The Courier

For a movie set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis - a movie that's enameled with the classic tropes of espionage, and builds to a daring international heist at the end of the second act - the whole thing can be rather even-keeled.

The trouble here is a lack of attention to detail, and laziness with scale.

A decorous, solidly smart thriller whose menace maintains a sort of low, steady hum.

While it would have been rewarding to see Cooke and O'Conner take a few chances or add some more emotional depth, it's a satisfying enough watch, best viewed with little investment and low expectations.

Despite ongoing conflicts with Russia today, the movie doesn't feel terribly relevant to our time.

A solid spy drama about ordinary people caught up in Cold War espionage, Dominic Cooke's Ironbark is as meat-and-potatoes as its real-life hero.

Ironbark pulls no punches when it details just what they're up against, or the consequences if their activities are discovered.

Though Ironbark won't ruffle any feathers, it serves as an enjoyable and entertaining spectacle.

Ironbark plays out by the numbers, rarely offering a narrative arc that doesn't feel incredibly familiar. That said, there is much to mine from the performances, which elevate the material at every turn.

Cumberbatch is absolutely committed to the role, enduring a physical transformation that would impress the likes of Christian Bale.