16/44
Appeared in Graham Norton And guests: Cher/Keira Knightley/Michael Fassbender/Josh Brolin/Jalen Ngonda (2024)
Helen embarks on a passionate affair with a man who has no idea of her secret identity. Caught in the crosshairs when her lover falls victim to London’s dangerous underworld, Helen’s employer calls in Sam to protect her. Playing Bingo, the owner of the guitar shop where Sam buys his weapons, is Rat Scabies, a member of the classic punk band The Damned.
My Review: Stream Black Doves on Netflix My Rating
8.5/10 Remember those great, sentimental British Christmas movies like Love Actually and Last Christmas? There are surprisingly few of these celebratory moments in the six dramatic episodes of Black Doves. I say “strangely” because this British spy thriller has some very brutal moments with shootouts, executions and some very dark moments, however these scenes are almost comic or maybe like many others I have become a little desensitized to violence on TV and in movies.
Reed is a real scene stealer in Black Doves, selling secrets to the highest bidder, regardless of nationality
Black Doves, skillfully directed by Alex Gabassi and Lisa Gunning, written by Joe Barton, stars Ben Whishaw, Keira Knightley and Sarah Lancashire at their best, playing very dark characters with double lives who work together and independently to solve the murder of a prominent Chinese diplomat. In a role completely different to anything I have seen him in before, Ben Wishaw plays Sam Young, a friend of Helen Webb, played by Keira Nightly. These two incredibly skilled assassins work for their ruthless boss Reed, played by Sarah Lancashire in another wonderful departure from her usual roles as a police inspector.
Another supporting role that I enjoyed was Kathryn Hunter as Lenny Lines, another ruthless recruiter of assassins
Black Doves moves quickly and features a number of interesting characters, including Helen’s husband Wallace, a powerful and ambitious politician who is unaware of his wife’s double life until the dramatic conclusion. As I mentioned above, I was surprised by some of the lighter touches in the snow scenes, Christmas songs and gift-giving around the tree, which I thought added a different dimension to what could have been a very dark series. I suspect and hope that we will see another series of Black Doves, it is a quality production.
Check out our December calendar for more!
One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of the biggest TV and streaming releases of the month.