Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance’s “engrossing” and “masterful” spy thriller is a must-see on TV tonight

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Don’t miss the award-winning spy thriller Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, on Film4 tonight at 6:10pm. It’s been slightly edited to make it suitable for earlier viewing, as it normally carries a 12 rating. If you can’t catch it then, you can already watch it on Channel 4’s streaming service.

I recently watched Bridge of Spies, and it was amazing! It’s directed by Steven Spielberg, and it’s set during the Cold War. The movie tells the true story of James B. Donovan, played by Tom Hanks, who was a lawyer tasked with negotiating a really difficult exchange: a captured American pilot, Francis Gary Powers, for a Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel. It’s a tense and fascinating story about what happened behind the scenes.

The film also features strong performances from Scott Shepherd, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda, Billy Magnussen, Eve Hewson, and Jesse Plemons.

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After its 2015 release, Bridge of Spies proved successful in theaters and earned six Academy Award nominations. Mark Rylance won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film.

The film Bridge of Spies was both a popular and critical success, earning a 91% ‘Certified Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Post praised it as Spielberg’s best film since Saving Private Ryan, highlighting a captivating, classic thriller led by a brilliant performance from Tom Hanks.

Similarly, TIME Magazine praised the film, noting that Spielberg once again teamed up with Tom Hanks to explore the complexities of justice and deliver a powerfully crafted story.

According to The New York Times, “Bridge of Spies” is a thoroughly enjoyable film, characteristic of Steven Spielberg’s work, and delivers a classic cinematic experience.

I absolutely loved Bridge of Spies! It’s such a slick and exciting spy thriller, and I thought Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg really knocked it out of the park with their take on this incredible true story from 1957. They made history so captivating!

In a recent interview with Empire, Tom Hanks shared how he prepared for the role. He said he was fortunate to have access to extensive writings by James Donovan, the real-life person he portrayed. Donovan wrote a detailed book about the Rudolf Abel case, which Hanks found very helpful, though it wasn’t the primary focus of the movie.

I learned a lot about his relationship with Rudolf Abel through the book. It also included a very detailed account of the six days he spent in Berlin arranging the spy exchange, and I picked up many small, specific details – even about the cold weather.

So, I told Spielberg – the director, right? – that he’d gotten a terrible cold on the flight over. It was on some old military plane that wasn’t heated or insulated, and he was really suffering for the first few days we were in Berlin. He actually loved it! He said I should start feeling sick, and then pass the cold onto Dustin Hoffman. Apparently, he wanted Hoffman to be sick by the time I left!

You can watch the film Bridge of Spies tonight, October 22nd, at 6:10 PM on Film4. It’s also streaming on Channel 4’s on-demand service.

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2025-10-22 16:19