'The Day of the Jackal' Updates a Classic to Present Day

Photo by Sangria Señorial on Unsplash

         On November 7, 2024, Peacock released 'The Day of the Jackal', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics. In the series, "The Jackal is an elusive assassin who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. He soon meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who tracks him down in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe." The ensemble cast includes Chukwudi Iwuji, Charles Dance, Richard Dormer, Úrsula Corberó, Lashana Lynch, and Eddie Redmayne. Read the full review round-up below.

        Jeff Ewing of Collider says, "Adapting the 1971 Frederick Forsyth novel of the same name, Fred Zinnemann's 1973 thriller The Day of the Jackal follows a far-right plot to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle in 1963, utilizing an assassin who goes by the codename "the Jackal." The book is based on a real-life assassination attempt (one of 30 attempts on de Gaulle's life, all of which he survived in relatively good health), albeit the details and hunt are fictionalized. The story has inspired a new series at Peacock, taking a page from the generalities of the original narrative but updated for the present. This iteration is an elegantly crafted thriller that utilizes tight plotting and strong character work to modernize a classic for our contemporary world." Continuing, "While the original The Day of the Jackal would still have made engaging material for a series adaptation, this series does benefit from taking a fresh approach. It fits nicely into very contemporary conversations around global inequality and the lack of financial transparency that facilitates it, while also amplifying the spy thriller-feel with the use of modern technology and settings. It capably provokes notions of a very believable contemporary underbelly of massively powerful players in our world, adding to both stakes and tension as the cat-and-mouse hunt between Bianca and the Jackal builds to a crescendo. The script provides ample opportunities for twists and reveals, and they're well-developed."

        Callie Hanna of FandomWire notes, "It's a show built on political themes and imagery that is too cowardly to have any character take a substantial political stance on literally anything." Adding, "I don’t generally like being this negative. I wish I liked this more because I respect what everyone was trying to do, and I think the two leads especially are genuinely great, both in general and in this show specifically. Lashana Lynch, in particular, is someone I think Hollywood has criminally underused, and it’s nice to see her shine in a lead role like this. I just wish said lead role could’ve been in a better show than The Day of the Jackal."