An onslaught of spy thrillers through streaming services comes at a time when many writers and directors are attempting to fill the gap left by John le Carré’s passing. Chilling stories grounded in history but made up of shady, behind-the-scenes claims. Rogue Agent is one of the many to come from that fallout, that desires to fill in the gaps left by le Carré. Granted, he had not passed when this film entered production, but what had passed was his consistent heyday as one of the finest spy thriller writers. Everyone hopes for a slice of that, a chance to tap into James Bond and The Night Manager’s effectiveness and consistencies. For Rogue Agent, that means some standard narration that focuses more on its mid-90s style than on its gruesome, tense story.
Hiding in plain sight and learning how to do it are the clear markers of good spy movies. Rogue Agent has that in its early moments, but its real charm comes from the con at the heart of its true story. Convincing work from James Norton brings that to life, the barman posing as the MI5 agent that managed to grip at his freedom post-con for decades. Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson mark their first feature film as a directing duo with confidence. Their work has that right layer of risk and suspense, the thrilling and mysterious world that ropes impressionable and convinced youngsters into the world of compromised spies. Knowing that as the suspense rolls through and time moves on gives Gemma Arterton the perfect lead role that is drowned out occasionally by the stuffy suits of agencies.
It all develops toward that obvious takedown though, and while the gluttony on show of the suited nobodies is difficult to connect with and the snappy cuts to and from these moments are filled with generalities, Rogue Agent does find some fun to be had with its thrills and spills. Much of it comes from the dynamic between Arterton and Norton, the former a lawyer hoping to take down the latter, who poses as an everyman. Generalised, solid moments of conniving simplicity do little to extract themselves from the stereotypes of British crime and spy filmmaking. Still, there is enough within to make for an exciting watch. It all depends on that finite interest in the real story of Robert Henry-Freegard. Rogue Agent does well to mark it as exciting as it can, despite the slate of details and blind spots.
Even with those back-and-forth moments and the surprising layers of suspension, Rogue Agent struggles to bring its third act together. Lawn and Patterson are so fixated on solving a case they almost leave behind, forgetting to bleed in those key details hinted toward at the start of the film. They just about get there, but the exposition-heavy third act disguised as long walks through country lanes could have been handled much better. Rogue Agent is often let down by its writing, but powering through with Arterton and Norton at the helm makes even the groaningly obvious power switch at the end worth sticking around for. Surplus to requirement, but the collection of stars that come together, trying to make sense of all the charges, crimes and thrills, do a decent job.
