The Courier [2020]

The Courier delivers an exciting old-school spy adventure elevated by a thrilling fact-based story. My favorite movie of 2020 by far.

The movie is so much more than a history lesson. It’s a daunting drama about the Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source trying to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis. A true story heightened by Benedict Cumberbatch‘s nervy central performance.

In fact, the movie has a lot going for it. Even if the rich character development, and the deep chemistry between the two leads, Ninidze and Cumberbatch, are doing the heavy lifting, it’s the whole package that does it for me.

The Courier is intriguing and genuinely heartfelt without ever veering into melodrama or hackneyed spy movie tropes that we got used to. It combines a lot of the ingredients for a first-class espionage thriller: Stylish, old-fashioned, and enormously satisfying.

Yes, the movie is not for everyone. However, it’s exceedingly rare for a movie to tell a very human tale marvelously, with an edge of class. There’s real drama, and even thrills, to be found in this story of a very unlikely friendship that changed the course of history.

Should you watch it?

The movie is a riveting look behind the historical headlines of the spy games of the Cold War. It traces a complex series of events with both clarity and nerves of steel.

Where can I watch it?

You can watch The Courier on Amazon Prime Video.