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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

R Released Jan 6, 2012 2h 7m Mystery & Thriller TRAILER for List
84% Tomatometer 235 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In 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

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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 Times (UK) 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... Jan 10, 2024 Full Review Kevin Maher Times (UK) Sublime. Rated: 4/5 Dec 3, 2021 Full Review Deborah Ross The Spectator 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? Aug 31, 2018 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Le Carré enthusiasts will be left wanting another hour or so of filmic flesh on this skin-and-bones telling. Rated: 3/4 Mar 1, 2023 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies 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. Rated: 4/5 Aug 26, 2022 Full Review James Croot Stuff.co.nz One of the greatest spy thrillers of the century. Rated: 4.5/5 Jul 14, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kaan O The audience is score is too low to this movie justice. Some people expected James Bomd or John Wick. This is a masterfully crafted spy games movie that may be too slow for some. Paranoia, anxiety and betrayal everywhere. I loved it. Putting in my 5 cents and reviewing well in order to boost this score Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/14/24 Full Review Cheslav T A calm, deep, complex yet intense spy movie that I still enjoy watch till today. The sence setup and details are amazing, drastically different from those with aggrasive and dramatic fight/CGI movies, which usually has very little plot over storyline and character details. This is the type of film that you can sit alone in the dark, light up a pipe and enjoy the night. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/28/24 Full Review David F This is a classic spy story, filmed once before as a mini series. This version features an all star cast and tremendous period detail, capturing the Cold War paranoia perfectly. The plot of this story is so complex that it might be beyond the possibility of ever being a truly great film, a medium that requires a certain measure of straightforwardness or simplicity to achieve greatness. But this is a suave and sophisticated and fairly faithful adaptation of the spy thriller. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/28/24 Full Review Alec C Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; three speak the truth and one is telling lies! As George Smiley begins his retirement, he secretly investigates a Soviet mole within the Circus, leading to a dangerous investigation that concerns the highest positions of power in MI6, making this a mission that's off the record. Espionage has never looked so engrossing, with complex characters and interconnected stories leading to a conclusion that hits you like a whiplash! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/24 Full Review Koda _ An interesting story with a great cast, but very, very slow. Something I watched again by accident (just came on whilst I was doing work) and not something that I would ever watch again. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/24 Full Review Stefan à For me, the movie ended in the best imaginable way for a thriller; it ended with a deep sigh. I hadn't realized it, but it was as if I had been holding my breath during the whole movie. Intense suspense without anything to disturb the immersive feeling that this is exactly how being a spy felt like. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/09/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 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
Working Title Films, Paradis Films, StudioCanal
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
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