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Writer's pictureJe-Ree

"Citadel: Honey Bunny" Review: A Misfire in the Spyverse



Citadel: Honey Bunny, the spinoff of Amazon Prime Video’s Citadel spy thriller franchise, struggles to live up to its high expectations. Born out of the Russo brothers' ambitious global espionage universe, this series attempts to weave together action, intrigue, and suspense, but instead, it often gets tangled in its own narrative threads. Despite its efforts, the show fails to deliver the gripping espionage experience it promises, meandering between clichés and missed opportunities.


Set across two timelines—1992 and 2000—Citadel: Honey Bunny follows the lives of two unlikely agents, Bunny (played by Varun Dhawan) and Honey (Samantha), as they become embroiled in a shadowy world of global espionage. In the early 1990s, Bunny, a Bollywood stuntman turned secret agent, recruits Honey, a struggling actress-turned-spy, for a dangerous mission. Together, they are thrust into a high-stakes race against time to track down a scientist, Raghu Rao (Thalaivasal Vijay), believed to hold the key to a global surveillance program called Project Talwar.


As the narrative progresses, the story shifts to 2000, where the stakes become even more personal. Bunny and Honey must protect Honey’s young daughter, Nadia (Kashvi Majmundar), from rival agents, while also dealing with their troubled pasts and unresolved emotional baggage. The tension between the action-packed spy drama and the underwhelming character exploration is evident throughout, as the series struggles to balance its thrills with more emotional depth.


While Citadel: Honey Bunny certainly attempts to deliver on action, the execution falls flat. There are moments of potential—particularly an exciting chase sequence through the streets of Belgrade—but these instances are too few and far between. The action scenes, though numerous, lack the intensity and dynamism needed to truly captivate the audience. The choreography often feels forced, with protagonists Bunny and Honey effortlessly dodging bullets while their enemies' shots consistently miss by miles. Even in moments of danger, there’s a distinct lack of tension, and the stakes never quite feel as high as they should.


The show also suffers from an over-reliance on stylized, slow-motion sequences that are meant to add dramatic flair but instead contribute to an overall feeling of disjointedness. The constant back-and-forth between India (Bombay, Nainital) and Belgrade does little to flesh out the world in which these characters operate, and the lack of coherent world-building detracts from the experience.





Varun Dhawan’s portrayal of Bunny—a former Bollywood stuntman with a mysterious past—lacks the depth needed to make him a compelling action hero. His boyish charm, while endearing, undermines the sense of danger and invincibility that the character is supposed to convey. Bunny’s motivations are thinly sketched, and his emotional journey feels underdeveloped, with the series leaning on cliché rather than offering anything fresh or nuanced.


Samantha, as Honey, fares slightly better, but the character herself is burdened by a script that doesn’t explore her potential. Honey’s transformation from a low-level movie actress to a tough, no-nonsense spy is more told than shown. Despite Samantha’s natural energy, the series fails to make Honey’s vulnerabilities or strengths truly resonate. Her relationship with her daughter, Nadia, is meant to add an emotional core to the story, but this subplot is quickly overshadowed by the relentless action and spy drama.


The supporting cast—including Kay Kay Menon as the seasoned agent Guru and Sikandar Kher as the stoic antagonist Shaan—add some gravitas, but they too are left without much room to develop beyond their roles as archetypal agents. The presence of tech geek Ludo (Soham Majumdar) and the goofy, lovable Chako (Shivankit Parihar) adds some lighthearted moments, but these characters, much like the rest of the ensemble, feel more like plot devices than fully realized people.


With the Russo brothers on board as executive producers, expectations were high for Citadel: Honey Bunny to live up to the fast-paced, high-stakes espionage tone of the original Citadel series. However, the collaboration with Raj & DK—known for their work on The Family Man and Guns & Gulaabs—creates a tonal dissonance that undermines the show’s potential. While Raj & DK’s knack for dark humor and sharp satire worked wonders in their previous projects, here they seem torn between embracing the spy thriller conventions and playing with the retro Bollywood style that made Guns & Gulaabs a cult favorite.





The series attempts to bring some levity to the genre by referencing the exaggerated death scenes seen in classic Bollywood films. This playful nod to Indian cinema could have added an interesting layer to the show, but instead, it feels like a half-hearted attempt to distract from the lackluster writing. The action never quite strikes the right balance between tension and humor, and the end result is a spy series that feels flat and uninspired.


Citadel: Honey Bunny never quite finds its footing, as it veers between spy thriller clichés and the retro charm of Bollywood potboilers without committing fully to either. The action, though frequent, lacks the intensity and excitement necessary to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, and the characters—despite strong performances by Dhawan and Samantha—remain disappointingly one-dimensional. The plot is riddled with clichés, and the emotional moments are drowned out by the relentless chase scenes.


In the end, Citadel: Honey Bunny misses the mark by a wide margin. It fails to deliver on the promise of a high-octane spy series, instead offering a disjointed experience that never quite engages with its audience. While the Russo brothers and Raj & DK’s involvement might have generated hope for a thrilling ride, the series ultimately falters in both execution and storytelling. It's a misfire, plain and simple, and one that is unlikely to leave viewers eagerly awaiting more from the Citadel universe.


Now streaming on Prime.



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