jackal

Two thrillers with literary antecedents — “Cross” on Prime Video and “The Day of the Jackal” on Peacock — premiere Thursday.

Where “Cross” might be said to have a matte finish, “The Day of the Jackal,” created by the Northern Irish novelist and screenwriter Ronan Bennett, is high-gloss.

Set in a variety of sexy locations, some of them actually where they claim to be — including England, Turkey, Croatia, Estonia, Spain and Germany — it, too, is a serial-killer story in a way, though the resident psychopath, the Jackal, kills people for money rather than to gratify some bizarre psychosis.

A master of disguise, the Jackal first appears in elaborate — yet, to the viewer, obvious — prosthetics to make him look like a specific janitor in a building he’s planning to breach.

Though Bianca’s doggedness mirrors the Jackal’s — they also share certain work-life problems — Lynch’s innate soulfulness softens her character.