Assassins. They are quite something, aren’t they? A bit like vampires, there is a sense of mystique about them, no matter where they go, and their very existence is a danger not just to themselves but to others around them. Now, what if you have a gun-for-hire friend who keeps their real identity hidden from you for a long time? Would you still keep them close when you learn the truth about them? Prime Video’s new series Ride or Die is an exhilarating story about assassins—their duality, moral dilemmas, complex relationships, wounds that take years to heal, and the persistent need to look over their shoulders in every walk of life. The series thrives on a compelling story, which peels deeper and more profound layers the longer it runs, its constant stream of humour, and an array of top-notch performances.
The plot is quite familiar, although you do not want to hold this against the series. Debbie (Octavia Spencer) leads a rather peaceful life with her MP husband David (Jamie Parker), whom she wishes to make Prime Minister. However, when David disappears in mysterious circumstances following a shootout in a hotel room, Debbie is forced to confront a harsh truth about her longtime friend Judith (Hannah Waddingham). Soon, Debbie finds herself on the run and in search of her husband and the truth, even as Judith and some of her accomplices accompany her and many, including an Albanian drug racket and Interpol, pursue her.
Directors: Peyton Reed, DeMane Davis, Allison Liddi-Brown, Lauren Wolkstein
Cast: Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, Ed Skrein, Calam Lynch, Savannah Steyn, Jamie Parker, Sylvia Hoeks
Streamer: Prime Video
Ride or Die starts off with an easy-on-the-eye and breezy narrative, with the series drawing much of the entertainment from the camaraderie between Spencer and Waddingham, as well as the humour mined out of mundane situations. The stakes seem rather low for a while until a new assassin (Sylvia Hoeks) appears with a vengeful plot. The series makes the smart move of keeping us guessing about the antagonistic assassin’s identity and ulterior motive, making us wonder whether she is part of the mob or whether there is a bigger agenda at play. It is a delight to see the series shift gears, while piling one poignant plot element after another before ending with a bang. Amid all the action and narratively thrilling moments, we also get story arcs for some of the side characters, a move that only gradually makes sense. This broader narrative appears to be part of Prime Video's strategy to push the series into a second season and maybe even beyond.
For now, the Octavia Spencer-Hannah Waddingham starrer is well worth the ride, while not making you feel like dying out of boredom at any point. While it marks the first collaboration between Spencer and Waddingham, they remarkably portray the deep friendship between their characters while keeping all their complicated dynamics intact. Spencer lets her guard down and performs with the effortlessness she is known for. She knows exactly where to let Waddingham hog the limelight and where to take over the reins from her co-star. Even when Debbie is not onscreen, you feel Spencer's presence, which is the sign of an actor par excellence. On the other hand, Waddingham marries Judith's steely determination with her fears and insecurities. There is a wounded woman behind her ostensibly macho exterior, and Waddingham portrays this contradiction with plenty of panache. While the actor does all the stunts with the conviction of any other A-lister, it is in the quieter moments of Ride or Die where Judith seethes with rage that the performance stands out the most.
The makers also deserve plaudits for taking the kind of storytelling risks here that such thrillers usually eschew. It is this approach that keeps us watching the final moments with bated breath, as the characters race against time to overcome their perilous situations. The dry wit also makes for a thoroughly entertaining watch without ever letting a sense of inertia set in. The series makes you burst out in laughter on occasion with its sardonic sense of humour, such as when a makeshift surgeon who is part of the assassins’ team tells one of them that he is capable of the 'repair task' presented to him because he ‘quilts’. Now, this is where these professionals differ from the creatures, whom Bela Lugosi’s Dracula refers to as ‘Children of the night’. Unlike the men with fangs, they do not have regenerative healing capabilities, and that is why their ride that toys with death at every instant is quite exhilarating, just like this series.
