Anya Taylor-Joy turned heads as she left the ABC Studios in New York City on Thursday.
The actress, 30, has been in the city promoting her new Apple TV series Lucky, in which she co-produced alongside Reese Witherspoon.
Stepping out in the Big Apple, Anya went braless under a sheer burnt orange Ferragamo dress.
The stunning ensemble, from the Maximilian Davis Collection, featured a distinct sequined metallic panel and fluid skirt
The actress teamed the look with gold heels and matching jewellery.
Lucky, which premiered on Apple TV+ on July 15, has been met with mixed reviews from critics, with some lambasting it as ‘tediously formulaic’, while others have said the actress is ‘riveting’.
Anya Taylor-Joy turned heads as she left the ABC Studios in New York City on Thursday
Stepping out in the Big Apple, Anya went braless under a sheer burnt orange Ferragamo dress
The stunning ensemble, from the Maximilian Davis Collection, featured a distinct sequined metallic panel and fluid skirt
The Jet Wilkinson-directed Apple TV series follows Anya as con artist Luciana ‘Lucky’ Armstrong, who is ‘forced to go on the run’ once a multimillion-dollar heist does not go as planned.
She is pursued by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss, played by Annette Bening, on her runaway journey.
Early reviews are now in after two episodes of the seven-part series were released on Wednesday.
The Daily Telegraph awarded the series just two stars out of five and claimed Anya’s ‘streak of good fortune has run out’.
In a scathing review, TV critic Ed Power claimed it was filled with cliches and said Anya struggles to bring the lead character to life.
He wrote: ‘Whatever the book has going for it, it surely isn’t originality as translated to the screen, the story lands like a mash-up of Pulp Fiction and one of those Nineties Leonard adaptations that always seemed to star Danny DeVito.
‘Lucky also wants us to think of Taylor-Joy’s protagonist as a tough woman in the patriarchal world of organised crime. In fact she is defined entirely by the men in her life in particular; her husband and her mentor and father, played with roguish zest by Timothy Olyphant.
‘He’s the only member of the cast who seems to understand he’s starring in a creaky Tarantino knock off and has fun with the part, Taylor-Joy by contrast comes across as mildly discommoded throughout.’
Writing for Roger Ebert, Brian Tallerico also gave two stars and wrote: ‘Apple TV’s Lucky is one of the most egregious examples of the “Why Isn’t This a Movie” problem of the modern streaming era.
Lucky, which premiered on Apple TV+ on July 15, has been met with mixed reviews from critics, with some lambasting it as ‘tediously formulaic’, while others have said the actress is ‘riveting’
The Apple TV series follows Anya as con artist Luciana ‘Lucky’ Armstrong, who is ‘forced to go on the run’ once a multimillion-dollar heist does not go as planned
‘After a promising opening episode, it’s another show content to spin its wheels to meet the episode order rather than develop the story at a reasonable pace.
‘With 10-15 minutes of plot and character development per 45-minute episode, it’s a journey during which one is constantly envisioning the great film version of the exact same story, one that cuts away so much of the fat on what could have been a lean and mean thriller.’
The Guardian awarded Lucky three stars and called it ‘classic summer viewing’ but said the problem is that it ‘refuses to commit to its nonsense’.
They wrote: ‘The script doesn’t help. Nor does the theme tune, which is performed by Fiona Apple in the manner of a blunderbussed elk.
‘But, still. It’s summer. Our energies have sagged like hastily loosened slacks at a poolside buffet. Resistance feels like too much effort.
‘So, let’s raise our Slush Puppie to the good bits (Ellis‑Taylor, Bening, the sateen blouson). And let’s quietly flee through the nearest window from the rest.’
In contrast, NME said the show was ‘instantly gripping, filled with twists and lots of fun’.
Giving a four star review, critic Nick Levine wrote: ‘This seven-part thriller from Your Friends & Neighbors creator Jonathan Tropper is a breathless affair from the off. Within the first ten minutes, Lucky is already ducking and diving through Caesars Palace with the FBI on her heels.
‘Showing off the action chops she honed in 2024’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Taylor-Joy is riveting as Lucky, a gimlet-eyed opportunist with a conscience. Well, some of the time.’
While the critic acknowledged there were cliches within the script, they said: ‘Even with some corny and convoluted moments, Lucky works all the right angles.’
The Wrap gave Anya a glowing review as they called it her ‘career-best performance’ and called the thriller ‘electrifying’.
They wrote: ‘Indeed, this show is an acting tour de force. Given how much of the show is just her face covering most of the screen, Taylor-Joy carries the story on her shoulders, portraying the desperation, the exhilaration and the cunning that Lucky goes through in the story.
‘If nothing else, Lucky more than makes up for the last time Taylor-Joy was a lead in an Apple TV project, and she does a fantastic job carrying the different aspects of her character as the show goes full pedal to the metal.
‘This is a non-stop thrills show with a fast pace that builds up and up, introducing new complications in every episode while pushing forward momentum. There is a good balance of episodic and serialized storytelling, making this not a seven-hour movie, but a book turned into a TV show, with clear act breaks and a narrative that fits this medium.’
Variety also lauded Anya’s portrayal of Lucky as they said: ‘Following the resounding success of The Queen’s Gambit, she was cast in the high-profile 2024 movie Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, where George Miller’s spectacle overwhelmed her performance — and it bombed.
‘Lucky is different. Through Taylor-Joy’s character, the series reminds us to face ourselves, even the broken and painful bits that feel shameful. It is about embracing the good and the bad before fully shedding what no longer serves you. As Lucky comes to understand, it’s one thing to con other people, but the cost of conning yourself is often insurmountable.’
The Hollywood Reporter seemed divided as they wrote: ‘Jonathan Tropper’s take on the material is half frivolous lark, half self-important commentary, wholly nothing in particular, though Anya Taylor-Joy and a solid ensemble cast work hard to swim against the underdeveloped stream.’
