Five reasons why you should watch Red Sparrow

Directed by Francis Lawrence, Red Sparrow is an espionage film, starring Jennifer Lawrence. The film is about ‘Sparrows’, or specifically one sparrow, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Sparrows are Russian women in the novel who underwent training in a special school that taught them to seduce enemies and extract intelligence from them. Basically, turning them into seductive assassins. The film is based on the book of the same name by former CIA agent Jason Matthews. Here are our five reasons why you should watch this film.

Jennifer Lawrence: Easily one of the top Hollywood actresses right now, people forget that beneath the glamour and the glitz, Jennifer Lawrence is a very capable actor, and has given many nuanced performances in a variety of roles. This role, however, may be her most challenging yet. Her last film, mother!, divided critics and audiences like few do, but her performance was appreciated even in negative reviews.

Story: Jason Matthews's book is the first part of a trilogy and we may see two more movies in future. The story is fascinating, as it is almost a first-hand account by somebody who actually walked the dim corridors of espionage and knows his stuff. Intelligence-gathering can be nasty and be done through means that would be illegal and immoral otherwise, and Matthews is unstinting in his depiction.

Director Francis Lawrence: The director is not related to Jennifer Lawrence, but he might as well be. Francis has shown his adroitness in multiple genres. He has made a post-apocalyptic film, a supernatural film, and a trilogy of dystopian science-fiction films with Jennifer Lawrence himself. Clearly, having worked together in three films, the two share a good rapport and understand each other and this should show in Red Sparrow.

Supporting cast: Red Sparrow has a solid supporting cast. Joel Edgerton plays a CIA agent who becomes a love-interest of Jennifer Lawrence's character. Then there is Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Ciarán Hinds, and others.

Reviews: While critical reception has been lukewarm, critics have praised the performance of Jennifer Lawrence.