Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- paranoid
- procedural
- spy thriller night
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film's promising espionage premise undermined by hollow characters, implausible plotting, weak chemistry, and familiar thriller clichés.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Paul Shepherdson's old Soviet nemesis appears connected to the senator's murder despite being thought dead.
The investigation pairs a retired CIA operative with an FBI agent and draws on concealed Cold War operations.
Critics specifically noted sweeping shots of Washington alongside claustrophobic early scenes that heighten anxiety.
The film uses a familiar genre premise involving a double agent, Soviet tradecraft, and late-stage reversals.
Films like The Double, and why
The Good Shepherd
Shares a retired intelligence operative, Cold War espionage history, political murder investigation, and conspiracy-thriller framework.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Shares an older spy drawn into a dangerous conspiracy, government intrigue, and morally ambiguous thriller atmosphere.
The Recruit
Shares a contemporary political conspiracy, professional investigators, hidden agendas, and a fast-moving crime thriller structure.
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Brandt
- Release Date
- 2011-10-27
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (736)
Cast
- Richard Gere
- Topher Grace
- Martin Sheen
- Tamer Hassan
- Stephen Moyer
- Christopher Rodriguez Marquette
- Odette Annable
- Stana Katic
- Yuriy Sardarov
- Jeffrey Pierce
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo
- 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 Double about?
- A retired CIA operative and a young FBI agent investigate a senator’s murder when the evidence points to a supposedly dead Soviet assassin.
- What is The Double like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Double as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Double violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Double as mild.
- What did critics think of The Double?
- Critics broadly found the film's promising espionage premise undermined by hollow characters, implausible plotting, weak chemistry, and familiar thriller clichés.
- Which films are like The Double?
- Films with a similar feel include The Good Shepherd, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and The Recruit.
- How long is The Double?
- The Double runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Double?
- In United States, The Double streams on Philo.
