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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Play trailer 2:00 Poster for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy R 2012 2h 7m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 229 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In the 1970s England the head of MI6, Control (John Hurt), dispatches an agent (Mark Strong) to meet with a Hungarian general who knows the identity of a Soviet spy in the organization's ranks. However, the mission goes wrong, and the general dies before he can reveal the information. Undersecretary Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney) calls veteran agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) back from forced retirement to ferret out the mole and stop the flow of vital British secrets to the Russians.

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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Critics Consensus

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a dense puzzle of anxiety, paranoia, and espionage that director Tomas Alfredson pieces together with utmost skill.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide The Times (UK) 01/10/2024
Stepping into the shoes of Alec Guinness, Gary Oldman, in a performance of restrained inscrutability, captures perfectly the character of John le Carré’s seasoned spy George Smiley... Go to Full Review
Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 12/03/2021
4/5
Sublime. Go to Full Review
Deborah Ross The Spectator 08/31/2018
So beautifully executed and so visually absorbing and so atmospherically hypnotic that I wonder this: would it have been awfully greedy to have hoped to have wholly understood it, too? Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 03/01/2023
3/4
Le Carré enthusiasts will be left wanting another hour or so of filmic flesh on this skin-and-bones telling. Go to Full Review
Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies 08/26/2022
4/5
While it’s deliberate and sometimes dry, O’Connor and Straughan’s script is tight, structured, and clearly intends to make the audience work right alongside of Smiley. Go to Full Review
James Croot The Post NZ 07/14/2022
4.5/5
One of the greatest spy thrillers of the century. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Julian P @JulianPoulter 1d Quite simply one of the best cold war spy movies ever made. Unbelievable ensemble cast, well written and directed. Beautiful spy vibe from the photography through to the music. Perhaps I wish it had been a little more steeped in true history but there was enough representation of the key actors in the Cambridge 5 to make it work and the culture of Mi6 is captured perfectly. See more Mervyn M @MervynMcCracken 3d Vacuous: Complicated hoping to be complex. Nothing more special than a storm in a tea-cup with Britain's finest attempting to add gravitas..... Oh, my dear. See more Blake- N @PBSAniDom Apr 30 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a superbly crafted espionage film that rewards patience and attention to detail. It’s a slow-burn story, but that deliberate pacing is exactly what makes it so absorbing—every glance, pause, and quiet conversation feels loaded with meaning. Gary Oldman is outstanding in the lead role, delivering a controlled, understated performance that perfectly fits the character’s intelligence and emotional restraint. He carries the film with subtlety rather than spectacle, and it works beautifully. The supporting cast is equally strong, creating a tense and believable world of shifting loyalties and suspicion. What stands out most is the atmosphere: cold, muted, and constantly uneasy, matching the story’s tone of distrust and secrecy. The film trusts the audience to keep up without over-explaining anything, which makes it even more engaging. Overall, it’s a smart, meticulously made thriller with excellent performances and mood. A near-masterpiece for the genre. 9/10. See more Aaron K @RT06036065 Apr 29 If you are looking for a comatose "whodunit" that never gets your heart rate above 72 bpm so you can slip comfortably into slumber, then this is the perfect movie for you. Okay, I must acknowledge that everyone has their preferences and many people might find this movie to be just their cup of tepid tea, but for me it is about the furthest thing from my preferred style of movie. This genre often involves a range of character development, emotion, action, comedy, romance, and memorable scenes. But this movie was, for me, uniquely original because it lacked any such qualities. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is ironically memorable in how forgettable it is, and I would very much like those two hours of my life back. However, if you prefer the slow burn of a detonator cord that deliberately lacks any explosive charge on the tail end of it, then this movie was made for you. See more Andrew J @RT91831388 Apr 18 A brilliant film! A favourite of mine with an outstanding cast See more Henry D @Henry_Domke Apr 14 So many fine actors, all working at a high level, that it was worth watching for the performances alone. We were often a bit confused, but that seems built into the story, and it didn’t detract from the experience. The pacing is slow and steady throughout, and the film has an attractive but very understated look. In the end, "subtle" is the word that best describes it. See more Read all reviews
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the 1970s England the head of MI6, Control (John Hurt), dispatches an agent (Mark Strong) to meet with a Hungarian general who knows the identity of a Soviet spy in the organization's ranks. However, the mission goes wrong, and the general dies before he can reveal the information. Undersecretary Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney) calls veteran agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) back from forced retirement to ferret out the mole and stop the flow of vital British secrets to the Russians.
Director
Tomas Alfredson
Producer
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo
Screenwriter
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan
Distributor
Focus Features
Production Co
StudioCanal, Paradis Films, Working Title Films
Rating
R (Some Sexuality/Nudity|Language|Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 6, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$24.1M
Runtime
2h 7m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital