In 1960, the nuclear arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union is intensifying, and there is a very real fear that another world war could break out, with an unimaginable scale of loss and destruction. In London, a joint task force has been established to recruit Russian spies and learn what Khrushchev is planning. Leading this effort are MI6 agent Dickie Franks (Angus Wright, Cobra) and CIA agent Emily Donovan (Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). Their most recent informant had just been discovered and executed, so when they receive contact from Colonel Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze, McMafia), who heads the State Committee For Scientific Research, they decide to take a different approach. Penkovsky fears that a nuclear attack initiated by his country is imminent, and wants to help prevent this. Agents Franks & Donovan are worried about making first contact using a spy or other government agent who could be traced or recognized. Instead, they decide to recruit civilian salesman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock) to meet with their asset under the guise of wanting to expand his business. Greville is wary about getting involved in anything spy-related, even if he doesn’t actually know any of the details of what’s going on. He has a wife and 10-year-old son at home, and doesn’t want to put his family in danger.

Greville reluctantly agrees to meet with Oleg, and discovers that, despite coming from two very different countries, the two of them have a lot in common. Both men have a wife and child, and would do whatever they could to provide a safer and better world for their families. In fact, Oleg is so pleased with his initial meting with Greville, that he requests that he serve as his courier for all future information he siphons back to the West. Greville had only agreed to perform the initial meeting with Oleg, and is quite concerned about becoming a courier and putting himself and his family in danger. After all, the Soviets execute spies. Agent Donovan assures him that he would not be executed, and uses his family’s welfare as bait, warning him that if a nuclear war breaks out, there would be nothing he could do to save his family at that point, but he could help to prevent an attack in the first place. The more and more Oleg and Greville meet, the stronger their bond becomes, and the two form a genuine friendship. Both men understand the sacrifice the other has made in hopes of preventing a worldwide disaster. However, as the situation between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. escalates with the Cuban Missile Crisis, their work gets more and more dangerous, and both men start to fear that they are on the verge of being discovered. Greville’s lies are also affecting his marriage—his wife Sheila (Jessie Buckley, Fargo) has noticed her husband behaving strangely, knows that he is hiding something, and suspects it may be infidelity. Oleg has also been lying to his own wife, worrying that she will not understand his need or desire to turn on his country. He is also growing increasingly paranoid that he is being watched. Can Oleg and Greville smuggle the intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear war and safely escape to the West, or will they be caught and imprisoned… or even worse?

The Courier is a captivating, tense spy thriller based on true events. At its core it is also the story of the friendship and loyalty that forms between these two strangers as they work together to try to save the world. Early on in the film, Greville questions how just one or two people could possibly change the world. However, over the course of the movie, he realizes just how entirely possible that is. The filmmakers do an excellent job of building the tension over the course of the film. Not being familiar with this story or the fates of these men, I was in constant fear of them being found out. Oleg is always checking for his camera hidden in a secret compartment in his desk, or sneaking out at night to take photos of classified documents in the library. Meanwhile, Greville nervously clutches his briefcase full of questionable documents as he heads through airport security, hoping that no one will ask any questions. Whenever the men enter a room, there’s always the question as to whether someone is watching or listening, or checking to see if any of their possessions have been moved. The stress of the situation is both exciting and nerve-wracking for Greville. When he returns from his trips, he’s sometimes aroused or excited by the danger. Other times, the weight of the lies and stress of the situation can be overwhelming, and he takes it out on his family.

Cumberbatch gives an amazing performance as this everyman who is suddenly thrust into the spy world in order to protect his family and the rest of the world from a nuclear war. He really transforms himself both physically and mentally while playing this character, and the final act of the film really allows him to display his strengths as a dramatic actor. Merab Ninidze also gives an emotional and gripping performance as a man struggling to betray the country he loves in order to do what is right and good. He knows that he may not survive this dangerous effort, but he pursues it anyway, in the hopes that he can prevent a nuclear war that could lead to the deaths of millions, including his own family. There is this great bond that forms between Oleg and Greville, and it feels so natural and true, thanks in large part to the actors behind these roles. Rachel Brosnahan portrays one of the only completely fictional characters in the film. Emily Donovan is an ambitious CIA agent who would do and promise anything to get what she wants. When initially recruiting Greville, she expertly reads his situation and plays with his heart strings in order to manipulate him into agreeing to the job. While she may have the safety of diplomatic immunity to hide behind, she is gambling with the lives of people like Greville and Oleg. She sometimes loses sight of the individual soldiers (or in this case civilians) in her pursuit of the greater good, seeing them more as pawns in a game.

Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent. The picture is clean and crisp, with a nice, muted color palette that reflects the era and captures the beauty of the locations and landmarks, both in London and in Moscow. The film does a nice job of transporting the viewer back to the 1960s. The movie starts off with more static shots, but as the excitement and tension builds, it switches to handheld cameras to put the viewer more into the action. The picture has an excellent level of detail, particularly during close-ups. As for the audio presentation, the film is very dialogue-driven, and this remains clear throughout (or there are subtitles when characters are speaking Russian. The soundtrack also provides a solid level of ambiance when characters are walking in city streets, attending the ballet, or as speeches reverberate in conference rooms. The Blu-ray and DVD discs come packed on either side of a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a cardboard slipcover. Both discs contain the same 30-minute Making Of featurette, and there is also an insert containing redemption instructions for an HD digital copy of the film (Lionsgate films are not Movies Anywhere compatible).

What’s Included:

Film: (1:52:00)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Descriptive Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

DVD:

• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Digital: (Code may not be valid after 6/1/2022)

• Digital HD copy of the film redeemable via Vudu, Fandango Now, or Google Play. (Not Movies Anywhere compatible.)
  UPDATE: As of 6/29/2021, the code also offers a 4K iTunes redeem option!

Extras:

• On the Brink: Making The Courier (29:03)
  The cast and filmmakers discuss the genesis of the film, the extraordinary true story the film is based on, casting and working with Benedict, casting the rest of the actors and the characters they play, the period costumes and hairstyles, the look of London and Moscow and their color palettes, working with the director and his unique filming process, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with director/executive producer Dominic Cooke, screenwriter/executive producer Tom O’Connor, producers Adam Ackland & Ben Pugh, makeup and hair designer Karen Hartley Thomas, Imperial War Museums Commerce and Operations executive director John Brown, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch (“Greville Wynne”/executive producer), Rachel Brosnahan (“Emily Donovan”), Jessie Buckley (“Sheila”) & Merab Nindze (“Oleg Penkovsky”).

Final Thoughts:

The Courier is both a taut cold war spy thriller as well as a character drama following the bond and friendship that forms between two men who come from very different worlds. The film features an all star cast and really strong performances. Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes a 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette. The film comes highly recommended, and certainly worth checking out for fans of the cast and/or genre.