--- title: "The Little Drummer Girl: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-little-drummer-girl/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-little-drummer-girl" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 15 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." --- # The Little Drummer Girl (2018): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 15 reviews: 12 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like it, and the praise settles in two places: Park Chan-wook’s direction and Florence Pugh’s Charlie. The reviews describe a handsome, operatic and deliberately paced spy drama, with the cinematography, editing and period detail singled out again and again. Pugh is named in nearly every notice as the anchor, her Charlie plausible in her ambiguity, and a few critics judge the series a more successful le Carré adaptation than earlier attempts, including The Night Manager. The reservations cluster around pace and temperature. Even admirers call it stately or sluggish as a thriller, and several find it cold: Vulture thinks it theoretical and bloodless, Collider interesting but short on heart. The Hollywood Reporter goes furthest, finding key roles miscast and the screenplay stripped of le Carré’s political anguish. The spread is wide, from raves to one outright rejection, but the doubters object to the same slowness most critics forgive. ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2018. The critic praises Park Chan-wook's stunning TV debut as director of this John le Carré adaptation, highlighting its allure as a thriller. The performances by the lead cast, including Florence Pugh and Alexander Skarsgård, are singled out for making the spy story compelling. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/the-little-drummer-girl-amc-review-alexander-skarsgard-john-le-carre-1202016910/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 October 2018. The critic finds Park Chan-wook’s stylish direction elevates the Le Carré adaptation into gripping espionage that improves on The Night Manager. Florence Pugh’s pugnacious, intelligent performance as Charlie stands out as the highlight amid the spies and shifting realities. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/oct/29/the-little-drummer-girl-review-what-is-real-john-le-carre) ## The AV Club — Katie Rife Rating B+. 19 November 2018. Park Chan-wook brings a glamorous, operatic and erotically charged take to the spy genre with exquisite direction and visuals that evoke period melodrama. The series is a bit sluggish as a thriller but sublime as auteurist art, with strong performances elevating the meditation on identity and romance. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/park-chan-wook-brings-swooning-romance-to-amc-s-spy-min-1830497901) ## The i Paper Rating ★★★★. 2 December 2018. The series is a serious, dark and downbeat spy saga with a superbly tense climax that proves John le Carré explores the dark side of human nature as well as any novelist. Florence Pugh’s performance as the plausibly ambiguous Charlie anchors the finely-acted human drama at its core. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-little-drummer-girl-bbc1-final-episode-review-229217) ## Empire — Danielle Graph Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2018. With Park Chan-wook at the helm this is a visual treat featuring breathtaking architectural shots and sheer beauty in the cinematography. Florence Pugh delivers a natural and easy performance reminiscent of early Kate Winslet as the actress recruited for espionage. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/little-drummer-girl-review/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2018. The stylish adaptation continues to impress thanks to Park Chan-wook’s direction, rich cinematography and meticulous period detail. Florence Pugh and the cast deliver strong work in this intelligent Le Carré drama, though Charlie’s rapid transformation feels slightly facile. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/little-drummer-girl-review-episode-2-bbc-watch-florence-pugh-alexander-skarsgard-john-le-carre-a8614176.html) ## The Times — Gabriel Tate Rating ★★★★☆. 3 December 2018. The series is absorbing and at times sensational despite stately pacing and some self-indulgent stylings from director Park Chan-wook. Florence Pugh’s Charlie and key encounters deliver strong performances and erotic tension in this handsome production. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/tv-review-the-little-drummer-girl-gun-no-6-qfzlxvx5r) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2018. This is a more successful take on le Carré’s intricate work than the 1984 film, with the long format giving room for complex plotting and the filmmaker’s languid atmospherics. Florence Pugh gives a star-sealing performance in a vehicle that infuses latter-day gender politics into the storytelling. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/tv/reviews/little-drummer-girl-review-amc-alexander-skarsgard-1202979733/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2018. The miniseries is dazzling in its narrative architecture and editing but feels theoretical and bloodless, more interesting conceptually than emotionally involving as a spy story. Florence Pugh delivers a superb lead performance while the rest of the cast is ill-served. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/the-little-drummer-girl-amc-review.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2018. Festival review. This slow-burner lacks the instantly seductive appeal of The Night Manager despite lavish locations and lush visuals, with some key roles feeling miscast and the stretched-out plot dragging in places. The screenplay strips out much of le Carré’s moral and political anguish without adding enough sexy thriller elements. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/little-drummer-girl-review-1152192/) ## Collider — Allison Keene Rating ★★★★. 15 November 2018. The critic finds the miniseries interesting but cold overall, praising Florence Pugh's bold and genuine performance as the central spy while noting the lack of emotional depth and heart despite stylish direction from Park Chan-wook. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-little-drummer-girl-review/) ## The Ringer — Chris Ryan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2018. The critic calls the miniseries a brilliant adaptation that gets John le Carré right, praising its gripping spy thriller elements set against the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while emphasizing the psychological depth and interiority of the characters over mere spycraft. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2018/11/19/tv/the-little-drummer-girl-amc-le-carre-review) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 2018. Park Chan-wook delivers a beautifully crafted, arty and stylised spy drama with compelling performances from the lead cast. The episode establishes a unique, authored visual approach and thematic focus on performance and espionage that promises much for the series. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-little-drummer-girl-episode-1-review/) ## Digital Spy — Cameron K McEwan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 October 2018. The production reeks of quality with stunning visuals, strong direction from Park Chan-wook, and standout performances from Florence Pugh and Michael Shannon. While the pace is deliberate rather than urgent, it delivers depth, intrigue and memorable characters. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a869252/the-little-drummer-girl-episode-1-review-michael-shannon/) ## Paste — Jacob Oller Rating 7.1. 15 November 2018. The critic praises Park Chan-wook's confident direction and visual flair for elevating the series with tension, color, and perspective, while criticizing the slow pace, repetitive romance, and heavy-handed metaphors. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/the-little-drummer-girl/the-little-drummer-girl-amc-alexander-skarsgard-fl) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/the-little-drummer-girl.md