The Assassin review: Keeley Hawes channels James Bond in razor-sharp hitwoman thriller

From a high-octane opening sequence filled with fight scenes and blockbuster levels of cinematography worthy of a James Bond film, The Assassin doesn't disappoint.

The six-part series follows retired hitwoman Julie Green (played by Keeley Hawes), who's reluctantly called onto one last job that could have deadly consequences.

There's just one big problem: Julie's estranged journalist son Edward (Freddie Highmore) has come to visit her for the weekend after four years, and as far as he's concerned, she's a humble head hunter.

So unfolds a fast-paced thriller interwoven with family drama as Julie and Edward really get to know each other.

The series is certainly a change of pace for Hawes, who played Cassandra Austen earlier this year in PBS and the BBC's gentle period drama Miss Austen. Indeed, Hawes' last Greek outing was Louisa Durrell in ITV's cosy family series The Durrells on the idyllic island of Corfu.

However, given her turns in Spooks, Line of Duty and Ashes to Ashes, Hawes has the action chops needed to pull off Julie with aplomb.

The Assassin marks a reunion with writers Harry and Jack Williams after she appeared in season two of their International Emmy-winning series The Missing.

Her pairing with Highmore is a perfect fit as the chalk and cheese duo try to out-do each other in the sarcasm stakes.

The two actors bounce off each other and really make the heart of this show beat with their chemistry.

Highmore assumes the mantle of investigative reporter and vegan Edward with ease as the hack flounders while on the lam.

The former child star is no stranger to complex onscreen mother-son dynamics after his turn as a young Norman Bates in the contemporary Psycho prequel Bates Motel.

Other notable cast members include Jack Davenport, Alan Dale, The Tourist's Shalom Brune-Franklin, and Top of the Lake's David Dencik.

But this isn't just a run-of-the-mill thriller, instead there's a dark vein of British humour running through the script.

The zingers fly seamlessly between mother and son and it's all to the credit the Williams' brothers for their searing wit.

From Julie being branded a "menopausal James Bond" to Edward being warned his quest for his real father "isn't Mamma Mia", The Assassin is peppered with as many quips as it is is with bullets and F-bombs. At times you're unsure whether to be laughing as the heightened situations, but it all works.

The Two Brothers have done it again with The Assassin. This is a solid hit. While their series The Tourist was a heart-stopping watch, The Assassin is tempered with much levity and comedy that weaves into the show and makes for a quintessential British action thriller with a serio-comic edge.

The Assassin is streaming on Prime Video now