Anya Taylor-Joy Leads Apple TV's "Lucky" Heist Series While a Cult Classic Thriller Resurfaces in Streaming Discovery

Anya Taylor-Joy currently commands attention across two separate projects on streaming platforms. Her new Apple TV series "Lucky" has climbed to second place on the platform's charts since its July 15 premiere, while her 2017 indie film "Thoroughbreds" has resurfaced as a discovery title among audiences seeking complex psychological narratives. The dual visibility reflects Taylor-Joy's expanding range across mainstream and arthouse cinema.

Lucky: The New Action-Thriller on Apple TV

Apple TV premiered the first two episodes of "Lucky" on July 15, with five additional episodes rolling out weekly through August 19. The series, based on Marissa Stapley's 2021 novel, follows Luciana "Lucky" Armstrong, a con artist fleeing after a failed high-stakes heist. With both the FBI and a ruthless mob boss pursuing her, the character must navigate escalating danger to survive.

The series has accumulated a 78 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, with critics praising both Taylor-Joy's performance and the show's pacing. Her portrayal emphasizes physical acting—the production deliberately instructed her to "run worse" to convey her character's desperation and exhaustion. This visceral approach tracks her visible progression from hunted fugitive to resourceful survivor as the narrative unfolds.

Since entering Apple TV's rankings, "Lucky" has climbed rapidly, currently holding second place. It trails only the sports comedy "Ted Lasso," which maintains its top ranking after 921 consecutive days in the platform's top ten. The heist series has outpaced other established titles including "Silo," "Cape Fear," and "Widow's Bay."

Thoroughbreds: The Rediscovered Psychological Thriller

Meanwhile, "Thoroughbreds," a 93-minute film from 2017, has gained renewed attention as a streaming discovery. Directed by Cory Finley in his directorial debut, the film explores two teenage girls in suburban Connecticut whose friendship spirals into darker territory. Taylor-Joy plays Lily, a popular student who tutors Amanda, played by Olivia Cooke from "House of the Dragon." Amanda's emotional detachment due to a mental disorder creates an unsettling dynamic that escalates when she suggests committing murder.

The film deliberately resists genre conventions. Unlike darker comedies such as "Heathers," which lean toward levity, "Thoroughbreds" embraces the genuine darkness inherent in intense female friendships. Finley's screenplay presents both characters not as caricatures but as fully realized individuals navigating an extreme moral circumstance. Critics have noted that Finley shares rare directorial sensibility in writing complex female characters—a quality comparable to director Ari Aster's portrayal of emotional devastation in "Midsommar." The film's 93-minute runtime maintains relentless pacing, establishing stakes immediately and building toward an ending that demands verification through viewing rather than description.