‘Banshee’: ‘The Boys’ Star’s Action Thriller Series Is Perfectly Bloody & Raunchy

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The last season of The Boys is now available on Prime Video, and Homelander is completely losing control. He’s dropped the act – no more posing with flags or forcing smiles for the cameras. He’s simply a supremely powerful being who refuses to take orders from anyone. Antony Starr’s portrayal of this character over five seasons has been amazing, with critics describing his performance as both terrifying and incredibly subtle – some even call it one of the best villainous performances of the 21st century, and that’s no overstatement.

If you’re impressed by Antony Starr’s performance in The Boys, you should check out Banshee. It was a Cinemax show that ran for four seasons and was even wilder and more chaotic, though it’s largely been overlooked since then.

Why ‘Banshee’ Is Worth Watching If You Love ‘The Boys’

The Cinemax series Banshee aired for four seasons from 2013 to 2016, totaling 38 episodes. The show’s story is complex: a man recently released from prison after 15 years assumes the identity of a dead sheriff in a small Pennsylvania town. Things get even more complicated when he discovers his former girlfriend is living there in hiding, and her father is a dangerous Ukrainian mob boss pursuing them. Adding to the chaos, the town is also home to an Amish crime boss, a Native American criminal group, and a storyline involving neo-Nazis. Some of the action scenes were famously difficult to film, reportedly taking up to 25 hours to complete.

It’s undeniably strange, but Banshee is cleverly self-aware and embraces its wildness while still telling a strong story. The show centers on a mysterious man assuming another person’s identity, hoping to discover his own true self. What starts as a *Bournestyle action plot evolves into something genuinely captivating, even amidst bizarre scenes like a gunfight in an Amish barn.

As a film and TV buff, I always felt Banshee was a bit of a hidden gem. It scored really well with critics – a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.4 on IMDb – but it never quite reached the mainstream audience it deserved. It was a huge success for Cinemax while it lasted, becoming their most popular original series, but sadly, when the network shifted away from making original content, the show just sort of disappeared. That, to me, is the real tragedy of Banshee – a fantastic show that didn’t get the long run it deserved.

Antony Starr’s Two Roles Are More Connected Than You Think

It’s a curious but rewarding experience to watch Banshee right after The Boys. Though the characters played by Starr seem completely different at first, a closer look reveals they’re motivated by surprisingly similar things.

I’ve been thinking about Homelander and Lucas Hood, and the contrast is just striking. Homelander… he’s never actually earned anything in his life. He feels like the worst parts of American culture rolled into one person, and honestly, his inflated ego? It’s not his fault, really. Everyone just put him on a pedestal from the start, before he even had a chance to be a decent human being. But Lucas… Lucas is different. He spent fifteen years in prison, sacrificing his freedom for others. He’s an incredible thief, yes, but he’s also fiercely loyal – he took the blame for his team and paid the price. It’s amazing to me that one guy was handed everything and crumbled under the pressure, while the other had everything taken away and still managed to keep going, to hold onto his values.

Both characters, Starr in Banshee and Homelander in The Boys, present false fronts to the world. Starr’s character initially appears as a criminal but slowly becomes a hero, while Homelander pretends to be heroic only when it suits him, discarding the act as soon as he’s alone. The key difference is that Starr eventually starts to believe in the good he’s portraying, whereas Homelander’s heroism is simply a performance.

Okay, so Homelander in The Boys is all bombast and showmanship – a total narcissist. But Anthony Starr? He’s doing something really special playing both Homelander and John/Banshee. Banshee is completely different – quiet, intense, and physically commanding, able to flip from calm to explosive in an instant. Watching Starr navigate those two extremes is honestly captivating. If you’re invested in the final season of The Boys, seriously, do yourself a favor and check out Banshee. It’s on Max, and it’s a masterclass in performance.

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2026-04-18 21:34