Lucky Review: Anya Taylor-Joy's Action-Packed Chase Thriller Will Leave You Breathless

Watching TV is not typically a physically demanding activity, but you might get a decent cardiovascular workout watching "Lucky," Apple TV's new crime thriller starring Anya Taylor-Joy. Following a young woman on the lam who's desperately trying to outrun both cops and criminals, "Lucky" — premiering this Wednesday; I've seen the first three episodes — is the TV equivalent of "all gas, no brakes." Stylish and propulsive, "Lucky" runs on pure adrenaline, delivering a string of heart-pounding action sequences, and is buoyed by Taylor-Joy's tough but vulnerable lead performance.

When we meet Taylor-Joy's character Lucky, she's partying it up in Vegas with her husband Cary (Drew Starkey) after successfully pulling off a heist worth a cool $10 million. But when Cary seemingly disappears with the cash, Lucky is left holding the bag, with both the FBI and the crooks they ripped off in hot pursuit. Thankfully, she's resourceful — a real Houdini-caliber escape artist — and it's a thrill to see exactly how she manages to narrowly evade her pursuers each time, despite being underestimated at every turn. ("How can someone so small cause so much trouble?" a henchman wonders.)

This all plays out a bit like "The Fugitive," with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in the Tommy Lee Jones role as no-nonsense FBI agent Rand, tracking Lucky's every move. There's some "Run Lola Run" mixed in, too, just in the relentless pacing and punk-rock attitude. (Maybe it's Lucky's hair, too.) Plus, the desert setting and dark crime comedy elements evoke memories of "Breaking Bad." (Jonathan Tropper, from "Your Friends & Neighbors," serves as creator and co-showrunner here.) The action sequences are where this show really shines, though: The jaw-dropping stunts and death-defying escapes — like a dangerous tussle in a moving car at high speed — will leave you gasping for air right alongside Lucky.

Yes, when Lucky stops running to catch her breath, the pace does slow down a bit. But even the scenes without any action pack a punch. The hard-boiled dialogue is dripping with bravado and biting sarcasm; every conversation is like an arm-wrestling match to see who comes out on top. Annette Bening has a lot of fun as ruthless crime boss Priscilla, running a vast criminal network while draped in quiet luxury and blithely guiding her horse back to the stable while a man is being tortured nearby. The characters here are smart, too: They don't make dumb decisions just to keep the plot going, which is a real pitfall for a show like this.

With her otherworldly features and regal presence, Taylor-Joy doesn't exactly blend in with a crowd. (Even in a hoodie, she looks like a supermodel.) But Lucky still finds a way to slip through the cracks and con her way into people's homes and hearts. This is a strong performance from Taylor-Joy: She makes us feel every bit of the nail-biting tension when Lucky is running, and also the rush of relief when she's (temporarily) safe. Plus, Timothy Olyphant has some nice moments as her imprisoned dad Jack, who schooled her in the ways of being a thief. ("Trust no one" is one of his nuggets of fatherly advice.)

The episodic format actually works surprisingly well, too, with Lucky encountering a different stranger each week and transforming herself like a chameleon to fit her new environment as we learn little by little about the past mistakes she's trying to outrun. A seven-episode limited series sounds just about right for this story — I'm not sure my heart could take much more than that.

THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Apple TV's crime drama "Lucky" is a pulse-pounding thrill ride, powered by a killer performance from Anya Taylor-Joy.