{"id":632633,"date":"2026-10-16T17:48:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T17:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/632633\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T17:48:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T17:48:12","slug":"lesley-manvilles-outstanding-spy-thriller-is-now-available-to-watch-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/632633\/","title":{"rendered":"Lesley Manville&#8217;s &#8220;outstanding&#8221; spy thriller is now available to watch in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Lesley Manville&#8217;s spy thriller Winter of the Crow has been released in UK cinemas today. The movie is based on the short story Professor Andrews Goes to Warsaw, written by Polish Nobel Prize-winning author Olga Tokarczuk. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Manville stars in a gender-swapped role as Dr Joan Andrews, a psychiatry professor visiting Poland as a guest lecturer. When martial law is suddenly imposed in 1981, Joan finds herself in grave danger as she is trapped in the capital.  <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">After photographing the murder of a student by a secret police officer, she becomes &#8220;a hunted fugitive running for her life&#8221;. Joan must navigate the streets of Warsaw to make her escape, while figuring out who she can trust. <\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"lesley manville in winter of the crow\" title=\"Lesley Manville in Winter of the Crow\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2428\" height=\"1200\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/dda6a6c7-fc20-46dc-b229-839c65d32bff.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Signature Entertainment<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Related:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a29669\/uk-film-release-dates\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a29669\/uk-film-release-dates\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"UK film release dates\" data-node-id=\"18.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">UK film release dates<\/a> <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">&#8220;Compelled by a conscience she did not know she had, Joan finds the courage and determination to try and outsmart a totalitarian regime and pursue a path to justice for her new Polish friends,&#8221; reads <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a64726497\/lesley-manville-winter-of-the-crow\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a64726497\/lesley-manville-winter-of-the-crow\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the synopsis\" data-node-id=\"22.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the synopsis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"26\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">&#8220;But in the face of such oppression, will she make the last flight home and manage to get her incriminating photos out into the world?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Directed by Kasia Adamik, the movie first debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025. It currently holds a 94% score on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/winter_of_the_crow\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/winter_of_the_crow\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Rotten Tomatoes\" data-node-id=\"31.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rotten Tomatoes<\/a> from 17 reviews, with <a href=\"https:\/\/easyreadernews.com\/winter-of-the-crow-dark-and-foreboding-movie\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/easyreadernews.com\/winter-of-the-crow-dark-and-foreboding-movie\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Easy Reader (California)\" data-node-id=\"31.3.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Easy Reader (California)<\/a> calling it an &#8220;outstanding independent film that deserves a wider audience&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"35\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">&#8220;Lesley Manville delivers a quietly commanding performance in a film that transforms a bleak winter landscape into a tense, emotionally rich portrait of resistance and survival,&#8221; said <a href=\"https:\/\/nextbestpicture.com\/winter-of-the-crow\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/nextbestpicture.com\/winter-of-the-crow\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Next Best Picture\" data-node-id=\"35.1.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Next Best Picture<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"lesley manville, the winter of the crow\" title=\"Lesley Manville, The Winter of the Crow\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3400\" height=\"2367\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/lesley-manville-the-winter-of-the-crow-65ba4a7da8f14.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Hanway Films<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"41\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a71176317\/lesley-manville-winter-of-the-crow-uk-screening\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a71176317\/lesley-manville-winter-of-the-crow-uk-screening\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Lesley Manville&#039;s &quot;gripping&quot; British spy thriller confirms first UK screening\" data-node-id=\"41.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lesley Manville&#8217;s &#8220;gripping&#8221; British spy thriller confirms first UK screening<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"45\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/criticism\/movies\/winter-of-the-crow-movie-review-lesley-manville-1235149209\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/criticism\/movies\/winter-of-the-crow-movie-review-lesley-manville-1235149209\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"IndieWire\" data-node-id=\"45.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">IndieWire<\/a> added: &#8220;At a time when most budget-conscious period pieces are undone by the glossiness of modern digital formats, Winter of the Crow feels like nothing less than a small miracle of evocation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"49\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Meanwhile, Winter of the Crow isn&#8217;t the only movie hitting the big screen today. Survival thriller adaptation Whalefall, martial arts comedy Street Fighter and animated fantasy comedy Forgotten Island are all available to watch right now, giving cinemagoers plenty to choose from. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"53\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Streaming Guide\" data-node-id=\"53.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"59\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of Dolly Parton&#8217;s life, is here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/special-editions-subscriptions\/living-legend-specials\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/special-editions-subscriptions\/living-legend-specials\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy Dolly in newsagents or online\" data-node-id=\"59.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Buy Dolly in newsagents or online<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-dynamic-svg=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/hearst\/static\/images\/logos\/lettermark.be20fe9.svg?primary=%2523000\" loading=\"lazy\" data-testid=\"dynamic-svg-base\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" alt=\"Lettermark\" class=\"css-1gzwuo6 ev8dhu50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a &#8220;telly addict&#8221; since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Digital Spy<\/a>\u00a0as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/author\/divya-soni\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Metro<\/a>,\u00a0Asian World News\u00a0and\u00a0TwitCelebGossip;\u00a0as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">film<\/a>\u00a0and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/soaps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">soaps<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/marvel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">superheroes<\/a>, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations\u00a0and up to date information.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lesley Manville&#8217;s spy thriller Winter of the Crow has been released in UK cinemas today. The movie is&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":632634,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[147144,2115,310127,2117,156,207184,2116,409,111,139,69,310126,251090],"class_list":["post-632633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-collection-latest-news","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-a52831eb-5f9a-483a-953a-8bfa8346e948","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-movies","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-shorttitle-lesley-manvilles-spy-thriller-is-now-available-in-the-uk","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632633\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}