There is one, and only one, TV drama about a sexy, sociopathic female assassin that a streaming TV subscriber will ever need in their life. That show is Killing Eve, creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s twisty, addictive psychological thriller from the late 2010s — all four seasons of which, hallelujah, are now available to stream on Netflix after originally airing here on BBC America.
If your Netflix queue is looking a little dry at the moment, I cannot recommend this critically acclaimed British drama starring Jodie Comer highly enough, especially for its unpredictability and the way it brings a fresh approach to the spy genre. I’ll confess: It also turned me into a hardcore fan of Comer, who offers up a masterclass in acting here and whose different personas and disguises completely blew me away.
If you can handle all the stomach-churning hits that Villanelle, Comer’s hitwoman with the face of a kewpie doll, carries out over and over again throughout the 32-episode series, Killing Eve becomes a fascinating cat-and-mouse game between two strong female characters. And when I say stomach-churning, believe me when I tell you that Villanelle’s executions get pretty creative in their brutality — like the time she stabs a Mafia boss in the eye with a poisoned hairpin.
What’s Killing Eve about?
The show is based on a series of e-novellas published by Luke Jennings, stories that were later compiled into the single novel Codename Villanelle. That story, as well as the show Killing Eve, follows a Russian orphan named Villanelle who murders the killers of her gangster father and who goes to be trained as an assassin by a shadowy organization called The Twelve.
In addition to Comer, the show’s cast includes Sandra Oh as MI6 operative Eve Polastri and Fiona Shaw as Carolyn Martens, the head of MI6’s Russia Section. Jennings, by the way, has continued the story in installments that he’s serialized on Substack under the title Killing Eve: Resurrection.
Who should watch
Obviously, fans of the spy genre definitely need to stream Killing Eve if they haven’t already. The show, which is brimming with sharp writing and complex and interesting characters, is also perfect for anyone who appreciates just smart, stylish TV drama. If you enjoyed Netflix series like Kleo and Furies, I’d definitely add Killing Eve to your watchlist.
And if you’re looking for more addictive spy dramas like it, check out our list of can’t-miss spy shows from streamers like Apple TV+, Netflix, Prime Video, and more.