Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

R

2012

2h 7m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

229 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In the 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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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Jan 10, 2024

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...

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Dec 3, 2021

4/5

Sublime.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Aug 31, 2018

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?

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Mar 1, 2023

3/4

Le Carré enthusiasts will be left wanting another hour or so of filmic flesh on this skin-and-bones telling.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 26, 2022

4/5

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.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Jul 14, 2022

4.5/5

One of the greatest spy thrillers of the century.

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Robert P

@Superbad 1 day ago

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 3.5 star Movie!

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 Sep 16, 2026

Another movie where the critical consensus is against me. Tinker Tailor The Movie isn't a patch on the seven-episode TV series. Gary Oldman, normally so admirable, is completely outclassed by Sir Alec Guinness's portrayal of Smiley. Most of the others are miscast, and elements that ought to carry emotional weight, such as the Jim Prideaux storyline, arrive devoid of feeling. The Circus looks far too open plan, as an office working space, for its period. Even the music, by the usually reliable Alberto Iglesias, falls short of his best work. When I saw the movie I had already seen the TV series several times, yet despite that I was soon totally lost. What is going on, I asked myself. The story is rushed and the direction choppy. I say, see the classic TV series instead.

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Donny W

@DonnyBlanco Sep 12, 2026

Slow burn mystery spy tale. A fantastic cast and brilliant story. Most rewatchable.

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Ben W

@Username618 Aug 8, 2026

Am I alone, in finding Le Carre inert?

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Chris S

@Janomi Jul 18, 2026

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a really solid spy film built on restraint, patience, and paranoia. This is not a flashy thriller; it is cold, dense, gray, and methodical, trusting the audience to follow the pieces instead of spelling everything out. Gary Oldman is excellent as George Smiley because he does so much with so little. He barely raises his voice or shows emotion directly, yet still makes Smiley feel brilliant, wounded, observant, and quietly dangerous. The ensemble also gives the film weight, with Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, and Ciarán Hinds making the world feel compromised and secretive. The deliberate pace fits the material, but it can also make the movie feel distant. Anyone expecting action or conventional thriller momentum may find it too restrained. Still, its atmosphere and intelligence make it compelling.

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Charmaine B

@RT95422848 May 17, 2026

I love spy thrillers and this is a good one. Amazing cast.

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Tomas Alfredson

Director

Gary Oldman

George Smiley

Kathy Burke

Connie Sachs

Benedict Cumberbatch

Peter Guillam

David Dencik

Toby Esterhase

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Synopsis

In the 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: StudioCanal, Paradis Films, Working Title Films
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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