Review of The Little Drummer Girl

Just as my summary above says: this six-episode spy mini-series is rather slow to get going, but somewhere around the 4th episode it becomes quite compelling and you don't want to stop it; the last two episodes are certainly the best (the finale is graced with a commanding performance by an actor who I won't name but you'll know who I'm talking about if you see it - and no, it's not the more famous one!). The most intriguing aspect of the show is the thin line separating "acting" from reality - so real, in fact, that sometimes even the people who are "acting" don't know which side of the fence they're sitting on. Florence Pugh is outstanding throughout, and Alexander Skarsgard is fine, but I personally found Michael Shannon's performance (and moustache!) a little too mannered in its 1970s perfection. *** out of 4.