Judi Dench’s forgotten British spy thriller with a “brilliant story” lands new UK streaming home

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You can now watch *Red Joan*, the spy thriller featuring Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson, on streaming services in the UK. Here’s a quick guide to the film.

The 2018 movie, adapted from Jennie Rooney’s 2013 novel, stars Judi Dench as Joan Smith (who later becomes Joan Stanley) at various stages of her life. A portion of the film, featuring Sophie Cookson, focuses on Joan’s time as a student at Cambridge University.

While studying, Joan develops feelings for a classmate named Leo Galich (Tom Hughes), who later tries to convince her to become a Soviet spy. She refuses his request, but years later – as portrayed by Judi Dench – she’s accused of betraying her country. The question remains: did she actually share classified information?

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You can currently watch the film *Red Joan* on BBC iPlayer in the UK. It stars Stephen Campbell Moore and Ben Miles, but it will only be available until October 16th, so you have 27 days to watch it after its addition to the service on Wednesday.

The spy thriller, written by Lindsay Shapero and directed by Trevor Nunn, hasn’t been well-received by critics. Currently, it only has a 30% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 150 reviews.

Critics weren’t impressed with the film, describing it as a confusing story mixing romance and spying, and a waste of Judi Dench’s abilities. *IndieWire* felt she was underused, and *Variety* found the plot unbelievable.

Despite some criticisms, *The Hollywood Reporter* highlighted the excellent casting and described the film as a suspenseful, classic thriller with beautifully shot and engaging visuals.

Critics didn’t love the spy thriller, but regular moviegoers seemed to enjoy it more. It currently has a 6.4 out of 10 rating on IMDb, based on over 15,000 user reviews.

One viewer praised the film as a genuinely well-crafted British movie, noting that all the elements – the script, direction, costumes, and design – fit together seamlessly to create a captivating story. They simply called it ‘brilliant’.

The spy thriller is now available on BBC iPlayer, but the classic crime film *Legend* will be leaving the service soon. It will no longer be available to stream after September 29th.

Red Joan is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

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2025-09-19 18:49