When you think of Eddie Redmayne, you probably picture the shy, stuttering charm of Newt Scamander or the delicate, heartbreaking transformation of Lili Elbe. He’s the guy who does "vulnerable" better than almost anyone in Hollywood. So, when Peacock and Sky announced he was taking on the mantle of the world's most cold-blooded assassin in the new series The Day of the Jackal, some people were, honestly, a bit baffled.
It felt like a weird fit.
But that’s exactly why it works. The 2024 reimagining of Frederick Forsyth's classic 1971 novel isn’t trying to give us another muscle-bound John Wick clone. Instead, Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal gives us something far more terrifying: a man who can disappear into a crowd because he looks like someone’s polite, unassuming younger brother. It’s a total subversion of the "action hero" trope, and frankly, it’s the most interesting thing to happen to the spy thriller genre in a decade.
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Forget the 1973 Movie—This is Different
If you’re a film buff, you likely remember Edward Fox in the original 1973 film directed by Fred Zinnemann. Fox was chilly. He was precise. He was a professional. But the 2024 series, showrun by Ronan Bennett, pivots the character into a modern context where surveillance is everywhere and being an "invisible man" requires more than just a fake mustache and a passport.
Redmayne plays a version of the Jackal who is a master of disguise, but not in a cartoony, Mission: Impossible rubber-mask kind of way. It’s deeper. He changes his posture. He shifts his accent. He alters the very way he carries his weight. It’s an actor’s dream role because it’s basically a show about a man who is constantly acting.
One of the most striking things about this version is how much we see of the Jackal’s "normal" life. He has a wife, Nuria (played by Úrsula Corberó of Money Heist fame), and a home in Spain. He isn't just a ghost; he's a man trying to balance a domestic existence with a job that involves sniping targets from two kilometers away with custom-built, 3D-printed weaponry. That tension—the lie he tells his family versus the truth of his lethality—is where Redmayne really shines. He brings this eerie, quiet intensity to the dinner table that makes your skin crawl.
The Physicality of the Role
Redmayne has always been a physical actor. Think about the way he contorted his body to play Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. He doesn't just deliver lines; he inhabits the skeletal structure of a character.
For The Day of the Jackal, he had to go the opposite way. He had to become efficient. Every movement is calculated. There’s a scene early in the series where he’s assembling a rifle, and the way his fingers move—without hesitation, without wasted energy—tells you more about the character than ten pages of dialogue ever could. It’s surgical.
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He’s also incredibly thin and wiry here, which adds to the "grey man" aesthetic. He doesn't look like he could win a bar fight, but he looks like he could kill you before you even realized he was in the room. That’s the core of the Jackal. He’s a predator that relies on concealment rather than brute force.
A Game of Cat and Mouse
Every great assassin story needs a great pursuer. Enter Lashana Lynch as Bianca, an MI6 intelligence officer who becomes obsessed with tracking down this phantom.
The chemistry here isn't romantic; it's intellectual. It’s a chess match. Bianca is just as driven and just as socially isolated by her brilliance as the Jackal is. Watching these two titans of British acting circle each other across international borders is the heartbeat of the show. Lynch brings a grounded, gritty realism that contrasts perfectly with Redmayne’s more ethereal, shifting presence.
While the original book was very much a "procedural" about the mechanics of an assassination plot against Charles de Gaulle, the new series expands the scope. It looks at the ethics of the modern arms trade and the geopolitical fallout of private hits. It feels relevant. It feels like it’s happening in the world we see on the news every night, which makes the Jackal’s precision even more unsettling.
Why This Version Ranks Above the Rest
There have been other attempts to bring this story to life—most notably the 1997 Bruce Willis film The Jackal, which... well, the less said about that one, the better. It missed the point entirely by making the character a loud, flamboyant villain.
Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal succeeds because he understands that the character is a void. He is whoever he needs to be to get the job done.
- He is a German janitor.
- He is a high-end businessman.
- He is a devoted husband.
- He is a cold-blooded killer.
The show doesn't hand-hold the audience. It trusts you to keep up with the technical jargon and the slow-burn pacing. It’s a "prestige" thriller in every sense of the word. The cinematography is gorgeous, bouncing from the sun-drenched streets of Spain to the cold, glass skyscrapers of London and the rugged landscapes of Croatia.
Dealing with the Modern "Grey Man" Mythos
We've seen a lot of "Grey Man" content lately. Ryan Gosling did it. Ben Affleck did it in The Accountant. But those movies often fall back on massive explosions when the plot gets thin.
The Day of the Jackal stays disciplined. The violence, when it happens, is sudden and shocking. It’s not "cool" action; it’s messy and final. Redmayne plays these moments with a terrifying lack of emotion. There’s no witty one-liner after a kill. There’s just the next step in the plan.
Honestly, it’s refreshing. We’re so used to "humanizing" villains by giving them a tragic backstory or a heart of gold. This Jackal has motivations—money, sure, and a certain pride in his craft—but he remains fundamentally unreachable. You never quite know if he actually loves his wife or if she’s just another layer of his disguise. That ambiguity is what keeps you clicking "Next Episode."
Technical Brilliance and the Sniper Craft
A huge part of the Jackal's identity is his rifle. In the novel, it was a beautiful, custom-built piece of engineering. In the 2024 series, it’s a high-tech marvel. The show spends a lot of time on the how.
- How do you bypass airport security with a long-range weapon?
- How do you account for windage and the rotation of the Earth (the Coriolis effect) at extreme distances?
- How do you disappear from a locked-down city?
Redmayne reportedly spent a significant amount of time training with weapons experts to ensure his handling of the gear looked authentic. It shows. There’s a tactile quality to the show; you can almost smell the gun oil and the cold air of the vantage points. It’s a "nerdy" thriller for people who like to know how things work.
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What You Should Watch Next
If you’ve binged the series and you’re looking for that same hit of high-stakes tension and meticulous character work, you’ve got options.
First, go back to the source. Read Frederick Forsyth’s novel. Even though it was written over 50 years ago, the pacing is better than most modern bestsellers. Then, watch the 1973 movie just to see the DNA of where this all started.
If it’s the "intellectual assassin" vibe you’re after, check out The American starring George Clooney. It’s another slow-burn that focuses on the craft rather than the carnage. Or, for a more modern spin on the "invisible" spy, Slow Horses on Apple TV+ offers a much grittier, less polished look at MI6 that pairs well with the sleekness of The Jackal.
Taking Action: How to Experience the Best of the Genre
If you want to truly appreciate the nuance Redmayne brings to the role, pay attention to his eyes in the silent moments. Most of the performance is non-verbal.
- Watch the "Disguise" Scenes Closely: Notice how he doesn't just change clothes; he changes his center of gravity. It's a masterclass in character acting.
- Compare the Perspectives: Pay attention to how the show flips between the Jackal and Bianca. It’s designed to make you feel conflicted about who you’re rooting for.
- Analyze the Sound Design: The show uses silence as a weapon. Use a good pair of headphones or a decent soundbar to catch the subtle shifts in environment that signal danger.
Eddie Redmayne has officially shed the "nice guy" image. By stepping into the shoes of the world’s most famous assassin, he’s proven that the most dangerous people aren't the ones screaming—they're the ones you never notice until it's too late. It’s a career-defining turn in a show that actually respects the intelligence of its audience.
Don't just watch it for the kills; watch it for the craft. Whether you're a fan of the original book or a newcomer to the world of international espionage, this series sets a new bar for what a TV thriller can be in the 2020s. Stop scrolling and start the first episode; the tension doesn't let up until the final frame.