‘MobLand’ Creator’s Hit Espionage Thriller Sneaks Up on Competition on Digital Charts

1 week ago 22

Lashana Lynch as Bianca Pullman leaning on a desk in the British intelligence office in The Day of the Jackal

Published Jan 24, 2026, 5:20 PM EST

Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him).

Only a few months before delivering the blockbuster Paramount+ series MobLand, creator Ronan Bennett notched a major win with the Peacock show The Day of the Jackal. The 10-episode thriller was headlined by Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne, who played a mysterious assassin tailed by an M16 officer while carrying out a high-stakes personal mission. The Day of the Jackal was based on the hit novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth, which had previously been adapted into a well-regarded 1970s hit starring Edward Fox and directed by Fred Zinnemann. The 1973 movie, like the source novel, followed the titular assassin on a mission to kill the real-life French president Charles de Gaulle; the new series, on the other hand, is set in contemporary times. The show is witnessing a sudden surge in interest on PVOD platforms, while its fans await the already announced second season.

According to FlixPatrol, The Day of the Jackal was among the most-watched shows on the domestic Apple TV charts earlier this week, when the leader board was topped by RuPaul's Drag Race and Taylor Sheridan's Landman. Redmayne received a nomination at the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards for his performance as the Jackal; he was joined in the cast by Lashana Lynch, who played the spy hot on his trail. With a reported production budget of more than $100 million, The Day of the Jackal received positive reviews upon release, and is now sitting at a "certified fresh" 85% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus reads, "A globetrotting thriller made eerily plausible by Eddie Redmayne's reptilian performance, The Day of the Jackal turns dark deeds into good fun."

Audiences Have Plenty of Spy Shows To Choose From

In his review, Collider's Jeff Ewing described the show as "an elegantly crafted thriller that utilizes tight plotting and strong character work to modernize a classic for our contemporary world." Shortly after its release in November 2024, The Day of the Jackal was renewed for a second season. It was only a few months later, in March, that Bennett debuted MobLand. The crime drama, starring Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren, emerged as a massive success on Paramount+, unseating Sheridan's Yellowstone from the streamer's top spot. Like The Day of the Jackal (which won't see Bennett returning), MobLand has been renewed for a second season as well. You can watch both shows at home, or check out the other espionage series currently on offer — Ponies, The Night Manager, and Slow Horses.