Miniseries – The Little Drummer Girl

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Oct 2018

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

76 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

This six-part miniseries, based on John le Carré's best-selling novel of the same name, is a passionate love story set in the late 1970s that weaves a tale of espionage and international intrigue. It follows young, idealistic actress Charlie, whose relationship with the mysterious Becker, an Israeli intelligence officer, leads her into a complex, high-stakes plot devised by spy mastermind Kurtz. She takes on the role of a lifetime as a double agent, and as she is drawn more deeply into a dangerous world of duplicity and compromised humanity, Charlie falls in love with both Becker and Kurtz.

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Critics Consensus

The Little Drummer Girl marches to a steady beat of assured plotting, extraordinary art direction, and a uniformly terrific cast that makes the show's smolderingly slow burn pace bearable.

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Gabriel Tate

The Times (UK)

12/03/2018

4/5

For a thriller it was perhaps too light on thrills, but anyone berating the BBC for a lack of artistry or ambition should take a look at this and think again.

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Alison Herman

The Ringer

11/20/2018

It's Pugh's rendition of Charlie, in all her earnest confusion and unbridled anger, that makes The Little Drummer Girl what it is.

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Vikram Murthi

AV Club

11/20/2018

Writer Michael Lesslie succeeds at shrouding most of the plot in a veil of mystery, purposefully leaving out clarifying details and refusing to spoon-feed character names and historical context for the audience.

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Ruth Maramis

FlixChatter Film Blog

07/13/2021

4.5/5

The one & only John le Carré's adaptation with a female protagonist is brought to life beautifully by the charismatic Florence Pugh. This atmospheric concoction directed by Park Chan-Wook is perhaps the best spy thriller series I've seen so far.

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Luis Caviaro

Espinof

03/04/2019

4/5

Park's hand with suspense and impeccable interpretive work make for an impressive series. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Ernesto Diezmartinez

El Pais (Spain)

01/16/2019

A notable adaptation. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Edward L

@Glyndower Jan 22

Reasonably watchable adaptation of a Le Carre novel with a rather silly plot and generally annoying characters. The series is not helped by Michael Shannon's over the top ham performance. The 1984 film with Diane Keaton is better. Another problem watching this in 2026 is that neither of the political protagonists are sympathetic, Palestinian or Israeli terrorists, a plague on both your houses.

David M

@Masternobody Dec 12

I loved it! The story is a slow burner and you have to focus on storyline to enjoy it. The acting is superb and the suspense builds as it runs into the last episode. My only worry is that because its a complicated and initially a slow story, that people turn off before it gets you hooked. I binged it for 3 days and it was gripping but if I was watching week after week, I might have turned off after first 2 episodes. Personally, I would have made a brilliant film! Florence Pugh is first class.

K Y

Mar 8

Deliciously filmed. Director's cut is better.

Mick G

11/24/2024

Just could not like it. Some of the Actors were great.

Jack D

07/22/2024

Absolutely recommended miniseries! It is mostly slow burn, however it leads to mounting the suspense until the great finale. A classic John Le Carre spy story. If I must find a shortcoming, it is the absence of detail concerning the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. The performances of the cast is superb, however Khalil's rendition is stellar. If you like realistic spy stories don't miss it!

Andy B

@BandyAbbitt 07/02/2023

Addicting. Great acting. Love it.

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Florence Pugh

Charlie Ross

Alexander Skarsgård

Gadi Becker

Michael Shannon

Martin Kurtz

Michael Moshonov

Shimon Litvak

Amir Khoury

Michel

Alexander Beyer

Dr Paul Alexis

Episode 1

Aired Oct 28, 2018

Episode 1 (Uncut)

Charlie, a fiery and brilliant young actress, meets a mysterious stranger on the beach in Greece and he draws her into a high-stakes international espionage operation.

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Episode 2

Aired Nov 4, 2018

Episode 2 (Uncut)

Charlie is recruited with the promise of the role of a lifetime to infiltrate a dangerous revolutionary cell; as a cover story, she and Becker must pose as lovers.

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Episode 3

Aired Nov 11, 2018

Episode 3 (Uncut)

Charlie drives a car laden with explosives to a drop-off in Austria; Kurtz and Becker race to save Charlie from a fatal misstep.

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Episode 4

Aired Nov 18, 2018

Episode 4 (Uncut)

Charlie awaits contact from Michel's network but worries whether her performance will hold up under scrutiny; she and Becker share a last moment together before she crosses the point of no return.

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Episode 5

Aired Nov 25, 2018

Episode 5 (Uncut)

Charlie joins a group of revolutionaries in Lebanon, with no one to save her if she is exposed as a spy; she works to earn the trust of Khalil and Michel's sister, Fatmeh.

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Episode 6

Aired Dec 2, 2018

Episode 6 (Uncut)

Charlie trains to prepare for her part in Khalil's next strike, but it becomes unclear whose side she is on.

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