---
title: "Bodyguard"
year: 2018
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/bodyguard"
fi1m_score: 77
critics_score: 81
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-09-17T15:18:06.966702+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T15:18:07.618885+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Bodyguard (2018)

Created by Jed Mercurio · 1h 00m · MPA TV-MA · Crime, Drama, War & Politics, Mystery

**Fi1m score: 77** · Critics 81 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* Six episodes of Richard Madden looking as though sitting down would be a security risk

> Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes make *Bodyguard* worth the strain it puts on the nerves. Jed Mercurio keeps the suspense tight, though the accumulating complications and thin politics ask for more indulgence than they deserve.

## Synopsis

David Budd (Richard Madden) faces immediate danger in a story that draws personal trauma into the exercise of political power. In London, Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes) and Vicky Budd (Sophie Rundle) are among the people surrounding him. Budd needs to deal with the threat in front of him, but uncertainty about whom to trust complicates his position. The opening confrontation gives way to questions of authority, corruption and competing loyalties. As a conspiracy begins to take shape, he must try to make sense of other people’s motives while carrying troubles of his own.

## Review

*Bodyguard* is good enough at creating alarm to keep us watching even when its explanations become doubtful. We recommend it to thriller viewers prepared to forgive some strained plotting. Across six episodes, creator and writer Jed Mercurio keeps personal distress close to public danger, giving the conspiracy consequences we can care about. The trouble comes when the accumulation of suspicions starts to obscure what anyone believes. By then, Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes have given us good reasons to stay.

The opening establishes how effective this can be, allowing the threat to occupy time instead of dispatching it in a quick burst of action. We were properly anxious watching it. Having to wait for the next move, without any assurance that anyone has control, makes the danger uncomfortable. Across the series, directors John Strickland and Thomas Vincent sustain that uncertainty, and the measured pacing gives the actors room to register the effort of holding themselves together.

Richard Madden makes David Budd’s distress difficult to watch without turning every scene into a demonstration of suffering. The performance holds our attention through stretches when the plotting is already asking for a generous suspension of disbelief. Keeley Hawes gives Julia Montague enough force to prevent the drama becoming an extended inspection of its leading man. Together, they make shifts in trust feel consequential even when the surrounding intrigue is familiar. Their performances provide a reason to care about the next complication, beyond wanting to have guessed correctly.

John Lee’s cinematography helps by watching closely and keeping the surroundings recognisable. The London locations give the danger a credible setting, and Jamie Lapsley’s production design contributes to that plausible appearance. The editing is most effective when it preserves the feeling of events unfolding at their own uncomfortable speed. Music by Ruth Barrett and Ruskin Williamson supports the tension, though the patient camerawork does more to unsettle us. The series is particularly effective when it gives us time to look and worry before anything happens.

The problem is the number of complications Jed Mercurio asks the story to carry. Suspicion initially encourages close attention; later, almost any explanation seems liable to require another explanation. The twists do not become more convincing simply because the actors take them seriously. There are clumsy passages, too, when the writing loses the efficiency that makes the opening so persuasive. None of this removes the suspense, but it weakens our interest in the answers.

As a political thriller, it also grows too satisfied with the discovery that powerful people may be untrustworthy. That is a workable starting point, but six episodes should allow more discrimination between motives. Some of the women receive less attention than the force of the performances deserves, with Keeley Hawes making the unevenness especially noticeable. Implausibility itself need not be fatal to a thriller, provided the people remain convincing. Here the widening conspiracy sometimes makes them harder to understand.

The early patience is what we kept wishing the later plotting would recover. Still, the tension survives those lapses, helped considerably by performances that never treat danger as routine. There is enough here to reward an appetite for political intrigue, provided that appetite can survive a few dubious explanations. Watch when there is time for another episode; stopping may require more resolve than expected.

*Fi1m score 77, published 17 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find Bodyguard a gripping political thriller, with ten positive reviews, two mixed and none negative. Praise centres on Richard Madden’s performance, with Keeley Hawes also singled out, and on Jed Mercurio’s ability to sustain tension through intricate plotting. The reviews repeatedly commend the suspenseful opening, controlled pacing and forceful set pieces; several also find emotional depth beneath the conspiracy, particularly in the treatment of personal trauma.

The disagreements concern how much credibility the twists can spend before the suspense suffers. Even favourable reviews acknowledge clichés and strained plotting, while Radio Times finds the closing explanations both satisfying and implausible. The Ringer offers the sharpest dissent, arguing that the early precision gives way to confusing double-crosses, muddled politics and underserved female characters. The spread is mostly positive rather than polarised: most critics accept the excesses as part of the entertainment, but the dissenters find that they weaken the drama.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **IndieWire**, Hanh Nguyen (90/100, inferred): The critic highlights Richard Madden's commanding performance in this addictive conspiracy thriller that broke UK ratings records. The series hooks viewers immediately with its tense plotting and strong lead turns. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/bodyguard-review-netflix-richard-madden-keeley-hawes-ending-spoilers-1202014980/)
- **The i Paper**, Jeff Robson (****): The series maintained gripping tension and surprising twists through to the finale, thanks to Mercurio's script and the directors' (including John Strickland) creation of a plausible Britain under threat. Strong performances, especially Richard Madden's, kept viewers hooked despite the rapid piling on of plot elements. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/mercurios-must-see-drama-maintains-the-knife-edge-tension-in-a-twisty-gripping-last-episode-200668)
- **The Guardian**, Lucy Mangan (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the series as a dark and addictive thriller from Jed Mercurio that subverts expectations around power and corruption. She singles out the strong performances from Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes for particular praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/aug/26/bodyguard-review-jed-mercurios-latest-thriller-is-as-dark-and-moreish-as-we-hoped)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Tim Goodman (80/100, inferred): The series is massively entertaining with pulse-pounding action, intricate plotting and nerve-wracking tension created by the directors (including John Strickland), though it occasionally strains credibility with too many twists. Strong performances and a riveting pace make it worthwhile despite minor flaws. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/bodyguard-review-1154663/)
- **The Times**, Carol Midgley (★★★★☆): The critic calls it a terrific, suspense-filled opener that meets high expectations set by Line of Duty, highlighting the strong setup and performances. She notes it delivers on tension and intrigue despite occasional clunky moments. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/tv-review-bodyguard-eight-go-rallying-the-road-to-saigon-5gwr9m2n3)
- **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): The review calls the series gripping and bingeable, with nerve-rattling set pieces and strong performances from Madden and Hawes that evoke the best of 24 and Homeland, despite occasional clichés. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/bodyguard-netflix-review.html)
- **Radio Times**, Eleanor Bley Griffiths (65/100, inferred): The finale delivered a fiendishly complex explanation tying up loose ends with brilliant jeopardy and chemistry, but it was also somewhat absurd with implausible plot holes and an unsatisfying return to Islamic terrorism tropes. It was a satisfying if ludicrous ride overall. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/was-the-bodyguard-finale-just-too-absurd/)
- **Digital Spy**, Morgan Jeffery (90/100, inferred): The review praises the episode's incredible opening sequence and tense atmosphere, noting strong performances from Madden and Hawes that make the series instantly gripping and unpredictable. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a864551/bodyguard-bbc-review-episode-1/)
- **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (85/100, inferred): The critic describes the series as a finely wrought political thriller with an efficient premise and expert tension-building in its opening episode, praising the cast and Mercurio's signature style. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/bodyguard-episode-1-review-2/)
- **Paste**, Matt Brennan (85/100, inferred): The series excels through its methodical, real-time pacing and watchful camerawork that builds suspense without shortcuts. It stands out for connecting personal trauma and political themes in a taut thriller that feels obsessive and haunting. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/bodyguard/why-bodyguard-should-be-your-next-tv-obsession)
- **Collider**, Allison Keene (★★★★): The series is an exhilarating, anxiety-inducing thriller that showcases Richard Madden's enthralling and heartbreaking performance as the lead. It stands out for its tense pacing and emotional depth despite familiar elements. [Read](https://collider.com/bodyguard-review-netflix/)
- **The Ringer**, Alison Herman (55/100, inferred): The series succeeds early on as a tense political thriller with crisp cinematography and realistic London locations but falters midway by descending into confusing double-crosses and muddled politics. The cynicism becomes reflexive rather than savvy, and key female characters are underserved. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2018/10/25/tv/bodyguard-richard-madden-netflix)

## Details

- **Created by:** Jed Mercurio
- **Creator:** Jed Mercurio
- **Director:** John Strickland, Thomas Vincent
- **Writer:** Jed Mercurio
- **Cinematography:** John Lee
- **Music:** Ruth Barrett, Ruskin Williamson
- **Production design:** Jamie Lapsley
- **Costume design:** Charlie Knight
- **Producer:** Eric Coulter, Priscilla Parish
- **Cast:** Richard Madden as David Budd; Keeley Hawes as Julia Montague; Sophie Rundle as Vicky Budd; Gina McKee as Anne Sampson; Pippa Haywood as Lorraine Craddock; Stuart Bowman as Stephen Hunter-Dunn; Paul Ready as Rob MacDonald; Ash Tandon as Deepak Sharma
- **Runtime:** 1h 00m
- **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA
- **Release (the US):** 26 August 2018
- **Genres:** Crime, Drama, War & Politics, Mystery
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLfLU6-9lxY

## Where to watch in the US

- Netflix: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: buy, hd

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *State of Play* (2003), Fi1m 88: Political suspicion and newsroom legwork, with more patience for the people doing both — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/state-of-play.md)
- *The Conversation* (1974), Fi1m 92: A surveillance expert’s private unease makes every recorded word feel dangerous — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-conversation.md)
- *The Bureau* (2015): Intelligence work given room to feel like a job with lasting personal consequences
- *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: Surveillance becomes intimate, with sustained attention to the people living under it — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md)
- *Line of Duty* (2012): Police scrutiny turns routine questions into suspense, with institutional loyalty always in doubt

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/bodyguard