Apple TV’s new thriller 12 12 12 opens with a jarring scene set in a Zurich church on Christmas Eve. Master thief Paul Galvin (Jamie Dornan) and his volatile brother Bobby (Jack Kesy) engage in a lengthy conversation during a crowded service, complete with gun exchanges, an unrealistic moment that immediately disrupts the narrative flow. The series, now streaming, follows Paul as he is reluctantly pulled back into crime after Bobby steals his secret stash and entangles their family with a ruthless crime boss. The heist involves stealing $800 million in Swiss Franc banknotes from an impenetrable underground vault.
The show’s structure relies on a time-hopping format, splitting the story into segments like “THE PLANNING, MONTH 2” or “THE HEIST, HOUR 2.” While this gimmick aims to build tension, it often undermines suspense by revealing outcomes prematurely. FBI Agent Jack Strickland (Anthony Mackie) narrates the series’ premise: a high-asset robbery takes 12 months to plan, 12 hours to execute, and if the thief evades capture for 12 days, they likely won’t be caught. However, Mackie’s portrayal of Strickland, a former hotshot agent now sidelined in Switzerland, feels misaligned with the character’s backstory.
Despite some well-staged action sequences and compelling supporting performances, the leads fall into familiar tropes. Dornan’s Paul Galvin mirrors Danny Ocean from Ocean’s 11, while Kesy’s Bobby leans into the unstable brother archetype. The heist itself tests credibility, particularly with an escape sequence that defies believability. While the series delivers moments of tension, its reliance on overused tropes and convoluted storytelling ultimately leaves it feeling derivative.