The force is already strong with The Acolyte, the hotly anticipated new Star Wars mystery series premiering June 4th on Disney+. While full reviews have yet to arrive, early social media reactions from a premiere screening are relentlessly positive – with particular praise for Carrie-Anne Moss’ embodiment of the powerful Jedi Master Indara.
Best known as the iconic Trinity in The Matrix films, Moss is making her first foray into a galaxy far, far away with The Acolyte. Set in the final days of the High Republic era long before the Skywalker Saga, the series follows an investigation into a serial killer targeting Jedi.
In a recent interview, Moss opened up about the key differences in her preparation compared to the intense wire work and martial arts training required for The Matrix. “This was very different though, because I was by myself,” she explained. “I had always done [The Matrix] with my co-stars, and there’s a certain energy.”
Diving solo into choreographing Jedi lightsaber duels allowed Moss to tap into new creative energies. “I loved it more than I can remember loving doing something in a long time,” she raved. “I was like, ‘I want to do everything.’ I’m strong. I can learn this.”
A major focus was nailing the Jedi mindset of emotional “containment” in combat. “It’s very hard for me not to make faces – to constantly bring it back in, where it’s almost effortless. It looks effortless, and yet it’s not.”
If the rapturous early reactions are any indication, Moss absolutely succeeded in bringing an aura of effortless mastery to Indara. “The fight choreography [is] cool,” declared one critic after seeing the first four episodes. Another described Indara’s duel with rogue protagonist Amandla Stenberg as the series’ “near-perfect teaser.”
Numerous previews gushed over Moss’ standout performance and Indara’s quiet command of the Force. “Carrie-Anne Moss… brings the same gusto to her duels in Star Wars,” wrote one. “[Indara] displays her control of emotions and the Force.”
The series overall is being lauded as a gripping detective thriller evoking iconic mysteries like Twin Peaks and The Batman. “The Acolyte presents something we rarely see in Star Wars: a good mystery,” praised one viewer. “Not just ‘who is the killer’ but truly a Fugitive-style conspiracy thriller.”
With its compelling central puzzle, rich world-building of the High Republic era, and Moss’ already iconic new warrior figure, The Acolyte is shaping up to be that rarity – an entirely fresh vision upholding the grand Star Wars tradition. The hype will only intensify as the June 4th premiere draws near.
