Eddie Redmayne is scary. I don't mean "monster under the bed" scary, but rather that chilling, quiet efficiency that makes you realize you've been holding your breath for three minutes. Watching The Day of the Jackal TV series on Peacock or Sky, depending on where you're sitting in the world, feels like a masterclass in modernizing a classic without breaking what made it work in the first place.
Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel was a blueprint for the procedural thriller. Then came the 1973 film, which was—honestly—near perfect. So why remake it? Because the 2024-2025 adaptation isn't just a remake; it’s a complete structural overhaul that treats the audience like they have a brain. It’s gritty. It’s international. It’s deeply stressful.
The Jackal has a face, but no soul
In the original story, the Jackal was a blank slate. He was a professional hired to kill Charles de Gaulle. That’s it. In this new version, showrunner Ronan Bennett (the guy behind Top Boy) gives us a Jackal who has a life. He has a wife, Nuria, played by Úrsula Corberó, and a home in Spain. He’s a guy who does the school run before he goes off to snipe a billionaire from two kilometers away.
This change is risky. Usually, giving a mysterious assassin a "home life" is a death knell for tension. It makes them soft. But here, it just makes the Jackal feel more like a high-functioning sociopath. You see him pivot from a loving husband to a man who will melt a body in a bathtub without blinking. Redmayne plays him with this twitchy, lean intensity that feels like a coiled spring.
The show understands that in 2026, we don't just want a chase. We want to see the logistics. How does a man disappear in a world full of facial recognition and digital footprints? He uses old-school tradecraft mixed with high-end tech. The show spends a lot of time on the how. How he builds the gun. How he crafts the silicone masks. How he cleans a crime scene. It’s procedural porn for people who like watching experts work.
Lashana Lynch and the art of the hunt
You can’t have a chase without someone doing the chasing. Lashana Lynch plays Bianca, an MI6 firearms expert who is just as obsessed and arguably just as dangerous as the man she’s hunting.
She isn't a "girl boss" trope. She’s messy. She makes mistakes that cost lives. She’s deeply unpopular with her bosses because she doesn't care about the politics of the hunt; she just wants the target. The parallel between her and the Jackal is obvious, but the show doesn't hit you over the head with it. They are both people who are better at their jobs than they are at being human beings.
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Why The Day of the Jackal TV series works where others fail
Most reboots try to go "bigger." They add more explosions. They raise the stakes to "world-ending" levels. This show stays small and intimate. Even though the Jackal is traversing Europe—from Munich to London to Budapest—the camera stays tight on the characters.
- The pacing is erratic in a good way. Some episodes feel like a slow-burn character study, while others are heart-pounding 50-minute action sequences.
- The technology feels real. We see the Jackal using 3D printing and custom-coded encrypted comms, but he still relies on a physical map and a sniper's intuition.
- The morality is gray. You find yourself rooting for the Jackal to get away with it, then immediately feeling disgusted with yourself when he does something truly horrific to an innocent bystander.
The 1973 film was a straight line. Point A to Point B. This series is a web. It’s about the "Ulysses" project, a tech-heavy plot involving a billionaire who wants to make the world’s financial data transparent. The Jackal is hired to stop him. It feels timely. It feels like something that could actually be happening in the shadows of the real world right now.
The Problem with Modern Thrillers
Most thrillers today rely on "The Idiot Plot." You know the one—where the plot only moves forward because a character does something incredibly stupid. The Day of the Jackal TV avoids this. Every move the Jackal makes is logical. Every move Bianca makes is based on the evidence she has. When things go wrong, it’s because of luck or an unforeseen variable, not because the characters are incompetent.
It’s refreshing.
Honestly, watching smart people try to outsmart each other is the highest form of entertainment. There’s a scene early on where the Jackal has to escape a hotel that is being swarmed by police. There are no miraculous gadgets. He doesn't have a jetpack. He uses timing, a disguise, and a very calm demeanor. It’s stressful because it feels possible.
The international flavor of the production
This isn't a "Hollywood" show. It feels European. The locations are used effectively, not just as postcards. When they are in Estonia, it feels cold and isolated. When they are in the Spanish countryside, you can almost feel the heat off the pavement.
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The supporting cast is also stellar. Charles Dance shows up, because of course he does, bringing that regal menace he’s perfected over forty years. Richard Armitage is in the mix too. It’s a "who’s who" of British and European talent, all bringing a level of gravity to a story that could have easily felt like a generic spy romp.
One thing that really stands out is the sound design. The show is quiet. There isn't a constant, thumping orchestral score telling you how to feel. You hear the wind. You hear the click of a bolt-action rifle. You hear the Jackal’s breathing. In an era of "content" that is designed to be watched while you scroll on your phone, this show demands that you actually listen.
Dealing with the "Remake" Stigma
People were skeptical when this was announced. I was skeptical. Why mess with a classic? But the 10-episode format allows for things a two-hour movie can't touch. We see the toll the job takes on the Jackal’s psyche. We see the collateral damage. In the original, the people the Jackal kills are just obstacles. In the TV show, they are people with names and families, which makes his actions much harder to stomach.
It’s a darker take. It’s less of a "gentleman assassin" story and more of a "professional killer" story. There’s no glamour here. Even the high-end hotels he stays in feel cold and impersonal.
Actionable insights for fans of the genre
If you're planning to dive into the series, or if you've already started, there are a few things you should do to get the most out of it.
First, watch the 1973 Fred Zinnemann film first if you haven't seen it. It’s a masterpiece of economy. Seeing how the new show expands on those beats makes the viewing experience much richer. You’ll catch the little nods and Easter eggs that Ronan Bennett tucked in there for the fans.
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Second, pay attention to the disguises. Redmayne worked with dialect coaches and movement experts to make sure each of the Jackal’s personas felt distinct. It’s not just a wig and glasses; it’s the way he carries his shoulders, the way he walks, the pitch of his voice.
Finally, read the book. Forsyth wrote it as if it were a true story, and that "true crime" feel is exactly what the TV show tries to replicate.
How to watch and what to look for
- Check the release schedule: Depending on your region, episodes might be dropping weekly or all at once. This is a show that actually benefits from the weekly "wait," as it gives you time to digest the complexity of the previous hour.
- Look at the background: The showrunners hid a lot of clues in the background of scenes—documents on desks, news reports on TVs—that hint at the broader political conspiracy.
- The Gun: The weapon itself is a character. In the book and original movie, the custom-made rifle was a work of art. The new show honors this tradition with a piece of engineering that is both terrifying and beautiful.
The series proves that there is still room for high-tension, adult-oriented thrillers that don't rely on superheroes or supernatural twists. It’s a grounded, gritty, and deeply intelligent piece of television. Whether you're a fan of the original source material or a newcomer to the world of international espionage, it’s one of the few shows in the last couple of years that actually lives up to the hype.
Don't expect a happy ending. This isn't that kind of story. It's a story about the cost of being the best at something terrible. And in 2026, where privacy is a myth and everyone is trackable, the idea of a ghost who can hit any target and disappear is more frightening than ever.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
Search for the "behind the scenes" featurettes on the prosthetic work done for Eddie Redmayne. The level of detail in the silicone masking is genuinely fascinating from a filmmaking perspective. Also, if the geopolitical side of the plot interests you, look into the real-world rise of "transparent finance" movements, which served as the inspiration for the series' central conflict.