The Spy

The is timely value in seeing this story brought to life, especially in considering where the roots of modern political conflicts are situated and how they came to be, as seen through the eyes of one man at the heart of it all. Come to The Spy for Baron Cohen’s performance but stay for this series’ tense drama borne out of the life of a mid-century spy.

There are shorthand cliches about duty, country and spying that could have been excised. But, flaws aside, this mostly true story of Israel's most famous spy makes for a compelling story, fueled by Cohen's strongest dramatic work yet.

“The Spy” is gripping drama. Its creators have a satisfying grasp of the truth that there’s little so terrifying as the clickety-clack of a hero-spy tapping out urgent intelligence messages in his lonely room as the enemy’s surveillance team drives around tracking the sound.

[Cohen's] impressively restrained and charismatic performance helps this suspenseful saga transcend its more conventional moments, turning it into a character study about an individual torn between two worlds and identities, and a gripping account of the sacrifices sometimes required by patriotic service.

“The Spy” is a compelling albeit uneven limited series that offers a unique character study of a spy, and in this case, a true chameleon.

Sacha Baron Cohen provides another reminder that being a clown requires serious acting chops, which the famous prankster puts to use in The Spy, a taut Netflix limited series based on a pretty remarkable true story. Set in the early 1960s, it's the Israeli version of James Bond, with a gritty edge and constant sense of jeopardy.

Stumbles are minor, and The Spy unspools an intense tale of suspense, building to a conclusion that is as devastating as it is inevitable. With Homeland‘s best days behind it (and its final season not premiering until 2020), fans will find Raff’s latest Spy a satisfying binge.

The Spy won’t necessarily convince you that Baron Cohen will, like Robin Williams or Jim Carrey before him, prove to be just as potent at playing serious as he was going for belly laughs. But it’s a promising start if he wants to start disappearing into characters whose goals are more dangerous than a prank.

For anyone who’s obsessed with Cohen or the genre itself, Raff’s classic construction should satisfy. For everyone else, this “Spy” is just too obvious.