Anthony Pantalone, Editor

Header Image Credit: Amazon Studios

Last week, I had the opportunity to watch the first two episodes of “Citadel”—a show I had previously covered a few weeks ago after its trailer debut. “Citadel” is an action-thriller spy show consisting of six episodes, with the first two arriving on Prime Video on Apr. 28. Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, “Citadel” follows two spies, Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh eight years after their spy organization, Citadel, fell at the hands of a secretive collective called Manticore. This show picks up on two former agents as they lead new separate lives with no memory of their past as skilled operatives. The show offers big action set pieces and a lot of fun for viewers looking to watch something exciting.

Great Action

After the creative dud that had been 2022’s “The Gray Man”, the Russo Brothers returned to form to skilled, energetic action filmmaking with “Citadel”. Whereas that film’s editing, cinematography, and shot composition were so jarring, this show feels much more competently made. Before “The Gray Man”, the action and filmmaking in their political-action thrillers like 2014’s “Captain America: Winter Soldier” was so quick-paced and exhilarating. Hopefully, “Citadel” will signal a permanent return to this earlier style that earned the Russos popularity among film audiences.

The Cast

This show offers some fun performances from a really talented cast. Stanley Tucci portrays an older operator who must recruit Mason Kane back to save the world after retirement for eight years. Tucci—having starred in films like “The Hunger Games” franchise and “Easy A”—is always charismatic and a welcome sight in any film or show he is in. Also, Lesley Manville—who is known for her great performances in films like “Phantom Thread”—stars as the antagonist, a British ambassador who moonlights as the leader of a global terrorist organization. 

The first two episodes of “Citadel” premiere this Friday Apr. 28 on Prime Video and later episodes will be released weekly.