Catherine Zeta-Jones Carries Her Quentin Tarantino‑Meets‑Guy Ritchie Crime Thriller 'Kill Jackie' | Review

Published Oct 2, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Gangster shows are having something of a moment on streaming. From MobLand to Lucky, these projects blend style and danger to draw viewers in by the millions, prompting networks to search for their next hit. The latest addition to that streaming queue is Kill Jackie, the new comedy-thriller from Amazon MGM Studios, which premieres this week on AMC+. At the center of the action is Catherine Zeta-Jones, taking on a role that couldn't be more different from the elegant parts she's known for. She still has style, of course, but those fashionable ensembles are now accessorized by bullets and bloodshed. What Is 'Kill Jackie' About? The Oscar-winning Zeta-Jones plays Jackie Price, a rich but secretive art dealer who lives in the grey area between law and order. One day, she discovers her elderly neighbor has been executed by professional killers, and those same assassins then attempt to kill her. Jackie has been targeted by an elite group of assassins known as the Seven Demons, something she suspects is connected to her past as a successful drug baron. Grabbing her loyal assistant (Hattie Hook) and baffled lawyer (Daniel Ings), neither of whom previously knew about her past, Jackie must draw on her old skills and dwindling allies to confront her pursuers, while also trying to uncover who's really behind the hit. Kill Jackie is based on the novel The Price You Pay by Nick Harkaway, writing under his pseudonym Aidan Truhen. The main character was gender-flipped for the TV adaptation, with the action moved from New York to London. Tom Butterworth, creator of Gangs of London, serves as writer and showrunner, while Zeta-Jones serves as executive producer, with Jackie marking her first lead role in a TV series since 2019’s Queen America. It’s also a rare opportunity for the actor to perform with her native Welsh accent, the first time in her career she has been able to do so. Kill Jackie establishes its aesthetic from the beginning, with the show's lead wearing sleek costumes and walking around to cool needle drops from the likes of Dusty Springfield, M.I.A., and Tom Jones. Very quickly, things descend into chaos, with elaborate kills, sharp gags, and colorful characters. Like an irreverent take on John Wick, the series quickly introduces the viewer to a criminal underworld where everyone has a unique quirk (each of the Seven Demons has their own particular calling card, for instance). Kill Jackie's style is knowingly over-the-top, with influences like Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie immediately clear to the eye. The dialogue never takes itself too seriously, either, with Zeta-Jones undercutting the villains’ threats with a sarcastic eye-roll, emasculating insult, or glib fourth-wall break. The supporting characters in particular are broadly drawn (all the villains seem to be drawn from a vault of gangster movie stereotypes), but Jackie herself is so likable that it results in an enjoyable her vs. the world dynamic as the walls close in around her. Catherine Zeta-Jones Is a Lot of Fun as a Woman on the Run in 'Kill Jackie' Image via AMC+ After making a name for herself in Hollywood on the big screen in the late ‘90s and 2000s, Zeta-Jones began working on American television in the late 2010s with roles in shows like Feud: Bette and Joan, Wednesday, and National Treasure: Edge of History. Most of those have been either supporting parts or characters that relied on her glamour, but in Jackie, Zeta-Jones finds a worthy leading part that also plays to her knack for comedy. Not only does she have a marvelously dry sense of humor, but she proves willing to commit herself to both physical hilarity and death-defying action. Zeta-Jones' wit and charisma successfully elevate Kill Jackie when the plot loses its way. She has a magnetism that makes you believe that Jackie's inner circle would just drop everything to follow her, while also displaying a tough edge that keeps pace with the sinister criminals fighting for her head. If the show lives beyond this first season, it will be because of Zeta-Jones carrying it on her expensively attired shoulders. ‘Kill Jackie’ Eventually Gets Tied Up in Knots Ultimately, Kill Jackie's writing is so concerned with pulling narrative rabbits out of hats that, eventually, the series' world becomes a maze of double-crossing. Everyone the trio meets has a hidden agenda that usually ends in gunfire, while the plot often ties itself up in knots trying to craft a surprise around the next corner. This formula becomes repetitive eventually, as instead of not knowing who to trust, you eventually become accustomed to the fact that everyone is a suspect and there’s always another puppet master pulling the strings. The series also takes delight in depicting just about every single way a character can be murdered, with blood flying across the screen as quickly as Jackie’s private jet. It’s difficult to know whether Kill Jackie's story is taking a larger moral position or, as Jackie hints in the premiere, it's more about a rich person wanting to experience the thrill of danger one more time. Had the show's episodes clocked in at half an hour apiece, these deficiencies might have been easier to hide at the story's frenetic pace — but at around 40-45 mins, those weaknesses make the latter half of the season drag. Kill Jackie isn’t your next binge obsession, but it may be your next guilty pleasure, with a fizzy mix of comedy, action, and aesthetics that carries a plot more interested in shocking than making sense. However, Zeta-Jones’ charming title character may be enough to entice you to see the story through to the bitter end. Kill Jackie premieres October 2 on AMC+. Release Date October 2, 2026 Network Prime Video, AMC+ Directors Dawn Shadforth, Damon Thomas, Sophie Muller Writers Tom Butterworth, Conor Keane, Peter Lawson, Damon Thomas Cast Creator(s) Tom Butterworth, Conor Keane, Peter Lawson, Damon Thomas Pros & Cons The show's scripts are very funny. The action scenes are elaborate and exciting. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a charismatic lead. There?s not much depth underneath the spectacle. The villains are too broadly written. The show's formula wears thin toward the end of the season.