The spy thriller is a genre that is one of the standards of modern film. There’s inherent tension when you follow a character that is lying to everyone around them in order to save their lives and perhaps save the world. And it’s that tension that’s ramped up to crazy levels in the new film “The Operative.”
Based on the acclaimed novel, “The English Teacher,” “The Operative” follows a rogue spy that finds herself drawn into a complicated relationship with her handler and the person she’s supposed to be spying on. As seen in the trailer, the film is chock full of modern political tensions, focusing on the country of Iran, as well as the old tried-and-true tropes of the genre, including the idea of double-crossing and extreme suspense.
Thankfully, the film is anchored by two quality actors in the lead roles, Diane Kruger and Martin Freeman. Kruger plays the spy at the film’s center, disguised as an English teacher in Tehran. Freeman is her handler, who is trying to find out what is going on when his spy goes rogue and he can’t seem to locate her or figure out where her allegiances lie.
The film stars Freeman and Kruger, as mentioned, alongside actor Cas Anvar. “The Operative” is written and directed by Yuval Adler. The filmmaker is probably best known for his last feature film, “Bethlehem,” which played at the 2013 Venice Film Festival.
“The Operative” arrives in theaters on August 2.
Here’s the synopsis:
“The Operative” is a taut psychological thriller about a young Western woman (Diane Kruger) recruited by the Mossad to go undercover in Tehran where she becomes entangled in a complex triangle with her handler (Martin Freeman) and her subject (Cas Anvar).