Like Liam Neeson in Taken and Bob Odenkirk in Nobody, Oscar-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago, Wednesday) is pivoting into action. Her new series, Kill Jackie, premieres in October. Zeta-Jones plays an art dealer whose past as an international drug smuggler comes back to haunt her when a series of assassins known as the Seven Demons are dispatched to take her life. She has to rely on old instincts to take them out, one by one. The first reviews for Kill Jackie are rolling in, and they are mixed. With five reviews accounted for, the show has a 40% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.

On the positive side, N.M. Miller of FandomWire enjoyed the show’s slick, darkly funny tone, reserving special praise for Zeta-Jones’ performance in the lead role. “Based on The Price You Pay by Aidan Truhen, the adaptation is exciting, often hilarious, and super sleek, oozing charisma and cool while throwing in splashes of eye-opening violence that make the series feel like a shock to the system and jolt the tone it aims for,” Miller writes.
Kill Jackie works because of Catherine Zeta-Jones and her diabolically delicious turn. She still has a commanding presence that brings a mix of glamour, command, wit, and a magnetic glint of danger in her eyes. While everyone else is over-the-top with comic flair, Zeta-Jones plays her character down, with stoicism, sophistication, confidence, and wicked dry humor that is irresistible.
Cher Thompson of ScreenRant was also won over, and for many of the same reasons. “With a wonderfully cast ensemble, a stellar performance by Zeta-Jones, and a clear road map that allows the show to twist and turn in on itself in unexpected ways, the thrilling revenge series has a cinematic quality that ensures viewers will keep watching to the very last moments,” she writes. “Kill Jackie has some hiccups, but for most of its run, it’s wickedly smart, ambitious, and fun.” For other critics, those “hiccups” were too much to overcome. In a mixed review, Katie Doll of CBR expresses admiration for Zeta-Jones’ performance and calls the show “a fun ride,” but doesn’t think it does enough to stand out from the pack. “It has the flashy editing, chic soundtrack and well-rounded cast, but it reads more as a routine miniseries that’ll go stale in a few months’ time,” Doll writes. “It’s a real shame, because it does have standout performers like Zeta-Jones, Daniel Ings, Darci Shaw, Christine Adams, and Ron Perlman (in the tiniest of roles).”

AMC+

And then there are the critics who seem to outright hate the series, like Nick Schager of The Daily Beast. “AMC’s eight-part thriller series (Oct. 2) lacks virtually everything it needs—inspiration, cleverness, hilarity, suspense—and its cartoonishness is so extreme that it murders any chance at being taken seriously,” he writes.
Goofy musical cues and wannabe-funny cutaways are emblematic of the series’ brashness, as is Zeta-Jones’ self-consciously over-the-top performance. Whether she’s scowling and making threats or strutting through trouble and dancing to the camera, the actress strives for larger-than-life diva grandiosity.
Schager also calls out the show for blatantly ripping off action movies like Kill Bill. Ed Power of The Telegraph agrees that the show lacks an identity of its own, writing that, “a decent cast and lively accent work cannot compensate for this hackneyed late entry in the genre of overcooked hitman comedy or for the stonking lack of originality that oozes from the show’s every pore.”

None of the critics are under the impression that Kill Jackie is a great leap forward for television, but some are charmed by the show’s style while others seem to completely reject it. If you enjoy stylized, somewhat campy violence and are eager to see Catherine Zeta-Jones show off what she can do, Kill Jackie may be worth your time. If you’re looking for a show that breaks new ground, you may want to look elsewhere.

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Kill Jackie series on AMC+AMC+

Kill Jackie premieres on Friday, Oct. 2 on AMC+ in the United States. The show will air on Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Canada on the same day. If you live in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, France, or Belgium, Kill Jackie will air on HBO Max later this year.

Release Date

October 2, 2026

Network

Prime Video, AMC+

Directors

Dawn Shadforth, Damon Thomas, Sophie Muller

Writers

Tom Butterworth, Conor Keane, Peter Lawson, Damon Thomas

Cast

Sidse Babett Knudsen

Karenina