Red Sparrow is a decent spy drama with a bit of action, worth checking out on DVD or streaming. It plays out more like a drama, so don't be looking for much of a thriller. The script and the acting is decent. It's a little slow in a few different parts and is a little long, but if you like this genre, you should enjoy this one.

I recommend you watch it with subtitles, even if your hearing is fine. It makes it easier to understand and follow.

After I watched the movie, I read some of the reviews to see if they fell in line with my opinion. There are a lot of people hating on this movie for a variety of reasons. Personally, I disagreed with most.

1. It's true they don't speak Russian in the movie. If they did, you would not have these great stars playing the roles and most Americans would not watch a movie mostly subtitled in Russian. The language is rough-sounding and people would not buy tickets. Same with the accents. The typical American is not going to sit for 2:20, listening to thick Russian accents and barely understanding the plot. You get the point without forcing that on the audience. I think, for coherency's sake, it was a smarter move.

2. The violence is hard to watch, but it's not so frequent that it's a major role in the movie. I've certainly seen more in other shows.

3. There is some nudity, but not a lot. If you read the reviews before watching the movie, you'd think it was soft porn. It's not. At all. The few times it's there, t's over in a blink. Maybe 10 blinks. Some people freak out if a penis shows up in a movie. It was a blink. JL shows a boob and her butt for about 5 seconds. She walks around a few more seconds in underwear. It's not a big deal. You would think she got spread eagle for Playboy, doing full-frontal by the way people reacted. I thought maybe I missed something.

4. It's true that it moves a little slow. It's a drama with a little bit of thrills. But not in a bad way.

I recommend it, but - again - only if you like spy dramas - If you are expecting anything else, you will be disappointed.