An agent has been compromised in Belarus and the Agency is on alert. That’s the premise of The Agency’s Showtime original namesake, and it’s as exciting as it sounds. In fact, it’s also a film that draws liberally from David Fincher’s Netflix original. The killer, as it also stars Michael Fassbender coming in from the cold. His character, “Martian”, returns to London after six years of gathering counter-espionage, forging friendships and gathering information to combat a situation that could end in America being attacked. Intentionally low-key, politically relevant and cut from a different cloth thanks to an excellent ensemble cast, The Agency the two-part premiere is a slow double-header that will set it apart from its fellow spy shows.

The Agency is a remake of the French thriller The office by Tim Rochant — available on Prime Video, for those who are curious. It was adapted by screenwriting duo and brothers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. Together, the brothers brought back their big screen blockbusters including Edge of tomorrow And Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny bare in their new streaming series. The Agency is character-driven, coldly calculating, and backed by a clinical performance from Fassbender that captures the actor at the peak of his powers.

Episodes 1 and 2 of The Agency are carried by the magnetic performance of Michael Fassbender

The episodes’ political conspiracies and shady characters are terribly relevant

Like any remarkable spy thriller, The Agency is plagued by unrest and devious agendas. Skeletons long hidden in closets are dragged into the light, kicking and screaming. Officers under the influence drive into oncoming traffic, break through police lines and are shocked and submit to local law enforcement. Among the chaos and carnage is Martian, an undercover artist who is presented to the audience with economy. Locked up in an abandoned farmhouse or traveling by private jet to the American embassy, ​​this undercover asset is cool under fire. Much of this detachment and indifference comes from an icy Fassbender in one of his most riveting performances. He crafts a character who has abandoned emotional attachments for so long that he no longer recognizes the man in the mirror. Needless to say, he is a sight to behold.

Throughout this double bill, Fassbender alludes to a man in conflict, both with himself and with the world. This is someone who has been in the trenches of this secret world for too long and recognizes everything he has lost. His daughter, Poppy, is the last essential link to his humanity and a life he left behind long ago. The promise of escape from this clandestine existence locks him in on all sides and forces this asset to treat everything with professional suspicion. Locked in a stylish London apartment but devoid of any personal touches, the audience is invited to watch Martian check every crevice. Shelves, light fixtures, and ornaments are all scrutinized for anything out of place. In The Agency, someone is always listening, and that paranoia defines much of what makes Fassbender’s performance and this series’ premiere so good. On FaceTime or in conference rooms, while the interrogations take place by video at his side, Fassbender is magnetic. He always remains calm under fire as his political landscape evolves, and even when station bosses ask him for answers.

Related

Cross Review: Aldis Hodge’s Prime video series finally proves Alex Cross right

Amazon’s thriller Cross brings Alex Cross back to life, thanks to a fantastic performance from Aldis Hodge in the title role of the Prime Video TV show.

The Agency shares much of its DNA with the modern Cold War classic Handyman, tailor, soldier, spy, directed by Tomas Alfredson and starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch, among others. The film and this new series share an intentional lack of polish when it comes to the production design that captures London in all its washed-out glory. The dark city is littered with concrete buildings, stretches of road lit by sodium lamps and an American embassy resting eternally under a rain cloud. Humid, depressing and claustrophobic, the British climate has never been so effective at conveying mood. This oppression extends to a central plot rich with container ship interrogations, blatant rule-breaking, human drama, and political intrigue that feels a little too close for comfort. Bouncing between Belarus, Britain and the warmer climes of Addis Ababa, The Agency also manages to exude an international vibe. Focusing less on activities in Eastern Europe and on those closer to Russia’s borders is behind this dual bill and ultimately gives it a contemporary feel.

The Agency Episodes 1 and 2 Supporting Cast Further Elevates Series Premiere

Episodes give supporting cast just enough screen time

Spy franchises don’t get any bigger than James BondAnd The Agency has obvious ties to Jeffrey Wright, who appeared in two of the five Daniel Craig Era Bond films. As director of operations at the American embassy in London, Henry (Wright) is at the forefront when Belarus explodes. With Felix Leiter’s iconic background in his Daniel Craig era catalog, audiences enjoy an immediate connection that grounds this series. Faced with Fassbender’s Martian, it is clear that there is a shared sense of history between them in the service of American counter-espionage. Wright’s powerful support brings an unspoken gravitas to these early episodes that reveal an American embassy just as adept at spreading disinformation within the ranks as anywhere else. Juggling the crisis in Belarus and the forced extradition of agents threatened by Ukraine, Wright’s presence is essential to selling the dramatic power of the series.

His colleague, confidant and immediate superior, Bosko, is played by Hollywood legend Richard Gere. He himself is no stranger to spy thrillers thanks to The jackal – a free remake of The Day of the Jackal and a mid-level Bruce Willis vehicle from 1997 – this time there’s no Irish accent to contend with. Bosko is a careerist who survived the slippery pole of post-Cold War CIA cutbacks, and now finds himself stationed in London at a pivotal moment in political history. He’s a station chief with skeletons in his closet who finds himself witnessing hostilities in Eastern Europe reach a boiling point, thanks to a captured agent with sensitive information. In truth, Gere doesn’t have much to do in these opening episodes other than wander around with purpose and share a few dialogue-heavy scenes opposite Wright. However, there is a feeling that Bosko will play a more important role in the proceedings, as The Agency takes place.

Related

The Day of the Jackal Review: Eddie Redmayne Makes Peacock Remake a Modern Classic

Peacock’s remake of The Day of the Jackal is brilliant thanks to Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, and the series’ commitment to being a true thriller.

Elsewhere, Katherine Waterston and Jodie Turner Smith provide equally strong support as CIA handler Naomi and Martian’s highly educated partner Sami Zahir, respectively. The former has appeared in everything from the Paul Thomas Anderson film Inherent vice until Fantastic Beasts franchise, while Turner-Smith progressed with that of Disney+ The Acolyte and the original Apple Bad monkey. Although the exotic femme fatale may seem like a deceptively generic smokescreen to the audience, Zahir is crucial to the story. She plays a vital role in influencing Martian and allowing him to feel again. She offers him hope outside of his regimented existence, releasing dormant emotions. She is more than just a fleeting physical connection that causes him to question his priorities, seek comfort in her company, and open himself to betrayal. Naomi, meanwhile, may feel less impactful, but she reveals her softer side in the latter stages of this double bill, particularly when she ushers a new agent into the fold.

Episodes 1 and 2 of The Agency bring contemporary politics and terrifying truths to the table

The episodes’ slow-burn thrills promise more to come

In a world always close to war, The Agency feels like a dose of low-key smelling salts that provide a much-needed reality check to the spy genre and audiences. The series’ clandestine services have the trappings of luxury expected of fictional spies like 007, with high-end hotels and bottomless expense accounts shaping this belief. However, The Agency dares to offer another perspective on such a way of life, truly defined by isolation, solitude and anonymity. It’s also one where loyalty to the mission means abandoning everyone who ever cared for you and lying to those who remain without thinking twice. It’s a world in which protocols and procedures trump emotional responses. Fassbender’s performance as Martian sits at the intersection of these two, losing faith in the glitz and glamor of the former, while creating an emotional escape route away from prying eyes.

Related

Law & Order Season 24, Episode 7 Review: The Crime Drama Gets More Political

Law & Order Season 24, Episode 7, “Truth & Consequences,” injects more politics – both global and local – into the series than usual, and it half-works.

The Agency also explores a cultural landscape shaped by social media, where privacy in the traditional sense is obsolete. Identities can be manipulated, opinions changed, and countries corrupted with the touch of a keyboard. In this world adapted by the Butterworth Brothers, no one seems to be a winner. Every actor in this political game seems exhausted, jaded and indifferent. In this first two-part series which succeeds in eliminating all espionage artifice, The Agency benefits from a top-notch cast and lays the foundations for a series full of substance. It’s a perfect and sobering reflection of a world where political corruption is pervasive, individual liberties are compromised, and elected officials choose their administrations on daytime television. The Agency will be a little too close for some viewers, but that’s precisely what’s worth tuning into each week.

The first two episodes of The Agency are now streaming on Paramount+ and Showtime.

The Agency Episodes 1 and 2

An undercover CIA agent is ordered to abandon his life of undercover and return to London Station; When the love he left behind reappears, romance is reborn.

Release date

November 29, 2024

Cast

Jeffrey Wright, Michael Fassbender, Jodie Turner-Smith, Saura Lightfoot Leon, Katherine Waterston, John Magaro, Alex Reznik, Harriet Sansom Harris, India Fowler, Reza Brojerdi, Richard Gere

Seasons

1

Network

Paramount+ with Showtime

Directors

Joe Wright

Producers

Bob Yari, David Glasser, David Hutkin, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Jez Butterworth, Michael Fassbender, Ron Burkle, Pascal Breton, John-Henry Butterworth, Nina L. Diaz, Grant Heslov

Benefits

• Michael Fassbender is in magnetic form
• The Agency presents an impeccable casting

Disadvantages

• Some audiences might find its clinical approach off-putting.

Develop