Prime Video’s latest action series that’s dividing audiences and critics is tearing up the global streaming chart just one week after its release. Amazon’s streaming service is becoming a central hub for a number of action TV series. This includes new shows in their lineup, like the forthcoming spy thrillerButterfly, to established franchises, like theupcomingReacherseason 4.
But one new show,The Assassin, is starting to make waves on the platform; according toFlixpatrol, the week-old series isthe Number 1 show on Prime Video in the UK for July 08, 2025. The series has managed to surpass the universally popular dramaThe Summer I Turned Pretty, despite some very polarizing reviews between critics and audiences.
What The Assassin’s Success Says About Its Splintered Reviews
The Prime Video Series' Fractured Critic & Audience Reception Explained
Created by brothers Harry and Jack Williams,The Assassinfollows Keeley Hawes as Julie, a retired assassin residing in Greece. She ends up connecting with her estranged son Edward, played by Freddie Highmore, who is looking for answers about his parents. Soon enough, they are both targeted by someone from Julie’s past, resulting in both getting put in danger.
Much like many of its mostwell-regarded crime thriller TV shows,The Assassinhas received positive reviews from critics, scoring a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews. However, audiences haven’t been as receptive to the series,with their own score on the site currently at 36%. Despite its popularity, both groups are clearly not aligned with one another.
The Assassinholds a 6.4 out of 10 on IMDb based on an estimated 1,400 reviews as of writing.
Yet, despite audiences not liking the show,it’s still managed to become the top series for Prime Video in the UK. It’s even more impressive because it was only released on the platform in that country, meaning it’s competing with the streamers' global releases. It seems that, even though its score is low, audiences are being drawn to the series.
Our Take On The Assassin’s Popularity Despite Poor Audience Reception
Is The Show Actually Worth Watching?
It seems likeThe Assassinis being regarded as one of theshows that critics got wrong, given just how massive the less-than-stellar reception to the show has been. At the same time,it’s clear lots of people are watching it in the UK, even after a week of being on the platform. This seems to imply some redeeming qualities.
Even if most people who are reviewing the show online aren’t fans of it,The Assassinis still proving itself a successful exclusive toPrime Videoin the UK. It seems like, despite reviews from audiences not being great, the show has still found enough of a following to be a proven success for the platform.
All episodes ofThe Assassinare now available on Prime Video in the UK.
