Carrying over many of the creatives behind Apple TV’s riveting true crime thriller series Black Bird, they shift the gears from one world to the next with relative ease. Inspired by the podcast Firebug and based on true events, Smoke delivers another exciting starring vehicle for lead actor, Taron Egerton. Here, Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Tetris), plays arson investigator, Dave, as an outbreak of serial arsonists plagues the streets. Opposite Egerton, Jurnee Smollett (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Lovecraft Country) fills the role of Michelle, a detective sent to assist as the case grows more complicated by the minute. For those who prefer their dramas with a heavy dash of thrilling, frequently disturbing imagery, Smoke sparks up a smoke signal of binge-worthy premium television that will chill viewers to the bone.
An intro that should never be skipped sets an atmosphere that gets a quick follow through. Aided by a vocal from Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke, we are greeted to a main title sequence filled with nasty burning imagery. The series begins with an enthralling voiceover from Dave, detailing the horrific realities of a fire and how it burns ”straight through your clothes… into the marrow.” As a seasoned arson investigator, Dave becomes our window into a world of often horrific incidents without explanation. Egerton puts on a showy American accent for the role that fits his captivating character like a glove.
If Dave presents the true expert—complete with flaming factoids—then his new partner, Detective Michelle, is our outsider voice of reason. Armed with knowledge about crime scene analysis, Michelle’s biting sarcasm are an essential part of the series’s cat-and-mouse dynamic. Smollett’s layered turn grounds the show in a rough realism; she alone carries much of the emotional weight. As a collective, they make for an interesting pair, especially when engaging in drunken conversations armed with edgy revelations. After a particularly shocking moment in the second episode, a shift in energy occurs that adds a new layer to their exchanges. Michelle and Dave look deep into two separate serial arsonists, suspecting that one of them may be a former firefighter. Could Dave fit the profile?
While we follow one of the arsonists as he goes about his day to day life, the second one gets played closer to the chest. Freddy (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), a black fast food worker with trauma of his own, gets depicted as having a particularly awful home life. Does that justify setting fires and savoring in their destruction? A scene with Freddy looking on whilst a poor man gets taken away on a stretcher out of a burning building presents an eerie juxtaposition. Freddy seems to savor the embers as they disperse in the air. Is he targeting people who have nice lives, just to see them erupt? Freddy’s character emboldens each time we visit him, painting a tragic figure. Anxious to help him catch a promotion, regular customer, Brenda (Adina Porter, American Horror Story, True Blood) offers up a fresh cut… free of charge. Freddy’s flirtation with Brenda offers a rare reprieve in between mindless jerking off to internet porn, at least.
Smoke is definitely not for the weak of heart. Attempting to escape from a supermarket blaze, a woman barely arrives to safety only to scream as the flesh on her arm sizzles off onto the pavement. A convenience store inferno starts from a single potato chip. The searing images linger, underlining the non-discriminating nature of an out-of-control blaze. Thankfully, these are balanced by the undeniable eye candy of Egerton. After awhile, even that aspect begins to crackle as it becomes consumed with flames of truth. Everyone in the narrative is playing with fire, and Smoke makes its approach feel both wildly dangerous and utterly inevitable. As the series builds closer to its dangerous endgame, a consuming wildfire makes its approach to emphasize the metaphor pluming its smoke over all involved. There are plenty of questions the audience must ask, as creator Devin Lehane examines the dark psychology behind firestarters.
From cockfights to car crashes to flammable foreplay, his unique show burns with tension, both sexual and psychological. Featuring a gaggle of exceptional performances—including a reserved but vital role from Academy Award nominee Gregg Kinnear—Smoke evolves beyond tense procedural and into genuine greatness. We may have Apple TV’s next Emmy-nominee on the docket. One thing is certain: it will leave viewers cautious about their own flippant views on a random fire sparking at a moment’s notice.
Burn through the horrors of Smoke, igniting for Apple TV+ audiences on Friday, June 27th. Smoke debuted at 2025’s Tribeca International Film Festival.
