007 Road to a Million Review: Directed by Julian Jones, this latest Amazon Prime series brings a James Bond twist to the reality television table. The series features Succession star Brian Cox in a villainous role alongside nine real-life people.
There are eight episodes in the show, each 50 to 60 minutes long. It is produced by 72 Films, EON Productions and MGM Television.
007 Road to a Million Trailer
– Amazon Prime Video’s 007 Road to a Million Does Not Contain Spoilers –
007 Road to a Million Review
Tuning into this series, there truly can be only one reason why you are here- you, my dear friend, are a James Bond fan and everything about the Bond franchise intrigues you. So no matter how stupid and irrational this reality television series sounds or looks, you are going to watch it and enjoy every moment of it. I, my dear friend, am the same, which is why the show feels not like a distraction from my mundane life but, an adventure I want to be on.
Now that we have the fact that a James Bond fan is writing this as another Bond fan reads this, we can only rejoice at the sheer brilliance of it all. Starting from having the villainous Logan Roy play a scheming oh-so-bond villain to putting real-life people in places where the movies were shot or the vehicles featured in them, there is a sense of adrenaline as there is privilege in watching this series.
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On the surface, 007 Road to a Million is a true reality game show that tortures to win. The winner is going to take away 1 million pounds. The participants are in nine pairs, with varying dynamics. They are put through difficult situations to reach a place where they answer ten questions, asked by ‘The Controller’ (Cox) to win the big cash prize.
However, unlike most game shows the James Bond twist this one promises is so real that it reaches you from beyond the screen. For starters, all the participants are fans of the franchise and are in the show voluntarily. Most of them seem to be there to enjoy the ride rather than take home something tangible, which on a broad level makes all the difference. When exposed to scenes that are right out of the movies, the excitement and thrill on the faces of the participants are so palpable that for an instant even you forget that they are there for a reward.
A lot rests on the shoulders of Brian Cox who plays The Controller and, my lord, controlling he is. The dexterity that the veteran actor shows is not new for people who have followed his line of work but, making that villain thing so realistic in a reality television series is remarkable and Cox might just be the only one who has pulled off such a role with such ease. From the first episode, as he starts to narrate the fate of the people in the show and looks at the screens that are spread worldwide, there is a serious dark triad that starts playing in his eyes.
007 Road to a Million: Final Verdict
As a show, 007 Road to a Million is thoroughly enjoyable. If one has to objectively look at it, a non-James-Bond fan would also be able to dip their feet in this series because of the kind of air it engulfs you in. There is a sense of suspense, and mystery as there is that jumpy excitement. One can simply call it the love child of Black Mirror and Mission Impossible shaken in the world of 007 (not stirred!).
All the episodes of the show will be available on Amazon Prime Video on 10 November 2023.
Let us know in the comments below how did you like this James Bond-flavoured reality adventure series!