Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, starring Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch and more, airs on BBC this weekend

Based on John le Carré's novel, which also inspired the BBC's classic television series, the spy thriller is a British cinema gem, with an A-list cast to match.

Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Kathy Burke, Toby Jones, Mark Strong and Stephen Graham are just some of the big names that feature, all of whom deliver terrific performances.

Set in the '70s against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film opens with the British Secret Service getting wind that there's a Soviet mole at the heart of its operations.

Oldman plays veteran spy George Smiley, who is called back from retirement to root the mole out.

The film holds a special place in British cinema, and Alfredson himself opened about all the hard work it required to make it so.

"The memories from working on it are a bit hazy, but I remember it as a huge task," he told RadioTimes.com.

"It took quite a while to get there, and a lot of hard work – but it paid off. It was a very happy production, especially when planning for it and creating the style and approach of the whole thing."

If you can't wait until Sunday to watch it – which would be totally understandable – it's also available to stream on Netflix.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy airs on BBC Two on Sunday 6th April at 10pm.

If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.