A gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller that blends espionage, explosive action, and political intrigue is heading to our screens this weekend.
Patriot Games (1992), the second installment of the Jack Ryan series of films – and regarded by some as one of the best action films of the 1990s – is airing on Channel 4’s Film4 this Friday at 11.45pm.
Directed by Phillip Noyce, who would go on to helm Clear and Present Danger (1994) and Salt (2010), this high-stakes political thriller is a masterclass in tension-building, featuring one of Harrison Ford’s most celebrated action roles.
The film follows Jack Ryan, a former CIA analyst who finds himself unwillingly pulled back into the world of intelligence after stopping an assassination attempt on a British royal in London. What should have been a heroic act instead paints a target on his back, as a ruthless faction of the IRA, led by Sean Miller (played with terrifying intensity by Sean Bean), seeks brutal revenge.
Ryan, now back in the US, attempts to return to a quiet life with his wife Cathy (Anne Archer) and their daughter Sally (Thora Birch). But his past catches up to him, and soon, his family becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
As threats escalate, Ryan is forced to step out of the shadows and use all his intelligence training to protect those he loves, no matter the cost.
Patriot Games is based on Tom Clancy’s bestselling novel of the same name and serves as the second film adaptation in the Jack Ryan franchise – however, the first to star Harrison Ford, replacing Alec Baldwin, who previously played Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990).
Ford’s performance was widely praised, bringing a mix of everyman relatability and action-hero intensity to the role, making him the definitive Jack Ryan for many fans.
Alongside Ford and Bean, the film features an impressive supporting cast, including James Earl Jones as Admiral Greer, Ryan’s CIA mentor, and Richard Harris as Paddy O’Neil, a charismatic yet dangerous Irish figure with conflicting loyalties.
Critics praised the film for its intelligent storytelling, gripping performances, and realistic portrayal of geopolitical tensions. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it amassed a score of 72%, based on 103 critics’ reviews. Critics’ consensus about it is: “Patriot Games doesn’t win many points for verisimilitude, but some entertaining set pieces — and Harrison Ford in the central role — more than compensate for its flaws.”
Watch Patriot Games this Friday, on Channel 4’s Film4, at 11.45pm.