Echo 3

Part of the appeal of contemporary prestige drama is in its ability to capture the same appeal of its cinematic counterparts, and often without the compromise of budget thanks to the economics of television. A show like Echo 3 may have found more difficulty getting investment as a feature – whilst a brilliant writer, Mark Boal’s Oscar-winning banner hasn’t always translated into box office success – but with Apple’s deep pockets, this show is allowed to be its big, bold self at home on the streaming service, and it stands out among the pack of fellow action series for precisely its unrestricted creative authority.

This thriller centres on a pair of Special Forces pals, Prince and Bambi (played by Michiel Huisman and Luke Evans, respectively) who undertake a perilous journey along the Colombia-Venezuela border to find Bambi’s missing sister Amber (Jessica Ann Collins), a research scientist gone missing while investigating the effects of psychedelic drugs. A strong cold open in the pilot episode locates her in a hostage situation at gunpoint before flashing back to one of the happiest moments of her life, celebrating her wedding to Prince.

The contrast of the personal and the professional is particularly potent in the visual sense, where the on-location shooting between America and Colombia immerses us richly in both worlds and the varying experiences of the central trio, beautifully directed by South American auteurs Pablo Trapero and Claudio Llosa, who bring their own flair to the naturalist aesthetic that Kathryn Bigelow brought to empower Boal’s authentic writing for The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty and Detroit.

Amber’s journey is rooted in a classic fish-out-of-water scenario but unravels in more interesting ways than expected, at least indicated in the two episodes seen for review. Where Echo 3 falls into the familiar, though, is in its fundamental trappings as an American military piece, with its ideas around imperialism and corruption not holding as much weight in a landscape full of stories holding US foreign policy accountable. Nevertheless, this is a really well-done take on these themes, not least due to its success in exploiting the medium. Echo 3 is as taut and thrilling as any of the works Boal is known for writing for the big screen, with incredibly crafted set pieces and promising character work.

Musanna Ahmed

Echo 3 is released on Apple TV+ on 23^rd November 2022.

Watch the trailer for Echo 3 here: