Riz Ahmed Leads New Phycological Thriller, Bait, On Amazon Prime
Oscar-nominated actor Riz Ahmed is known for his roles in films like Sound of Metal and Nightcrawler, but now he’s bringing a new series that he describes as “the most personal thing I’ve done” to Amazon Prime. Bait stars Ahmed as a struggling actor who faces a crisis that soon spirals into a full-blown psychological thriller. Needless to say, we’re excited to see what’s in store. Here’s everything we know so far:
What is Bait about?
The first tv show that its star has ever created, and the first time he’s been in a TV show since 2017 in In The Night Of, Bait follows Ahmed as Shah, an actor living in London. Finding it hard to get anywhere in his dream career and having doubts, he suddenly manages to snag the role – and opportunity – of a lifetime. Should be ideal, right? The role is so exciting that it’ll propel him to become a global star, but just as he moves to accept, his doubts explode into an existential crisis. The narrative will play out over four crucial days, and it looks like it’ll become a darker, more unsettling thriller than it first appears.
Not much more about the plot has been given away yet, but Ahmed has talked about how the show is personal to him and definitely seems to draw on his own real-life experiences as an actor. In an interview with Good Housekeeping, he mentioned that “I’ve wanted to tell this story for a long time. It’s personal, bold, and a lot of fun. It feels so good to be writing and creating it now with this incredible team.” The show’s original announcement mentioned that there’s an element of the conspiracy thriller genre, too. Despite the psychological drama label, Amazon also indicates that some dark comedy and satire will be thrown into the mix, so expect an emotional rollercoaster.
Who else stars?
Riz Ahmed is the headline name- but joining him in the cast is comedian and actor Guz Khan, best known for appearing in Our Flag Means Death and Taskmaster. Also starring are Sheeba Chadda, Sajid Hasan, and Weruchie Opia.
Release date
Bait is being shown at the Sundance Film Festival this year, though there’s no definite word on the streaming release date. Keep an eye out for more info in the coming months.
