MOVIE NEWS – A brand-new crime thriller is burning up the streaming charts just days after its double-episode premiere. While early critics argued it was more smoke than fire, the latest series led by Taron Egerton has quickly won over audiences worldwide. Thanks to a powerhouse cast and a searing mystery, it’s clear that streaming viewers will be glued to their screens for weeks to come.

According to Flix Patrol, the arson thriller Smoke is near the top of the Apple TV+ rankings, second only to Stick, Owen Wilson’s hit comedy. Since dropping its first two episodes on June 27, subscribers have flocked to this new series from Dennis Lehane, creator of Black Bird and author of Shutter Island and Mystic River. Like Lehane’s previous work, Smoke is packed with twists that only reveal themselves over time. This show marks Lehane’s latest collaboration with Egerton, who previously earned an Emmy nod for Black Bird.

Smoke follows Taron Egerton as Dave Gudsen, an arson investigator with secrets of his own, and Jurnee Smollett (Birds of Prey) as detective Michelle Calderone. The duo races to catch two serial arsonists in a case that’s torching both the city and their personal lives. The series currently sits at 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the ensemble includes Rafe Spall, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Hannah Emily Anderson, Anna Chlumsky, Adina Porter, Greg Kinnear, and John Leguizamo. The official synopsis: Inspired by true events, Smoke follows a troubled detective and a mysterious arson investigator as they pursue two serial firestarters.

‘Smoke’ – Inspired by a Real-Life Arsonist

(Spoilers!) Smoke is loosely based on the real story of notorious American arsonist and mass murderer John Leonard Orr. Despite being a firefighter and arson investigator himself, Orr went on a 30-year arson spree, becoming the most prolific firestarter in U.S. history. His crimes make a perfect foundation for a drama like Smoke. Egerton’s character is only loosely inspired by Orr, but the parallels are unmistakable.

Egerton delivers a standout performance that rivals his acclaimed role as Jimmy Keene in Black Bird. In an interview with RadioTimes, Egerton admitted he was unaware of the true story behind Smoke until he listened to the Firebug podcast. Orr’s bizarre behavior, he said, was a challenge to capture on screen.

“No, I hadn’t. I listened to the podcast when the show first came about and the idea was first raised. There’s so much about it that I found—sure, it’s disturbing—but it’s just very difficult to wrap your head around as well, because his behaviour was so odd in such a multitude of different ways. It struck me as being a real challenge to try and pull all of those together into something that felt like a cohesive character.”

Read a full review of Smoke here.

Source: MovieWeb Flix Patrol, RadioTimes