If James Bond had a die-hard best friend traveling with him, the result might be similar to Prime Video’s latest spy action series that is already attracting impressive reviews and high Rotten Tomatoes scores from both audiences and critics. The best spy thriller series released in 2026 have all been an exciting collection of intrigue and action, but one aspect that has been left behind is humor, and this is where Prime Video’s show excels, crossing genres into action and thriller, with the buddy cop dynamic that made Hot Fuzz so much fun.
Ride or Die puts a new spin on the reassuringly predictable James Bond formula, becoming one of the best spy TV shows you need to be watching. While Bond has a best friend in the CIA’s Felix Leiter, the idea of the two sharing mishaps on a road trip is unthinkable. Ride or Die does the closest thing, following best friends Debbie Claybourne (Octavia Spencer) and Judith Burton (Hannah Waddingham) on the run across Europe. When a hit goes wrong, Debbie finds out that Judith is an elite assassin, and the two are forced into a breakneck-speed adventure across.
Ride Or Die Combines The Style Of Bond With Cornetto Trilogy Humor
James Bond might be full of references to previous movies in the 007 franchise, but it is not self-aware to the point of parodying the spy genre. On the other hand, this is exactly where Hot Fuzz shines, making fun of the greatest buddy cop movies of all time without being mean-spirited, feeling like a fan tribute rather than a critique. Ride or Die combines the best features of both, taking James Bond’s glamorous locations and high stakes and applying the eccentricity of The Cornetto Trilogy, of which Hot Fuzz is the second installment.
Debbie and Judith travel on luxury trains, change identities, use a variety of weapons, and reference the glamor of old Hollywood spy movies. However, while the series could have stayed with the tone of a heist movie similar to Ocean’s 8 and The Italian Job, Ride or Die is hilarious, without sacrificing action and tension for laughs. The Cornetto Trilogy puts everyday people into bizarre situations, and while Ride or Die‘s best moments share this “fish out of water” tone, the show prioritizes Debbie and Judith’s friendship but avoids allowing Debbie to become a glorified sidekick.
Ride Or Die Is Deserving Of Its High Rotten Tomatoes Score
Ride or Die‘s reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, praising the chemistry between Waddingham and Spencer, and the balance struck between heartfelt moments and action. The two are believable as longtime best friends, and the stunts and fight scenes are genuinely impressive. While the writing and plot have drawn some criticism for being derivative, predictability is generally not a franchise-killer in the action genre, with many movies and TV shows taking inspiration from each other. Ride or Die has an impressive 96% positive critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences deeming the show 84%.
Ride or Die has eight episodes, between 48 and 55 minutes each.
With so many exciting new entries and returning favorites, the action genre has been extremely popular this year, but female-centered storylines are a very low proportion of the shows on offer. That said, while there should be more action shows featuring competent and skilled women, Ride or Die stands out for more reasons than merely the sex of the main actors. The series has a supporting cast of talented character actors, including the multi-award-winning Bill Nighy (Love Actually,) Ed Skrein (Jurassic World), and Kathryn Drysdale (Bridgerton,) while Spencer and Waddingham’s performances are the best part of the show.
This combination of heart and high-octane action already sets Ride or Die above many action TV shows both recent and long-running, and the comedic element puts the series in the same lane as other great comedy thriller shows like The Gentlemen and Deli Boys. With an ending that looks set to result in a second season, Ride or Die could be the next great action series, deserving its high Rotten Tomatoes score.
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Matt Miller
