If you’ve already watched the first episode of Slow Horses’ highly-anticipated sixth series, episode 2 might be feeling a little far away (ahem, next Wednesday!). The good news is, we’ve found another outstanding spy thriller (albeit a little different) to fill the gap and it goes by the name of Rogue Agent. Starring Happy Valley’s James Norton and based on eerily true events, we'd highly recommend taking the opportunity to watch it while you can.
Now available to stream on Netflix, the film is based on the real-life story of Robert Hendy-Freegard, a British career conman who, during the 90s and early 2000s, convinced several people that he was an MI5 agent. So manipulative he was that he managed to coerce money out of his victims, cut off contact with family and even the outside world.
Intrigued? Before you dive in, here’s everything you need to know about Rogue Agent, including the cast, plot and how to watch it.
What is Rogue Agent about?
The film, which was first released in the UK in 2022, stars James Norton as Robert Hendy-Freegard, the real-life con artist who tricked people into believing he was an MI5 agent and kidnapped multiple victims along the way. The scammer seduced at least seven women, promising them an escape from their mundane wives, and exploited many more in the 1990s by claiming he was an MI5 spy looking for new recruits.
It’s an eye-opening true crime case and, in the film, we see what happened when Robert tries to scam a quick-witted lawyer, Alice Archer (Gemma Arterton), who's inspired by the real woman who bought the con artist to justice. While Alice is initially taken in by Robert’s charming ways, she soon becomes suspicious when a background check proves fruitless and teams up with a police officer to get to the bottom of his lies.
James Norton told Variety of the film: “It’s clear why it’s so compelling. It’s this story no one has ever heard before, and no one can quite believe is real. And it’s all the things I love.”
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Asked whether he spoke to Robert to help prepare for the role, he added: “No, we haven’t had any direct contact with him, and I don’t think we would really want to either. We know where he is through – we think we know where he is. A more recent victim reached out and wanted to help us make the movie because that felt like a way [of] holding him to account. So other than that, I think he’s possibly still out there. Possibly not very remorseful. But who knows?”
Who’s in the cast of Rogue Agent?
The cast of Rogue Agent includes:
- James Norton (Happy Valley) as Robert Hendy-Freegard
- Gemma Arterton (Secret Service) as Alice Archer
- Marisa Abela (Industry) as Sophie Jones
- Sarah Goldberg (Barry) as Jenny Jackson
- Shazad Latif (Wuthering Heights) as Sonny Chandra
- Jimmy Akingbola (The Tower) as Andrew
- Freya Mavor (The Keeper) as Mae Hansen
- Julian Barratt (Flowers) as Phil
- Edwina Findley (The Residence) as Special Agent Sandy Harland
Is there a trailer for Rogue Agent?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Rogue Agent below.
Is Rogue Agent any good?
Yes - it’s a chilling story that will make you think twice about what you choose to believe. The biggest praise should, naturally, go to James Norton who pulls off playing a charming yet deceitful conman with such skill you’d think it was second nature. If you thought he was brilliantly unsettling as manipulative psychopath Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley, you haven’t seen anything yet…
How can I watch Rogue Agent?
You can watch Rogue Agent on Netflix now.
What other James Norton dramas can I watch now?
If you’re in the mood for something that’ll tug at your heartstrings, we’d recommend Nowhere Special. James plays 35-year-old window cleaner, John, who only has weeks left to live and must find a family to adopt his four-year-old son. You can watch Nowhere Special on ITVX. For crime drama fans, we’d suggest McMafia. The series tells the story of Alex Godman (James), an English-raised son of Russian exiles with a mafia history. Alex has spent most of his life trying to escape the shadow of that criminal past, but it soon comes back to haunt him. McMafia is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
