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Eye of the Needle

Play trailer Poster for Eye of the Needle R 1981 1h 51m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
A ruthless German spy who goes by the name of Henry Faber (Donald Sutherland) is on his way back home from England after gathering information about the D-Day invasion for Hitler. Henry, who is actually the "Needle," a name that refers to his favorite method of killing, becomes stranded on Storm Island with Lucy (Kate Nelligan) and her husband, David (Christopher Cazenove). Lucy's strained relationship with her disabled husband leaves her vulnerable to Henry's charms.
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Eye of the Needle

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 10/23/2004
3/4
Some people will find the movie slow going. I preferred to think of it as deliberate. It is effective, I think, to develop a plot like this at a deliberate pace, instead of rushing headlong through it. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 02/18/2024
B
Tense war drama. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 02/10/2024
3/4
An appropriately low-key film that works as a thriller and functions even better as a tragic love story. Go to Full Review Kenneth Turan New West/California 11/03/2021
It is a swift, streamlined piece of entertainment, an expert thriller that serves to remind us how rare the simple competence and craft it has to offer have lately become. Go to Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 09/30/2020
4/5
Wonderfully understated with strong performances, solid script, and phenomenal score, Eye of the Needle rivals earlier industry era espionage thrillers often featuring more labyrinthine plots and clandestine characters. Go to Full Review Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) 08/21/2019
The story takes too long to acquire any dramatic sense. This long wait is not compensated by sufficient action or imagination. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Russ G Nov 28 Technically, it's fine. The story starts out OK as a spy thriller but devolves into utter nonsense in the second half. See more alan g @agenser Jul 29 Too slow and predictable. See more Nancy S @nanook57 Feb 23 Probably a great movie in 1981, but the acting and directing are a bit dated for 2025. See more nick s 11/28/2024 Great movie with wonderful acting across the board. Nice sets at the beginning and some impressive cinematography. A few little twists and turns in the plot. The ending could be guessed but that didn't really matter. See more shashank c 11/15/2024 It is a good cinema. A damn good cinema. A wholesome thriller with tons of tenderness in its romance. See more stacey a 06/23/2024 After hearing the news of Donald Sutherland’s passing, I thought I’d revisit some earlier work. I liked the slow pace of this film and it held my interest both as a thriller and a romantic drama. The music, however, was so over the top and in your face that it took some pleasure away. See more Read all reviews
Eye of the Needle

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Richard Marquand

Director

Donald Sutherland

Faber

Kate Nelligan

Lucy

Christopher Cazenove

David

Stephen Mackenna

Lieutenant

Philip Martin Brown

Billy Parkin

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Eye of the Needle

Eye of the Needle (1981) Eye of the Needle (1981) Eye of the Needle (1981) Eye of the Needle (1981) Eye of the Needle (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A ruthless German spy who goes by the name of Henry Faber (Donald Sutherland) is on his way back home from England after gathering information about the D-Day invasion for Hitler. Henry, who is actually the "Needle," a name that refers to his favorite method of killing, becomes stranded on Storm Island with Lucy (Kate Nelligan) and her husband, David (Christopher Cazenove). Lucy's strained relationship with her disabled husband leaves her vulnerable to Henry's charms.
Director
Richard Marquand
Producer
Stephen Friedman
Screenwriter
Stanley Mann
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Kings Road Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 24, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 51m
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