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Rogue Agent Review: A Chilling & Enthralling Story Inspired By True Events
Rogue Agent — based on the article "Chasing Agent Freegard" by Michael Bronner, who co-wrote the screenplay with directors Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn — is a chilling reminder that the worst monsters dreamed up in literature and myths are nothing compared to the monsters that live amongst humans. In the film's case, it's a reference to one real-life conman: Robert Freegard.
The story follows Robert Freegard (James Norton), a conman and imposter. Pretending to be an MI5 agent chasing after the IRA, he kidnaps, enslaves, swindles, and abuses numerous victims physically and mentally. The film offers a brief summation of his tactics and his victims, but does not delve into a narrative that deconstructs the mind of a cruel man. The focus shifts to one of his later victims and how she turns things around by conning the con man.
Robert is incredibly handsome, so all the considerable red flags are masked by his charm and smile. The film opens with a segment narrated by the immensely talented Gemma Arterton, who explains the main tenants of how a spy deceives others, all while Robert ingratiates himself with a group of university students and convinces them he is an MI5 spy. Using the tactics of a rakish agent who would typically be beloved, he perverts the notion by abusing his power, preying on unsuspecting people and whisking them away from their loved ones and lives. Nine years later, he meets his match in Alice Archer (Arterton).
Rogue Agent is carefully crafted in a way that never gives Robert Freegard the power in the narrative. That power rests on Alice Archer’s shoulders and the battle she undergoes to serve him his comeuppance. While the film pulls from the real-life story of how Freegard manipulated people, kidnapping them under fraudulent means, with physical and sexual violence thrown into the mix, the story is presented as a fictitious one. It is a story of a woman reclaiming her power, her peace of mind, and exacting revenge on the handsome monster that defrauded and abused her.
The one thing that may undermine the efforts made to tell this story is the fact that much of what transpires is not how it happened in real life. Whether that helps or hinders the film is up to the audience to decide. For this film to work, however, one would need an attractive man to play Robert, someone who can also blur the lines between sexy and dangerous. Norton has the look and build of an actor who would have his name thrown into the ring to play the next James Bond, and the actor plays into the fantasy of a man who would risk his life for queen and country. Fortunately for Rogue Agent, Norton can also delve into the darkness to play the agent of the devil, as his character is described. On the flip side, Alice needs someone who can balance a myriad of emotions, but remain unshakeable — Arterton is the perfect actress to fill the role. Her talent is tremendous; it cannot be questioned or doubted. She carries the film with grace, dignity, and a fierceness that is evenly matched with the immense depravity of Robert’s actions.
Rogue Agent is a thrilling cat-and-mouse game about a woman heartbroken but driven by her insatiable need for justice against a vile man. However, its restrained approach allows for the narrative to unfold in an enthralling way that carefully considers the emotions and devastation left in Freegard's wake. The film does the exact opposite of what one would generally expect. It does not romanticize the monster. Rather, it dismantles who he is and promptly puts the power in the hands of a capable woman who will not bend, and who refuses to be a victim.
Rogue Agent began streaming on AMC+ Friday, August 12. The film is 115 minutes long and is not rated.
