Over the past decade, Joe Barton has earned his place among the great British screenwriters. From Giri/Haji, to The Lazarus Project, to The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself and cinematic offerings like Encounter and The Ritual, the man’s made a living out of noodle twisting, edge-of-your-seat gripping film and TV. And his latest, upcoming Netflix thriller Black Doves, looks like it could be his best yet. Starring Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire, Barton’s latest is a six-part spy thriller series set during the most wonderful time of the year. Based on the first teaser for the show though, wonderful times look to be in short supply for our leads here. Check it out below:
We did say teaser — but what a way to make 20 seconds count, eh? “I’m looking to hire someone,” says Sarah Lancashire’s spymaster Reed over shots of a blood-spattered Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw. “No one knows if they can really do it until they try,” she continues, “and then they find out pretty quick.” It’s an enigmatic, tone-setting opening gambit for the show, but one that more than fits the plot here.
And, talking of plot, here’s the meaty official synopsis: “Knightley plays Helen Webb, a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy. For a decade, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend to keep her safe. Sam Young (Ben Whishaw) is a suave, Champagne-drinking assassin. But having been out of the game since a failed job with disastrous consequences, he’s come home to a London that has moved on without him. As his past threatens to catch up with him, his task is to protect Helen as she investigates who killed Jason and why.”
And if your appetite has been whetted by the above, then here are some first-look shots from the new series, too:
Spies, shadowy organisations, and champagne drinking assassins may not be in any version of the 12 Days Of Christmas we’ve ever heard, but hey, if Die Hard is a Christmas movie (which it is!), then Black Doves can be a Christmas spy thriller series in our book. And we’ll eagerly look forward to unwrapping it when all six episodes hit Netflix on 5 December.