Eye of the Needle (1981)
Based on the novel by Ken Follett, Eye of the Needle is a genuinely gripping war time set thriller starring Donald Sutherland as a German spy desperately attempting to get out of Britain and back to Germany with plans of the upcoming Normandy invasion.
At times this veers dangerously close to slasher film territory especially during the last half hour as Kate Nelligan becomes the 'final girl' hunted across a remote Scottish island by Sutherland. At other times it feels like a classy British thriller from the late forties although that illusion is frequently exposed by sex and gory murders.
Both Sutherland and Nelligan are believable and ably supported by Christopher Cazenove, although Ian Bannen (Tracking Sutherland) is sadly underused, whilst director Richard Marquand maintains suspense throughout.
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