'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' review: Donald Glover and Maya Erskine's series is sleek, sexy, and super fun

This isn't a reboot of nan 2005 movie — it's a caller reimagining.

Normally I'd bemoan immoderate TV show that seems for illustration a run-of-the-mill movie reboot, but erstwhile it comes to Mr. & Mrs. Smith, each my skepticism has gone flying retired nan window.

The only point this Prime Video bid has successful communal pinch Doug Liman's 2005 movie is its name. Co-created by Francesca Sloane (Atlanta, Fargo) and Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is much of a delightful reinvention than a old remake. (In that way, it's akin to 2023's Dead Ringers, different astounding film-based bid from nan streaming service.)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith turns nan movie's crippled connected its head.

Whereas nan movie introduced a brace of joined assassins unaware they're moving for opposing spy operations, nan show throws 2 strangers together successful a clone matrimony arsenic a screen for concealed missions. Think of it for illustration The Americans, only with a funnier tone.

Our newlywed strangers are John (Glover) and Jane (Pen15's Maya Erskine). He describes himself arsenic "too competitive," she describes herself arsenic "secretive." Both are consenting to relocate for a caller occupation pinch a mysterious intelligence company, 1 whose caput honcho only communicates pinch them via cryptic matter messages and nan occasional talented vessel of wine. Upon recruitment, they person caller identities, a caller life successful a gorgeous Manhattan brownstone, and nan opportunity to spell connected nan high-risk missions they truthful desperately crave. Of course, pinch their caller positions meaning they're ever moving successful adjacent proximity to 1 another, really agelong will it return nan fake-married Smiths to create existent feelings?

Their occupation provides Mr. & Mrs. Smith with its "mission of nan week" structure, resulting successful refreshingly episodic tv that stands retired successful today's binge-heavy streaming landscape. It's a shame, then, that Prime Video is dropping each 8 episodes of Mr. & Mrs. Smith at once. Each ngo and nan show's cavalcade of awesome guests — Parker Posey! Paul Dano! Alexander Skarsgård! — merit to beryllium savored from week to week.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a charming spy thriller pinch sizzling chemistry.

John and Jane's missions connection plentifulness of opportunities for breathtaking group pieces, ranging from suspenseful to bombastic. Tense tailing assignments, prestigious silent auctions, and high-speed car chases create moreover much assortment from section to episode, pinch bid board for illustration Hiro Murai and Amy Seimetz delivering sleek activity worthy of a big-budget spy flick.

But nan main attraction of each installment of Mr. & Mrs. Smith is little nan ngo and much nan ways successful which it allows John and Jane to connect. With section titles for illustration "First Date" and "First Vacation," nan show frames each ngo arsenic a narration milestone, toggling betwixt rom-com and spy thriller astatine a moment's notice. Take nan first episode, which sees John and Jane staking retired a cafe. To walk nan time, they inevitably move to mini talk — though Jane is somewhat resistant — and eventual flirtation.

Later episodes analyse their narration further arsenic their relationship deepens. Questions of children and parental relations travel up, on pinch double dates pinch different couples successful a seeming bid for immoderate benignant of normalcy. On 1 ngo to a glamorous skis resort, John and Jane spy connected a mates connected nan rocks (Sharon Horgan and Billy Campbell) and vent their ain narration frustrations done nan lens of their targets. It's a clever measurement of combining nan show's various genres and getting astatine its main questions astir nan intersections betwixt work, love, and marriage.

These sequences would autumn isolated without rock-solid chemistry, but luckily Glover and Erskine present successful abundance. From nan first stages of courtship to their later intimacy, they person a rapport that is astatine erstwhile funny, sexy, and sweet, but ne'er forced. They're capable to bring a consciousness of existent emotion and interest to moreover nan astir heightened spy situations, which only makes Mr. & Mrs. Smith funnier. The results are thing short of electric, pinch Glover's charm pairing perfectly pinch Erskine's much guarded deadpan.

With Glover and Erskine arsenic awesome arsenic they are, and pinch a communicative that's wonderfully self-assured successful its ain personality extracurricular of nan 2005 film, Mr. & Mrs. Smith makes for a darkly funny treat. Trust me, pinch Valentine's Day coming up, location are nary amended spies to walk it pinch than John and Jane Smith.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is now streaming connected Prime Video.

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