Movie review
May 5, 2016 · 108 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The movie is a straight spy thriller about a British couple pulled into a Russian oligarch’s defection deal exposing mafia ties to London finance and MI6. No identity politics, girlboss arcs, or activist lectures appear in the story. The narrative sticks to classic le Carré corruption, loyalty, and betrayal with zero modern social-justice framing. Casting updates from the novel add a black wife for Gail and an Arab MI6 agent, but the plot never comments on race, gender, or representation.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Our Kind of Traitor.
Woke representation / casting
director added black wife (changed from novel’s white English character) and Arab MI6 agent for explicit cultural diversification signaling.
Woke political dialogue
no activist or identity politics dialogue.
Identity-driven story themes
no identity or representation plotlines or messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
le Carré-style critique of City of London and intelligence corruption; no modern activist framing on patriarchy, whiteness, or identity politics.
Woke character or canon changes
race change to Gail from novel plus added diverse MI6 agent; minor adaptation tweaks.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
no backlash claiming too woke or forced identity politics.
Creator track record context
director advocates for diversity hiring and made casting choices to reflect modern Britain.
Production
