BBC iPlayer adds 'suspenseful and moving' war film about real-life hero
BBC iPlayer has just welcomed a gripping film rooted in real events, which first hit screens in 2020.
This captivating historical espionage thriller is now available to watch at no cost, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of Greville Wynne, a British tradesman enlisted by the Secret Intelligence Service.
His mission involved acting as a go-between with Russian intelligence asset Oleg Penkovsky (portrayed by Merab Ninidze) during the 1960s.
The Courier, formerly known as Ironbark, made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 before reaching American and British cinemas in 2021.
Critics showered the production with praise on Rotten Tomatoes, earning an impressive 85% critics' score and a remarkable 95% audience approval rating, reports the Express.
The narrative centres on ordinary British merchant Greville Wynne, who finds himself drawn into one of history's most significant global tensions.
The plot description elaborates: "At the behest of the UK's MI-6 and a CIA operative (Rachel Brosnahan), he forms a covert, dangerous partnership with Soviet officer Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze) in an effort to provide crucial intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear confrontation and defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis."
Reviewers praised the production as a "rousingly effective old-school spy adventure elevated by a thrilling fact-based story and Benedict Cumberbatch's nervy central performance".
One viewer gushed: "Thrilling and heartbreaking. Benedict Cumberbatch really doesn't disappoint."
Ready Steady Cut declared: "The Courier has everything you want in a Cold War spy thriller. It's solidly paced and strikes a nice balance of suspense and moving human drama."
Zach Pope reviews noted: "What could have easily been a boring slog of a film is turned into a daring, intense drama."
Cumberbatch received particular praise for his outstanding performance, with iNews among other outlets commenting: "The brilliance of Cumberbatch's performance lies in the way he conveys both Wynne's venality and his idealism."
The real-life espionage work of Wynne and Penkovsky was uncovered by the KGB, leading to both men being detained in November 1962.
Wynne received an eight-year prison sentence but was freed in April 1964 in a prisoner swap for Soviet agent Konon Molody, following British worries about his declining health.
Following his release, Wynne resumed his business activities.
The Courier is available on BBC iPlayer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
1980s pop icon coming to Australia for first tour in 27 years - and she looks very different to her heyday
Pop-punk icon Wendy James is bringing Transvision Vamp to Australia next year. The iconic frontwoman is returning Down Under in 2026 for a slew of shows across the country, marking the British band's first gigs in 27 years. However, the rocker looks a little different from her heyday in the 1980s, when she performed hit songs such as 'Baby I Don't Care' and 'I Want Your Love.' The bleach blonde beauty, known for her doe-eyes, babydoll dresses and neon pink lipstick, looks a little more rock 'n' roll these days, with heavy eyeliner her new trademark. It's been a few years since the now-59-year-old was storming the pop charts, but Wendy released her solo album, The Shape Of History, to critical acclaim last year. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The record managed to reach the top 40 in the UK. Transvision Vamp disbanded in 1992 after falling out with their record label, but Wendy went on to make seven solo albums in the years that followed, moving to New York in 2002. However, it was only last year that the self-managed singer emailed a few Australian promoters after making the decision to get back on the road. Speaking to The Advertiser, Wendy revealed that the goal with her latest album was to not only go on tour, but to return to Aussie shores, where her musical journey began. 'I knew when I made this 10th album I wanted to not just do the UK again but go back to Australia where the whole thing started,' she said. Furthermore, the singer's desire to tour Australia was fuelled by a trip down memory lane after she stumbled upon old Super 8 footage of the good old days. 'I found a lot of Australian footage, especially film we captured in Melbourne, and I remember there were riot police on horses and people in the street and this one girl who screams: "They're bigger than the Beatles,"' she told the publication. During their peak, Transvision Vamp made headlines after Nirvana's Kurt Cobain wore one of their band tees on stage. Kurt donned the iconic shirt repping the group during Nirvana's 1991 US tour, as well as at his iconic MTV performance. Speaking of the moment, Wendy said that it became known as the 'Kurt shirt'. 'He came to quite a few of those shows we did in America in 1991 and he purchased his tour T-shirt and wore it for quite a few of his performances, including the MTV one,' she said. Transvision Vamp is preparing to play a number of shows across Australia in February. They will be kicking off the tour at Brisbane's The Triffid before moving on to The Station on the Sunshine Coast. The band then heads to King Street Bandroom in Newcastle and the Metro Theatre in Sydney. Transvision Vamp next head down to Northcote Theatre in Melbourne and The Gov in Adelaide, before finishing off the tour at Perth's Magnet House. General tickets to the Australian tour go on sale from July 15 at 9am.
Leader Live
19 minutes ago
- Leader Live
What did the review of the BBC Gaza documentary find?
The programme, Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, was removed from BBC iPlayer in February after it emerged that the child narrator, Abdullah, is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who held a senior post in the Hamas-run government. Here are the findings of a report into the programme: – Failure to disclose information The BBC breached its editorial guidelines by not informing viewers that the narrator's father has worked as Hamas's deputy minister of agriculture. This omission was considered misleading and a breach of accuracy standards. – Members of the production company knew The report found that nobody at the BBC knew of the father's position when the documentary first aired, but three people at Hoyo Films, the independent production company which produced the film, were aware. The report does not find that the production company misled the BBC, but said that the firm bears most of the responsibility for the failure. – The BBC was not proactive The report said that the corporation does bear some responsibility for 'not being proactive in the early phase of the project to ensure that the relevant editorial risks were fully discussed and that the production company had the guidance, direction and support it needed'. It said that the BBC also had a 'lack of critical oversight of unanswered or partially answered questions'. – Narrator's role was problematic The narration was 'highly scripted' and carried the right of reply of the Israel Defence Forces, so it was 'wrong' to use the narrator as the voice of the programme given his background, the report said. There should have been more comprehensive scrutiny by the BBC about his role earlier in the production process, the report added. – No influence on programme content There was no evidence that the narrator's family or father influenced the content of the programme. The narrator's scripted contribution did not breach impartiality standards, the report said. – Payment and checks The narrator received a fee, a phone and a video game gift card which all amounted to £1,817, while £795 was paid to his adult sister. Sanctions checks on the narrator and family found no issues. – No other editorial breaches found There were no other breaches of the guidelines on issues of due impartiality, language and translation, continuity and editing, fairness to contributors and consent, privacy, harm and offence, and child safeguarding, the report found. The programme contained a range of views and rights of reply and there was no evidence of any outside interests inappropriately affecting the programme. – Recommendations The report recommended stronger BBC oversight for 'higher risk' independent productions, including embedding executives, formal greenlight meetings, improved compliance tracking and enhanced scrutiny of narrators. It added: 'It is clear that actioning these recommendations would require more senior executive oversight and scrutiny for the higher-risk projects. This requires consideration of resourcing by BBC News.'
Scotsman
24 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Scottish luxury brand ‘over the moon' as Jodie Comer wears one of their bags at Wimbledon
Killing Eve actress looked chic with one of the Edinburgh firm's bags. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The owners of a Scottish luxury accessories brand said they were 'over the moon' to see actress Jodie Comer carrying one of their designer bags at Wimbledon. Comer, who is best known for playing the antagonist Villanelle in the hit BBC series Killing Eve, looked effortlessly chic with Strathberry's Mini Tote in Chestnut at Sunday's Men's Singles Final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Leeanne Hundleby, Strathberry co-founder, told The Scotsman: 'We were thrilled to see the wonderful Jodie Comer carrying Strathberry this weekend at the Wimbledon final. 'I was over the moon that she had chosen to carry our signature Mini Tote to the event, her look was styled so beautifully with our bag as the perfect accessory. It's wonderful to have the support of such an amazing British actress during an iconic summer event.' Comer, who also features in the film 28 Years Later alongside Ralph Fiennes and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, was just one of many A-list stars in attendance at Wimbledon over the weekend. Princess Kate, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey and Henry Cavill were among the celebrities who attended the matches as the tournament wrapped up Saturday and Sunday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Actresses Marisa Abela and Jessica Plummer were also seen with Strathberry at Wimbledon over the weekend. Strathberry was founded by husband-and-wife team Guy and Leeanne Hundleby in 2013 and has gone on to become one of Scotland's best known luxury brands. In February, the firm opened a new Edinburgh store on Victoria Street. It is the second location for Strathberry in the Capital, alongside its shop on Multrees Walk, which opened in 2020. The brand also operates shops in London and Shanghai. As well as the aforementioned Jodie Comer, Strathberry's products have been worn by the likes of Katie Holmes and Megan Markle. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In an interview with The Scotsman in March, Leeanne said: 'We've been thrilled to see several celebrities showing their support for Strathberry. Actress Ayo Edebiri was spotted in New York City carrying her Charlotte Drawstring, while Jennifer Lopez showcased her Nano Tote on the red carpet during the promotion of her new film.
