Red Sparrow reviewed by Mark Kermode

[@mediapark101]

My main take away from this movie was how much Matthias Schoenaerts seemed to be channeling Vladimir Putin.

[@djstarsign]

Literally just caught this movie on cable and was surprised at how much better it was than I was expecting. It’s definitely grittier and much more violent (and doesn’t pull punches in how graphic it is). I was expecting a mindless movie in the vein of Mission Impossible with lots of running and over the top Hollywood superficiality. It was bleaker and much more traumatic than I was expecting. In some ways it reminded me of Fischer’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was passively watching and doing some work when I realized how much I’d missed and had to rewind to catch up. I loved how bold and disgusting it was and how Lawrence wasn’t some super slick spy badass. She’s a hostage of fate and is out in a horrendous situation so you empathize with her character. Definitely much better than I was expecting.

[@patrickkenney2259]

It was decadent and gross. The shots of her unmoving facial expressions along with the poor pacing makes it one of the most painfully dull and gross movies I've ever seen.

[@kierangordon6072]

As someone who lives in Russia, I can say with some authority that Hollywood "Russian" accent, doesn't exist. I don't know one Russian person who actually talks like that when speaking English.

[@rippedtorn2310]

Try being Scottish .... ; ]

[@MrBendybruce]

The fake Russian accents utterly ruined this movie for me. I could only watch it for about 20-30 minutes before giving up. Why on earth could they not just use actual Russian actors?!?

[@shhs1227]

@@MrBendybruce because. (i dont agree with this) theyre all pretty ugly. hollywood likes things to look nice and pretty

[@vanessaheine8093]

Try being German...

[@luke-alex]

@@MrBendybruce Well it's an American production. They could have just done as Death of Stalin (everyone uses their own accent) or Les Mis (they all use a British accent).

[@bingdiddley]

Atomic Blonde bored the hell out of me and I was worried this would be more of the same, but I was very pleasantly surprised. This was a proper, well told, grown up thriller that went places most mainstream films would run a mile from. If this was made in the early 90s it would've been directed by Paul Verhoeven.

[@gibgun]

“Mother is a better film” *cancels plans to see red sparrow*

[@RealProblemShuckers]

mother is fantastic

[@craigeast3682]

That is a truly terrifying comparison!

[@Emma-R]

Mother! is one of the best psychological horror movies ever. And my 6th most favorite movie ever.

[@kmecameron]

@@Emma-R What are the first 5?

[@Emma-R]

@@kmecameron well, I have a tendency to place movies with a personally relevant theme high on lists, but they are in order: Revolver, Whale Rider, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf, Manchester by the sea. The invasion of personal space depicted in Mother gives me nightmares.

[@oddhauntsfilms]

I totally agree Mark. Aside from the, somewhat, gratuitous torture scenes that seemed to be lifted straight out of an hour spent with Jack Bauer, the scenes of sexual humiliation, degradation, while not up there with say Pasolini's 120 Days of Sodom, Charlotte Rampling's character wouldn't seem that out of place, reading aloud passages from a book by the Marquis de Sade. I was genuinely shocked and disturbed. Commendable central performance from Lawrence, yet again.

[@saintnicholas5507]

Just saw this film, what an intense thriller, I thought Jennifer nailed the accent and totally believed she was Russian. That just kept my attention span the whole film, good story, twists and couldn't predict it. What a great film. Yes I was shocked but that got my heart beating. Talk about taking risks with a role, Jen pulls off sexy and smart, she smashed it. Another great performance.

[@collindysart6472]

I understand why people would not like "Mother!" but I enjoyed it so much; totally bonkers art house trash.

[@RealProblemShuckers]

killboggins its brilliant. very disturbing.

[@RealProblemShuckers]

absolutely amazing film

[@charliepanayiotou4305]

The Death of Stalin definitely had the right idea when they decided to not have the actors do Russian accents! Also, Jennifer Lawrence is great and all the people here hating on her can bog off.

[@thettproject4534]

It's so ridiculous, with the accents it just seems like they're Russians who speak English at home lol.

[@donaldreid1760]

Totally agree. i love Jen and most of her movies. But, yep, the accent thing is painful.

[@creepycrawler123]

She is a truly awful actor, and one of the, if not the most undeserving Oscar winner. This film is dreadful beyond belief.

[@UlrichUlrich]

Lawrence impressed the hell out of me in Red Sparrow; she's bold and sexy and commanding, her first truly adult performance. I hope she doesn't listen to all the reviews that's accused the movie of being unnecessarily exploitative - the movie is nasty and hard-hitting but it knows what it's doing. Red Sparrow is not a great movie - not even a very good spy movie. But it's worth seeing for Lawrence, who's BRILLIANT. About her Russian accent: yeah, it's not great, nor authentic - but she radiated so much movie star charisma that it didn't matter to me.

[@Rodimus184]

2018's Atomic Blonde: needlessly baggy and really wants the audience to know just how smart the plot is.

[@schmoab]

A lesson in British movie ratings in this video.

[@sb_dunk]

I think the UK system is moderately intuitive... U = Unrated = for anyone PG = Parental Guidance, the parent decides 12A = You gotta be 12, unless with an adult 15 = You gotta be 15 18 = You gotta be 18

[@MaximTendu]

@@sb_dunk Thanks for the clarification.

[@92ninersboy]

Jennifer Lawrence is a limited actress, which doesn't mean she's not a big movie star. She captured the reality show Zeitgeist for a while as the shopping mall girl-next-door All-American sweetheart with a dirty mouth, who with all her scatological comments and knocking things over was perfect fodder for social media-fed fame where she had strong "she's one of us" appeal. She has the subtlety of a sledgehammer - it's all making faces and jacked-up melodrama. She's probably a nice person and also smart enough to realize her limitations, and mostly tries to work within them, which is not a bad thing. Also, I have to say, she can't do accents.

[@skijumpnose]

I guess i was wrong saying Jennifer Lawrence would be forgotten about after the final Hunger Games film

[@horrorstateofmind2724]

skijumpnose she was oscar worthy before the hunger games

[@onibabapapa2659]

literaly was oscar nominated before hunger games, i can't stand her though

[@sanyrub]

She is obviously a great actress. Her last couple of films have not been great but her acting was not the problem. Fantastic performance in Mother in fact.

[@stephennootens916]

I thought it was pretty cool, it had foot firmly in the grim reality while still have that slickness of a Hollywood flick, in fact after seeing the movie I think I'll read the book it's base on.

[@watchrami]

Reality? Oh man.

[@jonny5779]

I liked RED SPARROW very much, its a grueling watch, but its very well done.

[@PauLtus_B]

O, the bloody accents.

[@Andrew-dp5kf]

Really enjoyed this! Great acting from Lawrence, intriguing plot. Great sideswipe ending!, Recent double bill on Ch4 with atomic blonde has been awesome.

[@djstarsign]

I really love both films.

[@GoldenGyroBalls]

Gonna catch this next weekend with a friend. Sounds like the kind of nasty thriller that's my ball game. In the meantime, I'm off to see Annihilation this coming weekend!

[@BenPole90]

I agree with the harshness and grit of some scenes. They were wince inducing. However, I didn't enjoy this film at all. Laurence's accent was so bad, it actually broke the 6 laugh rule. The Plot was as sporadic as the editing and in a bad way. It's been a long time since I've been disappointed by a cinema trip.

[@paulmccallie8718]

Why couldn't they of gotten a russian actress ?

[@JackChurchill101]

I haven't heard any outcry of "whitewashing" the Russian out of the films. Apparently that only matters when they're darker skin....

[@paulmccallie8718]

Anything to see Tatyana Arntgolts in that role.

[@Luvie1980]

Rage of the Turnip go home 45 supporter...you have no idea what whitewashing is....TROLL!

[@michaelgayle68]

Luvie1980 Rage of the Turnip didn't think before he wrote or just doesn't think. Or doesn't have a brain. How does a white person playing a white person come under whitewashing. One day white people may understand. Maybe...

[@blarghblarghblargh]

michael gayle because the idea that somebody shouldnt play pretend in front of a camera because of an aribrary difference like melanin pigmentation only goes one way and the people who flip out about it make endless excuses for why its okay when they do it.

[@dianeunderhill8131]

Definitely going to watch this film.

[@ariekanibalie]

I agree Lawrence' performance was good and the film was nasty, but I'm still on the fence if it was functionally nasty or titillatingly nasty. To me, the fierce resilient female trope is by definition problematic. Here, it felt more like a pretext for scene after scene of sexual degradation and violence. I don't doubt the real Russian secret service actually deploys what are essentially weaponized prostitutes who, like more everyday sex workers, are expected to show some resilience if they get raped on the job. But together with the faux Russian accents, I felt this gave the film an anachronistic tone, reminiscent of more obliquely exploitative cinema in which rape could feature as just another plot point. One reviewer described Red Sparrow as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - if directed by Showgirls-era Paul Verhoeven. Sounds about right.

[@johnwu8764]

Is this story real or partially? She is the female Jason Bourne.

[@davidbullen1966]

6:55 onwards useful not just for this film, but also for how people like movies like mother

[@w1o2l3f4i5e]

I agree with all that Mark said, but I loved the film so much that I sought out the trilogy of books that the film came from and devoured them, they are even better than the movie.

[@randommthrfkr6568]

There's There's trilogy??? Thank you so much.

[@ssssssstssssssss]

I saw this but don't remember the nastiness. I just remember being bored. And if a thriller shouldn't be anything, it shouldn't be boring.

[@UlrichUlrich]

For me, the accents is not the biggest problem - the biggest problem is the fact that they speak english when they shouldn't speak english! It's a movie contrivance that I've always hated -but when you have to have big american/international stars (which you have to have if you want a big budget) you can't expect them to speak or learn Russian (or whatever language that is required) for a movie. So my feeling is, when it's already silly with the english dialogue, why not go all the way with silly accents?! At least that way we get a semi Russian flavor - AND we can differentiate between the yanks and the Russians!

[@jimsbryden797]

Just seen it. Very surprised it got a 15 certificate. Needless torture/sexual violence to advance plot for characters that had little plausibility. Not bad enough to be good, just bad. Only annoyed I paid money to see it.

[@jimsbryden797]

Kevin Cooper Cheers, I think the torture sequence just wound me up. For me, it would have been average at best without them but I guess they felt it was required. But hey, was spoilt by last two films at cinema which were Dunkirk and Darkest Hour! :D

[@thettproject4534]

You do know that all that sex/violence is actually written in the book by an ex CIA agent who actually wrote from experience and only made up the plot of the movie, right?

[@subroy7123]

Saw this yesterday. Why was Francis Lawrence wasting his time with Hunger Games Sequels when he could have done this? All in all, I am totally here for the F Cinemascore phase of Lawrence's career. Audiences are gonna haaaaate this film. I love it. :P The Veerhoven-like sexual power dynamics alone was worth watching.

[@samspade5824]

Heard a review of it on the radio the other day and the reviewer said it was a load of rubbish.

[@DannyTheGFP]

I watched this tonight. A bit of a mess in places, the scar on her leg not there as she walks in the room then HUGE when he kisses it. Eye make up from the punch was terrible. In the end of the 2nd act i got very bored. Not a bad film but nothing overly memorable.

[@rhaenyrareigns2200]

Nikita, is that you...?

[@chrishiggins7166]

The film’s well acted, stylish & effective, however the graphic violence, length, direction & pacing isn’t reminiscent of the terrific book of the same name. (45%) (2/5 stars) (mixed)

[@WobblyDave72]

Just back from seeing this. The accent thing was more prevalent in my mind because of Kermode's comments to the point of distraction. Carry on Comrade? Draft title for the sequel?

[@paulmccallie8718]

So is Jennifer Lawrence overrated ?

[@lucanreynolds1341]

No way!

[@paulmccallie8718]

But her resume is so iffy

[@onibabapapa2659]

yes

[@JackChurchill101]

Yes.... She's always trying to play roles which vastly outweigh her background (indie freshfaced modern American). She did very well in silver linings, but since then is constantly trying to play older or more complicated roles and she always comes across (to me) as a frame student who pulls faces and shouts her way through parts which she can't emotionally connect with. Give her a role she has personal (empathetical) experience in and she's solid. Dress her up at 23 as a 35 year old alcoholic mother and it's just embarrassing.

[@lucanreynolds1341]

Rage of the Turnip I quite literally couldn't disagree with you more!

[@binaryg]

Considering the news about Maria Butina this film is quite prescient. I felt a touch of guilt by watching Red Sparrow until the red headed Russian "spy", an actual Red Sparrow, broke into the crazy Trumpian presidency circus. Now I feel validated by the decision to watch the JennLaw film. The film was not bad and JL was great.

[@Eduardo-uf1xi]

So is this the final nail in the coffin for the black window movie?!.

[@ryodash]

'I didn't expect that' isn't a review

[@kermodeandmayo]

I didn’t expect that comment.

[@ryodash]

I didn't expect that reply ;)

[@SafwanNet]

@@ryodash So shat is a review.

[@majickcatjuju8595]

Isn't it just Le Femme Nikita repackaged?

[@poorlypaidpoet3206]

Don't watch it, would have sufficed.

[@redfox7497]

MOTHER!

[@LegPuppy]

we need to hire a spy, I know, lets get the most famous dancer in Russian, no one will recognise her. Yes, Lawrence looks amazing, the soundtrack is decent, but as everyone has pointed out, the accents are embarrassing. Why cant they just learn Russian?

[@LegPuppy]

I like her as an actress, but I found this film slightly embarrassing.

[@ggfffgggds]

Please review Annihilation

[@dansmiles9183]

This is basically an r rated black widow origin story?

[@cameronclarkhull]

this film was terrible... even though they did cut it, this should be an 18

[@atheistcory4174]

Only with more Jen flesh!!

[@Whatt787]

sounds like a stupidly violent movie

[@TheShanlou]

I found the beginning to be so very repulsive, but it got better! I really like Joel Edgerton, so more of him is always welcome. Look, it's not a film I would necessarily recommend because it was so graphic in some scenes. I didn't find it necessarilh thrilling, but it has its moments. I might even watch it again...

[@Luvie1980]

Definitely not seeing this one.

[@thecoderofyoutube]

Luvie1980 Thanks for your feedback.

[@shougokawada8491]

A really lifeless and pathetic boredom fest that doesn't deserve neither money nor time wasted on it. I have expected at least a bit of entertainment from Marvel but alas, it wasn't there... It was my first film with Jennifer Lawrence since Silver Linings and it seems like I did the right thing not watching any of her movies during that long period. She looks like the same mediocre and uninspiring actress as before and her huge popularity is really a great mystery to me...

[@09nob]

Ah yet another film for the massively overrated Jennifer Lawrence to po-face her way through.

[@fredfat1606]

i shall zay zis only vonce

[@SirCutRy]

I thought this was a fair review. This film is in some places slow and often unconventional, which reminds me of the original Blade Runner.

[@Jardinier2023]

jennifer is so overrated..she's an average actress and highly conceited. Saoirse Ronan is by far a superior actress

[@janelovelace5426]

Although I love Jennifer Lawrence, I believe that every race has a uniqueness about them that makes only someone who really knows about their own culture able to play the part. I am sure their are excellent actors from every race and this is why films like this might not work as well.

[@MekQuarrie]

Spoilers...

[@Fattydeposit]

Lawrence is possibly the least capable Oscar winner in recent times. She's terrible.

[@pocahantoslongfeather5377]

Hot take! Also, wrong.

[@bruh_hahaha]

um, NO that would be Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson, Sandra Bullock

[@awesomeradicalbro]

i thought so until i saw mother! which she was excellent in

[@thettproject4534]

bumtree Respectfully, that is completely untrue.

[@Lonelyhands]

Jennifer Lawrence has an Oscar!?!? What the what? (Guess I don't pay much attention)

[@colinthedogfromspaced9365]

Jen could only watch 3 mins of The Phantom Thread. Positive character insight or negative. You decide. For me I think she's a self important overrated annoying person who needs to improve her cloud password.

[@awesomeradicalbro]

fine, you don't like jennifer lawrence. but it seems pointlessly nasty to bring up the fact she got her personal photos hacked in that context. does it make her a worse actress? or are you just taking pleasure in the misfortune of someone you don't like?

[@SafwanNet]

What was there new to see in these personal pics. She showed everything in this movie....and probably more than you d see in a picture.

[@drjwww]

Gawd, just once I'd like to see a Kermode review in which he spends most of his time talking about the movie at hand and not prattling on about everything else he can think of.