Bodyguard on Netflix
A Sexy Thriller From London Arrives
Before we begin, let’s be clear: this series has nothing to do with the legendary 1992 Kevin Costner/Whitney Houston film, The Bodyguard. The title is the same, and the plot involves a beautiful man fighting to protect a beautiful lady from harm, but the similarities end there.
Bodyguard stars Richard Madden as a PTSD-stricken war veteran-turned-bodyguard, and Keeley Hawes as his charge, a conservative politician with a mysterious motivation towards enigmatic goals. Together, they fall into a web of intrigue, spy fiction, and tightly-crafted thrills. Madden is best known for his role as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones, as well as his turn in Kenneth Branagh‘s 2015 live-action Cinderella remake. Meanwhile, Hawes is known for BBC series like Spooks and Ashes to Ashes, as well as for playing iconic adventurer Lara Croft in 2006’s Tomb Raider: Legend.
The series has already proven to be a ratings smash in its home territory, and now Netflix is bringing the previously BBC exclusive series to the rest of the world. There’s something about a mix of political intrigue, romantic tension, violent action, and gripping drama that commands attention. Bodyguard definitely aims to follow up on the success of classic thrillers like MI5 and 24, blending action/adventure storytelling with hard-boiled politics and heroic, but troubled, protagonists. The show is the brainchild of Jed Mercurio, who cut his teeth on shows like Line of Duty, Strike Back, and the medical drama, Critical.
Best of all, the whole series consists of just six episodes, which is absolutely perfect for a single night of passionate binge-watching. In this new Golden Age of television, there is plenty of room for binge-worthy miniseries like this one, week-to-week watercooler programming like Better Call Saul, and jolly fare like American Vandal. There’s truly something for everyone in this wild world of limitless entertainment.
Bodyguard premieres October 26 on Netflix.
