The Assassin: Keeley Hawes’ sweary, funny mum-as-a-hitwoman drama is like nothing else

This action-packed thriller, which sees a mother forced out of retirement to defend herself and her clueless son, is supremely confident TV. It takes the genre somewhere totally new

Telly assassins have many good qualities, as well as one obvious red flag. We admire their prowess, method, patience and improvisation. We may be jealous of their efficiency, or their extraordinarily brief phone conversations, some of which merely involve listening to the words “Is it done?” or “Call me when it’s done.” The Assassin (Friday 25 July, Prime Video) features a supremely confident title and many of these aspects. It is also funny.

The set-up is low-key. Journalist Edward Green visits his estranged mother Julie on a Greek island. Following an attempt on her life, which she settles with brutal efficiency, he discovers she is actually a deactivated hitwoman. Fleeing across Europe, he attempts to learn about her past as they untangle a giant conspiracy threatening their lives. There’s also a mystery around who his father is, so it’s a bit Mamma Mia, too.