Red Sparrow Movie Review

JLaw is back and ready to kick butt once again but this one is a much darker role than her previous heroine depictions and somewhat similar to Charlize in Atomic Blonde. This is a spy movie without question but it pushes the boundaries of what we've seen in the genre before but how does it stand up overall against other female spy movies like Salt? Well, let's dive in and find out!

Plot

Prima ballerina Dominika Egorova faces a bleak and uncertain future after she suffers an injury that ends her career. She soon turns to Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people to use their minds and bodies as weapons. Egorova emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow after completing the sadistic training process. As she comes to terms with her new abilities, Dominika meets a CIA agent who tries to convince her that he is the only person she can trust.

Trailer for Red Sparrow

This movie is based on a novel and is by no means family friendly. The movie is as adult as they come and if you don't have the stomach for strong content I suggest you give this one a pass. This film centres around a mythical spy school that creates sexual bait to blackmail the enemy in the name of the state. However, you would think the break up of the Soviet Union would have retired that style of cold warfare. Evidently not.

Red Sparrow takes place in present day. The movie indicates that our heroine played by Jennifer Lawrence is merely a puppet to be manipulated by those who want personal gain at her expense. It sounds more like the rampant sex trade run by the government than an actual spy movie, I didn't even see them learn any other spy-worthy skills apart from how to seduce someone.

I think the depiction of the sex school is what will make or break audiences on this film. It feels surreal and sometimes extremly over the top.

Meanwhile, we also follow what is to be the male hero in our story, Joel Edgerton, a CIA agent that may or may not have the machismo to lure a valuable female spy. They are to meet in Budapest, something that the CIA recognises as an attempt to get secret info from Edgerton. There is a moment at this point in the movie where several subplots appear. Lawrence's roommate in Budapest has a secret plan as another sex spy.

The spy ringleader in Budapest has his own agenda. The different members of Russia intelligence have their own agenda.

The story bounces between these subplots as Lawrence blows up expectations in order to preserve her life. Even though some of the dialogue was absolute trash at times and meant nothing in driving the overall narrative I found myself pushing through and found it well worth it once the plot twists came to light thick and fast in the 3rd act.

My rating

There were times I struggled with the dialogue and t maintain my interest in the story but it was enough to get me through to the end with the ending well worth it. The film does its best to hide the climax too well for that shock effect while less seems to be placed on the rest of the movie. Still worth the watch if you have the time and the stomach for it.

I'd give it a 6 out of 10

Have your say

Have you seen Red Sparrow? What did you think of the film? Another book adaptation that failed to live up to the original content?

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