Inside Anna: Unpacking Luc Besson’s High-Velocity Spy Thriller
If you have navigated past that hyper-charged, sensationalized social media marketing copy, you are looking at Anna, the stylish 2019 action-thriller written, produced, and directed by Luc Besson.
Paris Runways, KGB Handler Coldness, and Double-Agent Crosshairs
Stepping away from traditional, slow-burn British spy procedurals, the film leans into a high-gloss, fast-moving, pulp-action aesthetic:
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The Setup: Set in 1990, the story follows Anna Poliatova (played by breakout star Sasha Luss), a young Russian woman trapped in an abusive life who is plucked from the streets and recruited as an elite operative by KGB handler Alex Tchenkov (played by Luke Evans).
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The Cover Identity: To blend in while executing high-profile targets across Europe, Anna is planted in Paris under the guise of an international high-end fashion model, managing a glamorous public existence by day and a bloody underworld trade by night.
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The CIA Interception: When the CIA catches onto her true identity, cold and calculating American handler Leonard Miller (played by Cillian Murphy) corners Anna, forcing her to flip into a dangerous double-agent game to secure her freedom.
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The Puppet Master: Overseeing her internal KGB operations with sharp cynicism and steely authority is Olga (played with a masterclass in dry charisma by Helen Mirren).
Key Cast & Creative Approach
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The Acting Heavyweights: While Sasha Luss anchors the physical center of the film with martial arts choreography and model-turned-assassin set pieces, the dramatic tension is heavily driven by the veteran star power of Helen Mirren and Cillian Murphy trading sharp verbal maneuvers.
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Besson’s Kinetic Signature: Director Luc Besson returns to the breathless, stylized female-led assassin archetype he famously established with La Femme Nikita, prioritizing non-linear narrative jumps, neon-soaked European backdrops, and explosive, close-quarters combat.
The Verdict
While internet marketing blurbs always dial the hyperbole up to 11 to pitch every streaming catalog rotation as a mind-bending psychological anomaly, Anna is a slick, wildly entertaining, and twist-heavy action ride. If you like your spy thrillers fast, stylish, and packed with double-crosses and powerhouse supporting turns from Mirren and Murphy, it makes for a thoroughly fun watch.
