The Independent (2022)

The Independent has the crackle of a newsroom thriller that knows exactly how to press on today’s nerves, turning the final stretch of a razor-close election into a ticking clock you can feel in your chest. It’s propelled by an idealistic reporter’s hunger for truth and the kind of old-school journalistic gravitas Brian Cox brings so effortlessly, while Jodie Turner-Smith shines with the poise and urgency of someone you can’t take your eyes off. The film keeps its mystery moving with confident, engaging pacing and a sharp, timely edge, letting the tension build through interviews, power plays, and the unsettling sense that the story is bigger than any one person. If you’re allergic to politically charged fiction you may find it a bit pointed, but if you like smart, well-acted thrillers that feel ripped from tomorrow’s headlines, it’s an easy yes.

The Independent wants to be a ripped-from-the-headlines political thriller about journalism, power, and an election on a knife’s edge, and you can feel the ambition in the premise and the solid cast. The problem is it often plays like a checklist of conspiracy beats you’ve seen before, with clunky dialogue and conflicts that get resolved in ways that feel too easy to be satisfying. Instead of gritty urgency or real insight, it leans into melodrama and broad strokes, which can make the whole thing feel undercooked. If you’re craving a sharp, smart, or genuinely tense political mystery, this may waste your time—but if you just want a slick, low-effort thriller to half-watch, it’s serviceable enough.