The Night Agent is a 2025 American action thriller film series created by Sean Ryan. The film premiered on the Netflix movie platform on March 23, 2023.
Peter Sutherland is a young FBI agent working the night shift - manning a phone that supposedly never rings. But one fateful night, everything changes: he receives a call that throws him into the center of a massive conspiracy that reaches the very top of power.
His mission: to protect young cybersecurity specialist Rose Larkin, a woman caught in a dangerous game of espionage intrigue and secrets after her loved ones are murdered. To survive, Peter must delve into a web of betrayal, corruption, threats, and political manipulation, as what begins as a "simple" investigation turns into a chase for life.
The series combines elements of a spy thriller, action, suspense, and tension, constantly keeping the viewer in suspense — who is the enemy, who is friend, and can there be any security when everyone around you could be part of the game.
Gabriel Basso (Peter Sutherland) — His performance is one of the series' strengths. He carries the role with conviction, combining physical determination, intelligence, and vulnerability — a character who is not an invincible superhero, but a man faced with circumstances beyond his training. Critics have said that Basso "gives more than expected, even though the role could have been one-sided.".
Lucian Buchanan (Rose Larkin) — the hero's partner. Her character — a mix of fear, determination, and a desire to survive — adds a human dimension to the spy story. However, the character's reactions and some of her dramatic moments have drawn mixed reviews — especially in more critical reviews (see "Weaknesses" section).
Hong Chau (Diane Farr) and supporting actors — give a serious tone to the political and intelligence elements of the plot. They contribute to the sense of scale, conspiracies and constant danger, maintaining the balance between action and intrigue.
Overall, the acting is one of the strengths of The Night Agent — stable enough to make the story bearable and true, even when the plot verges on cliché.
Creator Sean Ryan has managed to bring Matthew Quirk's novel to the screen in a way that makes the series feel like a classic spy thriller drama - with an atmosphere of tension, fast pace, secrets, chases, espionage.
The script combines action and political intrigue, constantly showing that no one is what they seem. The story is filled with twists, threats, lies - and this keeps the dynamics going, especially in the first episodes.
The atmosphere is dark, tense, with a sense of danger "from above," as every conversation, call, and phone ring could mean a deadly volley. This gives the film the character of a "spy thriller" in the spirit of classic political conspiracy films.
At the same time, the series doesn't aim to be a "heavy" deep psychological film. It's more of an entertainment, with adrenaline, escapes, action — something you can devour quickly without thinking too much.
The Night Agent manages to deliver exactly what it promises: a spy thriller — with action, intrigue, danger, escapes, twists. If we approach without high expectations of “heavy drama” or “genius plot”, the series is very funny, tense and… just “a good running joke”.
It's not perfect and doesn't claim to be great cinema — but as genre entertainment, full of adrenaline and spy elements, it's worth your attention.
