The Jackal is an elusive assassin who makes his living by carrying out high-dollar assassinations. He soon meets his match in the form of a tenacious British intelligence officer who pursues him on a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe. Check our renewals and cancellations list to see if your favourite show has made the grade. Forsyth worked as a freelance journalist covering the Biafran War. When it all ended, he returned to the UK, unemployed and unsure of what to do next. He says: “I came back at Christmas 1969, completely broke. I couldn’t get a job, I had no flat, I had no car and no savings. Then I had this crazy, crazy idea to write a novel. “The whole world said you must be joking or crazy because the chances of it being published were hundreds to one, even thousands.” Within weeks of its release, the film rights were sold out. The role of the Jackal was vying for the 1973 film, but the role went to then-unknown Edward Fox because director Fred Zinnemann thought he could go unnoticed in the crowd (Air Mail mentioned in The Graham Norton Show: Denzel Washington/Paul Mescal/Saoirse Ronan/Eddie Redmayne (2024). ) Eddie Redmayne delivers a gripping performance, portraying the titular killer with a terrifying precision that makes him both terrifying and compelling. Redmayne’s meticulous approach to the role elevates his tension, making his every move seem calculated and inevitable. His ability to combine charm with horror leaves viewers both repulsed and fascinated, capturing the essence of the character’s duality. Unfortunately, Lashana Lynch’s performance pales in comparison, coming across as wooden and uninspired. Her portrayal of the espionage operative lacked depth, often feeling one-dimensional and overly stereotypical. In a series heavy on nuance and detail, his character’s lack of complexity is jarring in a negative way. Overall, the film is a compelling adaptation, but it sometimes struggles with uneven performances. Redmayne’s brilliance alone makes it worth watching, but Lynch’s shortcomings do somewhat detract from the experience.