Eye of the Needle

Set in 1944, during the Second World War, the film follows Henry Faber, a German spy known as the Needle, who has uncovered information vital to the Allied invasion of Normandy. Pursued by MI5 agents, he takes refuge on Storm Island, a remote and sparsely populated island off the northern coast of Scotland. There he encounters Lucy, a woman living on the island with her husband and child, and the quiet life she leads is disrupted by his arrival. A relationship develops between them even as the pursuit closes in, leaving her unaware of who he really is.

Richard Marquand directed the film, the second of four features he made, following The Legacy and preceding Return of the Jedi. Stanley Mann wrote the screenplay, and Stephen J. Friedman produced. Donald Sutherland leads the cast as Faber, with Kate Nelligan as Lucy, Ian Bannen as Godliman, Christopher Cazenove as David, Faith Brook as Lucy's Mother and Barbara Ewing as Mrs. Garden; 39 cast members are credited in total.

Released in July 1981, the film took about 18 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.1 out of 10 from roughly 14,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.7 from about 265 votes. A critics' rating of 6.7 from 20 reviews places it close to the audience scores.