--- title: "Bridge of Spies" year: 2015 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/bridge-of-spies" fi1m_score: 75 critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 22 published: "2026-09-20T07:46:35.438174+00:00" updated: "2026-09-20T07:46:36.503405+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Bridge of Spies (2015) Directed by Steven Spielberg · 2h 21m · MPA PG-13 · Thriller, Drama **Fi1m score: 75** · Critics 73 from 22 reviews *In a sentence:* Mark Rylance asks “would it help?” three times and walks off with a Spielberg film under his arm > Spielberg’s Cold War thriller is handsome, patient and better company than most films this serious. Hanks is dependable and Rylance is quietly remarkable; the sugar in the last twenty minutes is the price, and it is worth paying. ## Synopsis Brooklyn, 1957. Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a painter living alone in a rented room, is arrested by the FBI and charged with spying for the Soviet Union. James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks), an insurance lawyer who has not handled a criminal case in years, is asked by his senior partner Thomas Watters Jr. (Alan Alda) to defend him, so that the trial looks fair. His wife Mary (Amy Ryan) would rather he did not. Donovan takes the job seriously, insists his client is entitled to the same rules as any citizen, and finds the judge, the press and his own firm expecting him to lose quietly. Meanwhile Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), a young pilot, is training to fly a spy plane over Soviet territory. ## Review Brooklyn, 1957. A quiet man in a hat paints his face from a mirror, takes the subway and collects a hollow nickel from under a bench, and by the end of the first reel the FBI has him. Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is a Soviet spy. James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is an insurance lawyer who has not tried a criminal case in years, handed the brief because it will look better if the accused loses fairly. Steven Spielberg has made a film about a man who declines to lose on purpose, and for most of its 141 minutes it is good company. The script, by Matt Charman with Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, is at its best when two men are in a room and one of them wants something. Rylance plays the spy as a man who decided long ago how much of himself to show and will not revise the figure now: a mild voice, a slight stoop, a habit of asking “would it help?” whenever Donovan suggests he might be worried. He barely raises his eyes, and every scene he is in slows to his pace. It is a small performance, and it is the reason to see the film. Hanks makes decency look like stubbornness rather than a halo. His Donovan is a haggler. The opening scene has him arguing an insurance claim down from five incidents to one, and the same instinct keeps him pressing Abel’s appeal when everyone around him would rather he stopped. Alan Alda’s Thomas Watters Jr., the senior partner who gave him the case, watches like a man realising he has hired the wrong sort of good lawyer. The home scenes are thinner; Amy Ryan’s Mary Donovan is given worry and a kitchen and little else, and Billy Magnussen’s junior, Doug Forrester, is mostly there to be told things. It is handsome. Janusz Kamiński shoots Brooklyn through so much haze that the windows glow and the rain looks lit from inside, and Berlin in flat greys and sodium orange, with snow that never looks fresh. Adam Stockhausen’s East Berlin is rubble, wire and half-finished concrete, the wall running through the back of shots about something else. Kasia Walicka Maimone dresses Donovan like a man who buys one good overcoat a decade. Michael Kahn cuts the courtroom stretches briskly, so the legal argument never turns into a lecture. Two moments got at us properly. Austin Stowell’s Francis Gary Powers is shot out of the sky in a brief sequence of spinning, falling and fumbling for a poison pin, and we gripped the chair. Later, Donovan sits on a Berlin train and watches people run at the wall, and what happens to them, and Hanks does nothing with his face, which is right. Thomas Newman’s score, which holds back for long stretches, arrives with strings soon after, and we noticed we were being asked to feel something we already felt. That is the film’s habit and its limit. The Berlin half, in which Donovan negotiates a swap for Powers and finds Sebastian Koch’s Wolfgang Vogel, an East German lawyer, wanting a different deal, is knotty, cold-weather storytelling, and we will not describe where it goes. But Donovan is never wrong, never frightened for longer than a scene, never tempted. Everyone who doubts him is shown to be smaller, usually within the same conversation. And when the story is done, the film keeps going, scene after scene, until a point we grasped an hour earlier has been made four times. [*Lincoln*](https://film.one/film/lincoln) (2012) had the same interest in how a decent outcome gets haggled out of imperfect people, and let its hero be a manipulator. [*Munich*](https://film.one/film/munich) (2005) let its hero be sick with doubt. Donovan is allowed neither, and the film is smaller for it. It is still worth your evening: two hours of grown-ups talking, beautifully lit, with one actor at the edge of the frame we kept leaning forward to catch. Watch it at home with the lights off, because Kamiński’s haze wants a dark room, and expect to be asking each other “would it help?” for a week. *Fi1m score 75, published 20 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like Bridge of Spies, and the praise settles in the same two places. First, the pairing of Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance: Hanks as the principled lawyer is called steadfast and approachable, and Rylance’s dry, unemotive Soviet spy is singled out again and again, several reviews saying he takes the film from under his co-star. Second, the craft: the period detail, the widescreen photography and the Coen brothers’ polish on the script are credited with turning a spy-swap plot into old-fashioned, well-made entertainment. The reservations cluster around sentiment. The Times, the Financial Times and Film Comment all find the schmaltz excessive, and several reviews say the second half loses shape or ends more than once. The sharper dissent, from /Film and Slant, is that the film smooths away moral ambiguity and prefers to please rather than probe. The spread is fairly wide: fifteen positive notices against two that call it thin or misshapen. ### Reviews we read (22) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (5/5): The film is an elegant, intelligent slice of popular entertainment that peppers its gripping intrigue with winning wit and humour, validating the US constitution through a Capra-esque Everyman twist. It singles out the odd-couple chemistry between Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance for particular praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/29/bridge-of-spies-review-tom-hanks-mark-rylance-steven-spielberg) - **The AV Club**, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (A-): The review calls it Spielberg’s superb film that pits Tom Hanks against the Cold War, one of the most handsome and eloquent of his latter-day phase and his best in a decade. It singles out the textured visual style, anamorphic widescreen, and the theme of American idealism measured against realpolitik. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/steven-spielberg-s-superb-bridge-of-spies-pits-tom-hank-1798185197) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (85/100, inferred): The film is a gravely moody, perfectly directed thriller that revisits Cold War anxieties with a lighter touch than some of Spielberg's other recent historical dramas. Dargis singles out the meticulous period detail and Tom Hanks' approachable star turn for keeping the story engaging despite its moral complexities. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/movies/review-in-bridge-of-spies-spielberg-considers-the-cold-war.html) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (85/100, inferred): Spielberg turns a shady spy-swap plot into riveting, feel-good Capra-esque entertainment, with Mark Rylance stealing the show as the Soviet spy Abel. Debruge highlights the crackling Coen brothers script polish and Hanks' chewy late-career role while noting the film's classical, old-fashioned approach. [Read](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/bridge-of-spies-film-review-1201609677/) - **Empire**, Ian Nathan (★★★★): Spielberg delivers a polished, old-fashioned Cold War drama-thriller that mixes courtroom elements with espionage, driven by Tom Hanks' steadfast performance as James Donovan. The first half is shapely and engaging, though the second half feels less fluent due to historical constraints. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bridge-spies-review/) - **Little White Lies**, David Ehrlich (4/4/4): Praises the film as a sleek, robust Cold War spy thriller that balances espionage with a chamber-piece focus on the value of a single human life. Notes some mawkishness in the final scene but highlights its masterly touch and enjoyable determination to cut through cloak-and-dagger tropes. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/bridge-of-spies) - **Radio Times**, Emma Simmonds (4/5): Describes a gloriously glossy espionage drama that turns political intrigue into timeless Hollywood entertainment. Praises the sumptuous period detail and Rylance's dignified performance while noting some crude shifts in tone and cloying domestic scenes. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4ru0ra/bridge-of-spies/) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (80/100, inferred): Spielberg and Hanks deliver a solidly told tale that finds its gripping core in the standoff between Hanks' Donovan and Rylance's Abel, with the Coen brothers' script adding taut wit. Lane praises the atmosphere and performances while noting the film plays things somewhat safe in its tribute to American decency. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/10/26/making-the-case) - **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): Calls it a deeply satisfying Cold War spy thriller with Spielberg on quiet but masterly form. Singles out Tom Hanks's endearing performance as the principled lawyer and the humane climax of coolheaded diplomacy as its strongest elements. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bridge-of-spies) - **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): The critic finds it a sober but stirring Cold War suspense film that continues Spielberg’s creative evolution, praising its dramatization of personal integrity amid social madness and especially Mark Rylance’s witty, non-emotive performance as Abel. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/movie-review-bridge-of-spies.html) - **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews (70/100, inferred): At its best the film is terrific, with nuanced wit, complex plotting and strong performances, especially Mark Rylance’s arid sad-clown humour. The critic complains of dull stretches, overly schematic visuals contrasting America and Berlin, and excessive schmaltz in Tom Hanks’s heroic turn. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/45f507a2-943b-11e5-bd82-c1fb87bef7af) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (70/100, inferred): The critic describes it as a feel-good Cold War melodrama and an absorbing true-life espionage tale smoothly handled by old pros. It praises the assured finesse of Spielberg and the production team, including production design, costumes, and cinematography. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/bridge-spies-nyff-review-829338/) - **Slant Magazine**, Christopher Gray (65/100, inferred): The review calls it a good movie that suffers from a lack of anxiety about its convictions, praising the masterful opening reel correlating secrecy with artistry and the well-structured screenplay. It criticizes the film for running out of thematic gas in the second half and feeling like the work of a master who wants to please rather than probe. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/bridge-of-spies/) - **Screen Daily** (60/100, inferred): Notes that the film is an over-determined celebration of American integrity and tenacity, with Hanks excelling in an old-fashioned hero role. Singles out the tonally uncertain quality unusual for Spielberg and the lack of le Carré-style suspense as drawbacks. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/bridge-of-spies-review/5095012.article) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (50/100, inferred): The solidly entertaining Cold War thriller benefits from note-perfect performances and some genuinely exciting sequences, but is weighed down by excessive schmaltz and sugar-coating. The critic singles out the overly sentimental handling of the material as the main flaw. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/film-review-bridge-of-spies-zzbhrj3kh) - **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film misshapen, over-long, and overly sentimental, with Spielberg and Hanks succumbing to excessive preachiness and mood acting that undermines the story. He singles out the Berlin section for its effective evocation of a divided city and sharp political maneuvering. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/bridge-of-spies-review-steven-spielberg/) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): Spielberg, Hanks and the Coens deliver a masterful, possibly career-best achievement in this resonant true story of decency and empathy in tense times. The film excels in its riveting cat-and-mouse prisoner-swap sequences, strong performances and period craftsmanship. [Read](https://deadline.com/2015/10/bridge-of-spies-review-steven-spielberg-tom-hanks-coen-brothers-cold-war-thriller-1201568373/) - **Den of Geek**, David Crow (4/5): The review praises the film as a timely, intellectually engaging Cold War thriller with masterful set pieces and strong performances from Hanks and Rylance. It singles out the recreation of the U-2 plane incident and the Berlin Wall sequence for their visual impact and tension. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/bridge-of-spies-review/) - **Collider**, Perri Nemiroff (B): The critic finds it a quality, entertaining film with strong performances from Hanks and Rylance and impressive technical work, but criticizes it for being too glossy and upbeat, lacking deeper emotional connection or decision-making depth from the protagonist's perspective. [Read](https://collider.com/bridge-of-spies-review/) - **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (65/100, inferred): The film plays intelligently and suspensefully in its first half as a parable on civil liberties but gives in to mawkishness with multiple overdone endings. It is buoyed by strong performances from Hanks and Rylance plus skillful period direction and cinematography. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/bridge-of-spies-review-tom-hanks-steven-spielberg-mark-rylance/) - **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (3/5): The critic praises Spielberg's accomplished direction of this archetypal thriller and Hanks' balanced performance but finds the film disengaging overall due to a convoluted narrative that prevents emotional investment. The visual style is singled out for praise as an indelible bleak aesthetic that captures the era. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/bridge-of-spies-review/) - **/Film**, Angie Han (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film disappointingly thin for reducing moral complexities to clear-cut heroism and sanitizing historical prisoner treatment into an uncomplicated tale, though Hanks and Rylance deliver strong performances. The refusal to engage with ambiguity robs the story of its power. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/540298/bridge-of-spies-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Steven Spielberg - **Director:** Steven Spielberg - **Writer:** Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Matt Charman - **Cinematography:** Janusz Kamiński - **Editor:** Michael Kahn - **Music:** Thomas Newman - **Production design:** Adam Stockhausen - **Costume design:** Kasia Walicka Maimone - **Producer:** Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt, Kristie Macosko Krieger - **Cast:** Tom Hanks as James B. Donovan; Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel; Amy Ryan as Mary Donovan; Alan Alda as Thomas Watters Jr.; Sebastian Koch as Wolfgang Vogel; Austin Stowell as Francis Gary Powers; Billy Magnussen as Doug Forrester; Michael Simon Hall as Reporter - **Runtime:** 2h 21m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 16 October 2015 - **Genres:** Thriller, Drama - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2015); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2015) - **Budget:** $40 million - **Box office:** $165 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owhBnicLZt4 ## Where to watch in the US Not streaming, renting or buying in the US at the last check. Also available in: AE, AT, AU, BE, BG, CH, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IL, IT, JP, LT, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, SE, UA, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2016: Best Original Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (won) ## If you liked this - *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy* (2011), Fi1m 84: The same era with all the decency drained out; Gary Oldman barely speaks. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy.md) - *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: East Berlin from the inside, with Sebastian Koch on the other end of the wire. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md) - *The Spy Who Came in from the Cold* (1965): Richard Burton crosses the wall for a swap of his own, and nobody is noble. - *Lincoln* (2012), Fi1m 82: Spielberg’s other film about grinding a good result out of bad-tempered men in rooms. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/lincoln.md) - *Barbara* (2012): A quiet East German doctor, watched constantly; Petzold trusts silence more than Spielberg does. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/bridge-of-spies