X
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • Apple TV+
  • 1 h 32 m
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • Apple TV+
  • 1 h 32 m
The Pigeon Tunnel

Summary Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of former British spy David Cornwell — better known as John le Carré, author of such classic espionage novels as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Constant Gardener. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Cold War leading into present...

Directed By: Errol Morris

Written By: John le Carré, Errol Morris

  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • Apple TV+
  • 1 h 32 m
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • Apple TV+
  • 1 h 32 m

The Pigeon Tunnel

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 20 Critic Reviews
79
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 10 User Ratings
7.0
My Score
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Where to Watch

Summary Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of former British spy David Cornwell — better known as John le Carré, author of such classic espionage novels as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Constant Gardener. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Cold War leading into present...

Directed By: Errol Morris

Written By: John le Carré, Errol Morris

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 20 Critic Reviews
79
90% Positive
18 Reviews
10% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 20 Critic Reviews
79
90% Positive
18 Reviews
10% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
91
Sep 11, 2023
What is truly, and thrillingly, new here is Morris’s thematic interest. The deeper he goes into the rabbit hole with Cornwall, the more his true subject becomes apparent, as the picture becomes a penetrating investigation of the idea that great artists freely use fiction to work through the very real pain of their own lives—even in work that’s not explicitly or even transparently autobiographical.
By Jason Bailey FULL REVIEW
89
Oct 17, 2023
The Pigeon Tunnel, then, is a chance to see an expert raconteur, who seems to know every trick of the trade—answering a master documentarian’s questions when he wants, and deflecting with panache when he doesn’t, regaling you with such wonder that you can’t help but be enthralled.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 10 User Ratings
7.0
60% Positive
6 Ratings
30% Mixed
3 Ratings
10% Negative
1 Rating

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 10 User Ratings
7.0
60% Positive
6 Ratings
30% Mixed
3 Ratings
10% Negative
1 Rating

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

80
Oct 25, 2023
In truth (there’s that word again), Morris’ movie isn’t so much a debriefing as a very entertaining recruitment tool for the pleasures of Cornwell’s storytelling.
By Robert Abele FULL REVIEW
80
Oct 13, 2023
Le Carré’s relationship with his father is the focus of the film. This is well-worn territory, and yet it proves impossible to tire of le Carré talking about the old devil.
FULL REVIEW
75
Oct 26, 2023
The Pigeon Tunnel is mannered, but one could argue that’s fitting. It’s hard to get more mannered than the le Carré prose style and plotting. Yet no character inhabiting the novels, not even George Smiley, is as riveting and memorable as David Cornwell. Anything that gets between him and the viewer is not a good thing.
By Mark Feeney FULL REVIEW
70
Sep 11, 2023
Cornwell died in 2020 and it’s a treasure to have this last opportunity to glimpse into the mind of a master raconteur, to hear his erudite explanations for his thematic fascinations and to watch him tiptoe around which personal tales he’s comfortable rehashing and which are better left in forms previously written.
By Daniel Fienberg FULL REVIEW
50
Oct 3, 2023
As a film, The Pigeon Tunnel is competent. It looks nice, its reenactments are polished, and Cornwell’s wit aptly distracts from the movie’s pitfalls. But if you’re looking for an incisive, thorough documentary that probes and provokes, prepare to lower your expectations.
FULL REVIEW
See All 20 Critic Reviews

Details

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Production Company The Ink Factory, Fourth Floor Pictures, 127 Wall, Apple Original Films, Fourth Floor Productions, Hero Squared, Jago Films
Release Date Oct 20, 2023
Duration 1 h 32 m
Rating PG-13
Genres
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Awards

Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
National Board of Review, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Writers Guild of America, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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