Overview
In a world where espionage is a deadly game, one man becomes the unlikely hero in a fight for global safety.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- sober
- restrained
- historical thriller night
- cold war double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be an effective, old-fashioned fact-based spy adventure elevated by Benedict Cumberbatch's nervy performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Greville Wynne is recruited from his commercial career to carry intelligence between British and Soviet contacts.
The film centers the CIA, MI6, and Soviet intelligence conflict through Wynne and Penkovsky's vulnerable partnership.
Penkovsky's warning about nuclear war motivates the intelligence operation during the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis.
Critics describe the film as a modest, stylish period spy thriller focused on fact-based espionage rather than blockbuster action.
Films like The Courier, and why
Bridge of Spies
shared Cold War espionage, fact-based historical drama, restrained suspense, and morally serious tone
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
shared undercover intelligence operations, period paranoia, and grounded spy-thriller storytelling
Argo
shared true-story espionage, international tension, and a civilian drawn into covert operations
The Lives of Others
shared Cold War intrigue, human-scale suspense, and emphasis on personal courage over action spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Dominic Cooke
- Release Date
- 2020-01-24
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1422)
Cast
- Benedict Cumberbatch
- Merab Ninidze
- Rachel Brosnahan
- Jessie Buckley
- Angus Wright
- Kirill Pirogov
- Iva Šindelková
- Vladimir Chuprikov
- Fred Haig
- Emma Penzina
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Courier about?
- A reluctant British businessman becomes the precarious link in a CIA-MI6 operation designed to prevent Cold War nuclear catastrophe.
- What is The Courier like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Courier as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Courier violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Courier as mild.
- What did critics think of The Courier?
- Critics broadly found the film to be an effective, old-fashioned fact-based spy adventure elevated by Benedict Cumberbatch's nervy performance.
- Which films are like The Courier?
- Films with a similar feel include Bridge of Spies, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Argo, and The Lives of Others.
- How long is The Courier?
- The Courier runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Courier?
- In United States, The Courier streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
