Eddie Redmayne takes on a very different character from the ones he’s played before in The Day of the Jackal. Your Fantastic Beasts kids are going to want to watch it, but is it suitable for them?
The Day of the Jackal follows the story set in the novel of the same name and the original 1973 movie. We watch as a highly elusive assassin makes a living by hiring out his skills to the highest bidder. He doesn’t care who the target is.
Of course, there are people out there attempting to stop him. Lashana Lynch plays Bianca, an MI6 agent who is determined to capture The Jackal once and for all, and she’ll do it at the risk of her family and her career.
The Day of the Jackal age rating: Explaining the TV-MA rating
While the original movie was a PG movie, The Day of the Jackal on Peacock is officially rated TV-MA. This suggests that it’s aimed at those 18 and over, although it could work for older teenagers. This isn’t going to be for the younger fans of Fantastic Beasts or Les Miserables, though.
Why has it landed such an age rating, though? We break down what you can expect to see based on the first couple of episodes.
Sex & nudity: While this series is focused on the cat-and-mouse game between The Jackal and the MI6 agent, Bianca, there are opportunities for romance. We learn that The Jackal has a wife, and this opens the door for some romantic and sexy moments. Nothing was too graphic within the first couple of episodes, but this is something to keep in mind.
Violence & gore: This is where the show gains its rating. There is a lot of violence from the very beginning of the series. We watch as The Jackal walks into a building and starts shooting at individuals. There are clear body shots with blood spraying around.
Not long after that, a character is shot with a bullet to the back of his head. The camera stays on the body and there is blood splatter from this. We are looking at the life of the assassin in these moments, and hitmen have some bloody jobs to do.
Language: The F-bomb is dropped multiple times by various characters throughout the series. Funnily enough, this is mostly by other characters and not our assassin. After all, The Jackal is able to keep his composure much of the time because he has to. Does he even know who he is?
The F-bomb is the worst of the swear words dropped. The S-word and the B-word are also regularly said, and we do get a few British swears such as “bloody” now and again.
Alcohol & drugs: Every now and then, we will see characters drinking as a way to unwind from the day. There is what seems to be a drug overdose in the first episode, but this is when a character is in a prison cell. How has that happened? It’s something to work out throughout the series, along with the hunt for The Jackal.
Overall verdict: Who is The Day of the Jackal appropriate for?
This is one of those shows that could work for older teens, but it’s not for those younger Harry Potter fans in the house. Eddie Redmayne steps out of the quirky roles and into something much darker.
This series is heavy on violence. It puts a lot of focus on creative killing and violence. There are car chases and there is blood shown on the screen. If that’s the sort of thing you don’t want your kids to see, keep this for after this go to bed. It’s going to be worth the wait.
The Day of the Jackal premieres on Peacock on Thursday, Nov. 14, with episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.