If you're craving the release of Slow Horses season 4, Netflix has the perfect spy movie for you while you wait and it even stars Gary Oldman.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy sees Gary Oldman play spy catcher George Smiley in this riveting thriller, based on John le Carré's classic novel and released in 2011. On the surface Smiley and Oldman's Slow Horses’ character, Jackson Lamb, share many similarities. They're both spy chiefs with a long history in espionage who are damaged by their past failings and face bosses who are trying to oust them. It's fair to say, though, that Smiley has rather better table manners than Lamb and he certainly farts less audibly!
The movie opens with Smiley being removed from the Secret Service along with his boss Control (John Hurt). But Smiley is secretly brought back into its ranks to hunt for a Soviet mole at the heart of British intelligence.
Helped by younger agent Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley aims to find out who leaked details of an operation in Hungary that led to British spy Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) being shot.
Smiley must discover if the traitor is the power-hungry Tinker (Toby Jones), the dapper Tailor (Colin Firth), the reliable Soldier (Ciarán Hinds) or the Hungarian Poor Man (David Dencik).
Like Slow Horses, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy boasts a wonderful script that keeps you hooked right up to the big reveal of who the traitor is.
Smiley has his moments, but he doesn't quite have the sharp wit of Lamb. But both parts see Gary Oldman on top form and if you're looking for something to fill a void before Slow Horses returns then you should certainly catch this thriller while it's available on Netflix. It really does have an incredible cast. We've not even mentioned that Tom Hardy turns up as a spy with a huge secret who eventually becomes the bait in Smiley's trap to catch the traitor. The film was widely critically acclaimed and ended up topping the British box office for three weeks in a row.
While it's a great movie, it doesn't quite reach the heights of the BBC's 1970 series. That featured a remarkable performance by Sir Alec Guinness as Smiley, which is why it made our Top 100 TV shows of all-time list.
As for Slow Horses season 4, it's likely to air on Apple TV Plus in late 2024. And the makers have teased that the new season opens "with a bombing that detonates personal secrets, rocking the already unstable foundations of Slough House".
