The Courier
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: March 19, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews
Positive:
26
Mixed:
10
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeAug 17, 2021
With slack pacing and insufficient focus, the film lacks the crackle of tension and propulsive efficiency of something like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Read full review
60
Time OutPhil de SemlyenJul 27, 2021
Don’t expect anything on the sames scale as Cumberbatch’s last spy thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, because this is a film of claustrophobic interiors and snatched exchanges that eventually tapers down into a man’s quest for survival. If you’re on the hunt for an old-fashioned spy flick, through, The Courier has just enough le Carré-ish thrills to get by. Read full review
60
The New YorkerAnthony LaneMar 16, 2021
Yet the movie, less stirring than it ought to be, is peculiarly cramped, lacking the emotional latitude of Bridge of Spies. Spielberg dramatized a clash of moral principles, under the cover story of a thriller, but The Courier is all that it appears to be and not much more. Read full review
60
Screen DailyTim GriersonJan 25, 2020
This spy drama is bolstered by Benedict Cumberbatch’s stripped-down performance, and there’s plenty of pungent Cold War suspense to savour. And yet, Ironbark feels like a bit of a missed opportunity: The earnestness doesn’t necessarily do justice to the inherently absorbing material. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 25, 2020
Ironbark’s hook is that it’s based on true events, and the underlying history deserves to be shared. Read full review
60
The GuardianBenjamin LeeJan 25, 2020
There’s a whiff of familiarity haunting almost every scene and 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. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeJan 25, 2020
Though it never transforms into a grade-A spy thriller, the film boasts action that's briefly quite involving. Read full review
58
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJan 25, 2020
A confident, entertaining, and well-upholstered historical spy thriller about a regular guy who stumbles his way toward saving the world, it’s the perfect movie for anyone who watched “Bridge of Spies” and thought: “If only that had been 30 minutes shorter, a bit less artful, and a lot more British.” Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternMar 19, 2021
It is not a good sign when a film keeps evoking superior examples of its genre. And a worse sign still when the genre itself seems more remote from current concerns than it deserves to be. Such is the case with The Courier. Read full review
50
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisMar 18, 2021
Though Jessie Buckley, as Wynne’s suspicious wife, and Rachel Brosnahan, as an amusingly pushy C.I.A. operative, add welcome jolts of female energy, The Courier is essentially the story of an extraordinary male friendship. The men’s mutual compassion peaks too late to save the picture, but is no less moving for that. Read full review
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