Drama,Thriller,History
United Kingdom
Red Joan is a 2018 British spy thriller film directed by Trevor Nunn and based on the novel of the same name by Jennie Rooney. The movie stars Judi Dench as Joan Stanley, a retired physicist who is exposed as a KGB spy after decades of keeping her secrets under wraps. Sophie Cookson plays the young Joan Stanley in flashback scenes that detail her involvement with the communist party and her eventual recruitment by the KGB.
The story is set against the backdrop of World War II and the early years of the Cold War. As a young woman, Joan became disillusioned with the world following the devastation of the war and was drawn to the communist ideology as a means of creating a more equal and just society. She attracted the attention of a KGB agent while working on the atomic bomb project, and was convinced to provide the Soviet Union with classified information.
The film explores the moral complexities of Joan's actions as well as the societal and political pressures that led her to make the choices she did. As she faces trial for her crimes, she reflects on the sacrifices she made for her beliefs and the consequences of her actions. The movie is a thought-provoking exploration of loyalty, betrayal, and the personal costs of political ideology.
