The Assassin: Is It A Good Crime Thriller?
The Assassin (Season 1/ UK/2025) Series narrates a mystery-filled six-part crime tale. A dedicated team of hired guns attempt to eliminate the long-retired assassin, Julie (Keeley Hawes), in this thrilling British show.
But we do not know the reasons for her assassination attempts. So, who hired the hatchet persons? And why do these hired guns wish to eliminate Julie? Well, that is the mystery. So, as expected, Julie escapes from her remote house stationed somewhere on a remote island in Greece. Soon her getaway story takes us on a trans-European tour across different nations. Thus, kicking off a proverbial cat-and-mouse game.
Series Review [Spoiler- Free]: The Assassin (Season 1, UK, 2025) English
In FOCUS: When The Deadly Past Catches Up With The Hitwoman…
Synopsis
A retired assassin, Julie (Keeley Hawes), reunites with her estranged son, but her dangerous past catches up with them, forcing them to go on the run together while uncovering a dark conspiracy that threatens their relationship.
Storyline
In “The Assassin” series, we watch in shock as the professional assailants chase Julie (Keeley Hawes) and her son Edward (Freddie Highmore), perhaps to eliminate them. The first assassination attempt was in their temporary hometown, located on a small island in Greece. So they had to escape with the help of their friends. And the proverbial cat-and-mouse game starts. During the course of the epic chase across Europe, Julie and Edward travel around the different nations – Albania, Bulgaria, Spain, France, etc. And somehow, they work as a family, despite being angry and estranged. And they manage to stay a step ahead of their mysterious enemies.
"The Assassin" Is Hunted. But Why And By Whom? As Her Deadly Past Catches Up, Can The Hitwoman Fight Back, Survive And Solve The Mystery?
Screenplay
A good and tighter script would have certainly raised the quality of this crime drama. But it was not to be. There are quite a few bungles in its script, for instance, the use of a mobile phone which was not released in 1994 in Bulgaria. However, one tends to ignore such errors. Nevertheless, this thriller seemed to have a weak premise. After a few decades have gone by, the antagonist decides to take revenge and take out ‘The Assassin’. The justifications and explanations being offered appear to be far-fetched by our standards. Still, we ignored them and carried on watching to reach its end.
Keeley Hawes
Honestly, we picked this show because the actress Keeley Hawes portrays the female protagonist, a retired assassin named Julie. In the past, we have seen her excel in hit shows like The Missing (2016), Bodyguard (2018), etc. But not here, not in this show, where she dresses like the famous Lara Croft character. Eventually, she is pulled down by the weak script. Even the talent of another actor, David Dencik, who plays Jasper, is underutilised. However, we liked Keeley Hawes (Julie) and Freddie Highmore (Edward) as the mother-son duo. And the character arc of Ezra (Devon Terrell) is interesting. Is he becoming a future villain?
Conclusion
So, all is not lost. If one can overlook its weaknesses, then it is not a bad show to watch. The first season finale ending is an open-ended one. However, we do not know what the future holds for ‘The Assassin’. Now, she has been outed. Will there be another attempt on her life? Or will she find peace again? You guess, okay.
Rating
| Focus Magazine (FM) Rating | 3.20/5 |
Poster
Key Details
| Genre | Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
| Original Language | English (UK) |
| Season | First (1st) Season |
| Episodes | Six (6) Episodes |
| Show Creators | Harry Williams & Jack Williams |
| Writers | Harry Williams, Jack Williams, Hamish Wright, Selina Lim & Krissie Ducker |
| Directors | Lisa Mulcahy & Daniel Nettheim |
| Music Composer | Dominik Scherrer |
| Cinematographers | Laurent Barès & Árni Filippusson |
| Editors | Dan Crinnion, Andrew McClelland & Sadaf Nazari |
| Main Cast | Keeley Hawes (Julie), Freddie Highmore (Edward), David Dencik (Jasper), Shalom Brune-Franklin (Kayla), Devon Terrell (Ezra), Gerald Kyd (Luka), Gina Gershon (Marie), Ibraim Cândido (Afonso), Alan Dale (Aaron Cross), Elie Haddad (Jacques), etc. |
| Network | Prime Video |
Trailer
Spoilers Alert
Burning Questions | Short Answers
But Why & By Whom?
Because Julie assassinated the arms dealer Jean-Luc Bertrand, who was the love of Marie.
As Her Deadly Past Catches Up, Can The Hitwoman Fight Back, Survive And Solve The Mystery?
Marie survived the hit job. Now, she wants revenge.
Yes, she finally did it.
To get the detailed answers, go ahead, and please watch this series.
Watch the YouTube video clip - Edward & Julie Narrowly Survive A Wedding Ambush | The Assassin
Also, read the review of the Black Doves (Season 1/2024) Series in our Focus Magazine.
Poster and the Featured Image of The Assassin (Season 1/ UK/2025) Series are credited to Prime Video.
