Chris Pratt's The Terminal List earns mixed reviews ahead of Prime Video release date

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Some people are loving the action thriller series, while others have branded it "drab" and "formulaic"

Chris Pratt in The Terminal List
(Image credit: Amazon)

The first reactions to Chris Pratt's series The Terminal List are in – and it looks like the Prime Video thriller has seriously split opinions.

Based on the best-selling novel by Jack Carr, the eight-episode show follows James Reece (Pratt), a Navy SEAL who is forced to return home when one of his platoon's covert missions goes sideways. As he struggles to remember exactly what happened, Reece starts to question his own culpability. But when new evidence comes to light, he discovers that there might be a bigger conspiracy at play – and his inadvertent involvement not only endangers himself but his loved ones, too. 

It's a star-studded affair, with the likes of Constance Wu, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Jai Courtney, Sean Gunn, Taylor Kitsch, and Riley Keough all featuring, too. But even if its A-List cast couldn't guarantee a clean sweep of positive reviews. Here's what the critics have been saying...

"There's certainly room on TV for a pulse-pounding, thought-provoking conspiracy thriller with lots of action and intrigue – but in the case of The Terminal List, that mission gets badly botched," TV Line's Dave Nemetz argued in his write-up, marking the show a 'D'. Elsewhere, San Francisco Chronicle's Bob Strauss called it "drab" and "humorless", before calling it out for its moments of "extreme prejudice."

ScreenAnarchy's Peter Martin suggests that The Terminal List "glories in its self-righteous repugnance", while Slashfilm's Valerie Ettenhofer describes it candidly as "a thoroughly rotten action thriller."

"The Terminal List is a formulaic revenge thriller that doubles as a right-wing shoot-'em-up fantasy about murdering shadowy government forces," The Daily Beast's Nich Schager states.

On the flip side, however, some journalists really liked the show. We Got This Covered's Scott Campbell acknowledged that "The Terminal List might not be for everyone" in his review. But went on to say that "action junkies will get a kick out of the constant shifts in genre that provide plenty of scope for spectacular set pieces among the surprisingly hard-hitting drama."

"Prime Video's latest series, The Terminal List, fits the dad-friendly bill to a T. By the humble standards of the genre, The Terminal List is a smashing success," said TV Guide's Liam Mathews, awarding the show a 7 out of 10 score.

Ready Steady Cut's M. N. Miller praised Pratts performance, suggesting that the Guardians of the Galaxy star "carries The Terminal List with a surprising amount of depth and touching resonance on top of the high-octane action scenes." Collider's Nate Richard was equally impressed by the lead actor, nothing his familial "charm".

Lastly, San Jose Mercury News reporter Randy Myers reckons it's "a violent, compelling and unpredictable jolt of action."

The Terminal List is set to premiere tomorrow (Friday, July 1). In the meantime, why not check out our roundup of the best shows on Amazon Prime, and add a few titles to your to-watch list.

Amy West
Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.