Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

R

Released Jan 6, 2012

2 hr. 7 min.

Mystery & Thriller

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List

84%

235 Reviews

Tomatometer

65%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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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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 Ã

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

Nathan H

Bare-bones to the point of becoming opaque, this masterfully spare adaptation benefits greatly from viewer familiarity with the novel or BBC show.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/24

Full Review

Stephen R

Rather spoilt by the TV series on BBC that was superb, but this one crept up on me.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/21/23

Full Review

Matthew M

Greatest adaption of a John Le Carré story onto screen. Up there with, if not surpassing.. In from the cold? Tense as the book, but as beautiful as my mind could create England in the 70s. (Which is from impeccable acting from Oldman and cast) The story done justice without any superfluous tradecraft.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/18/23

Full Review

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Tomas Alfredson

Director

Gary Oldman

George Smiley

Kathy Burke

Connie Sachs

Benedict Cumberbatch

Peter Guillam

David Dencik

Toby Esterhase

Colin Firth

Bill Haydon

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Trailer 1

2:00

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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

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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
Executive Producer: Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin, Ron Halpern, John le Carré
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: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 6, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.1M
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital

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