From the creatives behind “Killing Eve,” Catherine Zeta-Jones lands on AMC+ with an assassin show that feels like it was Mad Libs-ed into existence.
In “Kill Jackie,” Jackie Price (Zeta-Jones) has spent the past 20 years living in luxury, traveling, and selling fine art in the most complex and eccentric way possible. All while sticking to the shadows. Staying under the radar is essential after escaping her past as a purveyor of the finest cocaine. But when Jackie starts to get too comfortable, life takes a deadly turn: The Seven Demons, a squad of the world’s most fearsome hitmen (apparently), have been hired to kill her.
Convinced someone from her past is behind the hit, Jackie revives her old instincts and sets out to return the favor. It’s a get-them-before-they-get-her situation. As the killers close in, Jackie discovers the biggest dangers come from the silliest sources, but the demons within are far more deadly.
That will sound lovely to lovers of the genre, but by episode three of this Technicolor vengeance romp (reminiscent of a nose candy bender), it’s clear Guy Ritchie, Quentin Tarantino, and “John Wick” must have teeth marks on them, because they’ve been bitten into. “Kill Jackie” is more derivative than a FUCCI handbag bought on Canal Street in NYC—it looks like the genuine article, but something’s not quite right.
The series is certainly visually appealing: the costuming and production design are as snappy as the stunt work. The acting is faultless as well. However, the show borrows so heavily and frequently from its predecessors that it becomes a bombardment of assassin-genre references. Ritchie’s snarky but character-rich voiceovers, John Wick’s cadre of quirky killers, and the “Kill Bill” of it all. You see it when Jackie eventually turns the tables and seeks revenge on the former colleagues who hurt her. She even has a Kill List with the names crossed out. Totally on brand.
Everything about this series is a knockoff, down to its seven assassins, The Seven Demons. The first one is meant to be Pedro Pascal. Another is a mashup of Grace Jones and Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver; a third is probably Crispin Glover because he’s bizarrely nerdy and persnickety. Then there’s a retired assassin who looks like a double for Antonio Banderas. Oh, and let’s not forget the potential final boss, an Ian McShane type but younger.
Meanwhile, the show smugly rolls along, leaving very little feeling in the wake of very big eye rolls. For example, lines like “You don’t become Jackie Price without knowing how to win.” Or the Accountant-minion (Daniel Ings) who loudly protests the Wile E. Coyote-style deaths of Jackie’s enemies while handing in receipts from the ACME store (literally). He keeps complaining but remains fully complicit.
However, in moments of clarity, “Kill Jackie” has heart, as we see in Jackie’s relationship with her assistant, Charlie (Hattie Hook). It has brains, too, like in this line from episode three: “That proves my theory: the most dangerous thing on the planet these days? A fool with way too much money.”
That said, I may be too much of a genre fan to enjoy “Kill Jackie.” Long before its final moments, I found myself wishing for a 1970s Japanese samurai movie ending. The kind where everyone dies amidst geysers of blood, including Jackie herself. Alas, my wish was not granted. What we get is an ending I’m calling: Lock, Stock, and the Whole Tarantino, complete with a setup for season two. Where’s a good assassin service when you need one? That remains to be seen.
Series streams on AMC+ October 2nd.
