'The Acolyte' Review: Leslye Headland Spins a Compelling Star Wars Murder Mystery (2024)

The Acolyte hits the ground running with its two-episode debut, wasting very little time in showing the audience that the series isn’t afraid to take risks, no matter how shocking they might be. Within the first few minutes, the series delivers some impressive high-flying choreography as two Force users face off (in a scene that has been teased relentlessly in the lead-up to the premiere) before veering into a nuanced howcatchem-style mystery.

While the series boasts an impressive ensemble cast, Amandla Stenberg is The Acolyte’s pitch-perfect lead. By design, the role of Mae demands that she taps into the duality that exists within all Force-users, and that comes into play within the first ten minutes of Episode 1. It is this delicate balance between the Light and the Dark side of the Force that makes Stenberg infinitely fascinating to watch as she engages with the two extremes. Stenberg may not be the first Star Wars actor to find themselves caught between the Sith and the Jedi, but she certainly is the first to explore it in such a cleverly conceived way.

Where Andor was a gripping spy thriller, The Acolyte turns Star Wars into a compelling murder mystery, much in the same way that the High Republic has explored the genre in the comic book miniseries Star Wars: The High Republic - Trail of Shadows. Set roughly 100 years before The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte showcases the Jedi as we have never seen them before. It’s thrilling to see Star Wars not only break free of the monotony of the Original Trilogy era but also delve into new genres as overarching plot points, not just as one-off ventures. It’s more than just the time period that feels new and exciting; Leslye Headland brings an entirely fresh approach to the franchise by allowing her characters to be imperfect. It helps that these first four episodes of The Acolyte range from 32 to 42 minutes, giving the characters a chance to breathe and feel settled within the fast-paced plots.

'The Acolyte' Flips Star Wars Storytelling On Its Head

Previous installments in the Star Wars franchise, and modern-day storytelling as a whole, seem terrified of playing with extremes. So often, characters must remain pure as the driven snow, with morally righteous ideologies, personalities, and traits. Ahsoka was a perfect example of this very tired idea, made more obvious by the fact that these ideas were still being pinned to a character that had left the Jedi Order. Yet here, in The Acolyte, we have characters like Yord (Charlie Barnett), someone who is allowed to be full of himself, cocky, and a bit of a prick despite being a Jedi. This is only part of what has made the High Republic’s storytelling so exciting; with the Jedi being at the height of their power, they’re allowed to be flawed.

The Acolyte may be firmly rooted within the High Republic era, but it is the closest we’ve come to having the Expanded Universe on our screens. It manages to blend the diverse storytelling that is an integral part of the High Republic with the comfortable familiarity of what made the EU such a gateway for fans of yesteryear. The Acolyte may possess themes—which must remain redacted at this time—that are inherently linked to the framework of Star Wars storytelling, but Headland and her writers' room manage to flip those concepts on their heads. Everything feels fresh and unique here; especially as the series is unburdened by the pressures for cameos that other series have been saddled with. The series is bursting at the seams with exciting new locations, non-humanoid characters in the foreground, and perfectly-paced scripts that draw you in and take you along for the ride.

'The Acolyte's Biggest Strength Is Its Cast

Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) is one of the first characters that audiences are introduced to, and Headland was smart to cast a familiar face in the role. Given the fast-paced nature of the series, Moss’ previous work as Trinity in The Matrix serves as a sort of shorthand for viewers. Moss carries herself like someone you know can kick ass, and when she does, there is no explanation needed to understand that she is a character who has rarely been on the losing side of an argument or a fight. As the series unravels, we learn more about her past and her connection to Mae's revenge path, which helps to further flesh out the inciting action that sets the series into motion.

The Acolyte doesn't contain any cameos, but that doesn’t mean that the series doesn’t bring in familiar characters—at least for readers of The High Republic. Once Mae’s crimes are brought to the attention of the Jedi Order, Vernestra Rowh (Rebecca Henderson) steps in to launch an investigation. Over the last three years, readers have gotten to essentially watch Vern grow up from a Padawan prodigy who suffered tragic losses early in her training, to now, as a high-ranking official in the Order. Vern’s even-keeled temperament makes her the perfect anchor point for both newcomers to the High Republic and fans who have been obsessing over the era for years. Knowing Vern’s backstory from the novels sheds a lot of light on her decision to allow Sol (Lee Jung-jae) to set off in search of Mae, despite his connection to her. The Jedi in the High Republic novels may indulge in intimacies not previously seen on-screen, but the Order is still quite strict about attachments and that’s something that does come into play here.

Based on the first few episodes of the series, Sol is the kind of Jedi Master that fans have been clamoring for. Mae’s crime spree and the ensuing investigation force Sol to interrogate some of his past actions and failures. He still carries a lot of regret about a former Padawan of his who left the Jedi order six years ago, and all of that comes to the surface in the present. Despite the franchise being inherently linked to the idea of the Master and Apprentice, Star Wars hasn’t had very many opportunities to play with that dynamic outside a select circle of characters: Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker, even Anakin and Ahsoka. Here, The Acolyte presents a fresh take on the dynamic by showcasing a Jedi drop-out and the Master who still questions if he failed as a teacher. However, Sol’s Master and Apprentice dynamic is not the only one that the series delves into. As with everything else, there is balance here as the series reveals a brand-new Sith Lord and his acolytes. While the first four episodes don’t reveal much about who the Sith Lord is, they do serve up more than enough mystery to whet viewers' appetites.

Manny Jacinto’s Qimir is another clear stand-out within the cast. While it is difficult to divorce him from his iconic breakout role on The Good Place, this actually works in his favor. From his first introduction as Mae’s ally and fellow acolyte, there is a quiet current of dubiousness that makes his affable, good-natured personality feel like a façade. After all, he is a smuggler who has gotten himself swept up in a murder-for-hire-style plot, and he’s just along for the ride. Star Wars has a rich history with lovable scoundrels, and it seems that Qimir might succeed in climbing up the ranks as the series unravels. Jacinto and Stenberg have stellar scene chemistry, which makes their conflicting personalities and motives even more fun to see play out on screen.

'The Acolyte' Brings New Lore and Much-Needed World-building to the Franchise

When it comes to the Force, the Jedi have always been at the forefront of the conversation within the Star Wars universe. It is through their teachings that most of the galaxy has come to understand the energy that connects all living things together, but the Jedi are not the only beings that can tap into that energy—despite how ardently they have tried to be the gatekeepers of the Force. The Nightsisters, or the Witches of Dathomir, have been an ever-present part of canon since their introduction in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Now, Headland is bringing her own spin on the witchy Force users that the Jedi don’t want you to know about. Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) is the leader of a coven of witches that live on the planet Brendok, who tap into the Force in ways that haven't previously been showcased in the franchise.

In addition to witchy covens and exciting new locations, The Acolyte doesn’t shy away from being Star Wars in its purest form. There’s a plethora of new (to live-action) species that get their moment in the spotlight, with non-Basic languages being communicated on-screen. The series feels most like a gathering of friends coming together to play in the Star Wars franchise — except The Acolyte doesn't seem like a creator playing with their favorite action figures, but rather a writers' room of creatives playing an RPG with a fully realized and fleshed-out world, filled with characters with motives, trauma, flaws, and hope. As with Andor, it is great to see that Star Wars hasn’t forgotten that you can give your characters full government names without fear of corporal punishment (or whatever was happening in The Mandalorian).

The Acolyte is undoubtedly one of the most exciting shows on Disney+ this year and one of the best Star Wars projects since 2022. Not only is it a visually engaging story, with stunning flora and fauna, but it is a beautifully-woven story that takes the very best aspects of the franchise and spins them into pure gold.

The Acolyte

The Acolyte, led by Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, and Manny Jacinto is a surprising genre switch-up for Star Wars.

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Pros

• The series benefits from a strong writers' room that is unafraid to switch up familiar Star Wars narratives.
• A strong ensemble cast is made even stronger with diverse casting, flawed characters, and time to flesh out who they are.
• Leslye Headland brings fresh takes to familiar Star Wars themes while creating a fully realized world around these characters.

The Acolyte premieres June 4 on Disney+ with its first two episodes, followed by new episodes released weekly.

Watch on Disney+