--- title: "Page Eight" year: 2011 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/page-eight" fi1m_id: "page-eight" imdb_id: "tt1797469" tmdb_id: 73358 wikidata_id: "Q3006996" fi1m_score: 70 critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 12 published: "2026-10-07T16:01:04.383490+00:00" updated: "2026-10-07T16:01:18.829995+00:00" region: "AU" 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." --- # Page Eight (2011) Directed by David Hare · 1h 39m · Mystery, Thriller, Drama ## Identity Page Eight - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/page-eight - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** page-eight - **IMDb ID:** tt1797469 - **TMDB ID:** 73358 - **Wikidata ID:** Q3006996 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1797469/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/73358, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3006996 **Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 72 from 12 reviews *In a sentence:* Everyone in Whitehall is lying and Bill Nighy is the only one doing it with any style > David Hare’s spy film is a chamber piece dressed as a thriller: Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon and Ralph Fiennes talking well in handsome rooms about a file nobody wants. The talk is the pleasure; the plot underneath is thin, and the ending lands softly. ## Synopsis Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy), a long-serving British spy, lives alone in a riverside London flat with his paintings and his jazz records. His oldest friend and colleague, Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon), hands him a file and tells him to read it with care. Page eight suggests that Alec Beasley (Ralph Fiennes), a politician at the very top of government, has known for years about things Johnny’s own people were never told. Johnny’s daughter Julianne (Felicity Jones) is about to open an exhibition and barely speaks to him. A neighbour, Nancy Pierpan (Rachel Weisz), knocks on his door late one night with a question she will not let go of. Johnny, who has spent a career not asking questions, has to decide what to do with what he now knows. ## Review David Hare writes and directs, and he has made a spy film in which nobody runs. *Page Eight* is 99 minutes of clever people talking in good rooms about a document. The document is the whole plot: a file whose eighth page suggests that a man at the top of the government has known for years about things his own people were never told. The talk is good. The thriller is thin. If you can take the first without minding the second, it is a fine evening. Bill Nighy plays Johnny Worricker, a spy of long service who collects paintings, listens to jazz and has outlasted a marriage or two. Nighy does almost nothing and it is enough. He tilts his head, waits a beat longer than anyone else in the scene, and answers a direct question with a question of his own. When a younger colleague, Ralph Wilson (Tom Hughes), asks what he actually believes, Nighy lets the pause run and then asks Wilson the same question back. Around him Hare has gathered actors who can say a Hare sentence. Michael Gambon’s Benedict Baron, the old friend who hands Johnny the file, is the best of them: two men over a drink, each knowing how much the other is not saying, Gambon playing the weariness as affection. Ralph Fiennes gives Alec Beasley, the man the file is about, a smile that arrives before the words and leaves after them; he has perhaps three scenes and owns each. Judy Davis’s Jill Tankard is brisk, ambitious and plainly cleverer than her lines admit, and Saskia Reeves’s Anthea Catcheside has one meeting with Johnny that says more about how government is actually done than most films manage in two hours. Martin Ruhe shoots London in autumn light, grey river and brown leaves, and keeps the camera still so that the faces do the moving. Cristina Casali gives Johnny a flat full of pictures and books, and gives the offices glass, pale wood and nothing on the walls. Julian Day puts Nighy in narrow dark suits and Rachel Weisz in long coats the colour of the Thames. Paul Englishby’s score stays low, brushed drums and a lone horn, as if it were coming from Johnny’s own record player. Jinx Godfrey cuts the conversations without hurry, holding on the listener as often as the speaker. The trouble is everything that is not the file. Weisz’s Nancy Pierpan, the neighbour who knocks late at night wanting something from him, is written to stand for something, and Weisz, who can do a great deal with a little, is given little that is hers. Felicity Jones’s Julianne, the daughter who barely speaks to him, is there to tell us Johnny has failed at home as well as at work, and then she is gone. Ewen Bremner’s Rollo Maverley gets one good scene and a plot function. We felt the slackness around the hour mark, when the film leaves the offices for private lives it has not bothered to furnish, and we found ourselves waiting for Gambon or Fiennes to come back. They do not come back enough. And yet there is a scene, early, with Johnny alone in his flat after bad news, a record on and a glass in his hand, that moved us more than we expected, and we can say why. Nothing happens in it. Nighy sits, Ruhe holds the shot, and Englishby’s horn comes in under him. For a minute and a half we are watching a man who has spent his life not saying things, and we can see him not saying this one. The best spy films make betrayal cost lives. Here the cost is to careers and consciences, and the pressure never rises above the level of a difficult meeting. Hare wants to say something about what governments keep from their own people, and he says it mainly through people disagreeing politely over whisky. The ending we will not describe, except that it arrives quietly and lets go of the thriller the film had been half-heartedly running. Most critics have been a little warmer than us, and we see why: it is rare to hear this many good actors given this much good talk. Watch it at home, where it was made to be watched, on a wet evening, with the sound up enough to catch the second half of Nighy’s sentences. It will not quicken your pulse. *Fi1m score 70, published 7 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics like Page Eight, and the praise gathers in two places: Bill Nighy and David Hare’s dialogue. The warmer reviews call it a classy, intelligent spy drama, led by character rather than chases, and nearly all of them note how well the cast handles Hare’s clipped, witty lines. Nighy’s performance is the single most praised element, with Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes and Michael Gambon mentioned alongside him, and the scenes between Nighy and Gambon singled out more than once. The reservations are about pace and payoff. Variety finds it short on urgency and thinks The Ghost Writer did this better. The AV Club enjoys the film but finds the ending anticlimactic, and Den of Geek calls it stylish yet emotionally sterile, with a weakly drawn Israel-Palestine subplot. Time Out, while approving, finds Hare’s writing mannered. The lone negative, Eye for Film, calls it undercooked and episodic while still admiring the cast. The spread is fairly narrow: mild approval to warm, with one outlier. ## Straight answers **Is Page Eight worth watching?** *Page Eight* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys clever people talking in good rooms, and we scored it 70. Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon and Ralph Fiennes are given David Hare's best sentences and say them beautifully. The thriller underneath is thin, the private lives are sketched, and the ending lands softly, so it will not quicken your pulse. **How long is Page Eight, and what is it rated?** *Page Eight* runs 1h 39m. It is a mystery and thriller film. **Where can I watch Page Eight in Australia?** *Page Eight* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from A$3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Page Eight, and is it suitable for children?** *Page Eight* carries a UK 15 certificate but contains almost no violence; nobody runs and nobody is shot, and the pressure never rises above a difficult meeting. The certificate reflects adult language and themes rather than anything frightening. It is unsuitable for children only in that they would be bored by 99 minutes of talk about a file. **How does Page Eight compare to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy?** *Page Eight* is the lighter and shorter of the two, a 99-minute chamber piece in which betrayal costs careers rather than lives, where [*Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*](https://film.one/tv/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-1979) is seven hours of Alec Guinness listening until the cost becomes real. The earlier serial is the better work and asks for more patience. Choose Hare's film for an evening and le Carré's for a week. **What should I watch after Page Eight?** After *Page Eight*, try [*Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*](https://film.one/tv/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-1979) (1979, Fi1m 88): Alec Guinness does the same slow, listening work over seven hours, and the cost is real. Then [*Three Days of the Condor*](https://film.one/film/three-days-of-the-condor) (1975, Fi1m 80): A reader of files who learns too much, in a decade that still ran; and [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) (2006, Fi1m 84): Surveillance as a moral problem for the man doing it, told from East Berlin. ### Reviews we read (12) - **Evening Standard**, Nick Roddick (90/100, inferred): Roddick calls the film an enthralling, intelligent political thriller and a standout exposé of British establishment power. He especially praises Bill Nighy’s deeply moving performance and David Hare’s sharp, funny dialogue. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/page-eight-the-best-cinematic-expose-of-how-the-british-establishment-operates-7425405.html) - **The Guardian**, Phil Hogan (90/100, inferred): Hogan considers Page Eight an effortlessly good, classy spy drama and hopes its protagonist will return. He singles out the performances of Bill Nighy and Rachel Weisz, alongside the film’s lean dialogue and measured storytelling. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/sep/04/page-eight-conspiracy-files-tv-review) - **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Lloyd (85/100, inferred): Lloyd finds the thriller a rewarding, character-focused drama with sharp political themes. He especially praises Bill Nighy’s performance, the ensemble cast, and David Hare’s precise dialogue. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2011-nov-05-la-et-1105-page-eight-20111105-story.html) - **Time Out**, Gabriel Tate (4/5): The review finds David Hare’s writing both pithily inspired and frustratingly mannered. It singles out the screenplay’s writing for praise, while noting its mannered side. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/page-eight) - **The AV Club**, Meredith Blake (70/100, inferred): Blake finds the film an engaging, intimate take on espionage, though its conclusion feels inadequate and anticlimactic. She praises David Hare’s concise, witty writing and the cast’s delivery. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/page-eight-1798170320) - **Variety**, Charles Gant (65/100, inferred): Gant finds it an enjoyable, polished spy drama but says it lacks urgency and compares unfavorably with The Ghost Writer. He praises the cast’s delivery of the pithy dialogue. [Read](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/page-eight-1117945486/) - **Screen Daily**, Allan Hunter (64/100, inferred): The review’s verdict is unavailable because the article is paywalled. Its praise or complaint cannot be determined from the visible text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/page-eight/5028920.article) - **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page appears to be a review of Page Eight, but its verdict cannot be assessed from the inaccessible text. No praise or complaint is available to identify. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/arts/television/david-hares-page-eight-on-pbs-review.html) - **HeyUGuys**, Steven Neish (4/5): The review finds the film thoroughly enjoyable and engaging, despite its low-key thrills and uneven writing. It praises the chemistry and witty exchanges between Bill Nighy and Michael Gambon. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/eiff-2011-page-eight/) - **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (65/100, inferred): The review finds Page Eight cerebral and stylish, but emotionally sterile, while still calling it a treat for television. It praises Bill Nighy’s droll performance and the sharp dialogue, while faulting the Israel-Palestine subplot as weakly drawn. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/page-eight-review/) - **The Playlist** (64/100, inferred): The URL identifies this as a TIFF review, but the page content is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. The headline characterizes the film as a talky spy picture set against changing realities; no specific praise or complaint is accessible. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/tiff-11-review-page-eight-a-talky-spy-pic-pitting-old-school-sensibilities-against-new-realities-20110914/) - **Eye for Film**, David Graham (40/100, inferred): The review finds the film classy and serviceable but ultimately undercooked and lacking impact. It praises the cast, especially Ralph Fiennes, while faulting the strained relationships and episodic pacing. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/page-eight-film-review-by-david-graham) ## Details - **Director:** David Hare - **Director:** David Hare - **Writer:** David Hare - **Cinematography:** Martin Ruhe - **Editor:** Jinx Godfrey - **Music:** Paul Englishby - **Production design:** Cristina Casali - **Costume design:** Julian Day - **Producer:** David Barron, David Heyman - **Cast:** Bill Nighy as Johnny Worricker; Rachel Weisz as Nancy Pierpan; Ralph Fiennes as Alec Beasley; Michael Gambon as Benedict Baron; Felicity Jones as Julianne Worricker; Tom Hughes as Ralph Wilson; Judy Davis as Jill Tankard; Rakhee Thakrar as Muna Hammami - **Runtime:** 1h 39m - **First release (the UK):** 28 August 2011 - **Genres:** Mystery, Thriller, Drama ## Where to watch in Australia - Amazon Prime Video: rent A$3.99, sd - Apple TV: rent A$4.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy A$14.99, hd - Apple TV: buy A$14.99, hd *Checked 2026-10-07.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SK, TH, UA, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy* (1979), Fi1m 88: Alec Guinness does the same slow, listening work over seven hours, and the cost is real. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-1979.md) - *The Ghost Writer* (2010): A British Prime Minister, an American secret and a tighter grip on the thriller. - *Three Days of the Condor* (1975), Fi1m 80: A reader of files who learns too much, in a decade that still ran. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/three-days-of-the-condor.md) - *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: Surveillance as a moral problem for the man doing it, told from East Berlin. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md) - *Turks & Caicos* (2014): Worricker’s next outing, sunnier and looser, for those who wanted more Nighy. --- © 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/page-eight