The Night Manager

Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie star in this handsome and compelling British miniseries adapted from John le Carré's titular 1993 novel about illegal arms sales and government complicity. This adaptation updates the setting from the ‘90s drug wars centered on Latin America to the contemporary Middle East of the Arab Spring. Hiddleston is titular night manager Jonathan Pine, a former soldier who has made his professional reputation serving in the most exclusive hotels. That is how he crosses paths with Richard "Dickie" Roper (Hugh Laurie)—an arms dealer to despots—and his ruthlessly efficient entourage, who leave a corpse in their wake. Pine, furious over the death of a woman he tried to protect, agrees to go undercover as a trusted member of Dickie's team, working for a determined British Intelligence agent (Olivia Colman) who is driven to get the evidence needed to shut Dickie down. Pine is a little too good at playing the part of amateur spy, very quick-thinking and icily in control in the most savage situations, and Dickie seems too trusting of a man with suspicious origins. Yet the performances, coupled with the suspenseful direction by Susanne Bier, keeps the viewer riveted, and the handsome production values give the miniseries a gritty glamour. It's a compelling thriller, filled with double agents, double crosses, and plenty of corruption that will appeal to fans of le Carré, modern espionage thrillers, and crisp British crime dramas. Presenting all six episodes in their original, uncut British versions, this is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)