‘Ride or Die’ Review: A Bumpy Ride for This Buddy-Action-Comedy
Prime Video’s latest action adventure comedy, Ride or Die, stars Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, Ed Skrein, Calam Lynch, Savannah Steyn, Sylvia Hoeks, Bill Nighy, and more. The series blends a serious tone of espionage with the lighter themes of a buddy-comedy film, often giving the season some significant tonal whiplash. With that being said, is Ride or Die worth watching? Read more to find out my thoughts on it.
Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham’s on-screen chemistry gives Ride or Die a jolt
Ride or Die primarily focuses on the long-standing friendship between Debbie Claiborne (Octavia Spencer) and Judith (Hannah Waddingham). Debbie is married to British Parliament Member David Claiborne (Jamie Parker) and lives a mostly ordinary life. Her best friend Judith’s life as an assassin is anything but ordinary.
The first episode delivers a solid display of the contrast in lifestyles between Debbie and Judith, opening with Judith on an international assassination mission while Debbie’s “mission” is getting to the front of the line at an antique and furniture show. Beyond that point, the show almost immediately throws Debbie and Judith into a global adventure, spanning multiple European countries.
By the end of episode one, Judith and Debbie’s worlds collide as Judith is forced to reveal her lifelong secret to Debbie to save her life after her husband David is seemingly killed by an unknown force. At this point in the series, Judith has kept this major secret that she’s an assassin from Debbie for over two decades. The reveal of this truth puts the foundations of the bond between Judith and Debbie in jeopardy. The rest of the season does a solid job at fleshing out the multi-faceted relationship between the two women, mostly due to the fabulous on-screen chemistry and connection between Spencer and Waddingham.
Ride or Die is clearly at its best when it gives the two actresses space to showcase their talents in serious moments. Octavia Spencer remains one of the most underrated actresses in Hollywood and excels in the role here when given material to work with.
Waddingham is also given just as much, if not more, significant material to work with here. While Waddingham is mostly known for comedy roles, she fits the serious substance involving her character incredibly well. The major gripe with the series that most audience members will likely have is the comedic parts of it. The comedy lacks a significant punch and occasionally drags down the series in moments when it’s riding high otherwise.
Calam Lynch and Savannah Steyn bring a youthful energy while Sylvia Hoeks steals the show
Two brilliant up-and-coming talents, Calam Lynch and Savannah Steyn, lead the second major storyline in this series. Sam (Lynch) and Queenie (Steyn) give Ride or Die an added punch of gravity to the tone. Sam begins the series as Judith’s handler at the agency she works for, constantly finding himself in strife with Judith, as he believes her age is what is causing her to defy the rules.
Queenie works with her mother at a “cobbler shop” that turns out to be a front for a tech and weapons specialist shop for the assassin agency. After Judith and Debbie go rogue, Sam and Queenie have to team up to follow the trail of someone mysteriously targeting and attacking Judith.
The relationship between Queenie and her mother is certainly one of the bright spots of the series; there’s a sincere chemistry between Savannah Steyn and Cathy Tyson that is nearly as delightful as the friendship between Debbie and Judith. Queenie’s backstory also unravels as the season goes on and gives the show new dimensions to explore. Sam’s consistent dilemma about both his loyalty to the agency and to Judith gives his character interesting layers. Hopefully, in future seasons of Ride or Die, his backstory can be touched on further.
Almost certainly the highlight of this series is Blade Runner 2049 alum Sylvia Hoeks as the antagonist of the season, Ana. Her constant deranged energy in this series is palpable and delicious. Blade Runner 2049 is arguably one of the greatest modern sequels, and Sylvia Hoeks’ performance as Luv is a major reason for that. Her performance in this series channels major energy from that role and gives the series an incredibly formidable villain. Her backstory with Judith and Debbie unfolds slowly throughout the season and delivers a fairly compelling conclusion as well.
The character with the highest level of developmental potential in future seasons is the great Bill Nighy’s character, The Director. Nighy provides an at times cunning and terrifying portrayal of the ruthless leader of a global assassination agency. While we never truly learn much about The Director, there are numerous hints here and there to some substantial backstory that has not been touched on yet. We can only assume that could be a major focal point in the second season. The Director is overall a significantly different character than most in this series; as most characters feature some emotional evolutions, his unwavering, ruthless nature lasts from beginning to end.
Final thoughts on Ride or Die season 1
Overall, Ride or Die is certainly worth a watch. Prime Video has delivered a fun and entertaining adventure series for audiences to binge this summer. Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham are absolutely delightful in this and flash serious heartwarming chemistry across this season.
While at times the humor drags the series down, it never truly tanks the season. The serious material significantly outweighs the negatives. The strong supporting cast also gives the series a major boost. The B and C plots in this season are nearly as entertaining and digestible as the main character arcs. It would not be a shock to see a second season for Ride or Die being greenlit shortly.
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