Netlfix’s ‘Black Doves’ Shares a Few Similarities to a True Story

Spy thrillers aren’t a novelty in the entertainment industry, and some might say they’re overrated and overdone with recycled storytelling, but they still manage to intrigue audiences, especially when the plot reflects real-life events. Netflix‘s latest spy thriller, Black Doves, is about a woman named Helen (Keira Knightley) who gets entangled in a passionate affair with a man dealing in the criminal underworld of London. Helen, however, has a mysterious past, and it comes back to haunt her, endangering her lover. The six-episode series was created by Joe Barton, and joining Knightley are Ben Whishaw, Andrew Koji, Sarah Lancashire, Andrew Buchan, and Tracy Ullman.

In an interview with RadioTimes, Barton revealed that his latest series was inspired by true events and people within the world of espionage. He was absorbing as much information as possible, and while spy thrillers are action-packed, he decided to focus on the idea of spies leading a double life and looked at a real-life scandal in the U.K. to create Knightley’s character and the story.

“I had been reading as well about those spy cops, those guys, and they infiltrated that environmental group and had ended up having children with it. I mean, a really horrific story, much darker than this.

But I was like, OK, that idea, that duplicitousness of having a pretend marriage lasting years and years and years, and then it disappeared. That was really part of, I think, the inspiration for it as well.”

A World of Espionage Grounded in Reality with ‘Black Doves’

The creator mentioned the incident from which he drew inspiration for this series and how dark the true events were. He referenced “spy cops,” which he revealed were undercover Metropolitan Police officers who would form relationships with people from protest groups they were targeting, specifically social and environmentalist groups. These individuals would go as far as marrying and having children with the people they monitored. Legal action was taken against these officers and caused quite a scandal in Britain. Spy thrillers are loosely based on real-life events but tend to focus on the action and threats against the world.

Black Doves being grounded in reality and focusing on the duplicity of espionage life is refreshing and exposes the viewers to a different facet of that world. The series’ realism might have a different impact on British viewers who lived through that event and can recall the bizarreness of it all. Helen’s character is one of those “spy cops” who’s a spy playing the role of a woman married to MP Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan) and a mother. She works for a secret organization called the Black Doves, and audiences can expect a thrilling ride.

A Relationship Rarely Seen in Spy Thrillers

Aside from the real-world inspiration for the series, Barton focuses on relationships and their prospective roles within the world of espionage. The chemistry between Helen and Sam (Ben Whishaw) is palpable and just as compelling as the spy plotline. The friendship between the two characters brings a lightheartedness to the story, and it’s different from other interpersonal connections in the spy thriller genre. Knightley and Whishaw are no strangers to the demands of the film industry, and their brilliant performances have earned this series a special place in this genre.

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Critics are pleased with their performances in this series as it currently sits at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes certified fresh. Spy thrillers can be a little redundant, and cinephiles know the formula for this genre like the back of their hand. This near-perfect score suggests that Barton is bringing a fresh perspective on this type of storytelling and isn’t afraid to pull from real-life circumstances for creative purposes.

Nothing Says Happy Holidays Quite Like a Spy Series

In the same interview with RadioTimes, Barton discussed his desire to create a story set around Christmastime, and this spy story presented that opportunity for him. He found the contrast between what Christmas represents and the storyline intriguing and wanted to show those contradictory ideas to the viewers.

“I always wanted to set something at Christmas, I haven’t managed to do it really before. It’s so sugary and cheerful, but actually quite a dark time of year for many people, and literally a dark time of year. It’s all these contrasting ideas around it so it seemed like quite a natural time to set a thriller.”

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Barton manages to pull from different genres, blend those facets, and create this series for Netflix that’s thrilling and intriguing. He’s revitalizing the spy thriller genre with exciting twists and leans into the grittiness of that world. The six-episode series leaves viewers wanting more and eager to see what the story has in store for these characters and how those characters respond to what’s ahead. Season 2 is on the horizon, and so is the chance for audiences to see more brilliant performances from this fantastic ensemble. Black Doves is streaming on Netflix.