Creator: Leslye Headland Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar Rating: 3 stars From its very first frame, or even before the story begins and we see the prelude, The Acolyte is faithful to the universe it is set in. Stylistically and visually, it is a throwback to best of Star Wars – the original and the prequel trilogy. But in storytelling, it takes the Andor route, making a slow-burn almost whodunit thriller, set in a galaxy far, far away.
It is a show that simmers, draws your attention, but never quite explodes the way all good Star Wars stories eventually do. Granted that this review is based on only the first four of the eight episodes on offer, but even then, The Acolyte leaves you rather unfulfilled despite its strong showing. Set a century before the rise of the Galactic Empire and eight decades before the birth of Anakin Skywalker, The Acolyte introduces us to an age in the life of the galaxy that has seen centuries of peace, presided by the Jedi Order.
But it is threatened when an unknown assassin, versed in the ways of the Force, starts to kill Jedis one by one. A former Jedi Padawan Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) finds herself in the middle of the hunt for the killer as her former Jedi master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) takes over the investigation. The Acolyte is not about the birth of the Sith as many.
