---
title: "The Night Manager"
year: 2016
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-night-manager"
fi1m_id: "the-night-manager"
imdb_id: "tt1399664"
tmdb_id: 61859
wikidata_id: "Q19865538"
fi1m_score: 81
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-11"
updated: "2026-09-15T21:38:44.936611+00:00"
region: "NO"
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 Night Manager (2016)

Created by David Farr · Drama, Mystery, Crime

## Identity

The Night Manager

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/the-night-manager
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** the-night-manager
- **IMDb ID:** tt1399664
- **TMDB ID:** 61859
- **Wikidata ID:** Q19865538
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1399664/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/61859, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19865538

**Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 80 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Hugh Laurie could make an arms deal sound like an invitation to lunch

> We recommend *The Night Manager* for the pleasure of watching Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie size each other up. Susanne Bier makes persuasive entertainment from familiar spy machinery, though the moral complications are disappointingly slight.

## Synopsis

Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) becomes involved with Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie), an arms dealer whose charm helps him move through polite society. Their dealings bring questions of loyalty and trust into a life shaped by money, influence and secrecy. Elizabeth Debicki plays Jed Marshall, alongside Douglas Hodge as Rex Mayhew and David Harewood as Joel Steadman. Adapted by David Farr from John le Carré’s novel, *The Night Manager* follows Pine through a spy story in which intentions are concealed and the people around him have reasons to keep their business private.

## Review

*The Night Manager* is thoroughly enjoyable spy television, with a familiar story given enough care to keep us watching. Susanne Bier directs with confidence, and David Farr’s adaptation of John le Carré puts the pleasure of watching clever people assess one another close to the centre. It is a straightforward proposition, carried off with considerable skill. We recommend it for the actors and the suspense, with a reservation about how readily we can anticipate its plotting.

Tom Hiddleston’s Jonathan Pine is a persuasive guide through it. His charm has a useful restraint: he can hold our attention without constantly signalling that he deserves it. He makes Pine’s decency appealing, and we believe this man could handle himself in complicated company. Bier gives that stillness room, trusting us to notice the effort involved in keeping a reaction private while the other person is watching.

Hugh Laurie gives Richard Roper a more unsettling ease. Playing an arms dealer, he does not need to advertise nastiness every time he appears; his affability is enough to make us wary. We felt uneasy when Laurie smiled, because he made Roper seem entirely at peace with what he sells. That satisfaction makes the scenes with Hiddleston absorbing even when the plot is doing something we recognise.

Michael Snyman’s cinematography makes the expensive surroundings inviting, which is important to the drama. Roper’s life has to look desirable if we are to understand the ease with which people tolerate him. Tom Burton’s production design supports that impression, giving wealth the comfortable familiarity of something its owners barely need to notice. Bier lets us enjoy the glamour, and the images remain clear enough for the actors’ watchfulness to matter within it.

Ben Lester’s editing is most effective when it gives the leads time to weigh each other up. There is suspense in that waiting, even when the likely direction of a scene is apparent. Federico Jusid’s music keeps the unease present without competing with the actors for attention. These are useful disciplines in a spy drama: a conversation can hold us because the programme has taken the trouble to make listening interesting.

Farr’s writing is the main limitation. The supporting characters do not acquire enough independent weight, and the clearer their purpose becomes, the easier the story is to anticipate. Le Carré’s name invites expectations of divided loyalties and uncomfortable choices, but here we can settle on whom to trust fairly quickly. The actors keep suggesting more complicated people than the script supplies, and there are stretches when their efforts make us wish the writing would give them something less familiar to do.

Against the demands of an escapist spy thriller, though, this is assured work. Bier understands the attraction of capable people in dangerous company, and Hiddleston and Laurie give us enough to watch even when we have guessed where the story is going. It is a good choice for an evening when keeping track of a spy plot ought not to require a notebook.

*Fi1m score 81, published 11 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

All nine reviews are positive, though enthusiasm ranges from qualified approval to wholehearted praise. Most critics value The Night Manager as polished spy entertainment, with praise clustering around Susanne Bier’s direction, the glamorous locations and the cast. Hugh Laurie draws particular notice, while Tom Hiddleston’s charm and Olivia Colman’s performance also earn approval.

Reservations centre on familiar plotting and limited character depth: several critics find the series more accomplished in its execution than surprising in its storytelling. Some also miss the moral ambiguity associated with le Carré. The disagreement is chiefly about how much substance accompanies the spectacle. The AV Club finds surface pleasures but little complexity or surprise, whereas Den of Geek praises the plotting and pacing and regards it as substantive spy drama. The consensus is broad approval of the performances and presentation, with less agreement about what lies beneath them.

## Straight answers

**Is The Night Manager worth watching?**

*The Night Manager* is worth watching for anyone who wants an assured, handsome spy thriller carried by Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie sizing each other up, and we scored it 81. The reservation is David Farr's writing: the supporting characters stay thin and we can guess where the story is going. It suits an evening when following a spy plot should not require a notebook.

**Where can I watch The Night Manager in Norway?**

*The Night Manager* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in Norway. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Night Manager, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Night Manager* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not for children, and its US TV-MA rating points the same way. The unease comes less from shown violence than from Hugh Laurie's Richard Roper, an arms dealer entirely at peace with what he sells. Older teenagers used to adult crime drama should cope; younger viewers and the squeamish should look elsewhere.

**How does The Night Manager compare to The Lives of Others?**

*The Night Manager* is the glossier and easier watch, while [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) is the deeper film: surveillance there becomes painfully personal, and its tension sits in small changes of behaviour rather than in glamour and suspense. We admire the German film more, with a caveat that its faith in personal goodness makes a brutal system look too simply understood. Choose the series for escapism and star performances, the film for something that stays with you.

**Is The Night Manager based on a true story or a book?**

*The Night Manager* is based on John le Carré's novel of the same name, adapted for television by David Farr, and is not a true story. We found the adaptation smooths out the divided loyalties le Carré's name promises, so it is easier to anticipate than the source suggests. No knowledge of the book is needed to follow or enjoy it.

**What should I watch after The Night Manager?**

After *The Night Manager*, try [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) (2006, Fi1m 84): Surveillance becomes painfully personal, with small changes in behaviour carrying the tension. Then [*Infernal Affairs*](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs) (2002, Fi1m 87): Two concealed identities turn professional composure into a source of constant dread; and [*The Little Drummer Girl*](https://film.one/tv/the-little-drummer-girl) (2018, Fi1m 76): Another le Carré adaptation that makes recruitment feel dangerously close to seduction.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **IndieWire**, Ben Travers (B+): The critic praises the flawless production, direction by Susanne Bier, and performances, especially Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman, but notes the story feels like a by-the-book spy tale that has become predictable. It succeeds in execution but doesn't break new ground. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/review-the-night-manager-perfectly-tells-a-classic-or-is-it-cliche-story-289748/)
- **The Guardian**, Sam Wollaston (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the BBC adaptation of le Carré's novel skilfully updated and sexed up for television, filling the Sunday-night slot splendidly. Tom Hiddleston is perfect as the charming, self-deprecating Jonathan Pine and Hugh Laurie delivers a splendid performance as the villainous Richard Roper. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/feb/22/the-night-manager-review-bbc-le-carre)
- **Vulture**, Matt Zoller Seitz (80/100, inferred): The miniseries succeeds as escapist entertainment with suspense, glamour, and strong lead performances from Hiddleston and Laurie, directed convincingly by Susanne Bier, though it lacks le Carré's ambiguity. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2016/04/night-manager-succeeds-as-escapist-entertainment.html)
- **The AV Club**, Zack Handlen (B): The series is elegant and well-acted with strong performances from Hiddleston, Laurie, and Colman, offering surface pleasures and Le Carré hallmarks, but lacks depth in character complexity and rarely thrills or surprises. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-night-manager-is-elegant-well-chilled-spy-craft-1798187435)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Stephen Dalton (70/100, inferred): The glossy, high-budget miniseries is positioned as a star vehicle for Tom Hiddleston and a mainstream crowd-pleaser with Bond-like appeal, strong on spectacle and the leads' chemistry. Supporting characters feel one-dimensional and plotting obvious at times, but it delivers solid genre entertainment. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/night-manager-berlin-review-867287/)
- **Variety**, Maureen Ryan (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the versatile cast, especially Hugh Laurie's nuanced, magnetic turn as the arms dealer Roper, and the series' timely themes and lush production values. Some plotting feels stretched and undercooked with occasional issues in character chemistry and depth, but the miniseries remains entertaining overall. [Read](https://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/tom-hiddleston-night-manager-review-1201752738/)
- **Collider**, Allison Keene (★★★★★): The miniseries delivers on every front as an engrossing adaptation with strong performances from its leads. The critic singles out the sumptuous direction and juxtaposition of beauty with tension for praise. [Read](https://collider.com/the-night-manager-review-tom-hiddleston/)
- **Den of Geek**, Alec Bojalad (4.5/5): The adaptation is perfectly paced and satisfying with excellent plotting, beautiful visuals, and charming performances, particularly Hiddleston's as a decent and competent hero; it's substantive spy drama. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-night-manager-review/)
- **Paste**, Kristofer Seppala (80/100, inferred): The spy drama mini-series is a fantastic watch that feels like an extended cut of a spy film, with exotic locations, strong character build-up, and elevated pacing and stakes after the slow-burn start. Hiddleston's performance serves as the perfect calling card proving he should be the next James Bond. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/night-manager/the-night-manager-proves-tom-hiddleston-should-be)

## Details

- **Created by:** David Farr
- **Creator:** David Farr
- **Director:** Susanne Bier, Georgi Banks-Davies
- **Writer:** David Farr
- **Novel:** John le Carré
- **Cinematography:** Tim Sidell, Michael Snyman
- **Editor:** Ben Lester, Izabella Curry, Dan Crinnion, Napoleon Stratogiannakis
- **Music:** Federico Jusid
- **Production design:** Tom Burton
- **Costume design:** Signe Sejlund
- **Producer:** Matthew Patnick, Rob Bullock
- **Cast:** Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine; Hugh Laurie as Richard Roper; Diego Calva as Teddy Dos Santos; Camila Morrone as Roxana Bolaños; Douglas Hodge as Rex Mayhew; Elizabeth Debicki as Jed Marshall; Paul Chahidi as Basil Karapetian; David Harewood as Joel Steadman
- **Release (Norway):** 21 February 2016
- **Genres:** Drama, Mystery, Crime
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ZcaKdvML8

## Where to watch in Norway

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming

*Checked 2026-09-11.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Spy Who Came in from the Cold* (1965): For colder espionage, with less comfort about whom we should trust.
- *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: Surveillance becomes painfully personal, with small changes in behaviour carrying the tension. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md)
- *Infernal Affairs* (2002), Fi1m 87: Two concealed identities turn professional composure into a source of constant dread. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/infernal-affairs.md)
- *The Little Drummer Girl* (2018), Fi1m 76: Another le Carré adaptation that makes recruitment feel dangerously close to seduction. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/the-little-drummer-girl.md)
- *Slow Horses* (2022), Fi1m 82: For capable spying conducted by people who have misplaced their dignity. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/slow-horses.md)

---
© 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/tv/the-night-manager