The soon-to-be-launched series on Prime Video, Bait, has seemingly begun its run with a successful first impression. The six-episode series is led by Riz Ahmed and has been given a perfect score so far on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with a critic rating of 100%. Bait is a mix of both comedy and drama, with a story that could not feel more current, focusing on the pressures of fame, issues surrounding personal identity and the life experiences of someone attempting to achieve success in the entertainment field.
Within Bait, a struggling actor is given the opportunity of a lifetime to audition for the role of James Bond. The character’s name is Shah Latif. As a result of this one audition, his life is changed forever. As soon as the news of his audition becomes public, the world he lives in is spun upside down, and people begin to speculate about him, criticize him, and pass comments on whether he is worthy of taking on the iconic role of James Bond. Bait tells the story of Shah’s experiences with intense amounts of people quickly focusing on him for four hectic, chaotic days.
Many were taken aback by the critical reaction, though there are currently only six reviews available. All are seen positively, so as a result, Bait currently enjoys a perfect score (100%) on Rotten Tomatoes. This, perhaps, will fluctuate with more reviews being submitted, but it is an extremely good jump-off point for this series. Critically, various words have been used which include: “electrifying”, “funny” or “painfully believable.” In addition to praising the writing, critics lauded the emotional levels of the storyline and the original cast’s performances, including Ahmed, Guz Kahn, Sheeba Chadhha, Aasiya Shah, Sajid Hasan, Ritu Araya, and Weruche Opia.
Early reviews show strong praise for Bait and performances
One of the most positive reviews came from Kaiya Shunyata of RogerEbert.com, who said the show is “one of the funniest and most electrifying shows of the year.” She also wrote that it gives a clear and honest look at how challenging it is to perform both on and off camera. Another review, written by Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter, was a bit more measured. He said the show felt like it was close to reaching something great but did not always get there. Still, he praised it overall and said it was “more interesting and worthy of admiration than necessarily great, but you can see the greatness on the periphery.”
Many critics also commented on Ahmed’s performance. Abe Friedtanzer of Awards Buzz wrote that it was refreshing to see him return to a role with more humour, even though the show still dives into deeper themes. Reviewers have also pointed out the smoothness with which the show transitions from one tone to another. As Tania Hussain of Collider noted, the show goes from satire of the entertainment industry to family-friendly performances, demonstrating social anxiety, and so forth, but still ends up connecting all the components together without leaving the audience feeling lost.
The character of Ahmed was also showcased in some classic tuxedos when he was in some Bond-like scenes. There has been a lot of speculation over time about Ahmed potentially being the next James Bond, so the opportunity to see Ahmed in these types of settings in Bait certainly makes for entertaining viewing for Ahmed’s fan base and the public alike.
The release comes at a time when the Bond franchise is in transition
With the release of Bait coinciding with the James Bond franchise undergoing significant changes, fans are speculating about who will play James Bond next. The studio producing the Bond films, now an Amazon subsidiary, Amazon MGM Studios, appears to be looking for a new actor to cast as Bond. It has been reported that casting is underway for a male actor in their late twenties or early thirties who can sign a long-term contract for the role.
Some have taken to thinking that Ahmed could be a candidate based on his playful comments about wanting the part, especially now that his lead role in Bait has put him at the forefront of conversations regarding the franchise. Bait demonstrates that Ahmed can tackle the elements of drama, comedy and suspense, which will be helpful to him if the Bond producers do decide to pursue him.
Prime Video will release all six episodes of Bait on March 25, 2026. They will be available in more than 240 countries and regions around the world. With such a strong early reaction and a timely story, the show has already created a lot of interest. Many people now want to see if the series can continue to shine once more viewers get the chance to watch it.
Edited by Sohini Biswas