The Veil review: A nothingburger disguised as a timely thriller
FX's limited series feels as unnecessary as Elisabeth Moss' British accent
The question that springs to mind at the end of The Veil is: What are we even doing here? What is the purpose of this FX six-episode limited series? Premiering on April 30, The Veil is boring and aimless unless the goal is to (much like the dragged-out The Handmaid’s Tale) remind audiences of the all-consuming power of an Elisabeth Moss close-up shot. She commands the camera here, too, but it doesn’t justify a confounding TV show with nothing substantial to say about the Serious Issues™ it’s trying to wrap itself around.
The Veil’s big problem is that it’s wholly unoriginal, with the trailer alone immediately giving off Jason Bourne vibes. Moss plays Imogen Salter, a lone wolf MI6 agent who changes aliases and alliances depending on her mission. As for the premise, expect a heavy-handed medley of dramas like 24, Homeland, Quantico, and Jack Ryan. You can see where this is going. There’s a terrorism threat to the U.S. painted with broad strokes, CIA interference, cliché portrayals of Middle Eastern countries and people, and, of course, Imogen’s white savior complex. In 2024, there is simply no need for such recycled, derivative, distasteful fare in the name of entertainment.
Actually, scratch that, because The Veil isn’t entertaining or pulsating with suspense. It’s predictable as hell for a globally-spanning crime thriller. And this is surprising considering the FX series hails from Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight, boasts a skilled cast and crew, and, to its credit, has a pretty tight pace. But the final result is so damn formulaic. The script only dares to peel back the layers of one of its two leads, sadly leaving Yumna Marwan’s Adilah with a hackneyed, vague backstory about why she may or may not have been coerced into a life of crime. Why bother developing the woman of color protagonist when more time can be spent zooming into Moss’ face yet again?
The show has a flicker of potential when it launches with Imogen and Adilah forming an unexpected, contentious yet deep-rooted bond. They’re on opposite sides of the situation, with Imogen tasked with transporting a captive Adilah from Syria to Paris. As they travel through Iraq, Turkey, and Bulgaria, she has to figure out whether her new pal is a high-level ISIS commander helping plan a big attack on America’s Eastern seaboard. Meanwhile, Adilah has to similarly manipulate Imogen so she can get back to her daughter in France. Their push-and-pull is initially interesting because Marwan goes toe-to-toe with Moss. And it makes the eventual focus on Imogen all the more frustrating.