Wasp Network (Movie Review)

Wasp Network is the latest Netflix acquisition to debut on the streaming platform. It was written and directed by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas, and is based on the book The Last Soldiers of the Cold War, which was itself based on the true life story of the eponymous spy organization whose members were sent to Miami to gather intel during the tail end of the Cold War.

Back in the early 90s, the communist nation of Cuba was under a lot of pressure from anti-Castro groups working out of Miami. Some of those groups went as far as coordinating terrorist attacks on the nation in a bid to discourage and destabilize its tourism industry. To counter their activities, the Cuban government sanctions and sends a number of spies to infiltrate those groups and report back on their operations.

René Gonzalez (Édgar Ramírez) was one of those spies, an airplane pilot who is leaving behind his wife (Penélope Cruz) and young daughter under the guise of defecting to the US. He is joined by Juan Pablo Roque (Wagner Moura), a Cuban officer who had surrendered at Guantanamo Bay, and together with their leader, Gerardo Hernandez (Gael García Bernal), they must navigate an intricate web of lies and double crosses as they try to bring down "the revolution."

Wasp Network explores an interesting slice of history and does so from a point of view that is seldom given this much attention. The movie is beautiful to look at, and boasts strong performances by its casts. I especially loved Ana de Armas, who I have loved since her star-making turn in Blade Runner 2049, and more recently in Knives Out, a performance that had earned her a Golden Globe nomination earlier in the year.

But apart from some great cinematography and strong acting, Wasp Network doesn't have much else going for it. At least nothing in the way of actual suspense. The movie attempts to juggle too many things at the same time with its plot, and as a result, doesn't come across as strongly as it could have. Still, if you fancy a history lesson, then you can be rest assured that it is at least watchable on those terms.