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The spy thriller has been described as better than James Bond(Image: Publicity handout)

A war thriller fans are calling the ‘best spy film ever’ is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

Some moviegoers claim the “brilliant” British film, which has one of the most star-studded casts of all time, is in a different league to both James Bond and Jason Bourne.

Based on a best-selling novel by legendary author and former secret intelligence officer John le Carré, the cold war film has been described as a “masterpiece” of the genre.

The 2011 movie was directed by Tomas Alfredson and stars huge A-listers like Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Stephen Graham and Benedict Cumberbatch.

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The film is considered a ‘masterpiece’ of the genre(Image: Publicity handout)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is adapted from the 1974 Le Carré novel of the same name and holds an 84% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It opened to generally positive reviews and has since been praised for its complex storytelling, sense of realism and exceptional acting.

The synopsis for the film reads: “In the 1970s England the head of MI6, Control (John Hurt), dispatches an agent (Mark Strong) to meet with a Hungarian general who knows the identity of a Soviet spy in the organization’s ranks.

“However, the mission goes wrong, and the general dies before he can reveal the information. Undersecretary Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney) calls veteran agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) back from forced retirement to ferret out the mole and stop the flow of vital British secrets to the Russians.”

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The film has been called ‘perfect’ thanks to its brilliant cast(Image: Publicity handout)

Taking to the review section of Rotten Tomatoes, fans shared their thoughts on the thriller, with one person calling it “the best spy movie ever” and another praising it as a “slow but great masterpiece”.

One fan commented: “One of the most realistic Cold War spy-games movies I’ve seen. Great performances, great cinematography. Great all around.”

Another added: “Brilliant! A tight rendition of the much longer and more complex novel, not a wasted moment, not a wasted scene, and possibly the most compelling end to a movie ever, aided by the perfectly pitched ‘La Mer’.”

A third enthused: “My personal favorite movie of all time. Excellent dialog, a spy movie plot that is complex but not too complicated, incredible acting, and ambience galore! Just about perfect IMO.”

“Blessed with a formidable star-cast, the film is an intellectual treat,” another wrote, while one more agreed: “Absolute classic. Unforgettable performances from a triple A cast. Very suspenseful plot.

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Gary Oldman stars in the cold war film(Image: Publicity handout)

“This is a movie for intellectuals, the sort of movie people should appreciate way more. Can’t give it enough stars.”

Meanwhile, others couldn’t help but compare Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to spy franchises like James Bond and Jason Bourne.

One wrote: “This movie is well made, brilliantly acted, and will help you understand what espionage is really about. Skip Bond and Bourne, Smiley all the way, baby!”

Another agreed that the film was a cut above the popular espionage thrillers, arguing: “If you love the words of Le Carre you will appreciate it; if you expect Jason Bourne/James Bond-style fodder, you may be better giving it a miss.”

One more penned: “A great slow burn spy movie. Not a James bond or mission impossible type spy film, but a more cerebral cat and mouse type spy film.”