Keira Knightley’s Black Doves Is 1 of Netflix’s Biggest Sleepers

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So many new titles are added every day that great shows can easily be overlooked. One example is Keira Knightley’s spy thriller, Black Doves, which has a fantastic 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, yet hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. It became available on Netflix on December 5, 2025.

Created by Joe Barton and written by Alex Gabassi and Lisa Gunning, Black Doves centers on a shadowy spy agency that gathered confidential information and sold it to the richest buyers. The show cleverly combined political suspense with murder and thrilling espionage, and its impressive cast – including Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire, Andrew Buchan, and Kathryn Hunter – made it exceptionally compelling.

Keira Knightley Leads a Double Life in Black Doves

The novel Black Doves centers around Helen Webb, who leads a double life. While publicly known as the wife of the British Secretary of State for Defense and a mother of two, she secretly works as an agent for the Black Doves – a clandestine organization that steals and sells government secrets to those who can afford them.

Helen is also involved with a man named Jason, who is keeping secrets of his own, but she’s been honest with him about her double life. When Jason is killed, and a shadowy assassin breaks into her home, Helen fears her secrets are about to be exposed.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador is murdered, and his daughter, Kai-Ming Chen, goes missing. This leads Helen to investigate the killings and determine if she’s also a target. Despite maintaining a family life – unusual for someone in her line of work – Helen’s closest bond is with her longtime friend, Sam (Ben Whishaw). Their relationship is complicated, but Sam is assigned to protect her, just in case her secret identity is revealed by her mysterious superiors.

She walks a tightrope between two different lives, appearing world-weary and principled, but remarkably composed when it comes to betraying her country. Ben Whishaw also delivers a strong performance as he navigates a personal relationship alongside his unusual career training spies, and the chemistry between these two actors is a highlight of the series.

This spy series stands out from typical espionage shows. Instead of the usual male leads, it features women in powerful roles like handlers and assassins (played by Sarah Lancashire, Tracey Ullman, and Kathryn Hunter). What makes them particularly effective is their subtle, understated approach to danger.

Unlike many shows in its genre, Black Doves isn’t afraid to explore complex emotions and relationships, including meaningful LGBTQ+ storylines. Creator Joe Barton brings depth and humanity to a world that’s often cold and detached, and that’s what makes this Netflix series stand out and worth watching.

Black Doves Is an Easy Binge, and It Has Season 2 Coming Up

With only six episodes, the first season of Black Doves is fast-paced and full of surprises, maintaining a strong sense of excitement throughout. The show delves into multiple intriguing storylines, including the investigation of a murder and the complicated connections Helen has with her family, husband, trainer, and the person managing her operations.

Wallace is a compelling character with both a political and romantic backstory. In fact, every character in Black Doves has a rich history that influences the current events, adding a welcome layer of depth to the story.

People are likely to be captivated by Black Doves, and there’s exciting news for future viewers. More of the story and new mysteries will be revealed when it’s released in December. Keira Knightley’s performance has already earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, and a standout scene is her intense kitchen confrontation with the person sent to kill her.

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2026-01-14 21:38