Benedict Cumberbatch may be best known for his stint as Sherlock or his tenure as Marvel's Doctor Strange, but he has also played an unlikely Cold War spy in thriller The Courier.
Inspired by real events, the 2020 historical spy drama from director Dominic Cooke is on TV tonight (January 4) on BBC One at 11.40pm.
Set at the height of the Cold War, The Courier stars Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne, an engineer and businessman tasked by the CIA and MI6 to act as an intermediary with Soviet official Oleg Penkovsky (played by Merab Ninidze).
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Penkovsky had reached out to the CIA to offer top secret information in order to deescalate the threat of a nuclear war. The US and the UK joint forces, hiring an ordinary man to gather intel from Penkovsky under the guise of striking a business deal
Alongside Cumberbatch and Ninidze, The Courier also stars Jessie Buckley as Greville's wife Sheila, who starts worrying he might be having an affair. Superman's Rachel Brosnahan portrays CIA officer Emily Donovan, while Angus Wright plays James Dobbing of MI6.
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The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2020 with the original title of Ironbank and is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a rating of 85%.
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If you fancy a tense, compelling late-night watch tonight, The Courier may just hit the spot.
And if you're out and about on a Saturday night (or you'll be fast asleep by 11.40pm), fret not, as the film will be available for catch up on BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast.
In the meantime, the movie is also currently available to rent and buy from several digital retailers, including Prime Video.
The Courier airs tonight (January 4) at 11.40pm on BBC One, and will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
