A recently released Netflix series is one of the streamer’s best-ever spy thrillers and deserves to be ranked among the greatest on the global streaming platform. The 6-parter is one of the best Netflix series to binge-watch this week, or any week for that matter.
This gripping and well-crafted spy thriller stars Keira Knightley in her very first leading role in a Netflix series and earned a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score. The series was so acclaimed when it was released in 2024 that Netflix instantly ordered a second season.
Black Doves Is One Of Netflix’s Top-Rated Original Spy Thrillers
Black Doves was somewhat of a surprise hit when it landed on Netflix in December 2024. Part spy thriller, part dark comedy, and part Christmas-themed tale, Black Doves quickly won over audiences and critics with its immersive and binge-worthy 6-part first season.
Black Doves follows Knightley’s protagonist Helen Webb, who is part of a secret society of female assassins and spies known as the Black Doves. The covert organization is so secret that Helen’s husband, a prominent British politician, has no clue about her true identity or that Helen was appointed to marry him so that he could be closely monitored.
The Black Doves are also a completely unbiased group, meaning that they serve no government and only take orders from the highest bidder. Helen is among the best of the elite group, but after her secret lover is murdered, Helen’s old friend from their agency is assigned to protect her from a dangerous, unknown threat.
Black Doves also features great performances by Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire, Andrew Buchan, Andrew Koji, Finn Bennett, and Paapa Essiedu. Screen Rant gave the series 7/10 stars, noting, “Keira Knightley is perfectly cast in Netflix’s ambitious and engaging spy thriller that packs uniquely strong punches.”
Black Doves Blends Genres & Defies Traditional Thriller Tropes
Black Doves is not a standard spy thriller series that is overly serious or thematically rigid. In fact, the series frequently dives into the backstories of both Helen and her old friend Sam, who is a feared and respected assassin. The series combines action fight sequences with detailed character studies and an expansive cast of characters that stretches across London’s vast criminal underworld.
Black Doves also unexpectedly serves as a holiday series, especially in its finale season 1 episode, and is quite dense with subplots for a 6-episode series. You could call Black Doves a spy, action, crime, and political thriller, and you would be accurate in each category. Black Doves packs an impressive punch for a bite-sized Netflix series that is loaded with twists and turns and is one of the very best on the platform.
