A twisty crime thriller starring Anya Taylor-Joy
Dear Watchers,The career thief Luciana Armstrong (Anya Taylor-Joy), better known to her associates as Lucky, survives on skill, not luck, in Apple TV’s new crime-thriller “Lucky.” And that skill serves her well: In the first two episodes, both of which debut on Wednesday, Lucky escapes a casino crawling with F.B.I. agents and later the trunk of a mob enforcer’s car. How does Lucky find herself in this predicament? “A series of bad decisions over an extended period of time,” she tells Priscilla (Annette Bening), the mobster whose goons she eludes. Lucky’s trajectory started in childhood, learning the art of the scam at the knee of her doting, if reckless, father (Timothy Olyphant). But when the series begins, Lucky and her husband (Drew Starkey) are about to leave that life behind. The past, however, isn’t quite finished with her, and Lucky must rely on her wiles to evade both law enforcement and the mob. There’s a certain pleasure in watching Taylor-Joy — her slight frame and wide eyes telegraphing vulnerability — Jason Bourne her way through one impossible situation after another. In one scene, she makes use of a tattered umbrella, skateboarding teens and a girl in a hoodie to slip onto a departing bus. In another, she crashes a child’s birthday party, steals a dress from the hostess and drives away in a sweet set of wheels. “Lucky” is co-executive-produced by Reese Witherspoon’s “Hello Sunshine,” a media company focused on woman-centered stories, and it shows. (Taylor-Joy also executive produces.) Men have authority in this world, but it’s the women who become masters of their own fate. The dogged agent Billie Rand (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) ignores protocol (and her male colleagues) in her pursuit of Priscilla and Priscilla’s mysterious boss, played by William Fichtner. Priscilla grapples with power and beauty, and how to survive when both wane. And then there’s Lucky, who just wants her freedom. Like most thrillers, “Lucky,” which was created by Jonathan Tropper (“Your Friends & Neighbors), has its share of surprises and deus ex machina revelations. But the show also devotes ample time to its characters, which means even an unrepentant criminal can be disturbingly relatable. And small cameos make an outsized impact compared to their time onscreen. But “Lucky” belongs unquestionably to Taylor-Joy, who often plays characters that must undergo a harrowing transformation to survive (“Split,” “The Menu,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”). As in those other roles, the transformation here is hard-fought, and Taylor-Joy sells it with the subtlest shift in her expressive eyes. Also this week
● A high school class in Tennessee investigates an infamous cold case, unearthing new clues and re-examining old ones in the docuseries “Murder 101.” All three episodes debut on Monday, on Amazon Prime Video. ● In the docuseries “The Real Wolf of Wall Street,” previously unseen footage and new interviews tell the true story of the scam artist Jordan Belfort, the inspiration behind the acclaimed Martin Scorsese film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” All three episodes arrive on Tuesday, on Paramount+. ● Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham star in “Ride or Die,” a buddy comedy-slash-crime caper about two friends, one of whom is secretly an assassin. The full series debuts on Wednesday, on Amazon Prime Video. ● Will Ferrell leads “The Hawk,” coming Thursday to Netflix, about a former golf star seeking one more turn in the spotlight. The stacked supporting cast includes Luke Wilson and Ferrell’s former S.N.L. castmates Molly Shannon and Chris Parnell.
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