London Spy

Although the creative team didn’t manage to keep up the quality of the first three episodes until the end, it was still enough for five stars by a wide margin. This was a series with an interesting concept, and I was struck by how often it could do without words. Scenes without dialogue were often enough to express everything important, and yet (or precisely because of that) they managed to create an incredibly unsettling atmosphere and decent suspense. While Bond girls mostly serve only as eye candy, poor Turner boy had to work hard all the time without being able to achieve success. I liked the series despite its awkward conclusion. (2019.11.22)

It's fascinating what different moods and emotions each episode can evoke. Romance, paranoia, a detective's chill down the spine. And Ben Whishaw is perfect in all these roles, and he truly shines in them. His vulnerability and shaky courage made me feel like anyone who has even a hint of faith and naivety could find themselves in such a situation if you look at it in the right light. With each twist, I kept thinking that it might not even be humanly possible to live up to the escalating intensity of tension to bring about a final resolution. Unfortunately, I was right, because the explanation before entering the last episode raises more questions than reassuring answers, and the finale itself tries to play too many notes at once. However, thanks to the brilliant previous plot, the sour taste of the failed ending is only partially present. (2015.12.25)

"How do we live without the people that we love?" London Spy offers, at first glance, a truly novel genre blend: a chilling spy thriller that mixes with a romantic-tragic story of two completely different men, with the complications of one or the other moving purposefully into the foreground or background as the story progresses. The search for the truth, the pervasive sense of fear, danger and powerlessness in the face of the system permeates the entire mini-series, which was optimally structured for five episodes, but there are also family and partner relationship. Of the cast, I would like to praise the incredibly authentic and breathtaking performances of Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling, but even the much younger Ben Whishaw and Edward Holcroft had nothing to be ashamed of. As for the story, I was riveted from start to finish, though I may have expected a slightly different outcome – but I don't want to say more elaborate at this point, as it was a really good idea. A truly unconventional and solidly made British miniseries that can both send chills down your spine and move you to tears. (2018.06.10)