Turks & Caicos (2014 TV Movie) User Reviews

A slow burning cracker

[harvey-954-515948 · 8/10 · 21 March 2014]

I was thrilled by the first episode and expected a lot from the second. And got it.

The acting was impeccable. It was so good I missed it the first time I saw it. It seemed so natural.

The pace was slow, steady and intriguing but there were little hints as to the plot, pointers if you will, all the way through. Don't miss a second.

I watched it alone last night - my wife was babysitting grandchildren - and I was so fascinated that I saw it again with her tonight. It is even better the second time around. She actually clapped at the end.

Nighy is brilliant, giving more information in a look that Skippy ever did. Yet he never answers a question.

My wife and I talked it over for about an hour afterward.

The third episode is awaited with some anticipation. Page 8 was brilliant and T&C has kept up the quality.

Well done to everyone involved.

A great sequel or just as good as a stand alone film

[mch2469-955-827475 · 8/10 · 23 March 2014]

As some will know this is a follow-on to a previous BBC drama called 'Page Eight'

You definitely do not need to have seen the first drama to understand or appreciate this drama.... However if you have it will help to understand a few of the plot lines in this drama... Namely... A better understanding as to why the lead is forced into working with the CIA operative and also one of the last scenes between the lead and his ex -girlfriend before they try to escape...

In addition it will also help with understanding the lead character himself and his motivations.... However I am sure anyone watching this without seeing the first drama will have no trouble enjoying and appreciating this quality work...

Overall it is a great piece of drama with a well written story and believe able characters... It isn't a Bondesque or other type of action spy drama and nor is it a John LeCarre type spy story.... But it is a great drama which allows you to get into the story and keeps you interested in the development of the characters and how they react to the evolving storyline...

I am pleased that a second film was made.. And if I am honest I do hope that a third is made with Bill Nighy.... I really enjoy his character and his gentlemanly methods and firm principles in an ever changing world....

he's the anti-bond and he is damn good

[A_Different_Drummer · 8/10 · 29 March 2016]

The other ratings much too low.

It is ironic that the country which gave us the James Bond character (with saucy characters like Pussy Galore) also gives us the 64 year old Nighy, so thin he could slip under a door, so civilized his harshest weapon is his language, and, if you wondering if this works, BY GEORGE it does.

A cast to die for including both Helena Carter and Winona Ryder, but it is once again Nighy who steals the show. I confess I have not seen as much of his work as I should have. But I remember his knack for comedy in Love Actually and his knack for horror in the Underworld series and I will never forget this dapper spy who, it seems, could stop a bullet with a stern stare if he had to.

And the bullet would have to apologize.

My only regret is that there are only three entries in the series.

Great acting, great writing, and great entertainment. What more do you want?

Wow - that was unexpected!

[GodsPrototype · 20 March 2014]

I'm so happy I stumbled upon this! I saw a small trailer on BBC2 an hour before it started and as soon as I saw Bill Nighy was in it - it went straight onto my schedule.

BBC Original Drama's have been good in the past and have only occasionally pulled in big names so I wasn't expecting what happened next.. Hollywood a-listers started popping up... Christopher Walken, Winona Ryder, Helena Bonham Carter, Ewen Bremner and a cameo from Ralph Fiennes - Jeez, it's a cast list that any film-maker would love to have.

They all have main to supporting roles and it feels like a classic Hollywood-scale movie, but filmed with the production quality of a British TV drama.

Bill Nighy is absolutely fantastic, like a cool but older James Bond type who has retired to a sleepy island. Christopher Walken is... Christopher Walken and Winona Ryder suddenly has my heart, she looks great and has fully matured.

The film revolves around a former British 'Civil Servant' played by Nighy (we all know what 'Civil Servant' really means) who lives on the privileged Turks & Caicos island. He is recognised by an American (Walken) and is suddenly drawn into a mystery surrounding a company called Gladstone who are about to buy up lots of land on the island.

I've given this a 10/10 because for a TV Drama, which is it, it certainly punched above its weight and the quality of actors on display is outstanding. Watching it on BBC2 HD was simply fantastic and most of all - it came out of nowhere and cheered me up on a Thursday evening.

It was for all intents and purposes - a damn good surprise and seeing Bill Nighy and Christopher Walken back to his best, playing off each other is just awesome. I hate the BBC for squandering British TV License fees on IT systems that don't work and for taking BBC3 off the air, but I would have paid to see this at the cinema.

Turks & Caicos is refreshing, fun and mysterious.

Page 9?

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 17 May 2015]

I had no idea this was a follow up to the movie "Page Eight". But I did remember that I had seen a movie with Bill Nighy in a similar role. Well it's actually the same role (there's also a follow up to this movie, though I haven't seen this and cannot comment on who's in that one obviously). I really liked Page Eight and I like this one too, though apparently not as much as the first one.

It's spy business but also a very tricky, who's who, who's doing what to who and why'd they do it? It may sound more complicated than it actually is. The pace is nice and it's really refreshing to see Wynona Ryder in a good role (doesn't seem to have changed a lot). Actually all the actors involved do a great job. More than decent entertaining than ...

Turks & Caicos

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 14 April 2021]

Having fled the UK after the events of 'Page Eight', ex MI5 agent Nighy is spotted by CIA agent Walken who is looking into an illegal American / British fund / land deal. Agreeing to help, Nighy calls on friends in the UK plus engages with the mysterious Winona Ryder.

Perhaps not quite as slick or thrilling as Page Eight, it is pretty damn close. Nighy is so cool and is once again given a razor sharp script and a very impressive supporting cast. Part 3 - Salting the Battlefield - follows.

Quite enjoyable movie

[ivan-gojak · 7/10 · 24 February 2015]

Well not so much of action as much of drama in this piece, well to be precise there is none of action or if under action you can put thing that both main characters are spies or sitting on the beach drinking and eating. Story is short, but well acted as you would expect from so experienced duo of actors.Movie shows some modern problems of this world such as existence of tax free islands where all the dirty money goes .It is placed on beautiful s island Turks & Caicios which adds another note to this movie. .All of that brings me to the point where i have to say i enjoyed movie for which i thought, never will, definitely recommend.

Following the money

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 1 April 2014]

When we last saw Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) he was standing at the airport wondering where to go next. He ended up in the Turks and Caicos, a Caribbean island not far from the coast of Florida and which seems to attract dicey businessmen with funny money.

Our renegade hero is soon clocked by Curtis Pelissier (Christopher Walken) who is CIA and is investigating a group of people who ripped off the US government during the war on terror. However one of the group, a loud mouthed right winger is murdered.

Into the mix arrives a smooth UK businessman who is good friends with the British Prime Minister and his assistant Margot Tyrrell (Helena Bonham Carter) who used to be a spy and close to Johnny.

Pelissier ropes in Johnny to snare these people which also includes a vulnerable hanger on Melanie Fall (Winona Ryder) but Johnny is unsure how far he can trust Pelissier.

With the sunshine in a Caribbean island and murder, I thought I was watching Death in Paradise for a moment! The locale and supremely fine acting makes this a really satisfying adventure. Because of the location shooting this zips along better than the others in the trilogy.

Walken and Ryder are the standouts here. Writer David Hare expressed his admiration of Walken the Shakespearean actor and here we see what he can do without a gun in his hand or pulling psycho faces. We know Pelissier is clever and astute but does he have his own agenda?

Ryder was a rising star of the 1990s but her career hit the skids by the end of the decade and it is only in the last few years she has become prominent again. This has been her best role for years where she balances vulnerability and strength. She has a good rapport with Bill Nighy.

Ralph Fiennes shows up briefly for just one scene but that is because this middle film sets Johnny up with unfinished business with the Prime Minister.

Talking shop

[paul2001sw-1 · 8/10 · 23 March 2014]

David Hare's 'Turcs and Caicos' is a low key drama about international intelligence, dodgy businessmen and corrupt politicians. Bill Nighy plays a renegade gentleman spy who is strangely irresistible to women half his age; Helena Bonham Cater, meanwhile, is simply too glamorous to be serious in her role. Almost all of the key plot developments occur off-screen, and, as with most of Hare's work, there's a lot of talking around the subject that never quite gets to the point. What saves it is the quality of that talk: it's theatrical, but there's a beautiful rhythm to it. To compare it to the work of another playwright named David, namely David Mamet, the dialogue is a lot less stylised, but easier on the ear, almost poetic in places. And this is enough to make the piece stand out from the vast majority of contemporary drama.

.. a huge chunk is missing

[bjarias · 6/10 · 29 September 2014]

You might not know all their names, but you've seen them time and again in numerous productions through the years. This film is a perfect example that putting lots of well know faces on the screen is absolutely no guarantee of creating a good movie. There are a couple 'off' performances, but on the whole the main issue is with the script.. it's just flat out boring. It's even a struggle to get out the ten required lines for this review. Nothing is remotely interesting, and every character portrayed (too many) are just plain dull. That's not easy to do.. normally Ryder, Walken, Nighy and Bonham-Carter are much more engaging (should they have the material to work with)... half the equation just isn't going to get it done.

Contrived, wordy, silly melodrama

[ozviewer · 3/10 · 8 April 2014]

The great cast is wasted on this poorly written, poorly directed movie. The background of the writer/director as a playwright is all too obvious in the amateurish direction and wordy way of telling the story.

The bad guys are no more than cartoon types, and the plot doesn't bear examination. I lost count of the times the plot made no sense or was plain unbelievable.

I don't want to get into spoiler territory so I can't elaborate. Suffice to say, at each plot point in the move, ask yourself what is the motivation of the actor to do this or that and does it make sense?

The methods used to achieve their ends by the various players are also woefully unsophisticated and reveal the writer's ignorance of current technology. It also adds to the lack of credibility of the story. If you are going to write about spies and skulduggery among the very rich, at least learn about the tools they would have at their disposal.

Wonderful drama

[terry_t_uk · 9/10 · 22 March 2014]

This is a sequel of sorts to Page Eight (with the third part, Salting the Battlefield, due to be completed this year).

The cast is excellent, Bill Nighy effortless as always, Walken is his usual self (is he a good guy or a bad guy?) and the writing and delivery near perfect.

It should also be obvious which of our esteemed PM's Alec Beesley is modeled upon.

It is pleasing to know that in amongst all the tosh we get on TV, there are still gems to be found.

If you are going to watch this, I would recommend watching Page Eight first.

engrossing

[roedyg · 7/10 · 28 October 2016]

This movie keeps you guessing. What are the various characters really up to? Can they be trusted? What are they trying to do?

I had a problem telling the two lead females apart. They look similar. They keep changing the makeup, hairstyles and makeup. For while, I thought there were three different women.

The soundtrack is a wonderful melange of accents from all over the world. Turks and Caicos is a tropical paradise.

The basic plot involves extorting $200 million from the bad guys. I did not understand how this was supposed to stop the bad guys, who got to keep the money, why the Bill Nigh character risked his life to participate. I was puzzled why the bad guys did not kill the extortionists.

This movie is a bit like being a child, sitting on the floor, under the table, listening to some serious adult conversation, only glimpsing a bit of what it was all about. It fun not to have everything explained ham- fistedly.

Unengaging, contrived, one-dimensional characters; one of the worst films I have ever seen

[adrianwilson2002 · 1/10 · 22 March 2014]

I was looking forward to watching Turks and Caicos, with its enviable cast list and intriguing plot. However, it turned out to be one of the WORST films I have ever seen (probably top 3).

It was completely devoid of interest, depth or character. I spent the whole hour and a half waiting for something to happen and by the time something seemed to be happening at the end I found I was utterly uninterested. I hadn't engaged with any of the characters, perhaps because they were all one-dimensional. The whole film felt like it was rushed; written in an afternoon with some political references shoe-horned in and none of it fitting together at all. Everything felt contrived. Perhaps it was just badly edited, so that it jerked along with no real direction.

At no point did I feel any empathy for the characters or care what was happening, let alone feel any sense of tension. Winona Ryder's character and performance would have been described as hammy and lacking in depth in a daytime soap. This 'Frank and Gary' that we barely met at the start suddenly turn into central characters from nowhere. Rupert Graves' character also turns out to be important yet he hardly has any lines and carries nothing of the powerful man he is supposed to be. Christopher Walken appeared to be doing a caricature of himself.

It would have been disappointing and underwhelming as a low-budget, obscure-channel, daytime production. It should have been good but it instead it was truly truly awful. It has no redeeming qualities. Everyone involved should feel embarrassed.

All star cast brought together in British film for TV

[themarkedwards1980 · 8/10 · 20 March 2014]

T&C is one of those rare things on British TV these days, quality story line with brilliant actors. I really enjoyed the pace and tone of the whole film, with each actor bringing a different feel to each scene. Bill Nighy plays the suave MI5 agent with aplomb and combined with Christopher Walken playing a CIA stooge (excellently may I add) made this a winner in my eyes. Excellent setting with superb production. For a TV film, I cant rate it highly enough. My only critique of the film is the sometimes jerky delivery of the lines, I mean, Bill Nighy isn't really associated with long flowing diatribe but sometimes it seemed as if all the different actors were fighting for screen time. Almost an embarrassment of riches in some respect but still this doesn't take the sheen of what is in essence an excellent TV film and well worth the licence fee.

Lets talk about it

[studioAT · 5 April 2014]

I had not seen the original Worricker film 'Page Eight' but having enjoyed Bill Nighy's work in other things I decided to give this a go.

As a well crafted piece of television drama this is as good as it gets. From the tight script to the almost dream cast you don't see everyday in television drama's this is quality in amongst a schedule full of rubbish. It's a crying shame this got buried on a Thursday night on BBC 2.

Nighy as ever is brilliant. If you thought you'd seen every sort of spy then watch this because Nighy is so at ease in this role.

The only negative point is that if you want a big explosion heavy spy thriller then look somewhere else because this is not that. Here people talk about the state of the world, go for walks, talk a bit and then talk some more. The action is minimal.

I admire many aspects of this drama but I feel that 90 minutes of build up to a very small amount of action unfufilling. I enjoyed the follow up 'Salting The Battlefield' far more.

Do you know that story by Augustine? No.

[begob · 4/10 · 29 November 2015]

One spy spots another spy on a Caribbean beach and, through a series of further coincidences, they take on a bunch of corrupt business types.

I realised at the end this was a sequel to another contrived spy outing for the hero - not so memorable. Big problems with the story, relying so much on coincidence, and the central plot point is hardly earth shattering. Wordy script with its emphasis on the nasty security state that we've slipped into over the past ten years, and yet it lacks a killer speech to reveal the essence of this cruel and treacherous world, and shows no violence at all to convince us of the threat posed.

The intro scene looks completely amateur, as if they weren't sure where to start, and the camera direction ain't great, with so many close ups botched as the characters light endless cigarettes. There was one theatrical scene with unnatural dialogue, and the ickyness of the beach scene at the end revealed the simplistic approach to a terribly complex intersection between the power of the state and the power of money. So I'm not a fan of this writer/director.

I do like the actors, but ... Nighy seems to flip between assured calm and self-consciousness. Walken has his old man pants on, and Carter was a bit at sea with her reaction in the shake down scene. Ryder is very good in close up - big eyes and facial ticks that suggest a deep pit of pain.

The music was OK, nothing special - and what was with that song over the end credits?

Overall - underpowered story that doesn't even look interesting.

Good drama worth your time

[lokilfa · 8/10 · 23 February 2015]

This movie is a chilled out version of a classic 'retired' spy story plot with some finance and drama thrown in. The delightful acting by Walken and Nighy coupled with a good dialogue and decent photography will bring you a good relaxing evening while pleasing your brain in an atmosphere really similar to what fiscal paradise islands should feel like.

So why 8?

Yeah, well it should be between 6 and 7, nothing really extraordinary here. BUT instead of all the terrible productions going on air all the time, this movie will not let you down and that's enjoyable all along.

Words fail me

[saminbarbate · 2/10 · 26 March 2017]

It is not often that the sheer dreadfulness of a movie can keep me glued to the sofa, but this nonsense did.

It started badly, went downhill then like a firework spluttered to a end. There is not a line spoken by any of the leading actors that looked like it was not being read off a teleprompter, a finer example of dreadful direction & waste of acting talent is rarely seen, I would go so far as to say that each of the 'stars' look like they were trying to get over a monumental bender, & the beyond wooden acting is almost a joy to behold. The few shining moments in the movie are only evident in those actors who are playing the locals.

I couldn't bring myself to give this a 1 rating, but this has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

A deep, engaging mystery with a stellar cast.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 9 August 2022]

Whilst spending his retirement in The Turks and Caicos, Johnny Worricker encounters a group of businessmen, one of them, Curtis Pellisier, he believes is a CIA agent.

It's quite an engrossing watch, for me this is what I would class as a typical BBC2 drama, typical as in very good, slightly more high brow, but one with a superb cast.

If you're expecting a fast paced, action packed affair, you may be disappointed, this is a wonderfully engrossing mystery, the story develops at a moderate pace, but the characters are so deep, so rich that the journey is well worth it.

Here you see just how brilliant Bill Nighy is, for me he's one of Britain's best, he thrives opposite the likes of Winona Ryder and Christopher Walken, the acting is quite something. Throw in Rupert Graves and Helena Bonham Carter, and you have something special.

The visuals are also a key feature, the sea, beaches and greenery are just magical.

It's an engrossing watch, 8/10.

shallow working of rich material

[cordenw · 5/10 · 9 November 2014]

For many reasons this didn't work for me. I didn't think much of Winona Ryder's portrayal and it really felt as though Nighy's timing was off (although that could have been the editing). The editing in general was choppy in many of the exchanges and you would have thought that the guys looking at the final product would have picked up on it. As for the plot, well material like this needs a lot of character development to bring out the sleazy nature of what goes on in high finance and politics. There was none of that in this piece and that's why it's a TV movie, sort of an elongated short story. Even the Turks and Caicos weren't exploited for their full cinematic value and this shortcoming added to the overall pallid impression I was left with. I don't think the closing scene was acting,it was just a couple of people glad to be going home

Glossy and sophisticated spook yarn.

[khunkrumark · 8/10 · 8 August 2018]

Walken at his most menacing, Nighy at his quirkiest, Ryder at her maddest and more besides...

Despite the overly polished screenplay, this movie works well. The plot is a bit vague and it's not always clear who's who and why people are doing what they do, but the mighty strength of the characters make up for all of that.

There are no weak links and each of the cast members manage to make the most of their onscreen time. Imagine if the CIA really did have dangerously unstable geniuses (like Christopher Walken) running the show. Maybe they do!

The world is in the unsafe hands of super-rich corporate mobsters and they are drawn together to hammer out a way to launder their billions. The governments of the US and the UK are in on the ruse and want either a piece of the action, or some sort of comeuppance. The corruption rises pretty high which forces our Bond type hero (Bill Nighy) to play his cards ultra-cautiously while at the same time, reviving an old affair.

It helps that the scenery of Turks & Caicos play a role, too. It's a luxury playground with natural beauty which contrasts starkly with the nefarious human interference.

The pace probably handicaps this for younger viewers and the violence is implied rather than played out. But for older folk, it's a treat.

Riveting stuff!

Our man in Turks & Caicos

[dierregi · 4/10 · 27 January 2017]

... or "A series of fortunate events". This is part two of a trilogy about Johnny Warricker, a disgraced secret service agent, who was forced to leave England to hide from his powerful enemies. However, each movie is sort of self-standing.

According to Johnny, Turks & Caicos was the destination of the first flight out of the UK, when he had to leave the country in a hurry. How lucky for him that his first choice was not a cheap flight to Bucharest or Tenerife, but the very upmarket British protectorate in the Caribbean.

From the lush island, the plot unravels, following a series of circumstances that could be easily described as very improbable.

First: a CIA agent passing by a beach where Johnny lounges, happens to recognize him and to ask his help for an operation.

Second: the CIA operation/job/mission is about the same dirty deeds Johnny was investigating in London and that caused his downfall. Thanks to the CIA, Johnny has the chance of doing more damage. Fancy that...

Third: Johnny's ex girlfriend is a high-level employee of the company the CIA is investigating and her boss readily discloses top secret information to her, just because she asked him. What are the chances?

Anyhow, thanks to all these "chances" Johnny manages to cover up a murder, get back with his ex, re- distribute some dirty money, fool the CIA and move towards new adventures.

Still, good entertainment for a cold Thursday night.

TRUST ISN'T ALWAYS REWARDED

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 27 October 2018]

Turks and Caicos are tax shelter paradise islands. This is part two of the series. I have not seen either one as of this time. I was able to keep up with the characters in spite of it. Bill Nighy plays former MI5 spy Johnny Worricker, a man with a conscience. Winona Ryder is typed cast into a mildly crazy woman. The film is a well acted spy drama. It is not an action film unless people sitting at a table having drinks is your definition of action. The film is twisty and real identity of Christopher Walken and his "lizard charm" changes like the wind. Interesting topic.

Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

Somnolent Talkathon

[oldblackandwhite · 1/10 · 2 September 2018]

It's hard to imagine a worse movie than Worriker: Turks & Caicos. It has replaced Mesa Of Lost Women (1953) (see my review) as the worst picture I have ever watched all the way to the bitter end. Admittedly I've been living a sheltered life by rarely ever watching a movie released after the early 1960's. While I have found most of the British and French televisions mysteries of the 'eighties and 'nineties very good, I wasn't prepared for how bad current movies can be.

Turks & Caicos is a two-hour exercise in boredom. Most of the running time is taken up by a gaggle of over-the-hill actors sitting around in a luxury hotel supposedly on a West Indies island just talking. Or better described as droning -- spilling out one long run of expository dialogue after another. Most of the time they face the camera rather than each other when talking. Perhaps this was to facilitate seeing the idiot cards they seemed to be reading their lines from. Millions of dollars and a number of moral issues are at stake in what they are droning on about, but no one ever shows any emotion. When they weren't babbling to each other, they were talking on the telephone. Is the modern generation so addicted to their cell phones they get a thrill just by watching someone in a movie using a phone? Praise God and pass the ranch dressing!

Bill Nighy is what passes as a leading man in this overpriced turkey. His leading lady Helena Bonham Carter was 47 at the filming date, but Nighy looks like her grandfather, poor old thing. He is supposed to appear the morally superior being in this silly overbaked, thrill-less political thriller because he looks sensitive-like around the eye wrinkles, and he buys lobsters for a little black kid. All tear ducts please squirt on cue!

The only reason I bought the Worriker miniseries with Turks & Caicos is that I once long ago spent a year and a month on Grand Turk Island and was hoping to see some familiar shots of the place. There were a couple of brief scenes of Nighy alone walking down a street that could have been at Grand Turk or elsewhere in the British West Indies. But mostly they just sat in chairs in the hotel that could have been anywhere, or on a beach that could have been anywhere. At least one beach scene had obvious back-projection suspiciously looking more like the English Chanel than West Indian waters..

Turks & Caicos Is poorly acted, prolix, humorless, and utterly boring. It lacks an intelligent story or even the slightest hint of dramatic engagement. Not a shred of wit can be dug out of the copious dialogue. This movie is a serious stinker. If you must watch a movie about a West Indies island, try King Of The Zombies (1941). It's not all that good either, but at least it is not pretentious like Turks & Caicos, and Mantan Moreland was at his worst a better actor than anyone in Turks and Caicos showed to be. Unless you derive a masochistic pleasure from being bored, avoid Turks & Caicos as you would swimming is shark-infested waters.