Crime thriller Lucky, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, totally lives up to the prestige quality of many Apple TV titles. In fact, the series is so well-written that it could conceivably become a long running staple on the streaming platform despite being billed as a limited miniseries. Collecting an entire A-list ensemble—including genre mainstay Timothy Olyphant, major hunk Drew Starkey, and even Oscar-nominee Annette Bening—the casting could not be more perfect. Bening in particular chews up scenery and extravagant costumes and overacts her way through an unpredictable villainess. This is Anya Taylor-Joy’s time to shine though: her take on the titular antihero endears a flawed character. Propulsive and thrilling, Lucky is one of the most exciting crime series of recent years.
The opening credits title sequence immediately throws us into Lucky’s perspective, with lyrics about being “born from the horns of a bull,” and imagery of the highway, and traveling on the lam. It’s a beautiful sequence that never wears out its welcome through the run, and the catchy song manages to encapsulate the freewheeling vibes. Jonathan Tropper’s storytelling keeps the momentum remarkably consistent. Even flashbacks are deployed with purpose, continually reframing earlier scenes rather than merely filling in exposition.
As far as the storyline is concerned, we follow Lucky (Taylor-Joy), abandoned by her husband, Cary (Starkey) in a hotel room at the Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The duo have just pulled off a major heist, and are wanted by the authorities. Fiery Agent Rand (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), who has a history with Lucky and her incarcerated father, John (Olyphant), becomes a major player as she leads the manhunt. Rand becomes far more nuanced than a typical law enforcement antagonist, evolving into someone whose obsession mirrors Lucky’s own endless attempts to escape her past. Rand and Lucky engage in an exciting cat-and-mouse dynamic throughout. Meanwhile, mob boss Priscilla (Bening), who works under the domineering Wyatt (William Fichtner), tracks Lucky and Cary to get back stolen millions before she herself goes on the chopping block.
Starkey’s Cary is rather important in the plot, despite only being a guest-starring role rather than a series regular one. Starkey makes Cary immediately charming enough that his absence carries genuine emotional weight. John likewise gets quite a lot of backstory and buildup from behind bars. There’s a beautiful throughline during the series involving the relationship between Lucky and her father. There’s a question that comes up about their swindling ways. Are they good people at heart? Are bad and good objective, or are they just man-made concepts? The series does a great job exploring both sides of the coin, making you sympathize with potentially shady folks. But it’s Lucky herself that gets the most development and the deepest character arc. As she changes her look and desperately clings to anyone gullible enough to believe her trickery, Taylor-Joy fleshes out her desperation. Lucky isn’t portrayed as a superhero or master criminal who always has the perfect answer; instead, she’s constantly improvising and adapting to survive one impossible situation after another. That humanity keeps the suspense grounded even as the stakes continue escalating with her compelling character.
Lucky is nicely-paced at a brisk seven episodes, and kept me on my toes, despite being a bit of a predictable plotline. There’s never a moment where any cast members are short-changed their roles in the overarching story. From episode four onward, there’s a crazed energy that only fuels the effectiveness and establishes stakes. In fact, that very same episode also has an absolutely bonkers three-way car chase sequence that culminates in a dramatic and powerful moment. They don’t make shows like this one very frequently, which makes Lucky feel special amongst the pack.
Lucky remains one of the more successful crime thrillers to arrive in some time, surpassing many of its big screen counterparts. Anya Taylor-Joy sure knows how to pick ’em, having been nominated for an Emmy for Queen’s Gambit back in 2020. She proves that she is one of this generation’s best actresses. Her performance drives the story forward, and always leaves viewers hungry for more of her perspective. Stylish, suspenseful, and emotionally satisfying, Lucky remains an entertaining crime thriller from beginning to bitter end.
Go on the run with Lucky, setting the interstate ablaze exclusively for Apple TV+ subscribers on Wednesday, July 15th.
