Black Doves

Black Doves is a winking Netflix spy thriller not afraid to get some blood on the tinsel this Christmas. The brainchild of coveted screenwriter Joe Barton (of Giri/Haji fame), the series is such an obvious win it has already been renewed for a second season.

This is the pacy story of the artfully enigmatic Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), the dutiful wife of a high-flying politician by day and a Black Doves spy by night, feeding information to swan-like top dog Mrs Reed (Sarah Lancashire). Fairytale of New York is playing when Helen’s civil servant lover is among a string of targeted murders. This kick-starts the drama, with the call-up of fellow champagne-sipping assassin Sam (Ben Whishaw), who leaves self-imposed exile to abet Helen’s quest for revenge. A “Chinese ambassador situation” is simultaneously unravelling; this geopolitical drama, resting on the nondescript shadowy figure of China, feels perhaps expected, the only minor dent in Barton’s otherwise airtight writing.

Indeed, the creator’s characters have emotional arcs previously altogether ignored by spy thrillers. It is Helen and Ben’s “friendship” that emotionally anchors the series and sings on screen thanks to the easy chemistry between Knightley and Whishaw. Helen feels an entirely new addition to the genre, written as a decidedly complex character with many faces: she loves her children, she pursues self-interest in her affair, she has vital work and does not feel guilty for the way these motivations tug at each other. As for Ben, “the queer guy who shoots people”, his queerness is refreshingly incidental (while simultaneously essential), well-observed, and, thanks to the dimensionality of Whishaw’s performance, emotionally rich.

Christmas, all about facade and pretence, proves a synergic backdrop for the thumping drama to play out: amped-up festive songs crash into scenes, creating a feverish atmosphere with the sense something is about to bubble over. The Netflix of it all – immediately evident from that distinct saturated hue – is not unwelcome, pushing familiar best-of-British panoramic shots of London into the realm of unreality.

Elsewhere, the jokes are good – Knightley’s arch delivery is particularly delightful – the kids are “Nativity” funny, the gore is the right side of gory. And a moment for the stunts, with in-the-weeds fight scenes written for Knightley’s Helen, who stuns with brute-force physicality.

Everyone will crowd around the telly to watch Black Doves, gobbling up the taut writing, fizzing ensemble performances and the ultimate easy indulgence of the “Netflix effect”.

Georgina Elliot

Black Doves is released on Netflix on 5^th December 2024.

Watch the trailer for Black Doves here: