Judi Dench thriller Red Joan, based on real-life spy story, is on TV tonight

The synopsis for the film (via Rotten Tomatoes) reads: "Joan Stanley is a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs when, shockingly, the British Secret Service places her under arrest.

"The charge: providing classified scientific information – including details on the building of the atomic bomb – to the Soviet government for decades.

"As the interrogation gets underway, Joan relives the dramatic events that shaped her life and her beliefs."

The film is an adaptation of Jennie Rooney's novel, which itself was inspired by the true story of Melita Norwood, a British civil servant and KGB asset.

After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018, Red Joan went on to get a cinema release in April of the following year, where it grossed just shy of $10 million worldwide.

Reviews were mixed for the feature, which has a Rotten Tomatoes critics rating of 30 per cent, but a higher audience score of 56 per cent, suggesting a slight disparity in the consensus.

For Radio Times, critic Alan Jones wrote: "Dench invests her all into the role, and Sophie Cookson capably plays her in flashback, but it's all rather drearily directed by Trevor Nunn. With the end a foregone conclusion, there's little urgency or suspense to the film."

Nevertheless, for diehard fans of Dench, Red Joan may be worth checking out, with BBC Two broadcasting the film at 11:05pm tonight, Friday 28th March 2025. Be sure to hit record if you don't feel like staying up late!

Alternatively, the film is currently available to stream on Prime Video.

Red Joan airs tonight, Friday 28th March 2025, at 11:05pm on BBC Two.

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