An impressive Jennifer Lawrence plays a ballerina-turned-spy in must-see espionage thriller, Red Sparrow

Arriving hot on the heels of last year’s <>, it appears that Hollywood is finally beginning to harness the awesome power of the female-led action movie, and in terms of formidable, whip-smart screen heroines, Red Sparrow won’t disappoint.

After an injury suddenly ends her career and her mum falls ill, Russian ballerina Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) is faced with a dilemma: let her mother suffer, or become a secret intelligence agent in return for medical care. Egorova soon finds herself a new recruit at ‘Sparrow School’, where she’s moulded into a lethal weapon of manipulation and seduction for the KGB.

Training is dehumanising and sadistic, yet Egorova graduates as the most dangerous Sparrow ever produced. This new-found power comes at a harsh price, however: she is changed irrevocably and must battle to assert her own will in this shadowy, undercover world. It’s only when her first target – a CIA spook played by Joel Edgerton – tries to recruit her as a double agent that she understands what this entails.

Armed with a bold Russian accent, Jennifer Lawrence is on typically compelling form as the conflicted Egorova – clearly, she and director Francis Lawrence (who also directed her in all three <> sequels) make a dynamic team. But special mention has to go to Charlotte Rampling, who plays the head of Sparrow School with exceptional froideur.

Based on the award-winning novel by former CIA operative Jason Matthews, <> is an authentically gritty look inside the hostile world of international espionage – expect plenty of head-spinning twists spiked with some intense, visceral action. But what really gives <> the edge is its sly psychological trickery – you’ll be wondering just which side Egorova is on, right up until the final credits roll… 

Fancy catching Jennifer Lawrence’s twisty, riveting spy thriller before it opens in UK cinemas on Thursday 1 March? Then join the Stylist Film Club for a free screening on Wednesday 28 February at the following venues: Vue Manchester Printworks, Vue Piccadilly Circus and Vue Shepherd’s Bush. Make sure you arrive at your venue at 6pm for a 6.30pm start. Our Film Club tickets go fast, so grab yours now…

To get your tickets, click here seeitfirst.com and enter the code YMHVT4.