SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD/MI-5 (2015)

Not having seen the series, I went into this one totally green (and mostly out of my fanboy love of Kit Harington).  So this review is strictly for the stand-alone film - a terrific spy thriller about the betrayals and machinations going on behind-the-scenes at London's MI-5, after known terrorist Qasim (the brilliant Elyes Gabel) escapes during a routine transport in the city.  The escape is seen as a huge goof to the American CIA, who were most after Qasim and want to oversee MI-5 as it is, and disgraced MI-5 head of counter-intelligence Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) even commits suicide over the gaffe.  Or does he?  Young, decommissioned (by Pearce) former agent Will Holloway (Harington), the only known connection to the now-in-hiding Pearce, is brought back in and talked into finding his former boss - at which time Holloway also learns that nothing, or no one, may be what it seems ... even Harry.  A first-rate, heart-racing spy movie with a great cast, made especially emotional for me as I saw it the day after the terrorist attacks in Paris.  Awesome, complex film. (rated R)  A-