There’s no such thing as too much James Norton and if you want proof, we’d recommend watching Mr Jones. The phenomenal drama, which is available to watch tonight on the BBC, sees the Happy Valley icon bring the real-life story of journalist Gareth Jones to life – and if you haven’t heard about it already, it’s because it’s by far his most underrated performance.
The story follows Jones as he travels to Soviet Russia in 1933 and proceeds to sneak into Ukraine where he exposes the truth about the devastating Holodomor famine and the horrific impact of Stalin's policies. It’s a genuinely jaw-dropping film that brings an important piece of history to screens and, needless to say, Norton is outstanding in it.
Before you tune in, here’s everything you need to know about Mr Jones, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Mr Jones about?
The film, which was first released in 2020, is inspired by the true story of journalist Gareth Jones from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. Set on the eve of WWII as Hitler rises to power and Stalin’s Soviet propaganda machine pushes their “utopia” to the Western world, James Norton plays the titular young journalist who travels to Moscow to uncover the truth behind the propaganda.
Jones works as a political advisor to David Lloyd George (Kenneth Cranam) but is swiftly made redundant thanks to limited funding. He’s fiercely tenacious, however, and manages to secure a Russian visa with the aim of setting up an interview with Stalin. And when he gets a tip that could expose an international conspiracy, despite the fact that it could cost him his life, he goes on a journey that will expose genocidal famine, or Holodomor, inflicted on Ukraine in 1932-33.
Who’s in the cast of Mr Jones?
The cast of Mr Jones includes:
- James Norton as Gareth Jones
- Vanessa Kirby as Ada Brooks
- Peter Sarsgaard as Walter Duranty
- Joseph Mawle as George Orwell
- Kenneth Cranam as David Lloyd George
- Celyn Jones as Matthew
- Krzysztof Piecszynski as Maxim Litvinov
Is there a trailer for Mr Jones?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Mr Jones below.
Is Mr Jones any good?
Yes – it portrays an important, but often forgotten, piece of history in gripping details. James Norton is, as ever, brilliant as Gareth Jones and captures all the anguish, emotion and intensity of the situation he found himself in. Viewers have called the film “educational cinema”, “powerful” and “gut-thumping” and we agree with all of them.
Norton has shared how the story left him in awe, telling Collider: "I was shocked and surprised that I had never heard of Gareth Jones, being from the UK, and his journey and life felt like a piece of history which I should have come across. But most shocking was the fact that I knew so little about the Holodomor, in general. A lot of the European history in school, in the UK, is focused on the Holocaust, and I know so much more, comparatively, than about the Holodomor.
"The fact that a lot of the international community still doesn’t recognize it as a genocide explains that lack of understanding and knowledge. But for me, there was a feeling of shock of understanding that there was this moment in history where millions and millions of people were systematically killed, and I didn’t really know anything about it, was a real eye-opener."
How can I watch Mr Jones?
Mr Jones is available to watch now on Prime Video.
What other good James Norton dramas can I watch now?
Period drama fans will enjoy Life in Squares. The three-part series sees James step into the shoes of a member of the renowned Bloomsbury group and follows him and his like-minded friends navigated their way through love, sex and artistic life in the first half of the 20th century. All three episodes of Life in Squares are available to watch now on Prime Video. Foe something more emotional, we’d recommend Nowhere Special. The heartbreaking film tells the story of a terminally ill single father (played by Norton) who has one final duty to take care of: finding a new family to adopt his four-year-old son. Nowhere Special is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. For more great James Norton dramas, check out our pick of his best roles here.
