I’m a sucker for British spy thrillers, so when I saw all the ads for the new Netflix series Black Doves, I couldn’t wait to dive in. Netflix drops all episodes in a season at once, so we gobbled these up like candy. But I realized why they do that…if you stop too long to think about the story/plot, it might not taste as sweet. But those empty calories sure are yummy when they are packaged as well as this show is, so, if you like great performances, action-packed spy thrillers, and can overlook some really bad writing, Black Doves is just as much for you as it was for me.
Black Doves stars Keira Knightley as a spy whose been deep undercover in London for 10 years, working for a secretive agency, and Sarah Lancashire plays her even more secretive handler. Ben Whishaw plays an assassin who’s been brought in to protect Knightley’s character, who has potentially been compromised. That’s really all I can tell you, or else, well…you know.
There are so many cool vibes reminiscent of other shows and movies in Black Doves, from The Americans to Mission: Impossible to James Bond to Killing Eve, including a multitude of tones. This is a very dark and violent show, but there is a lot of dark comedy and even a few one liners that liven up the mood a bit. If you are a fan of Killing Eve, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Ella Lily Hyland and the great character actress Kathryn Hunter provide much of this comic sidetracking, but it doesn’t detract at all from the mood of the series, in fact it really helps.