Netflix’s Keira Knightley Spy Thriller Black Doves Makes Slow Horses Look Weak

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The London-based film Black Doves featured Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, the seemingly perfect wife of the British Defense Secretary and mother of two young children. However, it quickly becomes clear that Helen is far from ordinary. She’s actually a member of a clandestine private spy agency that sells sensitive industrial, political, and diplomatic information to the highest bidder, and she’s been betraying the U.K. for years.

The new series Black Doves, from the creator of Giri/Haji, really gets going when the main character realizes her identity as a spy might be compromised. Her boss brings in Ben Whishaw’s character, Sam, to help, and together they get caught up in a dangerous situation filled with criminals, hitmen, questionable deals, and even a few personal vendettas – all connected to the world of MI5. Black Doves offers a compelling contrast to spy stories set in London, and while it shares some similarities, it’s far more chaotic and intense than Gary Oldman’s more subdued spy thriller.

Black Doves and Slow Horses Both Owe A Lot to John le Carré

If you’re looking at spy stories from the last fifty years, one author stands out: John le Carré. His most famous novels, like The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, really shaped the spy thriller genre and influenced countless stories that followed. Even today, his most memorable character serves as the model for realistic spies in books, movies, and television shows.

While many think James Bond is a huge influence on spy stories, particularly those focused on action, it’s surprising that both author John Barton and Will Smith, the creator of Slow Horses, actually cited John le Carré as their biggest inspiration.

Barton explained to the Financial Times in 2024 that his work is often compared to that of John le Carré, but aims for a less traditional and more playful tone, avoiding the over-the-top action of franchises like Mission: Impossible or James Bond. He also noted that he intentionally embraced a sense of absurdity in some of the more dramatic moments of his series, Black Doves.

He smiled and explained, “One foot’s on the ground, the other’s in the air – because jumping from buildings is just plain foolish.” Smith also described Slough House, the shabby office where MI5’s less successful agents – nicknamed the “slow horses” – are sent, as feeling like something out of an older spy story. He said it was very run-down and suggested the intelligence service was once again struggling.

However, Their Approaches to Modernizing Spy Fiction Are Very Different

Both Black Doves and Slow Horses clearly draw inspiration from John le Carré’s spy novels, placing them within the same tradition of the genre and resulting in shared characteristics. However, these shows also offer something new, updating le Carré’s deliberate, suspenseful style for today’s viewers.

Black Doves is designed to be fast-paced and emotionally gripping, with over-the-top, yet entertaining, storylines and a distinctively playful, pulp-fiction feel. Unlike Slow Horses, it focuses less on the gritty details of realistic espionage, though Jackson Lamb and his team aren’t presented in a completely traditional way either.

Although different from Black Doves, this is quite a departure from the complex and subtle style of films like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. That excellent film, based on a famous John le Carré novel, featured Gary Oldman as Smiley, a brilliant but understated spy who relied on intellect rather than physical strength to succeed in the world of espionage.

When Gary Oldman landed the role of Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses, a lot of viewers probably expected him to bring that same quiet, calculating intensity he brought to George Smiley. But Lamb is a completely different beast. While he’s just as brilliant, Oldman plays him as deliberately unglamorous – overweight, a bit of a slob, and frankly, not very concerned with personal hygiene. And honestly, he’s just mean to his team. He constantly puts down and provokes these agents, but it’s clear he does it mostly for his own amusement. It’s a brilliantly unpleasant performance, and a total departure from Smiley.

With Gary Oldman’s character, Jackson Lamb, driving the plot, Slow Horses updates John le Carré’s spy novels for a modern audience. It’s currently the funniest spy show on television, skillfully balancing humor with genuinely serious storylines. The show unfolds at a more deliberate pace than Black Doves, and Lamb enjoys solving cases using classic, traditional spy techniques.

Compared to Black Doves, Slow Horses generally has less violence and isn’t as intense – though season three does have a lot more action. This difference makes Slow Horses a more comfortable watch.

Black Doves Proves There Is More Than One Right Way to Make a Spy Thriller

This comparison of two great spy shows isn’t about declaring one better than the other. While Black Doves feels more urgent and direct, and Slow Horses is more laid-back and traditional, both shows have their strengths. There’s no single ‘right’ way to tell a spy story.

For the past five or six years, Slow Horses has been incredibly popular, and many now see it as the standard for spy dramas on television. However, Black Doves demonstrates that the spy genre can offer more than just one particular style, and suggests a change in what viewers expect. If Black Doves continues to improve, it could become the leading show in this genre.

Spy shows are hugely popular on streaming services, with many competing for viewers – like The Recruit alongside shows such as Amazon’s Jack Ryan and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and those on Paramount+ and Apple TV. But despite all the new options, Slow Horses remains the standout hit of recent years, really setting the standard for how these shows look and feel.

The success of Black Doves suggests that viewers and critics might be looking for something different in spy thrillers. For a while, Slow Horses felt like the only standout show in this genre, but now it seems there’s room for more variety, which is great news for spy fiction overall.

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2026-03-27 22:07