ambitious, and fun' for most of its run and basically confirming Zeta-Jones as the main reason to tune in.
- On the less forgiving end, CBR’s Katie Doll says that while the editing is flashy and the soundtrack is chic, it all ends up feeling like a pretty standard miniseries that will 'go stale within months.'
- Then you’ve got Nick Schager at The Daily Beast, who absolutely brutalises it as missing 'inspiration, cleverness, hilarity, suspense,' and says its over-the-top silliness kills off any real stakes. And Ed Power at The Daily Telegraph calls the whole thing 'hackneyed,' from accent work to recycled hitman comedy tropes, and slams it for a total lack of originality.
If you’re itching to make up your own mind, Kill Jackie starts streaming in the US on 2 October via AMC+.