Killing Eve

It is fun--an addictive and surprisingly witty thriller powered by two remarkable female performances.

Killing Eve, which like Fleabag is mostly set in London, has the same irreverent sense of humor and the same intense exploration of the psychology of its lead characters. Here, those qualities don’t always come together with the conventions of the spy story in perfect harmony. But they do make something new, gratifying, and--in its finest moments--thrilling.

Killing Eve is a show outside of Eve and Villanelle’s tense, mutual hunt; its cases and kills of the week are, in fact, compelling. But as long as the show has this pair’s obsession, respect, and intrigued attraction to each other pulsing at its center, it’ll be a thrill to watch unfold.

Alternating effortlessly between weirdly funny and chillingly tense, Killing Eve is the utterly endearing love child of oddball British novelist Luke Jennings and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who writes and stars in the eccentric Brit television comedy Fleabag.

Killing Eve is unlike any other spy drama you’ve seen and that’s why it’s so excellent. It does away with the conventions of the genre and makes you believe it was designed for women all along. It’s a quiet revolution.

This is delicious, instantly addictive television. ... Even though it’s easy to see the outline of the road ahead, there are more than enough swerves to keep this season unpredictable and full of suspense.

Grounded by outstanding performances from Sandra Oh (in her first regular-series role since leaving Grey's Anatomy) and Jodie Comer (The White Princess), Eve is an enthralling trip that follows a familiar path and then suddenly veers off course, never ceasing to shock and satisfy. The series manages to be as gripping as it is kooky and darkly funny, reveling in the tennis match between the two actresses.

Killing Eve is a helluva good time, it’s already more interesting than many of its genre peers, and the first season illustrates a self-awareness essential for its survival. The show may follow a formula, but there’s nothing routine about it.

The script is deliciously witty, but it never lets you forget some nice people are coming to perfectly horrible ends.

We've seen loads of cat-and-mouse thrillers, but Waller-Bridge's dark sense of humor makes this one truly gripping. [6/13 Apr 2018, p.84]

Killing Eve is an escapist show, but it demands you take your brain with you.

The dialogue has some of the snap of Alfred Hitchcock, both main and minor characters (again as in Hitchcock) are well-played and vivid.

Enjoying Killing Eve for the wickedness of its narrative, its tart and caustic humor and the exciting run-down is a simple enough proposition. All of those components are satisfying, and both Oh and Comer turn in substantial performances, making the most of their screen time both separately and together--particularly together.

The shortcomings beyond tone are frustratingly more simple--a couple of big twists are telegraphed well in advance, mostly by bad decisions the characters otherwise probably wouldn't make; there's too much convenience in parts, etc. But once you get into the rhythm of Killing Eve, it's got Waller-Bridge's signature raw snark, some goofiness tucked into the mayhem and, just when that seems a tenuous thing to pull off, two excellent performances from Oh and Comer to make it work.

Killing Eve is attempting something rare, wild and risky. It may not always hit its chosen targets, but it’s usually entertaining to watch it try.

The result is entertaining, clever and darkly comic, anchored by Ms. Oh’s performance as an intelligence agent whose instincts and resolve have to make up for her inexperience and her tendency to scream like a terrified child in the face of danger. It’s in no way a disappointment, though it might not be as revolutionary or as subversive as its makers and its network would have you think.

Sandra Oh brings a funny, funky vulnerability to this stylishly surprising and wildly entertaining spy thriller. [2 Apr - 15 Apr 2018, p.11]

It's a more entertaining spin, frankly, than the still-in-release movie "Red Sparrow."

Killing Eve can be violent and bloody, sometimes too violent and bloody, but get past that and an intriguing new antihero awaits.

Not only is it way more fun than most assassination dramas, it’s also nicely conceived and, you should pardon the expression, executed.