The Night Agent Meets Reacher In Anya Taylor-Joy’s New 7-Part Crime Thriller

2 hours ago 5

Published Jul 17, 2026, 8:42 AM EDT

Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 2800 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.

Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.

The Night Agent meets Reacher in Apple TV's thrilling new action series starring Anya Taylor-Joy, which is currently the #1 show in the United States. Anya Taylor-Joy, who skyrocketed to fame as the star of Netflix's The Queen's Gambit, leads an all-star cast in the new Apple TV series, which just premiered its first two episodes on Wednesday, July 15. Taylor-Joy is joined by Timothy Olyphant, Annette Bening, William Fichtner, and more in this electrifying new crime thriller.

Lucky is the latest Apple TV series to become an instant global hit, ranking #2 worldwide at the time of writing, just days after its premiere. Apple TV subscribers can now binge the first two episodes of Lucky, which was created by Jonathan Tropper (Your Friends & Neighbors, Banshee), and tune in for weekly episode drops every Wednesday through August 19. Lucky earned a strong 79% Rotten Tomatoes score and is perfect for fans of fast-paced action crime thrillers like The Night Agent and Reacher.

Anya Taylor-Joy's New Crime Thriller Is A Must-Watch This Weekend

From its very first episode, Lucky begins with an intense pace that doesn't slow down throughout its 50-minute premiere. The story begins with Luciana "Lucky" Armstrong, the titular protagonist played by Anya Taylor-Joy, as she wakes up after a wild night in Las Vegas with her lover and partner in crime, Cary (Drew Starkey). After a shocking realization, Lucky discovers she has been thrust back into a life of crime after she had said goodbye to that life years before. Forces beyond her control bring Lucky in a face-to-face confrontation with her past.

The first two episodes of Lucky play out similarly to The Night Agent in that Lucky is tossed into a mysterious conspiracy, which she must work to get to the bottom of. She becomes a target of a powerful group of people, sending her on a cat-and-mouse chase across the country, fleeing for her life while also looking for answers. In this way, it is also similar to Peacock's murder mystery series Poker Face, although its tone is much darker and more serious than Rian Johnson's inventive and pulpy murder-of-the-week show.

The impressive action sequences in Lucky are what make it most similar to Prime Video's hit series Reacher, which will release its fourth season in August. While Lucky and Reacher are both very different protagonists – since the former is an ex-criminal and the latter is an ex-military man turned vigilante – the frequency of well-coordinated action scenes in both series places them in a similar category. Both series are also based on celebrated books, which is another interesting aspect for those who also enjoy reading the source material of their favorite streaming shows.

Lucky Is Perfect For Fans Of Thrillers Like The Night Agent & Reacher

Anya Taylor-Joy and Timothy Olyphant meeting at a prison in Lucky

Lucky is undoubtedly a crime thriller through and through, possessing a fierce tension and upbeat pace throughout. Viewers looking for a show that will instantly hook them and maintain their interest will find a lot to like about the first two episodes of Lucky, especially due to the standout performance of Anya Taylor-Joy. While the series has an overall series tone, it's not overly self-serious, creating a gritty and convincing atmosphere that's hardly ever comfortable but remains deeply engaging, much like The Night Agent and Reacher.

While Taylor-Joy is the bonafide star of the series, Timothy Olyphant is excellent as Lucky's incarcerated but helpful father, John Armstrong. Olyphant is coming off some standout performances himself in 2025, including FX's Alien: Earth and Apple TV's Stick. Annette Bening's cold-hearted antagonist, Prisilla Matheson, also delivers a top-notch performance, while Anjanue Ellis-Taylor gives a spirited rendition of a determined, no-nonsense FBI agent. If you can't get enough of great crime thrillers or Apple TV's impressive 2026 streaming slate, make Lucky a priority on your watchlist this weekend.