When you think of MI5, James Bond instantly comes to mind, right? If not 007, then we're sure you'll conjur up images of various spies fighting the good fight for Queen and country with all manner of gadgets, fancy cars, and expensive suits. Slough House, a decrepit cesspit on a dreary street in London couldn't be any further from the hallowed halls of MI5, but it's there we find the organisation’s biggest screw-ups, unwanted employees and self-proclaimed losers. After all, they have to go somewhere, but what happens when these apparent lost causes are dragged into a mission that only they may be capable of pulling off? That's a question posed in a deeply engrossing way in Slow Horses, a new Apple TV+ that arrives this Friday, April 1, and adapts the series of hit novels by author Mick Herron. Written by Will Smith (no, not that one) and directed by James Hawes, this is a perfect example of a truly great spy thriller, albeit with a cast of characters unlike any you'll have seen produced by MI5 before.
Jack Lowden stars as River Cartwright, an agent who might just have been the next Bond had he not made one massive mistake. Now, he's trapped in purgatory in Slough House working for the repugnant and disdainful Jackson Lamb. Lamb hates his job and has nothing but contempt for the "losers" that work for him, and trust us when we say he never shies away from making that known. Gary Oldman is superb as Lamb, and fully embraces the physical transformation required to bring this character to life. Whether he's stinking his office out with a fart, offering a recovering alcoholic a drink, or simply berating his underlings, Lamb is someone it would be all too easy to hate. However, as the series progresses, Oldman reveals hidden depths to this character and delivers a fascinating, compelling portrayal of a man who, in the hands of a lesser actor, could have become a caricature. Amidst the occasional repulsiveness of Lamb, there’s a deeply flawed, damaged man who may care more than he’s letting on. In a career as distinguished as Oldman's, it feels like hyperbole to call this one of his finest performances, but it really is, and Lamb has to be one of his most fascinating creations.
Lowden is also excellent, really driving home the resentment this one-time hotshot agent has for the dire situation he finds himself in. There's not a bad performance to be found, though, with Kristin Scott Thomas another highlight as the duplicitous head of operations in MI5, Diana Tavener, and Saskia Reeves brilliant as someone who finds herself all too often dealing with the worst Lamb has to offer. Olivia Cooke, Antonio Aakeel, Rosalind Eleazar, Dustin Demri-Burns, and the entire ensemble are terrific, though, and more Jonathan Pryce on our screens is never a bad thing.
Like any good spy thriller, Slow Horses manages to keep you guessing and delivers its fair share of surprises. Not dealing with world-ending stakes proves to be of huge benefit to the show as it never veers too far into the fantastical and feels suitably grounded. Given the harsh reality of what it means to find yourself in Slough House, that makes perfect sense, and the show is all the better for putting its characters first. The fact that they’re put in a situation that has high personal stakes both in terms of what it means for them and the people they're trying to save is also beneficial to what plays out here, and while Oldman may steal the show, we’re keen to spend more time with all of these characters again. This story has a lot to say about Britain in 2022, and hits on plenty of very timely and relevant beats, albeit in ways that avoid any al- too-familiar trappings. As a result, the show's message about what it means to be British hits harder, and that combined with what feels like the most authentic take on MI5 we've seen on screen for some time results in the best TV show of the year so far.
With a decent amount of action, edge of your seat thrills, and twists that will leave you reeling, Slow Horses is a series that proves to be essential viewing. By the time the finale arrived and we'd finally taken a breath, we'd even fallen in love with Oldman's cantankerous spy, someone who it's clear the Oscar winner can continue to explore and develop for years to come. For now, though, rest assured that this six-episode series delivers a spy story it's worth getting invested in.
Gary Oldman is a force of nature in Slow Horses, a stellar spy series that finally puts a fresh spin on the genre in a way that makes even Slough House somewhere we hope to keep visiting for many years to come.