Plush offices, candlelit speakeasies and tasteful walled gardens; such cosy confines feel built for lovers. In Christian Schwochow’s handsome spy thriller, they are the clandestine meeting points for undercover agents. Set in 1938, in the run-up to the second world war, and based on Robert Harris’s 2017 historical novel, it stars a quietly dignified Jeremy Irons as prime minister Neville Chamberlain as he prepares to meet with Adolf Hitler (Ulrich Matthes) to discuss what would become the ill-fated Munich agreement.
Advising, or rather, advising against, is George MacKay’s sombre political aide Hugh Legat, who in turn is fed information by former university pal Paul von Hartman (Jannis Niewöhner), now a German diplomat. MacKay is muted; his character is teased for his reserve, a quality he shares with the film. Niewöhner gives the sparkier performance, as a passionate German nationalist whose loyalty has flipped.
In cinemas now and on Netflix from 21 January
