The Trojan Horse

An engrossing if highly improbable political thriller, this Canadian miniseries (broadcast by the CBC last year) posits the merger of the U.S. with our neighbor to the north. The plan is bitterly opposed by former Prime Minister Tom McLaughlin (Paul Gross), who secretly enlists the aid of European tycoons to subvert the expanded American nation and unseat incumbent U.S. President Stanfield (Tom Skerritt). British journalist Helen Madigan (Greta Scacchi) uncovers the scheme with potentially deadly complications. Just barely credible, Trojan Horse is unabashedly melodramatic but still entertaining.

Shelf Talk: Though its DVD release is timed to take advantage of America’s upcoming election, Trojan Horse doesn’t offer political commentary or even satire. It’s a thriller that happens to have a political background, like The Manchurian Candidate or the more recent Vantage Point, and that’s how you should pitch it to curious viewers. Allumination promises to support this title with a “national media campaign.”