The Spy (2019) User Reviews

Amazing story, amazing acting, well directed

[jezza48 · 9/10 · 18 January 2020]

Take the emotion of the situation between Syria and Israel out of your reviews.

This series represented an incredible story that was well directed and the acting was very well done.

Sacha Baron Cohen was incredible and everyone else in this show played their parts well.

I would very much recommend this series.

They introduced enough at the start for everyone to feel like they knew the story and to keep suspense throughout the series. It is not gory and so the focus is on the story and the characters (real life people).

Clever use of visuals to highlight the time scale and as a viewer you felt like you really got to know the characters (people), which is difficult considering this was based on real events!

Still can't believe this actually happened.

Please watch it.

It's good, but it definitely takes sides

[maroinjoundi · 7/10 · 11 September 2019]

A theme so delicate as this is hard to portray and to talk about. Which side is in the wrong? Which is in the right? No side is either wrong or right, because war isn't about being good or bad, but it's about people making decisions. Those decisions are made to help their own country and will be seen bad and evil by the other country.

I had to skip the last 10 minutes of the show, not because it's heartbreaking or whatever, but because it's not right torwards the Syrian counterpart in my opinion. The whole show isn't actually. I'm not Syrian, i'm originally from Morocco, but born and resident in Italy. I am not a Muslim since i don't belive in a god. Whith these premises said, i do not take a specific side on this matter, but i have eyes and i see that Syria is pictured as this undeveloped, eager on war country, that wants to hunt and exterminate every Israeli, while Israel(a modernized and civilized country)sent Eli to save lives of children and civilians by boycotting the evil syrians.

I know that the show focuses on Eli and his love for the country and the fact he died for it. On the other hand he was a trusted man and he betrayed many people who cared about him and respected him, he was a menace to syrians and helped killing many of them. Why would he be a hero? In Israel yes, he died serving his country, but why would we see him as a so? He was a spy, it was legit for syrians to do what they did because the Israelis(or any other country) would have done the same exact thing. His country and he himself put his person in danger and they knew the risks, of course they did. Why would you free a spy? Someone that stole intels from you? Why would you feel bad for someone that betrayed you in such a cold way your trust?

The show creator definitely takes a side and that's unfortunate because it's always important to analyse the two and then actually understand that both made wrongs and goods. Maybe add a character that would humanize the syrian side and not give them that horrible tone of evilness. I'm not going to get political on this, expecially because i am no expert on the matter, but these are my thoughts as a viewer.

Fantastic Series

[Bfeins5110 · 9/10 · 6 September 2019]

Great story and it is absolutely true. Actors are superb. Sasha Baron Cohen unbelievably good and not in a comedy. Watched in one sitting.

Sacha Baron Cohen's Most Brilliant Performance

[kyttness · 10/10 · 8 September 2019]

I wasn't sure until the 2nd episode that this was going to be a fantastic drama/thriller. I was stressed the whole time because you fall in love with Eli, (played by Sacha Baron Cohen). It was heart wrenching and incredibly real, a true story done with respect to the true hero's of this operation. I am amazed at how versatile Cohen is on so many levels. He truly nailed this role and I could tell the story meant a lot to Hollings. I predict this was an award winning performance for Sacha. I binged the entire mini series in one night. Edge is your seat suspense all the way through. Cinematography was beautiful. Music exceptional. You can't go wrong with this one and it is definitely a story that deserves to be heard.

Spyware installed

[ok-patrick · 8/10 · 6 September 2019]

Great espionage 6-piece despite how frustrating both sides of the lake have been over the years. Cohen has finally landed a role that suits him to the dot, pity he wasn't cast for Freddy Mercury, I suppose his age was a serious factor. The series has very tense scenes at times, some tolerable melodrama here and there, overall a must watch if you are not easily insulted by the ongoing conflict from either side of the border.

A spy story nicely told!

[potdararpit · 9/10 · 10 March 2020]

The series is about an israel spy Eli Cohen who is on a mission in Syria. The story telling is done in a neat manner which involves covering all aspects of a spy's life. Not like most of the spy flicks, this one is also a beautiful love story. Baron Sacha Cohen has been spot on in his another role of playing an Arab, this time an intense one . Another mention would be of Hadar Ratzon. Oh! How beautiful was she in playing spy's wife. The contradiction between the life of Cohen & Thaabeth experienced in the shopping mall scene touches you to the core. Life, then and now for a spy may be different in the challenges they face, but the biggest cost is paid by the family. The Spy carries every emotion together of fear,anger,love and creates a spectacular piece for all.

Plenty to love, and plenty to hate

[Lesact · 8/10 · 30 September 2019]

Didn't really want to write a review but this thing seems to be so mixed up. If you check the other reviews, there's an fair distribution from 1-starred hate to 10-starred pure love. Something's going on. I myself wanted to give up about episode 4, but my better half was hooked by then ... and I'm glad she was.

So first, why all the dislikes? Some people are annoyed by the accents, but its not such a big deal.

Some people are annoyed that the Israelis are portrayed as more 'good' than the Syrians. Actually, I don't think this was the case. The Israeli intelligence service and political elite's use of Eli, and their stupid betrayal of him by their actions, was just as callow as the torturing by the head of the Syrian intelligence service, and just as short sighted as the actions of the Syrian president. There were some lovely, genuine people amongst the Syrians, and in fact, you could say that their characters were portrayed in more depth than that of the Israelis, who tended to be a little 1-dimensional. But even if it were the case that there was some political bias in the film's presentation, well, welcome to the real world, but I don't think that's the kind of thing that really ticks you off in a movie or drama.

What is really annoying is where the story doesn't hang together and where the acting or script is poor. Yes, for movie purposes, certain sequences have to be compressed, but in the end Eli/Kamal seems to be having a freakish streak of good luck, and seems to be taking not one unnecessary risk, not two, but three, without getting caught, and presumably all in the name of hooking us on the drama? It's at that point that I wanted to give up. And regarding the script, Kamal's adulation and praise for Syria really is too much, and surely he could just stop smiling for one second? I really don't think Syrians would fall for an act that cheap.

Another aspect of the storyline is that I really don't like knowing the ending, from the beginning of the series. OK, so I know Kamal will get caught and tortured, so basically I now have 6 episodes of padding before I get there? Really? Why does IMDB need a warning about plot spoilers, when the first episode itself is a spoiler for the whole series? There were further repurcussions from that storyline decision, but I've said enough already.

But now let's get to the good stuff. There are 4 things to enjoy from this drama. Firstly, the story does hold you, as you genuinely care about Eli/Kamal and his wife, and the military outcomes. Secondly, the presentation is good, in terms of scenery, costumes and realism. Thirdly, the acting is generally good so you can empathise with the characters. The fact that Sasha Cohen has previously created multiple personas in comedy, plays nicely into the role here of someone who has to live the life of a double persona. So although some of SBC's acting is a bit drama school in places, the overall effect is gratifying. Which brings me nicely to the fourth point, why I'm still struggling to get this drama out of my head.

At the beginning of the series, in a flash-forward, Kamal is forced to write a confession, and struggles to sign his name. His rabbi says "Poor boy, you don't know who you are". It seems like a kind of joke to relieve the tension. Then at the end of the series, we know the whole persona of Kamal that he has carefully built up over many years, and realise that he is genuinely struggling to know how he should sign the document.

We can now reflect back to previous episodes where Eli was back in Israel, but acutally he was behaving as a 'Kamal'ised version of Eli, he had absorbed that role so deeply. There were many examples, but when he was asked to show his Id after buying expensive items, he gets angry with security and says "Do you know who I am?" or something like that. When he discovers a serious error by teh office he rings up his boss and gives him a serious telling off. He finds it disgraceful that his wife doesn't have her own telephone line.

In the end, Eli prefers to be Kamal (apart from missing his wife). And why not? As Kamal he is a multi-millionaire who has built up a successful business and who hob nobs with the political elite. When he enters a room, "everyone wants a piece of him", as his army friend says. Eli's exposition of the role of Kamal is so successful - even landing the job of Deputy Minister of Defence - that one wonders what was he doing as a small time clerk back in Israel? Maybe if he'd been given some seed capital and a new blank identity there he could have gone for it and been similarly successful? And perhaps, many of us are also like that and are held back, Leviathon like, by a myriad tiny strings of our own construction?

So my advice is to grit your teeth through the poor parts of this drama, but get what you can from the rest, for there is plenty of good meat to be had.

Made for Prime Time spy series

[ikanboy · 7/10 · 8 September 2019]

Eli Cohen's story has been around for quite a while. A hero of great stature in Israel he deserves a fitting film biography. This isn't it. This is a low risk venture that avoids the deeper truths of the story. The focus is on Cohen the hero, dutiful (if absent) husband, doting (if absent) father, spy extraordinaire. Missing is the playboy businessman (reputedly going through 17 mistresses), and the reckless spy who all but telegraphed his own demise. S.B. Cohen does a decent job, but his acting skills do little justice to the complexity of the man. It's main purpose seems to be to propagandize Israel's Mossad, and Israel's honor. That's O.K. but it's the smaller story. The bigger story; the psychological tension of a man living a double identity, where a mistake would be fatal is barely explored.

Sacha Baron at his best

[yaseerrizwan · 9/10 · 6 September 2019]

Extremely well made, nuances of Israeli society in 1960s/Syrian cities in 60s well taken care of. Brilliant acting, Brilliant performance.

In true story movies you should be truthful

[kall22-107-16238 · 6/10 · 11 September 2019]

You should bring the good and bad of each side. There is now way that one side ( Israel ) are always good and caring where the other side ( Syria ) are always bad and nasty. Try to respect the audience and bring the story as its.

To be fair the locations and details of 60s are excellent as a cinematography ( good image )

This mini series could be much better but they missed it.

Raff at his best!

[steve-marcus26 · 10/10 · 6 September 2019]

Writing this after the first episode.

To be honest, I was never a fan of any G. Raff series, and was super sceptic when checking this out.

What really got me going was discovering SB Cohen in a serious and dark role. Surprisingly, I found him to be surreal, amazing, convincing, all in all, an amazing performance.

I heard about the Eli Cohen story from many different social situations, be it Israeli history buffs, older friends and family members who remember the saga, but never took interest in digging any deeper. So far, the first episode has gotten me hooked, I'm being educated in the most entertaining and realistic way possible and just cannot wait to binge the rest!

It seems that the Israeli Intelligence's Propaganda is behind this short Tv-Show

[Abdlali · 7/10 · 23 October 2020]

It is completely vivid that the Israeli intelligence is behind the show. you feel it. They depict the Arabs as disgusting, uncivilized and inferior. the Spy, on the other hand, is depicted as a hardworking and intelligent man. they still have the view of vilifying and dehumanizing the Arabs.

A propaganda series.

[eng-majd-altujjar · 3/10 · 4 May 2020]

You can't really miss it being a one-sided, very biased series and it looks like it's part of along ongoing propaganda to return Cohen's remains back. Some of the events in the series were true of course, yet it is full of lapses in historical accuracy. It was very silly to show that all Syrians are cheap, stupid and money-diggers while victimising the Israelis as poor people who are just trying to protect 'their' land (a brutally stolen one) from the Syrians. Even Raff, writer and director, said in one of the meetings that he "didn't really care about the truth when making the series, as he doesn't consider it to be a documentary". Yet, it's being presented as a historical truth dose. I gave it three stars only to praise the performance of Sasha Baron Cohen and Alexander Siddig.

Donnie Brasco in the Middle-East...

[ElMaruecan82 · 8/10 · 30 August 2022]

Capone said : "You can go a long way with a smile but a lot farther with a smile and a gun."

I'm an Arab and watching "The Spy" and how far Eli Cohen (Sacha Baron Cohen) infiltrated the Syrian regime, I'm tempted to say that you don't even need the gun with Arabs, the smile is almost enough. I will never have enough epithets to praise the expertise and badass competence of the Mossad agents, but in all fairness, it's not as if Arab officials were known for their untouchability.

Still, Eli Cohen didn't need bribing. He went so far that had he gone farther, he might have made it as President of Syria. The series give the overdue tribute to the man for his professionalism and how quick and prone he was to take a decision. He was in fact so good that he probably set a precedent in the Arab world, making a prime suspect out of any man who'd display too much patriotism or would exhibit a wad of cash to order a grand cru. Eli Cohen, presented first as an underdog civil servant but zealous patriot, didn't know he was going to push the envelope as far as spying goes and subvert a few tropes.

Indeed, we're so used of watching James Bond-like gadget users who dispose of henchmen effortlessly, or sexy female fighters hacking complex systems like you eat a donut, here we deal with a man with a special set of skills but who must keep an ordinary facade. He's tall and handsome in a very plain-looking way, hardly fights, perhaps one or two times during the whole series (and not to his advantage) and never puts himself in hazardous situations because he knows he's too valuable to risk his neck. Thanks to his Egyptian background, he speaks Arabic and is eager to do something for his country: near the Golan border where Israeli kibbutzes are exposed to Syrian mortars.

Eli's profile is analyzed and approved by Dan Peleg (Noah Emmerich) a sort of Mossad human resources manager, and under the supervision of his boss Jacob Simoni (Moni Moshonov), he trains Eli, teaches him how to write fast in Morse code, to tail someone and more importantly, to spot and lose someone tailing you. After six months of training, he becomes Kamal Amine Thabeet a Syrian entrepreneur in Buenos Aires. He meets the handsome and classy leader of the Ba'ath movement General Al Hafiz (played by Waleed Zuaiter). And the mission picks up.

The first two episodes do their jobs by exposing the characters, we see Eli's Sephardic wife Nadia (Hadar Hatzon-Rotem), the two Mossad intermediary agents from Zurich, a man and his wife who's got a sort of motherly affection toward Eli and can't stand watching Syrian vases being ruthlessly broken by her no-nonsense husband because they hide secret papers. And of course, there's Hafiz' bodyguard and chief of security Sudani (Alexander Siddig) who's got one of these faces, like a stern-looking and tanned Rick Hunter. And whenever he's on screen, there's a certain unease, his friendliness looking as circumstantial as Eli's own.

As an Arab I know I'm not supposed to root with Eli, but when you know a little history, there's something rather gutsy and admirable in the way a small country was able to outsmart outnumbering enemies by using Intelligence. Information was the most vital asset, the sooner the better, and for that you needed someone who had a way with women and men, and knew how to push his luck... to a limit. And there came Kamal, a man with a name, a history and parents who died... we understand the convenience but don't underestimate the enemy, they might ask you where your parents are buried. Everyone's good at playing the game.

And SBC is good, too. With that haircut and thin mustache, he could really pass as an Arab. The real Eli Cohen was a little more handsome looking like an Arab version of James Garner. Sacha's acting is nuanced and interesting as a man who's constantly on the edge and must keep his composure and improvise when opportunity knocks. Something in the drawer? Go check. A photographer took pictures of the guests at a reception, take the camera. This is the line between professionalism and expertise: instinct.

But if he's a fast learner, I'm glad the writers didn't make him a 'natural', he still has a lot to learn in the first two episodes, and there's an interesting moment where a Mossad agent named Julia (Alona Tal) forbids 'Kamal' to talk about a wife named Nadia or write her name on a paper, and she doesn't ask nicely. The woman who's one head shorter manage to hold him by the throat. That said, I have a criticism with the casting of female characters many of them look the same (small frame, brunette types) and it was hard to differentiate them.

The series gets a little like "Donnie Brasco", over the course of his mission, 'Kamal' befriend people and abuse their trust, from the powerful business Sheikh Majid (Uri Gavrier) to a cocky soldier (Nassim Si Ahmed), Kamal's networking covers the who's-who of Syrian high society. I'm glad the film didn't get as far as overplaying his dual personality, it's more of a man getting closer and closer, the higher he goes the higher the stakes, the higher the risks.... The film tends to overplay these suspenseful situations where you think his luck will change.

The espionage (and counter-espionage) parts are so riveting that some subplots weren't needed but the film really nailed the atmosphere of the time and allowed Cohen to have a new dramatic performance in his filmography. Although let me assure his Arabic wasn't exactly convincing and even the name Syria was misspelled at times. Not sure the Mossad would have gone that far if it was as accurate as the writers of the series.

It thrills

[divineflame06 · 8/10 · 12 July 2021]

Incredible watch. The spy is an edge of the seat thriller based on Mossad agent Eli Cohan. This 6 episode mini series chronicles the years Eli spent as a spy in Syria and befriended top Syrian officials and smuggled information for Israel. After th initial 2 episodes the show wasn't feeling thrilling enough but gosh the next ones blew me away. There is this always inate sense of urgency but calmness in this show unlike many others high octane spy action thrillers. Sacha gives a performance of a lifetime as Eli and is smooth as butter in the show. I always enjoy these kind of stories personally as they not only entertain you but give you a wealth of historical knowledge. While this show might have it's fair share of historical inaccuracies, but it still tells and incredible tale. I would have loved if the show had more episodes so that it could have been a little more detailed considering that this period was succeeded by the escalation of conflict between Israel and Arab countries. Apart from this minor blip the show is very well written and acted.

One Spy, Wrecked A Nation

[soumyarjpanda · 8/10 · 7 September 2019]

Just finished watching the show. Excellent cinematography, Love how one character defined the whole show Brilliant work by Sasha Baron Cohen.

Great sacha Baron Cohen play!

[andpanichenko · 8/10 · 1 April 2020]

That is fabuluous initiation into a dramatic role of Sacha B.Cohen. Very organic immersion into character.

Worse to see!

Ridiculous accent

[mantisgungfu · 6/10 · 7 September 2019]

I couldn't bare watch the actors speak English with an Israeli accent.

Either speak in english or original language with subtitles.

A gripping spy thriller inspired by real events

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 21 November 2021]

This series tells the story of Eli Cohen an Egyptian Jew who had emigrated to Israel. Here he was recruited the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, in the early 1960s. His task was to infiltrate the Syrian expat community in Buenos Aires before using the connections he made to move to Damascus. His cover is that of a successful businessman named Kamel Amin Thaabet. He is an affable character and once in Syria quickly makes friends with all the right people. Everything he learns is quickly relayed to his handlers in Israel; either by radio or smuggled out via his export business. He knows that any mistake will almost certainly lead to capture, torture and death but he continues to take risks as the information he uncovers could be vital to the survival of Israel.

I found this to be a really gripping series. I didn't know of Eli Cohen before watching so had no idea how things would end. Once Eli is in Syria there is a high level of tension; even when things appear to be going well one knows things could go wrong in a heartbeat. Given the nature of the story it is impossible to know just how close to the truth the events portrayed are; even if not everything is quite as it happened it is a fairly amazing story. Sacha Baron Cohen does a really fine job as Eli; who would have guessed that somebody known for his in-your-face comic creations could be such a fine actor in a serious role. Other cast members also impress. The series has a great look; filmed in slightly washed out colours; especially for the scenes set in Israel which at times look almost black and white. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of spy dramas.

Sacha Baron Cohen!

[jaysunkwin · 7/10 · 7 September 2019]

As much I hate SBC in his early days in comedy or whatsoever you call it. This one with SBC, he shines. Id agree that SBC could had easily done Freddy Mercury but it's not the point. Whole series is fascinating as in history. I'd look forward more of SBC in drama/ serious acting, he got that acting chops! As for the show itself I thought it's excellent! I don't care for bad accent or so, overall great series from Netflix!

spine chilling

[brarprince-92581 · 10/10 · 7 September 2019]

I can't begin to describe the screeplay and direction of this series. You don't just watch it you are in it, you are Eli cohen. That is how good the actors,screenplay and story writing is. You don't want to go back into the enemy lines means you don't want Eli to go there, you are ready to spoil the series by wishing that Eli aborts his mission but he doesn't. The series penetrates into your blood,flesh and soul. You will be charmed by the acting of the protagonist, he doesn't need to say a word for you to admire his acting,the body language and eyes are sufficient to understand the tension and complexity of the scene. IT IS A MUST WATCH.

Binged in one sitting!

[luxlemons · 7/10 · 6 September 2019]

Good job by Cohen, and others, Emmerich could have done a better job on his accent.

Pure Israeli Propaganda

[husquets · 1/10 · 22 June 2020]

This show is so biased and black-white written that it's disgusting to watch. Pure propaganda. Acting is ok, even good, but story makes this just unwatchable.

Breathtaking

[killer7773 · 10/10 · 6 September 2019]

I loved every single bit about this show. It's a must!

A great movie but I am afraid of a bias

[al-939-110267 · 8/10 · 21 March 2021]

Out of covid times sometimes you stumble onto a gem. This is a gem for me. I am really lacking in my knowledge of the Syrian and Israeli conflicts. What I know is from bits and pieces over my lifetime when new worthy events come up. What this movie did was bring visuals, accurate or not, to help my own feelings toward the conflicts. As a screen piece the acting was great, all of the actors, the composition and perspective of the scenes and the pacing all appealed to me.

More importantly I will start reading more to understand the history and the situation up to today. I thank the movie for that push to read more and develop a perspective that I feel is mine. Currently where I stand is Eli was diabolical and unspeakable as I suspect a good spy must be. He was not reluctant to kill Syrians but unwilling to waiver when it comes to protecting his country and its people. Commendable I suppose but was he any different than any other mercenary? No in my opinion. To hang Eli and hold his remains is acceptable to me. Kind of hurts to feel that way.

I suspect there is a bias this movie projects onto the Syrians as aggressors and unsuitable individuals for modern culture. The sexual parties, the use of water, associating with the USSR and bloody coups all paint a montage of a distasteful culture. Now it is time to read more of the long standing hatred and the history behind it.

Irrespective of my questioning the portrayal I was quite impressed with the performance by Mr. Cohen.