Reviews for Oscar-winning Riz Ahmed‘s new series on Amazon Prime Video have surfaced ahead of its release. They are overwhelmingly positive, resulting in a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. All six episodes of the show are dropping on March 25, 2026, giving viewers the chance to see it in its entirety immediately without having to wait weekly for new installments.
What critics are saying about Bait in reviews
Riz Ahmed’s Bait on Amazon Prime Video has scored multiple positive reviews. The story follows Shah Latif, a struggling actor whose last shot at making it big in the film industry comes in the form of an audition of a lifetime.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s Daniel Fienberg compared it to a mixture of Disney+’s Wonder Man and Baby Reindeer. He added, “It’s more interesting and worthy of admiration than necessarily great, but you can see the greatness on the periphery.” Moreover, he claimed that the fourth episode was both the show’s “best” and his personal favorite.
Meanwhile, Metro‘s Asyia Iftikhar praised the show’s depiction of the “diaspora experience,” labeling it “magnificent.” In addition, she noted that while it often forgot the point of its story, the “unpredictability” enhanced the viewing experience, making it “more fun.” She further stated, “It’s definitely the type of show that needs to be seen to be believed.”
Amelia Harvey of Frame Rated called the series “an unusual mish-mash of genres.” She added, “Through all its eccentricities, Bait uses dark humour to explore identity, class, toxic masculinity, and the complicated space of assimilation.”
Harvey further stated that while the humor often failed to land, the show should be congratulated for “balancing gravity with laughs within such an eccentric framework.”
Collider‘s Tania Hussain lauded the series, saying it “moves compellingly between waves of comedy, anxiety, and cultural observation for something darker and equally believable.” She also praised the cast’s performances, highlighting Ahmed’s, stressing that he kept his character “grounded” despite his spiraling, while also commending the supporting cast for completing the show’s “very spiral-forward world.”
Bait gets a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes
Bait’s reviews have resulted in a perfect, fresh 100% critical score for the Amazon Prime Video series on Rotten Tomatoes.
In addition to starring as Shah Latif, Riz Ahmed also wrote the show. Further, he executive-produced it with Allie Moore, Jake Fuller, and Ben Karlin. Meanwhile, Bassam Tariq and Tom George directed the episodes.
The supporting cast includes Guz Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Sajid Hasan, Aasiya Shah, Weruche Opia, and Ritu Arya.