Black Doves Review — Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw Lead Smart, Twisty Spy Thriller (2024)

Ahead of its release on December 5, Netflix has already renewed the British spy thriller Black Doves for a second season. An early renewal is, of course, no guarantee of success. but it at least speaks to the streaming giant’s confidence in the upcoming show. And Netflix is right to be confident. Black Doves is great.

Black Doves plot

For the past decade, Helen Webb (Keira Knightley) has worked for the Black Doves, a shadowy intelligence operation selling their information to the highest bidder. Helen met her husband Wallace (Andrew Buchan), the UK Secretary of State for Defence, as part of her job, and has been passing on state secrets.

Everything has been running smoothly until Helen’s secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated. Her handler, Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend — and hit man — Sam (Ben Whishaw) for protection. Together, Helen and Sam investigate who killed Jason and why. In doing so, they uncover a trail of a conspiracy, linking the London criminal underworld to a potential international political crisis.

Black Doves review

When a spy thriller does its job well, it can be some of the most engaging stories on TV. The story itself doesn’t even necessarily have to be exceptionally intriguing either. Black Doves’ plot is pretty standard fare spy stuff. But when the execution is on point, it doesn’t really matter. Solid characters, well-timed and properly setup twists, just a dash of humor — you’re golden.

Black Doves revels in all the usual spy and espionage tropes, and to great effect. Characters even have a clandestine meeting in a movie theater! Sign me up! But the best thing the show has going for it is its characters, in particular Helen and Sam. The two are introduced to us as long-time friends, and you instantly feel that connection and chemistry. It’s a testament to both the writing and the work Knightley and Whishaw are doing, because that’s not always so easy to pull off.

Lesser actors would make the characters feel wooden and like they were just meeting for the first time, rather than friends reuniting after years apart. Everyone has those friends, where you can go years without seeing each other, only to reunite and slip right back into your friendship like you’ve been hanging out every single day.

That’s how it feels with Helen and Sam. You see it mostly in the little things, like their ability to make jokes in tense situations, knowing the other will laugh and appreciate the brief moment of levity. There are a lot of relationships in Black Doves with plenty of intermingling. But the Helen-Sam relationship is the most critical to the success of the show. With that nailed down, it’s easier for everything else to fall into place around it.

And for that “everything else?” Take your pick. The script is great. Twists are to be expected in a show like this, and they’re used effectively. None of the twists feel unnecessary, as they all manage to serve the larger story. Knightley and Whishaw are the stars, but the supporting cast is excellent.

Sarah Lancashire plays Reed, Helen’s handler within the Black Doves, who you’re never quite sure if Helen should trust. Kathryn Hunter is a shot of energy as Lenny Lines, an important figure in the London criminal world, with whom Sam has a history. As great as they are, it’s Elly Lily Hyland who sticks out above the rest.

Her character is Williams, a rival freelance assassin. Black Doves is not a comedy, but it has plenty of funny moments (think funny in the way Dexter was funny). And Williams is responsible for lots of the bigger laughs.

What pushes Black Doves to that next level, though, is its examination of one’s own morals and personal code of ethics. It’s inherently there in any spy story, if it wants to engage in it. In order to do their job, spies have to do things that would, in a vacuum, be considered “bad.” Murder, deceit, theft, just to name a few. But it’s framed as being done in the name of a so-called “greater good.” And it’s even different for Helen.

In series like James Bond or Mission: Impossible, the jobs are being done in the name of their country, or on a more global scale. But the Black Doves are not a government agency. As Reed describes them, they’re a capitalistic enterprise, loyal to the highest bidder. If Helen ever feels uneasy about what she’s doing, she won’t always have the “at least I’m doing it for the good of my country” excuse to hide behind. She can try to claim ignorance by not asking into whose hands the information she’s gathering is going. That might help in the moment, but maybe not much more than that.

Sam’s side of things gets the more emotional treatment, as his return to London brings back a past still asking for answers. There are a few angles to his backstory, but the big one is his ex-boyfriend Michael (Omari Douglas). All we know from the outset is things ended badly, and it’s something Sam has struggled to reckon with over the years. Coming back to London might offer a second chance at closure, but could that come at the expense of his duty to Helen?

Sam’s story focuses on how our actions — both past and present — affect those closest to us. Like Helen, he’s just doing his job, but without regard to the danger it’s putting his loved ones in. Or he’s (selfishly) intentionally turning a blind eye to it because the relationship with Michael makes Sam happy and makes him feel closer to normal. Black Doves would be a good show without these extra layers, but that’s what pushes it into “great” territory.

Is Black Doves worth watching?

Let’s keep it simple here, yes. Black Doves is a smart, twisty spy thriller. Led by Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw, the stacked cast elevates an already strong script. And the moral and ethical questions it raises take it from good to great.

Black Doves will be available to stream on Netflix on December 5. All six episodes were screened for review.