In 1963, Major Dalby (Tom Hollander), a secret spy department head detached from the MI5 recruits an imprisoned smuggler named Harry Palmer (Joe Cole) in an attempt to find a missing nuclear scientist, Professor Dawson (Matthew Steer). Alongside agent Jean Courtney (Lucy Boynton), they work tirelessly to find the truth, and it turns out that Harry is naturally gifted at being a spy…
Based on the novel by Len Deighton, this version respects the wonderful plot throughout with its slow-burn style. If you’re looking for something like the Daniel Craig era of James Bond, then you’re in the wrong place. The Ipcress File is more like Bridge of Spies with a dash of Kingsman, and any action taking place only happens if it’s absolutely necessary. The cinematography is superb, and at many points, it looks like the show itself was filmed in the 1960s. With unsettled, slanted camera angles, you feel like one of those spy bugs on the wall, listening to conversations that you shouldn’t be.
On their complicated mission to find the missing scientist, while digging into the true meaning of The Ipcress File, devastating political corruption-style secrets begin to surface at an alarming rate, and Harry is pushed to brainwashed limits. Like the best spy stories, The Ipcress File is full of non-stop twists and turns that will grip viewers throughout. Harry’s quick progression into a full-on spy might be too unbelievable for some, and occasional sequences are somewhat too drawn out, but overall the six-episode miniseries is a mystery drama delight. File under: ‘Recommended Viewing’.
THE IPCRESS FILE is available to stream via Sky, ITV, and BritBox
