Watch Eliminate: Archie Cookson

Eliminate: Archie Cookson is a 2012 British independent film directed by Rob Holder. It stars Paul Rhys as Archie Cookson, a former secret agent who comes out of retirement to take on a mission that involves the safety of the British Intelligence establishment. The story is set in the present day but relies on flashbacks to explain Cookson's past and his involvement with the agency. We learn that Cookson was a top-level agent who left the agency under mysterious circumstances and retired to become a successful novelist. However, his past comes back to haunt him when his former boss, Sir David Markham (played by Maurice Roeves), approaches him with a new mission.

Sir David explains that a hacker known as "The Nightmare" has gained access to top-secret information about the agency and is threatening to reveal everything unless he is paid a sizable ransom. The agency believes that The Nightmare is a foreign agent and wants Cookson to help them catch him. Cookson initially turns down the offer, but when Sir David mentions that The Nightmare is using Cookson's own personal code to encrypt his demands, he realizes that he has no choice but to accept.

Cookson's investigation leads him to a beautiful young hacker named Charlie (played by Georgia King), who has been hired by The Nightmare. Charlie is a brilliant computer expert who dreams of using her skills to help people, but she has fallen in with the wrong crowd. Cookson begins to suspect that there is more to the case than meets the eye, however, and he soon finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with some very dangerous people.

Meanwhile, Cookson's personal life is also in turmoil. He is estranged from his wife (played by Claire Skinner) and has a teenage daughter who is struggling with her own problems. Cookson's involvement in the case threatens to put his family in danger, and he must find a way to balance his duty to the agency with his responsibilities as a father.

Eliminate: Archie Cookson is a taut, suspenseful thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The script is well-written and full of twists and turns, and the performances by the cast are top-notch. Paul Rhys brings a world-weary gravitas to the role of Cookson, and Georgia King shines as the conflicted Charlie. Claire Skinner is also excellent as Cookson's wife, bringing depth and nuance to a character that could easily have been one-dimensional.

Director Rob Holder keeps the pace brisk and the tension high, and the film is shot in a moody, atmospheric style that adds to the sense of unease. The flashbacks to Cookson's past are woven seamlessly into the narrative, providing important background information without slowing down the story.

Overall, Eliminate: Archie Cookson is a smart, stylish thriller that is sure to please fans of the genre. It's a film that is both exciting and thought-provoking, and it leaves you wanting more. Highly recommended.

Eliminate: Archie Cookson is a 2020 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5.