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Red Joan

Red Joan

2018 British drama film

1 min read

Why this is trending

Interest in “Red Joan” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-25.

Categorised under Science & Nature, this article fits a familiar pattern. Interest in science articles on Wikipedia often follows major discoveries, published studies, or tech industry news.

By monitoring millions of daily Wikipedia page views, GlyphSignal helps you spot cultural moments as they happen and understand the stories behind the numbers.

2026-01-27Peak: 4,4022026-02-25
30-day total: 15,670

Key Takeaways

  • Red Joan is a 2018 British spy drama film, directed by Trevor Nunn, from a screenplay by Lindsay Shapero.
  • The film is based on a novel of the same name written by Jennie Rooney, which was itself inspired by the life of Melita Norwood.
  • The information that Norwood betrayed to the Soviets hastened the pace at which they developed nuclear bomb technology.
  • Plot The young Joan Smith studies physics at Cambridge University.
  • Sonya and Leo are cousins, but grew up together and their relationship is more like that of a brother and a sister.

Red Joan is a 2018 British spy drama film, directed by Trevor Nunn, from a screenplay by Lindsay Shapero. The film stars Sophie Cookson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Tom Hughes, Ben Miles, Nina Sosanya, Tereza Srbova, and Judi Dench.

The film is based on a novel of the same name written by Jennie Rooney, which was itself inspired by the life of Melita Norwood. Norwood worked at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association as a secretary and supplied the Soviet Union with nuclear secrets. The information that Norwood betrayed to the Soviets hastened the pace at which they developed nuclear bomb technology.

Red Joan had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2018 and was released on 19 April 2019, by Lionsgate in the United Kingdom.

Plot

The young Joan Smith studies physics at Cambridge University. Her German Jewish friends Sonya and Leo Galich introduce her to socialists and radical politics. Sonya and Leo are cousins, but grew up together and their relationship is more like that of a brother and a sister. Smith falls in love with the intense intellectual Leo.

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