The Day Of The Jackal Fans Need To Watch Eddie Redmayne’s Underrated Spy Movie From 19 Years Ago

Eddie Redmayne’s 2024 spy series The Day of the Jackal proved a huge success for the actor, but he starred in a very different kind of spy movie nearly two decades earlier that audiences should check out too. Redmayne led The Day of the Jackal‘s cast as the titular assassin, and he was well-matched by Lashana Lynch’s Bianca Pullman.

While season 2 will necessarily look different thanks to The Day of the Jackal‘s season 1 ending and major death, audiences can look forward to Redmayne’s return. The Day of the Jackal season 2 is already confirmed, but in the meantime, this forgotten spy movie makes an entertaining replacement.

The Good Shepherd Was Eddie Redmayne’s Very First Spy Role

The Spy Movie Has A Great Cast

Long before Eddie Redmayne took on the role of the Jackal, he appeared in the movie The Good Shepherd, which explores the origins of the CIA. In the film, Redmayne plays the son of the main character, Edward Wilson Jr., who becomes interested in following in his father’s footsteps by joining the intelligence community.

Eddie Redmayne aiming his gun at a target in Day of the Jackal

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The film centers on Edward Wilson Sr. (Matt Damon), who becomes a spy during World War II and moves up the ranks as the US enters the Cold War. During this time, he works to uncover a mole in his department, allowing the film to explore the personal and moral sacrifices that Wilson is forced to make.

Despite earning mixed reviews at the time it was released, The Good Shepherd has a great cast who deliver solid performances and an intriguing (though somewhat fictional) retelling of the early days of the CIA. Matt Damon takes the lead role, and he is joined by Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro (who also directs), Joe Pesci, John Turturro, and more.

The Day Of The Jackal Is A Much More Action-Packed Spy Thriller Than The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd Explores The Emotional Toll Of Intelligence Work

While The Day of the Jackal and The Good Shepherd both fall within the spy thriller genre, the two projects take a very different approach to what it means to be a spy. Where Eddie Redmayne’s Jackal is quite brutal in his decisions and the show as a whole features more action, The Good Shepherd is much more dramatic.

The Jackal (Eddie Redmayne) in his new disguise, infiltrates the auditorium in The Day of the Jackal Season 1 Ep 7

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The movie feels more like a classic Cold War-era spy film that displays the inner workings of the agency and its characters. There are still action sequences, but overall, The Good Shepherd plays out more like a drama film that highlights Edward Wilson Sr.’s feelings and the extent to which he tries to hide them while pursuing the agency’s goals.

To a lesser extent, this dramatic element is seen in The Day of the Jackal as well, particularly with Bianca Pullman and all she stands to lose as the series progresses. While Damon’s character and his interactions are the primary focus of the film, Redmayne delivers a great early performance, making the movie well worth a watch for fans.