Skip to content
MovieCove
The Ipcress File

The Ipcress File

The spy story of the century.

1965109 minPassedMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Director
Sidney J. Furie
Starring
Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd

Sly and dry intelligence agent Harry Palmer is tasked with investigating British Intelligence security, and is soon enmeshed in a world of double-dealing, kidnap and murder when he finds a traitor operating at the heart of the secret service.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Ipcress File?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Ipcress File to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Ipcress File?

The Ipcress File earns 7 badges, led by Standout acting and Standout soundtrack.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Ipcress File worth watching?

The Ipcress File's Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all films, from 36K ratings across 6 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of films

87th percentile among Drama82nd percentile among 1960s
Acclaim (how much people like it)79th
Approval (how many liked it)87th

70 /100

79th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Drama79th percentile among 1960s

Critics 66 · Audience 70

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.3 — people broadly agree on this one.

77% liked it

87th percentile of all films

89th percentile among Drama84th percentile among 1960s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Critics 97% · Audience 85%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 5 wins / 3 noms overall

  • WonBAFTA Awards· Best British Art Direction (Colour)
  • WonBAFTA Awards· Best British Cinematography (Colour)

85th percentile

36K ratings across platforms

88th percentile among Drama90th percentile among 1960s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 23% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$750K
Worldwide gross$11K

Returned 0.0× its budget — 13th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A deliberately anti-Bond spy film that trades glamour for gritty, bureaucratic realism and a working-class everyman hero.

Fans praised

  • Michael Caine's charismatic performance as the insubordinate, working-class Harry Palmer
  • Otto Heller's inventive cinematography with voyeuristic angles and obscured frames
  • John Barry's atmospheric score that enhances tension and period feel

Detractors panned

  • Slow pacing with long stretches of bureaucratic tedium
  • Implausible and muddled plot with weak logic and unanswered questions
  • Dated brainwashing sequences and overdone stylistic camera tricks

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Michael Caine's magnetic, coolly insubordinate portrayal of Harry Palmer

Sound and music85

John Barry's memorable and atmospheric score

CinematographyDivisive82

Inventionally skewed and voyeuristic camera angles

OriginalityDivisive80

Groundbreaking anti-Bond realism with a mundane, bureaucratic spy world

Atmosphere80

Gritty, paranoid Cold War London ambiance

CharactersDivisive78

Memorable supporting bureaucrats and Palmer's relatable, flawed personality

Plot and storyDivisive55

Convoluted and logic-lean brainwashing conspiracy

Pacing50

Deliberate, slow-burn with long stretches of office tedium

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is The Ipcress File like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It has a few laughs and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseColdThrilling
Heaviest: middle
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its espionage story with cool, bureaucratic realism and a detached, precise style, undercut only by Palmer's dry wryness but never mocking the material.
The rideThe mood is consistently tense and detached, with the heaviness peaking during the investigation's dangerous turns.
StructureThe film is told in linear, chronological order with a conventional setup, investigation, and resolution. No nonlinear devices are used.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you thinking about class, trust, and institutional betrayal, while the brainwashing and cold war paranoia linger uneasily.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% (this title) · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

7% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story follows Harry Palmer investigating the kidnapping and brainwashing of scientists, uncovering a conspiracy within British intelligence. The central mystery of who is behind it and the meaning of 'Ipcress' drives the investigation.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Oppression · 4% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how an institution exerts control through brainwashing and manipulation, while deception is woven into both the plot and Palmer's own identity.
StanceThe film warns about the dangers of unchecked power and mind control, centered on Palmer's singular viewpoint.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · John Barry
SettingCold War London and secret intelligence facilities
MusicJohn Barry's cool jazz-inflected score defines the film's 1960s espionage atmosphere.

Content guide

Is The Ipcress File okay for kids?

Passed

The Ipcress File is rated Passed. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at mild (23/100), language at mild (22/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (37/100) and frightening material at moderate (41/100). Its violence, language and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • UKPG
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • IrelandPG
  • Brazil12
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 29%
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 50%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (56 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Ipcress File have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Ipcress File?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Michael Caine
as Harry Palmer
BAFTA nominee: BAFTA Award nomination — Best British ActorTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Nigel Green
as Major Dalby
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Guy Doleman
as Colonel H.L. Ross
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sue Lloyd
as Jean Courtney
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Gordon Jackson
as Jock Carswell
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Aubrey Richards
as Dr. Radcliffe
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Frank Gatliff
as Bluejay
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Thomas Baptiste
as Barney
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Oliver MacGreevy
as Housemartin
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Freda Bamford
as Alice
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Ipcress File?

Movies like The Ipcress File include Funeral in Berlin (1966), Billion Dollar Brain (1967) and Telefon (1977). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Len Deighton, and all are stories about spies.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its world: espionage. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Ipcress File?

832 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: spy. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.