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ShortList Film Club Screens Spooks: The Greater Good

By Marc Chacksfield

15 April 2015

Here’s some intelligence for you: the ShortList Film Club is back, and it brings with it Spooks: The Greater Good. That means you get to see this fine feature film version of the hugely successful television series (called MI5 in the US) for free. Your luck eagle has well and truly landed.

Fans will know that dispensing of cast members is something Spooks never had an issue with, and the film dispenses with virtually the entire cast from the show, which finished in 2011, though in a less bloodthirsty fashion. It retains just one man, the main man, Peter Firth as Sir Harry Pearce: MI5’s counter-intelligence chief. He’s joined by a corp of fine British acting talent, including Jennifer Ehle, David Harewood, Tim McInnerny and Tuppence Middleton. But his main support comes from Kit Harington as his former protégé, Will Holloway, and Elyes Gabel as charismatic terrorist, Adem Qasim. As two Game Of Thrones alumni, they’re no strangers to a world of betrayal and death.

The story revolves around Qasim’s springing from an MI5 convoy, for which Pearce is blamed. Not content with taking it on the chin, in true Spooks style, he goes rogue to find out what really happened, calling on Holloway to help him. Twists, turns, tension, thrills – all the best Ts are in this film, and a few of you get to watch it for free at one of six screenings around the country.

That’s not the only excellent news. We’re also happy to announce that the ShortList Film Club will be sponsored by Stella Artois for the rest of 2015. The brewer has a fine tradition of supporting less-heralded films and promoting cinema, making it a perfect fit with the Film Club’s ethos. Two reasons to raise a glass. Just remember, beer is best served neither shaken nor stirred.

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