Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw make great spies in “Black Doves”

Black Doves has two souls. The original Netflix series, released last December 5th and currently number one among the platform's most-watched shows, was created by Joe Barton and stars two brilliant Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw — certainly one of the driving factors behind the project's success. Then there's the espionage setting, the tangled web behind their work as secret agents and flawless hitmen, both of whom have different vulnerabilities and mistakes that will get them into serious trouble as the story unfolds. The two souls, then, lie precisely in the type of product the streaming window offers and how it is deconstructed, starting from an event that will shake the threads of international balance to later delve into the interiority and psychology of its characters. While the entire setting of Black Doves indeed suggests a very classic structure for the spy movie genre, broken into episodes for its serialized format, it's the script that gradually undermines its usual tropes, starting from the universal (an event that risks creating global conflicts) and then moving to the particular (the individual motivations driving the protagonists). A three-dimensionality that adds depth to the Netflix show, suggesting its own personality that will play across all six episodes, engaging both with the professional side of Knightley and Whishaw's characters as spies/assassins and their inner consciousness and depth, with which they must come to terms, ultimately influencing many of the choices they make.

The two characters, Helen and Sam, are former friends and colleagues who went through a traumatic event in the past that separated them. The protagonist, whose life is constantly undercover as the wife of the British defense minister, is shaken when her lover is killed, prompting Sam to return to London after seven years of exile to help her. The dynamic the two actors develop is fresh and affectionate, despite the harsh context of hand-to-hand combat, blown-off brains, and rifles hidden in guitar cases. The chemistry the protagonists create makes their bond even more authentic and, by reflection, also their personalities of Helen and Sam. The actors add nuances to the characters when sharing the screen, letting them unfold more to the audience and enriching them with shades of light and darkness that remain even when the story occasionally divides their paths.

This personnel converging into a web of secrets and intrigue is precisely the most captivating aspect of a series where the dogmas of impenetrable spies are dismantled, but which otherwise aligns with many similar narratives, marking the classical and conventional counterpart of Black Doves. Well directed by Alex Gabassi and Lisa Gunning, even better directed in terms of the acting of its cast, the show delights in breaking the usual twists of thriller plots but doesn’t stray far enough to offer a truly unique or original product. Still, it's an enjoyable entertainment experience that makes you question how even the smallest of actions can have catastrophic consequences we didn't expect.