Review Of The Spy Action Thriller —Citadel (2023)

These two spies meet on a train to take out a man with a suitcase reportedly containing uranium. It turns out they were baited. It was an ambush and Citadel was compromised, leading to a bomb blast and train accident that upend the spies' lives. Will the spies survive? Who is really after dismantling the Citadel network and why? These are interesting questions that can only be answered by watching this six-episode series.

Review

First, the plot of this spy thriller is compelling and brilliant. A spy agency was betrayed and sold out by one of its own to a powerful syndicate leading to the death of agents across the globe. One way to save some of their best and if possible the entire organisation was to delete their memories! I think that's riveting and bound to keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

I wouldn't expect anything less from a team including the Russo brothers who are the executive producers. I'm glad they didn't follow the usual spy films route involving the CIA, FBI or any of the well-known espionage agencies. Also, the inclusion of amnesia gave the plot some weight and added to the drama.

The next question would be: Did the acting portray the spirit of the plot? Oh yes! The cast's performance is outstanding, especially Priyanka Chopra, Richard Madden and Stanley Tucci as the spies' handler. Though their characters are complex and flawed, and always getting into trouble, the actors depicted them perfectly. Their chemistry was great.

Priyanka's character especially is strong, opinionated and enigmatic which adds some depth to the narrative. Some may describe her as badass. Her performance and action stunts are better in this series than in Quantico. There were no dull moments in this series and it was easy to relate to the characters.

Also, the twists and turns, some flashbacks, action sequences and gunfights were thrilling. The cinematography is excellent. I love the extravagance which makes this series a high production value. The choice of locations: Paris, Spain, The Alps, London etc were amazing and visually appealing. I'll say the series is beautifully shot, and the action sequences are well-choreographed. I enjoyed watching Priyanka and Madden in action, explosions and fights. I want to believe that they are that good but then it's all stunts, thanks to good editing.

I have only seen two episodes so far and have huge expectations for how this series will end. If it wasn't well accepted by the audience, the producers wouldn't renew it for another season. So I think this is good news. I'm hoping the next season is released soon enough.

If you are a fan of spy action thrillers then you will most likely enjoy this series. Citadel’s suspenseful plot, high production value, great casting, good acting and action make it worth watching. I'll give it 4 stars out of 5.

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^{Other images are screenshots from the movie}