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The Russia House

Play trailer Poster for The Russia House R 1990 2h 3m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
While visiting Moscow, British publisher Barley Blair learns of a manuscript detailing the Soviet Union's nuclear missile capabilities. British intelligence and the CIA consider the book to contain crucial information and recruit Blair to investigate its editor, Katya Orlova. As Blair learns the origin of the manuscript and discovers Russian military secrets, he falls in love with Katya and fights to protect her family.
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The Russia House

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
2/4
To judge by this film, the life of a Cold War spy consists of sitting for endless hours in soundproof rooms with people you do not particularly like, waiting for something to happen. Sort of like being a movie critic. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 02/08/2023
3/4
Connery and Pfeiffer are both excellent, but much of the film’s pleasure comes from watching the consummate pros filling out the roles of various bureaucrats Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 11/11/2022
Visually spectacular, and very well acted. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Alistair Lawrence Common Sense Media 01/05/2022
2/5
An unconvincing love story wrapped inside a spying drama that's as gray as a Moscow winter skyline, this John le Carré adaptation is slow, tedious, and instantly forgettable. Go to Full Review
Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 09/30/2020
2/5
Compelling more so for capturing elements of a certain time and place rather than as a significant treatment of espionage or romantic intrigue, The Russia House fails to stir any real emotional development or excitement. Go to Full Review
Mattie Lucas From the Front Row 06/05/2019
3.5/4
Eschews the chase scenes and shoot-outs usually associated with espionage thrillers for dazzling wordplay, character-driven intrigue, and a strong emotional core, Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Joaquin U @Joaquin1 21h Barely entertaining. A typical Cold War espionage flick. The cast is good, with Connery a bit too old for the role, though he still pulls it off with his usual charm. It drags, and the themes are dated. The Moscow scenery is awesome, one of the main reasons to watch it today, but there's not much more to it. See more Leaburn O @RT35452347 Oct 29 A solid, if seriously unspectacular spy thriller from the very close of the Cold War. It’s about the death of the spy agencies as we knew them and the dawn of a suspicious new era. Has its Le Carre type feel to it, with grey trench coats and lada driving spies. Pfeiffer is the star turn and there’s an awkward bit part from a young Martin Clunes. It’s nothing too impressive but well enough executed to tell a predictable story fairly well. Watched on Amazon Prime. See more Frans B @FransB Aug 20 Brilliant interpretation of a classic Le Carré story. Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer shows amazing chemistry here. Whole cast convincing in character. Great cinematography and settings. Very well written and brought to screen by Fred Schepisi. Timeless classic See more Alain E @AlainE Jul 16 Sadly, overall a waste of good actors and a John le Carre book. See more Merrick S @RT51542740 05/30/2025 This movie is better than the entire pile of Bond flicks. One of the best LeCarre films. Michelle Pfeiffer is stunning and Connery is at the very peak of his powers. Fox and Scheider stand out in a strong cast. Beautifully shot in Moscow. I think the looping structure was off-putting to the pre-Nolan audience. One line of dialogue was a little off (imo) but the Tom Stoppard script is true to the spirit of the novel with many great lines. Better than the entire list of RT's ranked spy movies, except (maybe) for classics like Notorious. Way smarter than Hollywood fare, as the audience reviews indicate. See more Alejandro E @Alex970 02/28/2025 The mysterious contents of a book is the cliché of a thriller that is quite well resolved by its fluid resolution, the performances and the shots of Moscow. Those thirsty for action should perhaps look elsewhere. See more Read all reviews
The Russia House

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The Russia House

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Movie Info

Synopsis While visiting Moscow, British publisher Barley Blair learns of a manuscript detailing the Soviet Union's nuclear missile capabilities. British intelligence and the CIA consider the book to contain crucial information and recruit Blair to investigate its editor, Katya Orlova. As Blair learns the origin of the manuscript and discovers Russian military secrets, he falls in love with Katya and fights to protect her family.
Director
Fred Schepisi
Producer
Paul Maslansky, Fred Schepisi
Screenwriter
Tom Stoppard
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Pathé Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 19, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.6M
Runtime
2h 3m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo