An Officer and a Spy

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An Officer and a Spy

Released Aug 8

2h 12m

History

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

77%

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43 Reviews

82%

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100+ Ratings

On January 5, 1895, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish soldier, is degraded for spying for Germany and is sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, who is promoted to run the military counter-intelligence unit that tracked him down. But when Picquart discovers that secrets are still being handed over to the Germans, he is drawn into a dangerous labyrinth of deceit and corruption that threatens not just his honor but his life.

Critics Consensus

Depicting the Dreyfus affair with steadfast efficiency and a standout performance by Jean Dujardin, An Officer and a Spy is one of director Roman Polanski's sturdiest efforts in years.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Rather than reconsidering history by intimate acquaintance with a lesser-known hero, it turns its hero into a stick figure no more personalized, complex, or contextualized than a comic-book creation. Far from arousing curiosity, the movie forecloses it.

Aug 15, 2025

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Kyle Smith

Wall Street Journal

Polanski confines the resolution to an epilogue, he has nevertheless made an oft-told tale lively and urgent. “An Officer and a Spy” is Mr. Polanski’s finest work in many years.

Aug 8, 2025

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Jordan Hoffman

Times of Israel

[A] refusal to bend to a more typical Hollywood arc is part of what makes “An Officer and a Spy” so fascinating.

Aug 8, 2025

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Ethan J. Rosenberg

In Review Online

The original French title, J’accuse, suggests something worth seeing... But maybe its perfunctory English title, An Officer and a Spy, is more apt — limp, generic, lacking in texture and flavor — because that’s the movie we got.

Aug 16, 2025

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Armond White

National Review

The battle between right and wrong, honor and pride, is perfectly physicalized by Polanski -- elegant, yet just bloody enough.

Aug 15, 2025

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Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

After bogging down early in exposition, the film gains momentum in the final hour as a more propulsive thriller with layers of sociopolitical complexity.

Aug 8, 2025

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Alejandro E

Without being one of the highlights of Roman Polanski's filmography, and without pretending to be a history lesson, it tells one of the historical examples of miscarriage of justice. If there is anything that makes it worth watching, it is that and the performances.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

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Stephen C

Success in 2 hours and 12 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/25

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Andrei D

For those who do not know the historical events it might be hard to actually understand what's going on but the acting is solid

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/20/24

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Logan D

A young Jewish soldier, Dreyfus, is convicted of treason and sent to Devil's Island. Newly promoted to counter-intelligence, George Picquart learns secrets are still being handed over to the Germans and Dreyfus may be innocent. Well written and well performed, Polanski still has it at the age of 86. The subject is still relevant over a 100 years later. I would say the film as a whole is a bit formal and could have served itself by interjecting some lightheartedness to stimulate the audience. Or shortened the length a bit. I enjoyed it overall.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/24

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Audience Member

This film is great! It hits you withouth spectacular scene but with an awesome script and acting that keeps you always interested. Also evokes the Parisian atmosphere of that time in a truly fascinating way.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

A well written film. The actors show an excellent performance. Roman Polanski brings a touching screenplay to the stage and completes the masterpiece with sublime direction.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

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Roman Polanski

Director

Jean Dujardin

Picquart

Louis Garrel

Alfred Dreyfus

Emmanuelle Seigner

Pauline Monnier

Grégory Gadebois

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Synopsis

On January 5, 1895, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish soldier, is degraded for spying for Germany and is sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, who is promoted to run the military counter-intelligence unit that tracked him down. But when Picquart discovers that secrets are still being handed over to the Germans, he is drawn into a dangerous labyrinth of deceit and corruption that threatens not just his honor but his life.

Director: Roman Polanski
Producer: Alain Goldman
Screenwriter: Robert B. Harris, Roman Polanski
Production Co: RP Productions, France 2 Cinéma, Gaumont, RAI Cinema, Eliseo Cinema, France 3 Cinéma, Légendaire
Genre: History, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 8, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 2h 12m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)