The Spy Gone North

One of Spy's unanticipated pleasures is its ability to wring drama out of the minutia involved in what might seem like an esoteric business deal.

[It's] a twisty, hyper-talkative historical epic that peers behind the curtain of political theater to offer a peek at how North and South Korea really stay in touch.

A taut, slowly engrossing, effectively old-fashioned Cold War thriller.

This well-crafted work deserves to be seen for its thorough account of intricate workings of secret service and political skullduggery.

Yoon executes all the classic double-agent set pieces with finesse, and those enamoured of the genre will appreciate a change of setting.

A timely, confusing, fascinating, long-winded true story.

A timely though occasionally dense tale of covert agents and behind-closed-doors deals, the film employs detailed production values and a fascinating geopolitical context in a year that has seen the present-day Koreas draw closer than ever before.

The Spy Gone North may prove to be a little too slow for some, but for those willing to stick with it, they will be rewarded with a thriller that draws you in with political intrigue and a dangerous, powder-keg atmosphere.

It's a spy thriller that keeps me glued off the seat, like if I were reading the Korean version of a Le Carré novel. [Full review in Spanish]

It's rare a movie is topical, authentic, and also entertaining-and 'The Spy Gone North' checks all three boxes.