Hanna: Episode One – Amazon Prime’s Latest Thriller

As its becoming one of the most popular ways to discover new shows, services like Amazon Prime continue to turn out TV “web series” originals. Their latest is Hanna, a series based on the 2011 film with Cate Blanchett and Saoirse Ronan.

Hanna (2019): Episode One Amazon Prime Review

Smuggling an infant out of a Romanian CIA facility comes with risks, but is worth it for former operative Erik Heller (Joel Kinnaman). In the escape, he loses the love of his life, and the baby’s mother (Joanna Kulig). Under the cover of trees, Erik makes his escape from the CIA pursers determined to hunt him down.

15 years later, Hanna (Esme Creed-Miles) is independent, resourceful and fierce. She can speak multiple languages, makes an animal kill without batting an eye, and is brilliant in hand-to-hand combat. This training is all she knows. Her father prepares her for anything and teaches her no human can be trusted. But even without knowledge of the outside world the forest protects them from, Hanna is curious. When a series of events leads CIA operative Marissa Weigler (Mireille Enos) to their doorstep, they must go on the run…

And then Hanna sacrifices herself, determined to bring down the one person responsible for her mother’s death: Marissa Weigler.

Until recently I didn’t even realize Amazon was re-making this intense thriller. Or if I did, I’d forgotten of its existence (which is entirely possible). Quite some time ago now, I finally saw the feature film, and while I did think it interesting, it also isn’t something I made plans to re-watch with any haste. Still, I admired its unique storytelling, and the fact that the script builds to the kind of intense end we want from this genre.

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I’m unclear about whether or not the hope is for this to become a show (with seasons) or if like Vanity Fair, it’s a limited series. I’d vote for the latter since this story can certainly be told in eight episodes. The start isn’t quite as interesting as the series is likely to become since it’s more of the “set up,” and background on Hanna. This is what will allow us to understand her throughout the next 7 or 8 installments. Right now, we understand she’s fierce and is seemingly (by circumstance) a girl without emotion. This is because of her isolated upbringing, and of course, the way her father drums distrust into her.

I haven’t seen anyone of this cast (with exception to Enos) in anything else. So far, they impress. Kinnaman is appropriately dangerous, but protective; Enos seems to have the talent to carry off this villainous role; and then there’s the newcomer. Esme Creed-Miles. She does the titular role justice. Not unlike Katniss her teenage character is one whose circumstances preclude an understanding of emotion and feelings. In some ways her father’s protective nature is a form of love, but the lack of anything in her life leads her to seek more. Oh, and if you think Esme looks familiar, this may be because she’s the daughter of British actress Samantha Morton.

If you enjoy high-concept, dangerous thrillers, you might like Hanna. It’s now available on Prime, and if there’s one thing I do know about this first episode, it leaves its viewer curious to discover the fallout!

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Content: there isn’t anything terribly graphic in the pilot, but there is some innuendo, and possibly profanity. There’s violence, and intense training sessions. The show does carry a TVMA rating, which suggests there will be a lot of content throughout.

Photos: Amazon Prime