Bait Review
Director: Tom George and Bassam Tariq
Date Created: 2026-03-25 20:47
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Bait Review: Directed by Tom George and Bassam Tariq, the Prime Video series is created, written by, and stars Riz Ahmed in the lead role of Shah Latif. The show also features Guz Khan, Aasiya Shah, Sheeba Chaddha, Ritu Arya, and Sajid Hasan in pivotal roles. With just 6 episodes, each running for about 25 minutes.
Bait Review
Prime Video series Bait is about a struggling but ambitious actor, Shah Latif, who is on the cusp of a life-changing experience, auditioning for the role of James Bond. Despite having everything in his favour, a bad experience in the audition room, coupled with a media frenzy, disrupts his life completely. As rumours of him becoming the new Bond emerge, Shah finds himself in the eye of the storm, receiving adoration, hate, and everything in between. What was supposed to be a dream role for the actor turns out to be a very personal ordeal, where his identity, race, and sense of belonging converge in a way he could never have anticipated.
One of the things I think I really liked about Prime Video’s Bait was how well it walks the line between reality and fiction. Riz Ahmed is not just playing Shah; he is literally Shah. There is an authenticity to how he is written and played that makes things feel very real. It also speaks to a very particular anxiety of being a person of colour in an industry where representation is still an issue. It’s not just about whether or not you get the role; it’s about whether or not you’re even allowed to want to get the role.
The writing, without a doubt, is one of the strongest aspects of the show. It does not spoon-feed the themes; rather, they are explored in a very organic way through the experiences of Shah himself, whether or not he’s dealing with hate online, his complicated family life, or his own insecurities as a person. The way in which racism and tokenism are explored is also quite sharp without crossing over into preachy territory. The struggle of wanting to succeed in a mainstream sphere without losing yourself in the process is beautifully explored.
Riz Ahmed’s Bait also, surprisingly, has a very humorous edge as well. The way in which the satire is done, however, is not loud or over-the-top; rather, it’s very subtle, even bordering on ironic at times. There are moments where you genuinely find yourself chuckling along, and then suddenly, the show brings you back down with a dose of its undertones.
Performance-wise, Riz is, as you would expect, the standout. He is the clear highlight of this series, and he does carry this series off with ease, bringing a lot of depth, frustration, and vulnerability to the role of Shah. You feel the inner turmoil he is going through in every scene, especially when he is forced between being himself and being what the industry demands of him. It is a performance that doesn’t feel like a performance; it feels so lived.
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The supporting cast adds a lot of depth to the story. Sheeba Chaddha and Sajid Hasan, as his parents, add warmth and grounding to the narrative. Guz Khan and Aasiya Shah provide both humour and depth to the family situation. Ritu Arya’s Yasmin adds yet another interesting dimension to the story from a different point of view. All the characters are necessary to the story and play a part in the creation of Shah’s character.
The cinematography has a raw, almost kinetic quality to it that suits the quick pace of the narrative. The episodes are short in length, yet the editing is so good that you never feel anything is rushed or incomplete. In fact, the quick pace works well for the show so that you remain interested without the show overstaying its welcome.
One other thing that stood out to me was the use of the idea of James Bond not only as a character but also as a symbol. James Bond is a character of tradition and legacy, and a very specific kind of masculinity and nationality. By placing a person like Shah in a space like this, it makes one think a lot about what it means to represent a nation and what it means to be an outsider.
If I were to find a small fault, it would be that there were a few moments where a little more breathing room could have been given, especially with regard to Shah’s emotional breakdowns and certain relationships, though even then, that does not take away from the impact in a significant way.
Prime Video Bait Review: Summing Up
Overall, the 2026 series Bait is about more than an actor trying to land a role. It is a show about identity, acceptance, and the cost of ambition in a world that is constantly trying to define you. It is a smart, engaging, and quietly powerful series, and it certainly benefits greatly from the performance of Riz Ahmed.
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