Red Sparrow brings the world of espionage to you in a gritty, hard-hitting way that reminds one of the cold-war, as if, as one of the characters in the film remarks, never really ended.

The relatively low rating of the film prepared one to go with moderate expectations, but the story-line is complex, has enough twists and turns to keep one occupied through, with lots of focus on details. The premise of the search for a mole within the Russian intelligence establishment is interesting to begin with, and as one gets deeper into the lives of the protagonists, the difficult choices they face, and the compromises they end up making, it's pure cinematic joy. Can't imagine how we ended up with a 6.6 rating here.

Jennifer Lawrence really gets into the role of Dominika. We feel her pain, we cringe at her disgust, and her fear makes us scared too. If anything, it's worth watching the movie only for her, but no, we get more, much more, ably supported by Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons , Ciaran Hinds, Joely Richardson. Last, but not the least, I like the portrayal of her uncle, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. His response, at the end, when the truth is revealed, is priceless.

A must-watch.