Bridge of Spies

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Bridge of Spies

PG-13

2015

2h 21m

History

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

314 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.

Critics Consensus

Bridge of Spies finds new life in Hollywood's classic Cold War espionage thriller formula, thanks to reliably outstanding work from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

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Olly Richards

The Times (UK)

07/11/2022

There are no directing bells and whistles here, just a grown-up story expertly told.

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Claudia Puig

The Asahi Shimbun GLOBE (Japan)

12/19/2016

3.5/4

Director Steven Spielberg gives audiences a meticulously composed espionage thriller, which establishes a tense atmosphere from the start and keeps the viewer engaged throughout. [Full review in Japanese]

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

05/03/2016

This is a filmmaker with a lifetime of skill and experience, crafting his vintage pictures with style and grace, and we're all better off for it.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

07/21/2024

Hanks... carries the film as a kind of Cold War Atticus Finch, a husband and father and an American idealist who refuses to betray his client simply because he’s a Soviet spy, and he portrays Donovan’s essential integrity and loyalty without sentiment.

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Ankit Ojha

Cinema Elite

07/09/2024

4.5/5

Boasting a deliberate and measured direction of tack-sharp screenplay, it smoothly coasts through themes of privilege, rights, and repute, balancing each in its subtext without making them feel like incomplete lip-service throwaways.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

02/18/2024

3/5

As an expertly crafted historical drama of intrigue and high character, there's not a thing wrong with it, but not everything Spielberg puts out can be a timeless instant classic.

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L S

@LS253 Dec 22

As noble and situationally excited as one might feel about the premise, it absolutely has none if the grit one would expect. And on the conceit, I just didn't care enough for it to hit me the way Speilberg was trying so hard to wring out of me. Meh.

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Jennifer P

@Parvuski Dec 18

I thought it was a terrible movie with one really awesome message. "Aren't you worried?" "Would that help?"

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Jacopo D

@JacDan Dec 6

In quanto regia, performance attoriali e scrittura della trama (affidata a due maestri del mestiere Joan ed Ethan Coen) il film è impeccabile. Le maestose sale governative e giudiziarie riprese con perfezione da Spielberg, ma in genere molte inquadrature sono bellissime. Manca un po' sul piano dello svolgimento, un po' troppo lento che lo fa risultare un po' noioso.

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Ava S

@avawatches Nov 18

Framed in beautifully saturated cold tones, Bridge of Spies builds gripping tension through its sharp conversations, well-placed courtroom moments, and sly touches of wit.

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Tyler G

@tylergross121 Nov 2

America at the current moment could take notes about what it means to believe in American ideals of justice, fairness and due process.

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Dame Frances Yates F

Oct 11

Never been a Spielberg fan or a Tom Hanks fan but this was an excellent film, well worth watching. I particularly enjoyed the extra production efforts to recreate a moment in time in a place I dreamed of when I was a 6 or 7 year old boy; being a man in a suit working in a presitigious law office in Manhattan and commuting from an upscale suburb of the era was a pleasure to immerse myself in.

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Steven Spielberg

Director

Tom Hanks

James Donovan

Mark Rylance

Rudolf Abel

Alan Alda

Thomas Watters

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Bridge of Spies: Behind the Scenes - Discovering Donovan's Story

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Bridge of Spies: Trailer 2

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Bridge of Spies: International Trailer 1

2:44

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Synopsis

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt, Kristie Macosko Krieger
Screenwriter: Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Distributor: Walt Disney
Production Co: Studio Babelsberg Independents [de], Afterworks Limited
Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: History, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $72.3M
Runtime: 2h 21m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital