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‘The Key to Rebecca’ (1985): Intrigue & suspense powers indie spy miniseries

Not-bad-at-all mid-80s indie miniseries, based on the international bestseller.

By Paul Mavis

CBS DVD and Paramount have released The Key to Rebecca , the 1985 miniseries from Taft Entertainment, Operation Prime Time Productions, David Lawrence Productions, and Castle Combe Productions (originally syndicated here in the U.S. by Worldvision). Based on Ken Follett’s best-selling WWII espionage thriller, and starring Cliff Robertson, David Soul, Season Hubley, Anthony Quayle, Robert Culp (as, um…Field Marshal Erwin Rommel), David Hemmings, and (gulp) Lina Raymond, The Key to Rebecca offers a decent amount of suspense (and even some surprisingly kinky sex) amid the solid performances. Fans of spy flicks and ‘80s miniseries will like this one.

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The North African desert, 1941. German military intelligence officer Alex Wolff (David Soul) collapses in the fiery desert, still clutching his two suitcases. Fortunately, he does so near the camp of his bedouin cousin, Ishmael (Terry Raven). Revived, Wolff tells Ishmael to guard one of his suitcases with his life, before he sets off again towards Egypt and Cairo. Given a lift into Asyut by a suspicious British officer, Captain Newman (Richard Gibson), who doubts Wolff’s claim he abandoned a car out in the desert, Wolff kills the aide assigned to watch him, when the aide discovers Wolff’s suitcase is stuffed with cash.

Captain Newman reports this crime to Cairo British intelligence officer Major William Vandam (Cliff Robertson), an American who joined the British forces when his wife was killed in a Luftwaffe bombing raid. Vandam’s mystery thriller-loving young son, Billy (Charlie Condou), lives with him, watched over by faithful servant, Gaafar (Marne Maitland). Vandam’s buffoonish superior, Colonel Bogge (Ellis Dale), cares more about cricket than a soldier’s murder, but crafty Vandam smells something: why would a man walk through 400 miles of desert to come to Cairo?

Now in Cairo, dressed as an Arab (Wolff’s father was Arab; his mother European), Wolff contacts insanely hot belly dancer Sonja El Aram (Lina Raymond), an old flame. His request is simple: conduct an affair with a British officer so he can access the British plans for defending Tobruk and Northern Africa. She agrees…as long as Wolff finds her another woman to join them in bed.

Meanwhile, Major Vandam is also recruiting for the cause. Former prostitute Elene Fontana (Season Hubley) wants to get to Palestine…but she has no means of support when her latest “benefactor” is busted for black-market dealing. Vandam offers her money and ticket out of Cairo in exchange for any information on Wolff. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game as Vandam desperately tries to find the elusive Wolff, who continues to steal information from Sonja’s lover, Major Smith (David Hemmings), handing Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (Robert Culp) victory after victory, with the ultimate prize being Nazi control of North Africa.

I do remember watching The Key to Rebecca back in 1985, primarily because I had a huge thing for Season Hubley (I saw Vice Squad at this little art house theater like, 5 times). For someone who watched way too much TV his whole life, an independent miniseries like The Key to Rebecca was also “must-see” programming, precisely because it wasn’t a “Big Three” network offering.

Growing up in the pre-cable era, I was fortunate to have a giant Channel Master antenna that picked up independent stations like Channel 50 in Detroit, where I could catch the really “cool” programs that weren’t featured on my local Toledo stations (stuff like The Avengers reruns, Bill Kennedy at the Movies , Sir Graves Ghastly , and of course, The Ghoul ).

I’m positive my experience wasn’t isolated. When an unfamiliar TV movie or miniseries obviously not originating from the networks popped up in a local TV listing, a savvy television watcher took particular note. In the mid-70s, when advertising rep Al Masini had the brilliant idea to link up un-affiliated independent TV stations (stations that weren’t owned by, or locked into “Big Three” contracts) and create a temporary “network” of sorts that featured independently-produced, first-run shows that could compete for network advertising dollars, the “Operation Prime Time” consortium was invented. The consortium’s first effort, 1977’s Testimony of Two Men , from the Taylor Caldwell novel, rocked the indie stations’ ratings books, and for the next ten years, a steady stream of miniseries, movie events, and TV series flowed out to viewers looking for something different on the tube (original programming for cable networks and stations would eventually make the OPT business model obsolete).

By The Key to Rebecca ’s 1985 premiere date, though, its kind of big-scale indie miniseries production wasn’t nearly as unique or even noteworthy to TV viewers as it had been just a few years prior (I remember it just appearing in the local listings, with no promo push). VHS renting/recording was changing how we watched TV, and original cable programming was beginning to explode, so something like The Key to Rebecca could easily have gotten lost with viewers. I couldn’t find any solid info on how well The Key to Rebecca did in its markets, but as Follett himself stated, the miniseries’ relatively paltry budget of only $5 or $6 million doesn’t seem to indicate that anyone thought this was going to be a blockbuster (eight years before, with OPT’s most notorious production, The Bastard —yes, there actually was a time in America when such a title for a TV show sparked outrage, with local newspapers refusing to advertise the name—the budget was over $3 million).

Certainly the casting didn’t seem designed to get people talking. Already-peaked leading men Cliff Robertson (long-past A-level on the big screen, and in the midst of a mild character actor comeback, after the Begelman outrage) and David Soul (with two recent high-profile series failures under his belt: The Yellow Rose and the notorious NBC Casablanca reboot), along with a leading lady whose name meant absolutely nothing in terms of ratings’ draw, didn’t signal high expectations (OPT would release only two more minis after The Key to Rebecca , before ceasing operation).

Most certainly, the biggest draw for potential The Key to Rebecca viewers back in ’85, was Ken Follett’s name. His novel had sold millions of paperbacks since its publication in 1980, so it was smart of the movie’s producers to stick as closely as they could to the author’s original storyline. Based, very loosely , on the exploits of real-life German spy Johannes Eppler, The Key to Rebecca ’s mix of history-based wartime espionage and romantic/sexual politics was a potent combination, and a natural for a miniseries adaptation (truth be told, “miniseries” is stretching it a bit, when there are only 2 parts to this, running a little over 3 hours total without commercials. “Long movie” is more like it).

Distractions do come from the relative cheapness of The Key to Rebecca (Rommel’s Panzer corps is one truck and one Volkswagen “Thing”), a poor, derivative musical score (composer J.A.C. Redford helps himself to some barely-altered cues from Patton and Vertigo), and the necessity (back then) for a largely head-and-shoulders visual schematic. And if things drag just a bit at times during the 194 minutes (all those repetitive scenes between Robertson and his kid, for starters), a bit of suspenseful subterfuge or some action or some teasing sexuality—along with several good performances—jolt The Key to Rebecca back onto the rails.

None of the characters or themes in The Key to Rebecca are terribly unique or original, but they are dealt with in an admirably tart, straight-forward manner. Wolff, the dashing, handsome anti-hero we’re supposed to root for, (even though we know we shouldn’t) remains an amoral killer without redemption, thankfully. As the movie progresses, he becomes less “romantic” (in the heroic sense) in our eyes, and thoroughly more loathsome…as he should.

Robertson’s Army major is just as ruthless in his mission (he repeatedly puts lover Elene in harm’s way, and even risks his son’s life, when Bill is taken hostage by Wolff, until he can gain a better advantage at stopping the spy), and just as manipulative in terms of sexual blackmail. Wolff appeals to Sonja’s grosser, base needs (her love of rich, expensive foods and wine, as well as constant sex), forcing her to make love again and again to the British officer so he can steal secrets, with Wolff’s abandonment (he left her once before, for 3 years) as punishment if she doesn’t.

Vandam is no different, coldly telling Elene to “do another man” if she has to, to survive in Cairo, before convincing her that if she wants rent money and a ticket to Palestine…she has to do “whatever it takes” to get Wolff to take her back to his place (so Vandam can find his radio and the code “key”). Follett (or perhaps more accurately, screenwriter Samuel Harris) gives us an “out” for Vandam, a reason to distinguish him from Wolff, by having him be first, genuinely sorry that Elene has to do this; then, telling her it isn’t necessary for her to go with Wolff one last time, when she begs off. He’s now in love with her, and doesn’t want to risk her life—something Wolff would never understand.

It’s actually Elene who insists on one last stab at nabbing Wolff, hoping to prove her love to Vandam, while also showing her loyalty to the cause in helping to defeat the approaching Germans. She’s even willing to play the game all the way down the line, stripping down and having sex with Wolff…and with Sonja, too, when she joins the couple in bed (a palpably erotic scene, with some then-titillating frontal nudity—a rarity, still, for 1985 non-cable TV). That’s an aspect of The Key to Rebecca that I wish had been explored more thoroughly: Elene’s barely-acknowledged attraction to the dangerous, seductive…but also charming and romantic Wolff, and her fear of seeing him again after their first “date.” That’s clearly how Hubley and Soul play their romantic scene together, shot on a moonlit bridge. However the script, unfortunately, doesn’t elaborate any further on this interesting twist for the Elene character.

Thanks to The Key to Rebecca ’s extended format, there’s plenty of time for us to see these relatively complex characters intertwine. Fortunately, the conventions of the wartime espionage drama aren’t ignored, either. The mystery itself is surprisingly suspenseful; the tension of whether or not Wolff will be captured is sustained reasonably well throughout the movie, with director David Hemmings (yes, the actor, who also plays Major Smith) knowing how to stage an exciting sequence when called for. Amid the throat cuttings and broken bottles to the face, there’s a lovely-shot chase through dark, empty Arab streets, with menacing shadows and tight cuts and edits that’s a nice treat (director Hemmings saves his most showy tricks for, of course, his own on-camera death scene, via a knifing in a tub. We see his assailant up through the bloody water).

The cast, for the most part, is spot-on. 60-year-old Cliff Robertson may look a bit frazzled around the edges, but he has that old-timey, big-screen leading man weight and assurance that makes his Major Vandam character instantly authoritative. David Soul, looking jackal-lean and muscular, is particularly smooth and silky in his villainy, convincing us that he could equally and sincerely charm (or is it sincere?) hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold Elena, as much as he could enjoy sexually blackmailing perverse Sonja…or shoot Vandam’s son at the blink of an eye. Critics today will say old pro Anthony Quayle’s brief-but-jaunty portrait of an Arab thief is “racist,” but then everything , including “nude stockings,” is racist today, so who cares? He’s a pleasure, as always.

The Key to Rebecca almost becomes camp when hilariously self-important actor Robert Culp shows up as no less than Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, complete with a German accent that wouldn’t have got him past the Hogan’s Heroes ’ casting door: “Perhapsz zats iz vhy zey loze battlez zan winz zem” (what in god’s name were the producers thinking here?). Camp does arrive, thank god, when painfully luscious Lina Raymond slithers on screen, her overripe body perfectly objectified by director Hemmings. She gives The Key to Rebecca a carnal, comedic jolt that’s much needed over the long haul (her scenes with Hemmings—“Don’t bite! Please don’t bite, Sonja!” are laugh-out-loud amusing). As for Season Hubley, she has the requisite good looks to be a believably desirable spy (she’s a wow, curled up nude on Robertson’s couch, with her shiny dark hair and piercing blue eyes). And you buy she’s a tough cookie who before has had to barter and trade her sex with men. What I always find interesting with Hubley is her tangible vulnerability. Whether its personal or professional, it unmistakably comes through the camera lens, lending her scenes a weight that isn’t warranted, frankly, in the script or direction. Her turn here is one of the best small surprises in the adroit spy meller, The Key to Rebecca .

(This article originally appeared at DrunkTV.net .)

PAUL MAVIS IS AN INTERNATIONALLY PUBLISHED MOVIE AND TELEVISION HISTORIAN, A MEMBER OF THE ONLINE FILM CRITICS SOCIETY, AND THE AUTHOR OF THE ESPIONAGE FILMOGRAPHY. Click to order.

Read more of Paul’s TV reviews at Drunk TV . Read Paul’s film reviews at Movies & Drinks .

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Ken Follett’s Classic ‘The Key to Rebecca’ Remains One of the Best Espionage Books Ever Written [REVIEW]

February 8, 2018 by Jathan Fink Leave a comment

In the midst of World War II, a Nazi spy plots the downfall of the British in Egypt in Ken Follett’s classic thriller, The Key to Rebecca. (Photo by Tom Beazley/courtesy aussiejeff, Flickr)

Although we primarily feature new fiction on our site, every now and again we like to revisit a classic. Pulling an oldie but a goodie off the shelf and dusting it off to re-read it is akin to having brunch with an old friend to reminisce about cherished memories. And sometimes we simply feel like digging into a favorite author’s past works, ones me may have missed the first time around. That is what happened with Ken Follett’s classic,  The Key to Rebecca. 

Originally published 38 years ago, Follett’s World War II espionage novel,  The Key to Rebecca , is still as compelling as it was way back in 1980. Set in 1942 Egypt when Rommel seemed undefeatable, the story begins as the Nazi’s master spy, Alex Wolff, crosses the blazing hot Sahara to enter Cairo unnoticed, determined to steal British military plans and radio them back to headquarters using a secret code contained within the pages of Daphne du Maurier’s gothic novel,  Rebecca. 

Almost from the moment he enters Egypt, the Brit’s Major Vandam is on Wolff’s heals, eager to catch the spy who eludes him at every turn. As Rommel’s troops draw closer to victory, Vandam relies on a beautiful woman named Elene Fontana to win Wolff’s trust and lure the spy into the open. But will they be able to accomplish their mission in time, or will the Third Reich finally defeat the British on Egyptian soil? This story keeps readers guessing until the final nailbiting showdown between Wolff and Vandam.

Like many of Follett’s books, including his meaty bestsellers  The Pillars of the Earth  and  A Place Called Freedom ,  The Key to Rebecca  is rich with captivating historical detail that only adds to the flavor of the book and leaves readers with a better understanding about what World War II was like in the heat of North Africa. The book is also populated with a colorful cast of characters that are simultaneously authentic, arresting, and majorly flawed. Readers are sure to find themselves both fascinated and repelled by enigmatic characters like Sonja, a famous belly dancer with unusual appetites; and Abdullah, a gleefully irreverent and unreliable thief.

The book is filled with so many thrills, it is oddly reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies and those dime store adventure novels from the 1950s, at least in the way that it is fun to read and swarming with twists and turns aplenty. If you like to learn something while you are entertained, then you won’t want to miss Follett’s classic spy thriller tour de force,  The Key to Rebecca . It will have you burning the midnight oil as you stay up late turning pages into the wee hours of the morning until you find out just who wins this epic showdown.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ken Follett

Ken Follett is one of the world’s best-selling novelists. He burst onto the literary scene in 1978 with the Edgar Award-winning  Eye of the Needle , and quickly followed that with four more pulse-pounding thrillers:  Triple ,  The Key to Rebecca ,  The Man from St. Petersburg , and  Lie Down with Lions. 

He also wrote the non-fiction book,  On Wings of Eagles , the true story of how two of Ross Perot’s employees were rescued from Iran during the revolution of 1979.

In 1989, his epic masterpiece about the building of a cathedral during the Middle Ages,  The Pillars of the Earth , was published to critical acclaim and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 18 weeks. In November 2007, it wound up at the top of the New York Times bestseller lists again when it was featured in the Oprah Winfrey Book Club.

More historical novels followed, including  Night Over Water ,  A Dangerous Fortune , and  A Place Called Freedom.  Most recently, he returned to Kingsbridge, the fictional location of the cathedral in  Pillars  with his follow-up novels,  World Without End  and his latest novel,  A Column of Fire.

THE KEY TO REBECCA By Ken Follett 352 pgs. Penguin Books . $16

This book was also adapted as a miniseries starring Cliff Robertson and David Soul in 1985. Watch it below!

https://youtu.be/Cyeo_oABsOA

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Filed under Books , Videos Tagged with Egypt , espionage , Ken Follett , Nazis , North Africa , spies , World War II

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The key to rebecca.

Directed by David Hemmings

A ruthless Nazi spy. A fearless army major. One had a cause. The other, a conscience. Both had a secret worth dying for.

From master storyteller and best-selling author, Ken Follett, comes the exotic spy-thriller based on true events. North Africa, Summer of 1942 — master spy, Alex Wolff is on a mission to send General Erwin Rommel's advancing army the secrets that would unlock the doors to Cairo... and the ultimate Nazi triumph in the war. Wolff's pursuer, Major Vandarn, engages the seductive charm of Elene Fontana to lure him into range for what is to be a startling and explosive confrontation.

Cliff Robertson David Soul Season Hubley Lina Raymond Anthony Quayle David Hemmings Robert Culp Robert Swales Charlie Condou

Director Director

David Hemmings

Original Writer Original Writer

Ken Follett

Taft Entertainment Television

Releases by Date

29 apr 1985, 01 jan 2000, releases by country.

• Physical M DVD

197 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Des Saint ★★★½

I've read all of Ken Follet. This movie falls short of the book but it was a pleasant diversion. I really liked David Soul as Alex Wolff, a more ruthless German version of James Bond.

Review by megasaki ★★½

Ice Cold in Alex meets Laurence of Arabia meets 'Made for TV'.

Review by joelnox ★½

The book this is based on is SO good, this unfortunately is not.

Review by James Bloomfield ★

In late April/early May of 1985, one could have been doing any number of things. You could have been trying ‘New Coke’ for the first time, watching the Eurovision song contest, maybe thinking about how Ronald Reagan’s trip to an SS grave in Germany would go on to inspire the Ramones’ ‘Bonzo Goes to Bitburg.’ Perhaps you were contributing to the No 1 box office placement of ‘Police Academy 2’ or Burt Reynold’s ‘Stick.’ Or you’d recently come home from the excitement (I assume?) of the Air Canada Cup, the World Table Tennis Championships, or the World Snooker Championship finals. Perhaps you were spinning your vinyl copy of the fourth Eurythmics album, ‘Be Yourself Tonight,’ Suzanna Vega’s self-titled debut, or…

Review by John Moroney ★★½

Overlong with a weak actors all around - Cliff Robertson is way to old with a shabby toupee. David Soul is probably best and Lina Raymond(!)'s body should have gotten her more of a career.

The story is interesting but the screenplay is bloated - how many more souk chases are really necessary.

Review by George Doscher ★★½

So so Made for TV movie/mini series based off a really good book. Sorry not buying the scenes with Robert Culp as Rommel in an M3 American half track painted to look German.

Review by johnlease ★★

It suffers from some TV Movie production deficits (and terrible music!). The leads are also weak, with Cliff Robertson, Season Hubley, David Soul and Robert Culp all not very interesting. On the other hand, there are some good performances among the supporting cast, including Ellis Dale, who is excellent as Colonel Bogge, a man just as interested in staging a cricket game as he is in thwarting Field Marshall Rommel.  A good concept, of spies and anti-British Empire advocates conspiring against the English, but it lacks tension and the script is mostly a bore with few bright spots. Can't recommend.     

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The Key to Rebecca

A ruthless Nazi spy. A fearless army major. One has a cause. The other, a conscience. Both had a secret worth dying for. The Key to Rebecca featuring Cliff Robertson and David Soul is streaming with subscription on Prime Video, and available for rent or purchase on Prime Video. It's a drama and romance movie with an average IMDb audience rating of 6.4 (537 votes).

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'The Key to Rebecca' Streaming: How to Watch Anywhere

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Streaming availability last updated: 03:02:08 AM, 09/11/2024 PST

More Information onThe Key to Rebecca

David hemmings.

Maj. William Vandam

Cliff Robertson

Elene Fontana

Season Hubley

Sonja El Aram

Lina Raymond

Anthony quayle.

Gen. Erwin Rommel

Robert Culp

Sgt. Jake Lendenowen

Robert Swales

Billy Vandam

Charlie Condou

Ratings & Reviews

The Reelgood Score is a comprehensive weighted index designed to evaluate movie & TV quality, deriving its value from a blend of Reelgood user engagement, external ratings metrics expressed through content popularity, and user feedback, including ratings such as "loved," "liked," and "disliked." The score is presented on a scale from 1 to 100, where 100 signifies content that is highly esteemed and positively rated within the community.

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The Key to Rebecca Reviews

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CLIFF ROBERTSON IN 'THE KEY TO REBECCA,' A TWO-PART MOVIE

• Share full article

By John Corry

• April 29, 1985

THE KEY TO REBECCA'' is reasonably civilized and moderately entertaining, a good deal short of compelling, but never quite becoming tedious. Cliff Robertson, as a British officer, pursues David Soul, as a Nazi spy, through the alleys and cafes of Cairo. Field Marshall Rommel frets in the desert. The four-hour, two-part movie begins on WPIX, Channel 11, at 8 o'clock tonight.

Part 2 will be shown next Monday night. Tonight's episode will be repeated Thursday at 8 P.M., while the second part will be seen again on May 9.

The movie is adapted from Ken Follett's best-selling novel, leaving out only the character of the young Anwar el-Sadat. Mr. Soul, in a burnoose, trudges across the Sahara. The sun is merciless; his camel collapses. Mr. Soul goes on, carrying a short-wave radio in a suitcase. He is on his way to Cairo, where he will join forces with a belly dancer, slightly kinky, and steal British secrets.

Cut now to Mr. Robertson, their nemesis. On the whole, the movie works best when he is around. Mr. Robertson has presence, as well as a slightly weary charm. He is Major Vandam, an American in the British army, charged with finding spies. He drinks Johnny Walker, rides a motorcycle, and puts up with muddled superiors. He is also kind to his young motherless son.

The tension, such as it is, centers on the search for Mr. Soul. He resumes his prewar liaison with the voluptuous belly dancer, played by Lina Raymond, and with her help entraps David Hemmings, who is a British major. Espionage here is simplicity itself.

Miss Raymond doesn't like Mr. Hemmings (''His touch is like slime,'' she says fiercely) but she gets him into bed immediately after meetings of the general staff. Always he leaves his briefcase, stuffed with military secrets, in the next room. Mr. Soul examines them. In bed, Mr. Hemmings huffs and puffs, while Miss Raymond distractedly rolls her eyes at the ceiling. ''Be gentle, be gentle,'' Mr. Hemmings cries. Actually, this is pretty funny stuff.

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The Key to Rebecca

Written by Ken Follett Review by Melissa Galyon

Originally published more than twenty years ago, The Key to Rebecca is one of Ken Follett’s most famous espionage novels. In the midst of World War II in Cairo, Alex Wolff (codename: Sphinx) returns to his homeland to do a little work for the Nazis. Britain had primary control over the city during this time, and Wolff’s job was to help eject Britain and insert Germany. Wolff, however, didn’t know there’d be two serious opponents in Major William Vandam and Elene Fontana.

Wolff doesn’t do a great job of keeping hidden in town; in fact, he runs into two British soldiers immediately upon entering Cairo. After that, he’s immediately thrown into a game of hide and seek, with plans to submit messages in code to Rommel every night at midnight. He stays with a famous belly dancer, Sonja, on her houseboat and entertains himself with her fantasies to keep him busy for the rest of the time. Vandam and Elene work together to stop Wolff before it’s too late for the British, but Wolff has one more card to play.

This novel was absolutely riveting. Having just read another World War II spy novel, Robert Wilson’s The Company of Strangers , I was tuned into the time and the intensity of the period. I cheered for Vandam and booed Wolff, as expected, and hoped that good would triumph over evil in the end. I can’t wait to read more of Follett’s work.

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The Key to Rebecca (1985) Stream and Watch Online

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Need to watch ' The Key to Rebecca ' on your TV, phone, or tablet? Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the David Hemmings-directed movie via subscription can be a challenge, so we here at Moviefone want to help you out. We've listed a number of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription options - along with the availability of 'The Key to Rebecca' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of how you can watch 'The Key to Rebecca' right now, here are some finer points about the Taft Entertainment Television action flick. Released April 29th, 1985, 'The Key to Rebecca' stars Cliff Robertson , David Soul , Season Hubley , Lina Raymond The movie has a runtime of about 3 hr 17 min, and received a user score of 60 (out of 100) on TMDb, which compiled reviews from 3 experienced users. Curious to know what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "From master storyteller and best-selling author, Ken Follett, comes the exotic spy-thriller based on true events. North Africa, Summer of 1942 — master spy, Alex Wolff is on a mission to send General Erwin Rommel's advancing army the secrets that would unlock the doors to Cairo... and the ultimate Nazi triumph in the war. Wolff's pursuer, Major Vandarn, engages the seductive charm of Elene Fontana to lure him into range for what is to be a startling and explosive confrontation." 'The Key to Rebecca' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Amazon Prime Video , Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and Amazon Video .

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From master storyteller and best-selling author, Ken Follett, comes the exotic spy-thriller based on true events. North Africa, Summer of 1942 — master spy, Alex Wolff is on a mission to send General Erwin Rommel's advancing army the secrets that would unlock the doors to Cairo... and the ultimate Nazi triumph in the war. Wolff's pursuer, Major Vandarn, engages the seductive charm of Elene Fontana to lure him into range for what is to be a startling and explosive confrontation.

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The Key to Rebecca is 12766 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The movie has moved up the charts by 8837 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! but less popular than Agent Revelation.

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THE KEY TO REBECCA

by Ken Follett ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 22, 1980

If they liked it once, they'll love it twice. That's the wise rationale behind Follett's new WW II thriller, which recycles the same basic scenario—now in 1942 Cairo instead of 1944 England—that made Eye of the Needle such a winner. Again the central figure is a Nazi spy with secrets that could change history: Arab-German Achmed, a.k.a. Alex Wolff, is sent to his native Cairo (in the splendid opening, he walks there from Libya) to gather secrets from the British and broadcast them to Rommel in the desert, using pages of du Maurier's Rebecca for a code. And, after a few bumbles (he steals a briefcase full of army menus), Achmed/Alex is a success, thanks to his moll—bisexual, masochistic, Anglo-loathing belly-dancer Sonja; together they lure a wimpy British major into feverish liaisons with Sonja on her houseboat. . . while Alex steals secret papers from his briefcase. So Alex does broadcast to Rommel, who's thus able to win at Tobruk and Mersa Matruh, closing in on Cairo. But someone's after Alex, of course. William Vandam of Army Intelligence, an introverted widower with small son, has picked up the elusive spy's trail—a murder, forged currency—and almost captures him at a nightclub (Alex escapes, knifing Vandam in the face). Vandam's primary plan, however, involves Elene Fontana, an Egyptian-Jewish courtesan (eager for a new life in Palestine) who agrees to pose as a clerk at Alex's favorite grocery. And sure enough, just after getting the secrets of the El Alamein line from the Major (who is graphically drowned), Alex invites Elene to the houseboat for menage a  trois with Sonja. From there on, it's a pure (and pretty corny) Buchanesque chase: Vandam follows them to the boat; Alex grabs Elene and Vandam's little son, racing to where his spare radio is hidden; Vandam (now in love with Elene, and vice versa) pursues, determined to rescue his loved ones and to use Alex's radio to broadcast fake El Alamein info to Rommel. . . . The plotting's fine—except for a half-baked subplot about pro-Nazi nationalists, like young Sadat—and the characterization's serviceable, though lacking the gripping ambiguity of Needle's sympathetic villain. What's special here, however, is Follett's Ambler-ish feel for spying's unglamorous side, his subtle threading-through of the Rebecca motif (Vandam's late wife), his totally lean yet atmospheric narration. Top-notch entertainment—shrewdly paced, cannily crafted.

Pub Date: Sept. 22, 1980

ISBN: 0451207793

Page Count: 352

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1980

MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | THRILLER | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER | GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE

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BOOK REVIEW

by Ken Follett

A CONSPIRACY OF BONES

by Kathy Reichs ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020

Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

A week after the night she chases but fails to catch a mysterious trespasser outside her town house, some unknown party texts Tempe four images of a corpse that looks as if it’s been chewed by wild hogs, because it has been. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her department’s earlier practice ( The Bone Collection , 2016, etc.), she has no intention of calling in Tempe as a consultant and promptly identifies the faceless body herself as that of a young Asian man. Nettled by several errors in Heavner’s analysis, and even more by her willingness to share the gory details at a press conference, Tempe launches her own investigation, which is not so much off the books as against the books. Heavner isn’t exactly mollified when Tempe, aided by retired police detective Skinny Slidell and a host of experts, puts a name to the dead man. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M.E.’s splenetic outbursts. Before he died, it seems, Felix Vodyanov was linked to a passenger ferry that sank in 1994, an even earlier U.S. government project to research biological agents that could control human behavior, the hinky spiritual retreat Sparkling Waters, the dark web site DeepUnder, and the disappearances of at least four schoolchildren, two of whom have also turned up dead. And why on earth was Vodyanov carrying Tempe’s own contact information? The mounting evidence of ever more and ever worse skulduggery will pull Tempe deeper and deeper down what even she sees as a rabbit hole before she confronts a ringleader implicated in “Drugs. Fraud. Breaking and entering. Arson. Kidnapping. How does attempted murder sound?”

Pub Date: March 17, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9821-3888-2

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020

GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER

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by Kathy Reichs

by C.J. Box ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2015

A suspenseful, professional-grade north country procedural whose heroine, a deft mix of compassion and attitude, would be...

Box takes another break from his highly successful Joe Pickett series ( Stone Cold , 2014, etc.) for a stand-alone about a police detective, a developmentally delayed boy, and a package everyone in North Dakota wants to grab.

Cassandra Dewell can’t leave Montana’s Lewis and Clark County fast enough for her new job as chief investigator for Jon Kirkbride, sheriff of Bakken County. She leaves behind no memories worth keeping: her husband is dead, her boss has made no bones about disliking her, and she’s looking forward to new responsibilities and the higher salary underwritten by North Dakota’s sudden oil boom. But Bakken County has its own issues. For one thing, it’s cold—a whole lot colder than the coldest weather Cassie’s ever imagined. For another, the job she turns out to have been hired for—leading an investigation her new boss doesn’t feel he can entrust to his own force—makes her queasy. The biggest problem, though, is one she doesn’t know about until it slaps her in the face. A fatal car accident that was anything but accidental has jarred loose a stash of methamphetamines and cash that’s become the center of a battle between the Sons of Freedom, Bakken County’s traditional drug sellers, and MS-13, the Salvadorian upstarts who are muscling in on their territory. It’s a setup that leaves scant room for law enforcement officers or for Kyle Westergaard, the 12-year-old paperboy damaged since birth by fetal alcohol syndrome, who’s walked away from the wreck with a prize all too many people would kill for.

Pub Date: July 28, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-312-58321-7

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Minotaur

Review Posted Online: April 21, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2015

GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE

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by C.J. Box

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The key to rebecca dvd review.

The Key to Rebecca (1985)

Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Suspense Paramount | NR – 194 min. – $29.98 | February 12, 2019

Date Published: 02/22/2019 | Author: The Movieman

David Hemmings Ken Follett (book); Samuel Harris (teleplay) Cliff Robertson, David Soul, Season Hubley, Robert Culp None No DVD 1 English (Dolby Digital 1.0) Full Frame 1.33 English SDH 1 Set in Cairo during World War II, follows a German spy (DAVID SOUL) as he tries to infiltrate the British high command during General Rommel’s (ROBERT CULP) advance on Egypt. The stakes are high as the relentless struggle is at hand. Based on the best-selling novel. No features were included. The movie comes to DVD for the first time which is nice, though the 1.33 full frame transfer doesn’t always look the best. The opening credits looked like they were taken from a VHS source as there was plenty of artifacts present, that said, the actual movie doesn’t look too bad at least even when colors are on the softer side. The Dolby Digital Mono track is okay, dialogue comes through with decent clarity however, there is some minor hissing at times and the music/score tends to blare out of the center channel. Overall, is a well made World War II made-for-TV drama that comes to DVD for the first time courtesy of CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment and while the picture and video aren’t always the best and there aren’t any bonus material, I suppose fans of the movie and novel its based upon will enjoy finally having this available on home video. Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time. Now Playing Airing Today Popular People Discussions Leaderboard Alternative Titles Cast & Crew Release Dates Translations Backdrops 0 Content Issues 0 The Key to Rebecca (1985) ← back to main. Maj. William Vandam Elene Fontana Sonja El Aram Gen. Erwin Rommel Sgt. Jake Lendenowen Billy Vandam David Hemmings Ken Follett You need to be logged in to continue. Click here to login or here to sign up. Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it. On media pages On tv season pages, on tv episode pages, on all image pages, on all edit pages, on discussion pages. Want to rate or add this item to a list? Not a member? Sign up and join the community 'The Listeners' Review: Rebecca Hall Powers a Thought-Provoking Mystery | TIFF 2024 Your changes have been saved Email is sent Email has already been sent Please verify your email address. You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics. From whispers of lost civilizations to haunting conspiracy theories, our world’s greatest mysteries have often teased the limits of human understanding. As these puzzles challenge our perceptions to stir our deepest fears, they also invite us into a dark abyss of more questions than answers. Unraveling that puzzle through nuanced storytelling is The Listeners , a provocative series that centers around a woman who begins to hear low-humming sounds that no one else can. The four-part series, set to air on the BBC this fall starring Rebecca Hall is based on the bestselling and award-winning novel of the same name by Jordan Tannahill . Following its highly anticipated Toronto International Film Festival premiere this week , the show will no doubt go on to become one of the year’s most thought-provoking and unsettling series yet . As an atmospheric exploration of human connection and isolation, The Listeners embraces the ethereal tension of The Leftovers and the psychological depth of Sharp Objects to examine the human experience through silence. With the book set up as a memoir and inspired by the strange, low-frequency reverberations in Windsor, Ontario , the BBC-produced series finds a refreshing nuance in its television adaptation. Produced by Element Pictures, the studio behind Normal People and Poor Things , and directed by Janicza Bravo ( Poker Face and Zola ), the series manages a sharp, important commentary on how loneliness compels us to seek meaning in the unknown — or in this case, the inexplicable. Through its main character Claire, played arrestingly by Hall, The Listeners offers a strong tableau of isolation and how the search for connection can distort even the simplest of perceptions. What Is ‘The Listeners’ About? The Listeners stars Hall as Claire, an English teacher who is the only person hearing a low-humming sound. Much like the show’s pace, which aligns with a slow-burn drama , the sound she hears starts gradually. It's present, but it's not exactly taking up too much space in Claire’s life. However, things take an abrupt turn and the seemingly innocuous noise begins to upset the balance she has created for herself and her family. Claire, who is also a doting mother to Ashley ( Mia Tharia ) and a loving wife to Paul ( Prasanna Puwanarajah ), begins to find the noise ruining a lot of her daily rhythms. At times, she feels she might have imagined it. But the noise and its high frequency begin to manifest in the form of nose bleeds, leaving Claire with a lot more questions. As she investigates with doctors and conducts tests, they suggest she might have tinnitus or a hypersensitivity to white noise — an issue seen in patients with anxiety and stress. Here, the mystery begins, unraveling Claire’s layers to offer more about her through a naturally quiet disposition and interaction with others. With her frustrations starting to show, no one can help — that is until one of her students, a 17-year-old boy named Kyle ( Ollie West ) reveals he can too hear the sound. Taking solace in their shared isolation, the two strike up an unlikely (and dangerous) friendship and investigate the sound together. With the noise becoming more apparent, the two become increasingly separated from their family, friends, and colleagues and join a group of neighbors who also allegedly hear the sound led by Jo ( Gayle Rankin ) and Omar ( Amr Waked ), a couple that delivers strong cult vibes . The pair believes it’s important to lean into “The Hum” and treat it like a gift. Naturally, as Claire and Kyle’s friendship grows, so does doubt from the outside, causing perception to become reality. Rebecca Hall Is at the Top of Her Game in ‘The Listeners’ The Listeners isn’t just a slow-burn drama with a quiet, eerie temperament. As Tannahill is at the forefront of the adaptation’s layered screenplay, the series captures Claire’s growing obsession with the sound in a dynamic, captivating style . With a psychological toll woven delicately into every scene and interaction, it’s a testament to Hall’s natural magnetism as a performer that draws you into every moment. Whatever Claire is feeling or thinking in those lonely scenes alongside the hum, we are right there with her. Able to convey a deep, conflicted demeanor and apprehension, Hall shows us what it feels like through her eyes, the furrow of her brow, or even a slight frown that speaks deeply to her modest, quiet desperation for answers. Hall is masterful and profoundly focused on a performance that adds to the story’s haunting tale of isolation, longing, and faith. As an actress known for moving seamlessly between roles that demand intensity and vulnerability, like The Prestige or The Night House , Hall is at the top of her game in The Listeners . With an emotional profundity unseen in previous performances, she immerses herself into a world that deftly manages the complexities of loneliness and confusion with masterful fortitude. In those moments when it’s just her versus the hum, how she commands the scene to rely on subtlety speaks to the strength of her craft . When Claire sees doctors with her husband Paul, the tattered sophistication of her anxieties bubble to the surface to create inner tension between the couple, and bring out another side of the performer. While only two episodes were made available to the press, Hall’s undeniable screen presence through Claire’s quiet intensity lingers with you long after. ‘The Listeners’ Leans Into Obsessions Through Sharp Subtlety As the novel and its adaptation capture so much of Claire’s growing obsessions with sounds that ultimately isolate her, the series leans into such compulsion through quiet subtleties . It’s this kind of implicitness that is not only central to the story but its understanding of loneliness through Claire . Through the gnawing mania that afflicts her, we can recognize how these hauntings are a bit of a gateway for her, especially in how she spends time with Kyle. Sure, she’s driving away the people who love her the most and making some bad choices about it, but she’s also opening her eyes to new challenges that speak to a reshaping of her identity. This obsession with the faintest of noises sends the loudest message about Claire's state of mind , hinting at something deeper that haunts her and distorts her current role. She loves her family, her friends, and her job, but her obsession with “the hum” implies a deeper, more destructive gap in her connection to herself that highlights her emotional and mental welfare. In many ways, Claire’s actions are intentional, and her fixation speaks to a deeper need for building meaningful relationships and connections . It’s easy to empathize with her because she is relatable, but her increasing paranoia detaches her from reality, leading to intense interactions and often destructive behavior that unveils some deeper truths. 10 Movies That Prove Rebecca Hall Is The Most Underrated Actor In Hollywood One of the best and most versatile actors working today, Hall deserves more recognition. Bravo, who is known for boundary-pushing work in Zola and Poker Face , levels up her signature style of alienation in The Listeners . Challenging conventional storytelling through gritty realism and vibrant visuals that align with an art-house sensibility, the director's work here exemplifies her unique voice. Like her earlier work in Lemon, Bravo infuses her characters with a lush theatrical sense that also highlights strong, gripping emotional complexities. It’s this kind of intimacy and character-driven core that feeds so much of Hall’s performance . Emerging as a masterful exploration of isolation and obsessions, The Listeners creates a rich tapestry of existential tension through Hall’s knack for embodying a strong, emotional spirit. Thanks to the familiar writing of Tannahill’s novel with sharp nuance, the BBC production captures the subtleties of human connection and detachment that distort our understanding of reality. Accompanied by a spirited, supporting cast, Hall delivers an exceptional performance — a career-best among a plethora. With the series intertwining the psychological depths of loneliness with the eerie presence of the inexplicable “hum,” the four-part series works to provoke strong reflections on shades of isolation, perception, and the fragility of our connections. It’s illuminating and interesting in the best ways, and with more to unravel as Claire discovers the origins of the hum, The Listeners solidifies its place as one of the year’s most thought-provoking dramas . The Listeners With Janicza Bravo's nuanced direction and Rebecca Hall’s standout performance, The Listeners is a compelling and haunting watch of isolation and obsession. The Listeners is a deeply layered, introspective series with strong direction from Janicza Bravo. Rebecca Hall is a true standout, conveying quiet desperation and subtle intensity. As a compelling mystery, Jordan Tannahill preserves his novel?s subtle nuances and psychological tension while offering a fresh perspective in its television format. The series is rather slow, but the build-up to the hum and its presence is tackled almost immediately. The Listeners (2024) A popular English teacher begins hearing a strange, low hum that no one else around her can detect. As the sound disrupts her family life, she finds solace in a student who also hears it. Together, they join a mysterious group that believes the noise is meant for a select few, exploring themes of conspiracy, transcendence, and belonging. 8 Things to Stream on BET+ Right Now There’s a digital treasure trove of content on BET+. From TV shows to movies, there’s something for many different interests, and with the long weekend coming up, it’s a good time to catch up. There are sitcoms, dramas, thrillers, and everything for year-round entertainment. You should check out eight TV shows and/or movies on BET+. Who’s Cheating Who  If you’re into a sexy movie about betrayal and drama, then “Who’s Cheating Who” is right up your alley. The story centers around two couples whose lives get intertwined in a web if deceit. It hits the fan once that web unravels and secrets get exposed. Can these couples survive the ultimate betrayal? Wendy Raquel Robinson is the director, and the stars are Apryl Jones, Blue Kimble, Cynthia Bailey, and Darius McCray. Catch it on BET+ on August 29th.  The Ms. Pat Show  Ms. Pat is the hardest-working woman in show business. She has “Ms Pat Settles It!” and then there’s her OG TV show, the award-winning “The Ms Pat Show.” Fans and critics can’t get enough of it, and you can catch up on all seasons, especially season four, which was most recently aired.  College Hill: Celebrity Edition  Watch every episode of College Hill: Celebrity Edition season 3 and the previous seasons. There’s something satisfying about watching celebrities attempt to be normal students and struggle through the process, where some of them learn important lessons about themselves and the HB CU experience. 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When he doesn’t inherit his father’s church, as he had planned his entire life, he moves to a new town to try to figure things out in the world of ministry.   Ish gets real when a criminal empire forces a top surgeon to remove kidneys as a part of their organ ring. When she refuses, they threaten everyone she loves, and now she must figure out how to survive.  Dutch II: Angel’s Revenge  This thriller, based on Teri Woods’ book of the same title, tells the story of Dutch, a king pen who can’t stay out of the streets. When his two closest allies get out of jail, the lure of the underworld is too strong for them to resist, especially when a woman tries to take over and destroy them.  Latest News Black Women Shaping the Future of Pop Music Ella Uncovers Dark Secrets in the Latest 'House of Payne' Episode Tina McElroy Ansa, Acclaimed Novelist and Chronicler of Black Southern Life, Dies at 77 The Sistas Are Coming Back in October! BET & ET Present 'James Earl Jones: Life and Legacy' Halle Berry Gets Candid About Her Relationship with Van Hunt Subscribe for bet updates, provide your email address to receive our newsletter.. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy . You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time. Search Please fill out this field. Manage Your Subscription Give a Gift Subscription Newsletters Sweepstakes Celebrity Legal & Lawsuits Jeffrey Jones Doesn’t Return in Beetlejuice Sequel After His Controversy. Here’s How the Movie Includes His Character The actor behind Charles Deetz in 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice’ does not join Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Michael Keaton in the sequel Geffen Film/Warner Brothers/Alamy  The new sequel to comedy-horror classic Beetlejuice includes plenty of familiar faces. Michael Keaton returns as the demonic title character, while Winona Ryder as ghost-empath Lydia Deetz and Catherine O’Hara as her artsy stepmother Delia again play major roles.  But Jeffrey Jones, who played Deetz patriarch Charles in director Tim Burton ’s 1988 cult hit, is notably missing from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (in theaters now). The movie finds clever ways to make the character of Charles a key part of the story while avoiding the actor who originally portrayed him — presumably because of Jones’ legal troubles.  Jones, now 77, pleaded no contest in 2003 to charges of possession of child pornography over his alleged hiring of a 14-year-old boy to pose for lewd snapshots. As Entertainment Weekly reported at the time, the Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Amadeus star was sentenced to five years probation, counseling and registration as a sex offender for the rest of his life.  In Florida in 2004 and then in California in 2010, Jones was arrested for failing to update his sex offender status. After pleading guilty to the latter charge, his sentence included hours of community service and additional years of probation, as BBC News reported.  PictureLux/The Hollywood Archive/Alamy Burton and the stars of Beetlejuice have not commented on Jones or his absence in the new film. However, the way Charles’ fate in the long-awaited sequel is handled may speak for itself. (Spoilers for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice plot details follow!) Charles’ wife Delia breaks the news to Lydia early in the new movie that he has died. Over her narration, Burton uses a stop-motion animation to explain the character’s fate: on a trip abroad for a bird-watching adventure, Charles ended up in the ocean following his plane’s crash landing. A shark chomps off his head and shoulders, killing him. The Deetz family mourns their patriarch at his funeral. But because the world of Beetlejuice includes a campy depiction of the bureaucratic afterlife, Charles isn’t gone from the story. Down in the netherworld, a body with its head and shoulders bitten off bumbles about, spurting blood while it gurgles somewhat incoherently. An actor who is not Jones provides the voice for what is ultimately one of Burton and his team’s many innovative designs for the recently deceased, who all bear the signs of their death.  Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros. Pictures Other stars who Beetlejuice fans may want to see in the long-awaited sequel include Glenn Shadix as amateur paranormal expert Otho Fenlock and Sylvia Sidney as deceased case worker Juno. Sadly, they are among the actors who have passed onto the afterlife offscreen; Shadix died in 2010 at age 58 while Sidney died in 1999 at age 88.  Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis don’t return as Adam and Barbara Maitland — the sweet, Harry Belafonte-loving couple whose death in the original film kicked off our introduction to Burton’s netherworld — because, as Lydia explains in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice , they found a loophole that enabled the two to move on permanently.  Besides, as Davis, 68, told PEOPLE in 2022, the inclusion of her and Baldwin’s deceased characters in the sequel would have been especially tricky. "I have a feeling that ghosts don't age ," she pointed out. "How would they explain that they're older?" Beetlejuice Beetlejuice introduces new stars Jenna Ortega , Justin Theroux , Monica Bellucci , Danny DeVito and Willem Dafoe to the franchise. It is in theaters now. Related Articles Cast & crew User reviews Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings) stars as a powerful London theater critic who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder. Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings) stars as a powerful London theater critic who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder. Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings) stars as a powerful London theater critic who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder. Anand Tucker Patrick Marber Anthony Quinn Gemma Arterton Ian McKellen Lesley Manville 1 User review 26 Critic reviews 53 Metascore Top cast 50 Jimmy Erskine Annabel Land David Brooke Stephen Wyley Freya Wyley Mary Brooke Mr. Morrisey Brachiano … Richard Pugh Ferdy Harwood Graham Meadows Dolly Langdon Rowan Wyley All cast & crew Production, box office & more at IMDbPro More like this Did you know Trivia Will be Ben Barnes' first theatrical film role in 9 years, having last appeared in Seventh Son (2014). Nina Land : I grew up reading you. I wanted to act because of you. I so wanted to meet your standards, but you think I'm appalling. Jimmy Erskine : There is art in you, Miss Land. My disappointment is in your failure to access it. User reviews 1 How long is The Critic? Powered by Alexa September 13, 2024 (United States) United Kingdom United States Official Site Curtain Call Wimbledon Theatre, Wimbledon, London, England, UK Culmination Productions Fearless Minds See more company credits at IMDbPro Technical specs Runtime 1 hour 35 minutes Related news Contribute to this page. See more gaps Learn more about contributing More to explore Recently viewed. Entertainment Daniel Craig Offers Himself Up Completely to the Shimmering Sensuality of <i>Queer</i> Daniel Craig Offers Himself Up Completely to the Shimmering Sensuality of Queer D esire isn’t just a feeling, it’s also a shape, a silhouette traced in the air with smoke, an empty, aching border waiting to be filled in. And once you slake desire, it’s gone—it has transformed into something else, something more solid than a question mark but a lot less interesting. The shape of desire is everywhere in Luca Guadagnino’s shimmering, tender-as-a-bruise Queer, playing in competition at the Venice Film Festival . Guadagnino and co-writer Justin Kuritzkes have adapted the screenplay from William Burroughs ’ autobiographical novel of the same name, written in 1952 but not published until 1985. Daniel Craig is Burroughs' stand-in here—his character’s name is Bill Lee, a version of the pen name Burroughs himself used at one time—and his complex, mercurial performance is the key to the movie. Sometimes you want to shake him—but damned if he doesn’t also draw out a multitude of undefinable feelings, including grudging protectiveness. Guadagnino drops us right into Lee’s world—he's a sexual adventurer swaggering through postwar Mexico City. He tries, halfheartedly, to seduce a guileless-looking young American, but thinks better of it when he sees a gold Star of David hanging around his neck. “Your mother wouldn’t like it,” he says decisively, and more than a little derisively. Part of the game for him is determining who’s “queer” and who isn’t—but even then, there’s often some wiggle room. His hangout of choice is a watering hole called the Ship Ahoy, and as a man of independent means, his job, apparently, consists solely of finding people to sleep with. He’s bleary and dissolute, always on the make. His sexual energy is practically a visible aura; every molecule of his being is aquiver. Read more: The Best New Movies of August 2024 Sometimes he strikes out, but often he scores—no sooner has he completed one assignation than he sets out in search of another. And then he sees a willowy young man—bespectacled, clean-shaven, intelligent-looking—and falls into a kind of love. He’s ignored at first, so he tries harder. Eventually, he and this new conquest lock eyes from opposite sides of a cockfight, a heavily symbolic meet-cute if ever there were one. Eventually, they sit down for a drink. The object of Lee’s affection keeps talking and talking—the effect is something like “blah blah counter-intelligence something blah blah”—while Lee listens, rapt as a lovesick schoolboy. We see the ghost of his arm reaching out to stroke his new friend’s hair, though it’s an illusion, a fantasy, a move he doesn’t dare attempt, an ectoplasmic manifestation of his longing. Eventually, they do go to bed; the sex is steamy, ardent, musky. And suddenly Lee, who we’ve come to believe is just a scrappy, libidinous opportunist, is a goner. His yearning hangs in the air like too-strong after-shave. No matter how you feel about Burroughs—or his work, so often laced with acidity—Craig’s performance might shift your view, at least a little. The guy Lee has fallen so hard for is maybe-straightish Eugene Allerton (played, with just the right amount of semi-opaque indifference, by Drew Starkey). The rest of Queer maps their cat-and-mouse relationship, one in which Lee is always the one left wanting more. He persuades Allerton to accompany him on a trip to South America—actually, he nearly begs him. But the trip is shaky from the start. Lee is a junkie, and his abject neediness as he goes through a withdrawal is a major turnoff for Allerton. Somehow, they patch things up, and Allerton agrees to accompany Lee deep into the jungle, where he hopes to source, and imbibe, some yage, or ayahuasca, a plant-sourced beverage said to enhance telepathic sensitivity. A reclusive jungle botanist weirdo (played by Lesley Manville, in a long, lank wig) sets the two of them up with some of this magic tea. At first, they believe its effects to be zero. Next thing you know, their palms are glowing red as if illuminated by internal stigmata; when they embrace, their limbs don’t just entwine, they melt together. The effect is radiant, enchanting, erotic. Guadagnino seems to be having fun with this special-effects magic. And although his last film, the love-triangle escapade Challengers , was widely deemed “sexy,” it wasn’t particularly sensual. Queer is different; its nerve endings are alive. That’s largely thanks to Craig, who offers himself up as an unequivocal sex object. The film was shot by Guadagnino’s regular collaborator Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, who makes the fantasy sequences feel vital and real and the more realistic elements feel vaguely dreamy. And Mukdeeprom knows how to capture Craig’s particular brand of earthy, frowning beauty. Even the stubble on his chin looks faintly luminous, like frost on a blade of grass. Though Guadagnino is a gifted director, his style is sometimes showily baroque to a fault. (Exhibit A: Suspiria .) But Queer, stylish as it is, may be his most heartfelt movie, at least since Call Me By Your Name . For one thing, it’s set in a time before people had a term for what we now call identity politics—but you can bet their identities meant everything to them, especially in a world where revealing their truest selves could often get them beaten up or, worse, killed. At one point, in the middle of a heroin-induced reverie, Lee explains himself in a phrase that captures the universality of human longing and sexual desire, detached from that thing we conveniently call sexual orientation: “I’m not queer, I’m disembodied.” And in that vein, Guadagnino has made a movie that feels strangely buoyant—as sexually explicit as it is, it’s almost more spiritually explicit. Craig’s Lee is a pilgrim in search of pleasure, sensation, satiety. He doesn’t dare ask for love. But with his ghost limbs, he’s reaching out for it even so. More Must-Reads from TIME How Kamala Harris Knocked Donald Trump Off Course Inside the Rise of Bitcoin-Powered Pools and Bathhouses What Makes a Friendship Last Forever? 33 True Crime Documentaries That Shaped the Genre Long COVID Looks Different in Kids Your Questions About Early Voting , Answered Column: Your Cynicism Isn’t Helping Anybody The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2024 Contact us at [email protected] 285 IMAGES The Key to Rebecca (1985) The Key to Rebecca (1985) The Key to Rebecca The Key to Rebecca (1985) Review of The Key to Rebecca (1985) The Key to Rebecca (1985) VIDEO Een dodelijk mes en een exemplaar The Date Rebecca Ferguson could recruit me to her magical cult and I'd say thank you! 🎩 #doctorsleep စောရအိုင် REBECCA (2020) Movie Review Poem 591 COMMENTS The Key to Rebecca The Key to Rebecca. An Allied officer (Cliff Robertson) hunts a Nazi spy (David Soul) in Cairo, with the fate of the British in North Africa at stake. Watch The Key to Rebecca with a subscription ... The Key to Rebecca (TV Movie 1985) The Key to Rebecca: Directed by David Hemmings. With Cliff Robertson, David Soul, Season Hubley, Lina Raymond. In Cairo during World War II, a German Agent tries to infiltrate the British command to lay the groundwork for Erwin Rommel's conquest of Egypt. 'The Key to Rebecca' (1985): Intrigue & suspense powers indie spy CBS DVD and Paramount have released The Key to Rebecca, the 1985 miniseries from Taft Entertainment, Operation Prime Time Productions, David Lawrence Productions, and Castle Combe Productions (originally syndicated here in the U.S. by Worldvision). Based on Ken Follett's best-selling WWII espionage thriller, and starring Cliff Robertson ... The Key to Rebecca (TV Movie 1985) However, this one was a mini-series on TV so there was not as much thought put into it as if it were a made for theater movie. Interestingly, the film was made in Tunisia. David Soul is cast as Alex Wolff, which matches the book (ISBN: 0451163494) pretty well. Robert Culp is stretching it as General Rommel. Ken Follett's Classic 'The Key to Rebecca' Remains One of the Best Ken Follett is one of the world's best-selling novelists. He burst onto the literary scene in 1978 with the Edgar Award-winning Eye of the Needle, and quickly followed that with four more pulse-pounding thrillers: Triple, The Key to Rebecca, The Man from St. Petersburg, and Lie Down with Lions. He also wrote the non-fiction book, On Wings of Eagles, the true story of how two of Ross Perot ... The Key to Rebecca The Key to Rebecca was an immediate best-seller, becoming a main selection of the Book of the Month Club, with an initial printing of 100,000 copies within days and having been serialised in several magazines, even before any reviews had been published. [2] Positive reviews of the novel cited its depth in historical detail, and accurate depictions of Cairo and the Egyptian desert in the Second ... The Key to Rebecca (1985) David Hemmings. Director. From master storyteller and best-selling author, Ken Follett, comes the exotic spy-thriller based on true events. North Africa, Summer of 1942 — master spy, Alex Wolff is on a mission to send General Erwin Rommel's advancing army the secrets that would unlock the doors to Cairo... and the ultimate Nazi triumph in the ... ‎The Key to Rebecca (1985) directed by David Hemmings • Reviews, film From master storyteller and best-selling author, Ken Follett, comes the exotic spy-thriller based on true events. North Africa, Summer of 1942 — master spy, Alex Wolff is on a mission to send General Erwin Rommel's advancing army the secrets that would unlock the doors to Cairo... and the ultimate Nazi triumph in the war. Wolff's pursuer, Major Vandarn, engages the seductive charm of Elene ... The Key to Rebecca (1985): Where to Watch and Stream Online A fearless army major. One has a cause. The other, a conscience. Both had a secret worth dying for.The Key to Rebecca featuring Cliff Robertson and David Soul is streaming with subscription on Prime Video, and available for rent or purchase on Prime Video. It's a drama and romance movie with an average IMDb audience rating of 6.4 (473 votes). The Key to Rebecca (1985) NR 3 hr 17 min Apr 29th, 1985 Action, Thriller, War. From master storyteller and best-selling author, Ken Follett, comes the exotic spy-thriller based on true events. North Africa, Summer of 1942 ... Watch The Key to Rebecca The Key to Rebecca. ... Reviews. 3.7 out of 5 stars. 155 global ratings. 5 star. 44%. 4 star. 22%. 3 star. 10%. 2 star. 10%. 1 star. 14% ... Find Movie Box Office Data : Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations: IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities: IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need: The Key to Rebecca (1985) The Key to Rebecca," a thrilling TV movie based on the best-selling novel by Ken Follett.Set in North Africa during the summer of 1942, this exotic spy-thril... The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett 39,731 ratings1,498 reviews. A brilliant and ruthless Nazi master agent is on the loose in Cairo. His mission is to send Rommel's advancing army the secrets that will unlock the city's doors. In all of Cairo, only two people can stop him. One is a down-on-his-luck English officer no one will listen to. The other is a vulnerable young Jewish girl. The Key to Rebecca Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets ... The Key to Rebecca Reviews Cliff Robertson in 'The Key to Rebecca,' a Two-part Movie Cliff Robertson, as a British officer, pursues David Soul, as a Nazi spy, through the alleys and cafes of Cairo. Field Marshall Rommel frets in the desert. The four-hour, two-part movie begins on ... The Key to Rebecca The Key to Rebecca. Written by Ken Follett Review by Melissa Galyon. Originally published more than twenty years ago, The Key to Rebecca is one of Ken Follett's most famous espionage novels. In the midst of World War II in Cairo, Alex Wolff (codename: Sphinx) returns to his homeland to do a little work for the Nazis. The Key to Rebecca (1985) Stream and Watch Online Released April 29th, 1985, 'The Key to Rebecca' stars Cliff Robertson, David Soul, Season Hubley, Lina Raymond The movie has a runtime of about 3 hr 17 min, and received a user score of 60 (out of ... The Key to Rebecca streaming: where to watch online? This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day. The Key to Rebecca is 13748 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The movie has moved up the charts by 6845 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than School of Magical Animals but less popular than Love Under the Lemon Tree. ... THE KEY TO REBECCA THE KEY TO REBECCA. by Ken Follett ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 22, 1980. If they liked it once, they'll love it twice. That's the wise rationale behind Follett's new WW II thriller, which recycles the same basic scenario—now in 1942 Cairo instead of 1944 England—that made Eye of the Needle such a winner. Again the central figure is a Nazi spy ... The Key to Rebecca (1985) A ruthless Nazi spy. A fearless army major. One had a cause. The other, a conscience. Both had a secret worth dying for. Genre: Action, Thriller, War. Release Date: 1985-04-29. User Rating: 6/10 from 3 ratings. Runtime: 3h 17min. The Key to Rebecca DVD Review VIDEO - 2.5/5, AUDIO - 2.75/5. The movie comes to DVD for the first time which is nice, though the 1.33 full frame transfer doesn't always look the best. The opening credits looked like they were taken from a VHS source as there was plenty of artifacts present, that said, the actual movie doesn't look too bad at least even when colors ... The Key to Rebecca (1985) From master storyteller and best-selling author, Ken Follett, comes the exotic spy-thriller based on true events. North Africa, Summer of 1942 — master spy, Alex Wolff is on a mission to send General Erwin Rommel's advancing army the secrets that would unlock the doors to Cairo... and the ultimate Nazi triumph in the war. Wolff's pursuer, Major Vandarn, engages the seductive charm of Elene ... The Key to Rebecca (TV Movie 1985) The Key to Rebecca (TV Movie 1985) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. ... User Reviews; User Ratings; External Reviews; Metacritic Reviews; Related Items. News; External Sites; Explore More. Show Less. Create a list » User Lists. 'The Listeners' Review The Listeners stars Hall as Claire, an English teacher who is the only person hearing a low-humming sound.Much like the show's pace, which aligns with a slow-burn drama, the sound she hears ... 8 Things to Stream on BET+ Right Now D.C. restaurant owner Kia Williams of Omari's Music Bar speaks out after Keith Lee's critical reviews, revealing the challenges of running a small business in a changing city. Latest News 'The Perfect Couple' Review: Nicole Kidman's Nantucket Whodunit The actress and Liev Schrieber play the wealthy parents of a groom whose wedding celebrations are crashed by a cadaver in this Netflix series based on the Elin Hilderbrand novel. Why Jeffrey Jones Doesn't Return as Charles Deetz in 'Beetlejuice 2' Jeffrey Jones, the actor behind Charles Deetz in 1988's 'Beetlejuice' does not join Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara and Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's new sequel 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.' Movie Review: 'Between the Temples' Is a Perfectly Weird Retro Indie There are some stories that only a small sector of the population will fully relate to. Nathan Silver's Between the Temples is the newest movie like that. Like Joel & Ethan Coen's A Serious ... The Critic (2023) The Critic: Directed by Anand Tucker. With Gemma Arterton, Ian McKellen, Lesley Manville, Mark Strong. Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings) stars as a powerful London theater critic who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder. Review: Daniel Craig Is Key to Shimmering, Sensual 'Queer' Read more: The Best New Movies of August 2024 Sometimes he strikes out, but often he scores—no sooner has he completed one assignation than he sets out in search of another. And then he sees a ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis