“Red Sparrow,” which hit theaters Friday and is the latest film from director Francis Lawrence, is bold, shocking and, at some moments, difficult to watch.

Emerging conveniently at a moment where the topic of Russian intelligence is at the forefront of American political discussion, “Red Sparrow” sheds light on a real-life Russian intelligence organization active during the Cold War which aimed to train spies to use sexual attraction and interactions as a weapon to gain information.

Set largely in modern day Russia, “Red Sparrow” follows Dominika Egorova, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who begins working for a Russian intelligence agency to provide for her ailing mother when her ballet career is ended by a serious leg injury.

Setting itself apart from other fun, action-packed films that occupy the espionage thriller genre, this film is not glamorous in any way. The undercurrent that tinges the entirety of the film is one of misery and brutality, reaching an almost nihilistic worldview.

The film contains a number of instances of shocking violence, both sexual and otherwise. Dominika’s first mission as a spy ends in a rape scene which is difficult to watch and only the first of several instances of sexual brutality of both the physical and emotional kind. In a movie where on the surface, sex is a tool of empowerment, the film more so showcases the way sex can be dehumanizing.

{{tncms-inline content=”<p>"The undercut that tinges the entirety of the film is one of misery and brutality, reaching an almost nihilistic worldview.”</p> <p style="text-align: right;">Ginger Simons</p> <p style="text-align: right;">Entertainment Writer</p>” id=”522ce37c-db88-483c-a23e-c2ca07cfcdec” style-type=”quote” title=”Ginger Simons” type=”relcontent”}}

Premiering in a time in cultural history where sexual harassment and assault are being openly discussed, the film, intentionally or not, seems to act as a metaphor for female sexuality at its darkest. The women in the film are brutalized, and though it appears through the lens of “sexual empowerment” and weaponization, they are dehumanized and left with nothing for themselves. They become the sexual attraction men feel toward them.

As a piece of cinema, “Red Sparrow” has hits and misses. A major hit is the performance of Lawrence, in a display proving she has the acting chops to be considered among the best of contemporary film actresses. Her performance is gritty, and she makes no attempt to shy away from the ugliness thrust upon her character in moments of turmoil. The weight of her character is felt throughout, but in the final act of the film, she truly comes off as a hardened, broken woman.

While for the most part, the film is well shot and edited, it begins to drag near the two-thirds mark and doesn’t quite earn it’s two hour and 20 minute run time. Conceptually, the film is well designed, but some moments feel lacking in execution. Emotion doesn’t hit quite the right boiling point, and several sequences feel like they’re building to a moment that never comes. There’s an expert film hiding somewhere in “Red Sparrow,” but many of the better moments are lost among a sea of brutality, and the film seems to lack any sort of central ethos.

All in all, “Red Sparrow” is worth the watch, but it should be warned the film is not for the squeamish. Instead of treating audiences to a quick espionage thriller, “Red Sparrow” confronts its audience with nearly two and a half hours of bleak brutality, and it’s up for the viewer to decide whether or not that’s a good thing.

{{tncms-inline content=”<p>The following information is verified by box office mojo.</p> <p>• “Black Panther,” $4,720,738</p> <p>• “Red Sparrow,” $1,444,429</p> <p>• “Death Wish,” $1,037,483</p> <p>• “Game Night,” $838,103</p>” id=”a1835f8a-3e43-47c5-b160-2cc20940165e” style-type=”info” title=”Box office results” type=”relcontent”}}