If there’s one factor audiences cannot get sufficient of, it is a juicy thriller filled with countless twists and turns that depart them on the sting of their seats till the credit begin rolling. The 2022 thriller Rogue Agent proves simply how thrilling films rooted in actuality can really be. British actors James Norton and Gemma Arterton headline the thriller, which focuses on infamous con man Robert Hendy-Freegard, who within the ’90s and 2000s scammed numerous folks out of cash whereas posing as an MI5 agent.
Rogue Agent contains a cat-and-mouse sport between Hendy-Freegard and certainly one of his victims, Alice Archer (Arterton), who groups up with a policeman within the engrossing flick to lastly put an finish to the swindler’s countless lies and deception and reclaim her energy. The thriller presently holds a 73% Rotten Tomatoes rating and was a knockout with audiences, with many shocked to be taught that Norton’s character was really an actual prison. Let’s check out the film and the lifetime of the convicted con man.
Rogue Agent
- Launch Date
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August 12, 2022
- Runtime
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114 Minutes
- Director
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Adam Patterson, Declan Garden
An Engrossing Thriller Stuffed with Twists & Turns
The 2022 biographical thriller thriller Rogue Agent was primarily based on the unpublished Michael Bronner article “Chasing Agent Freegard.” Serving as directing duo Adam Patterson and Declan Garden’s characteristic movie debut, it stars James Norton as infamous profession conman Robert Freegard, who infamously posed as an MI5 agent through the ’90s and manipulated his victims by coercing them into giving him cash and claiming he was an undercover spy on the run. Whereas posing as luxurious automobile salesman Robert Hansen, the savvy swindler meets profitable lawyer Alice Archer (Gemma Arterton), who hires a P.I. to dive deeper into his mysterious background.
As Robert’s intricate internet of lies is finally uncovered, Alice is surprised to be taught that he’s tied to the kidnappings of a number of ladies who he additionally cheated out of profitable funds. Alongside the decided policeman Sonny Chandra (Shazad Latif), the pair got down to carry the crafty con man to justice. Capturing the elusive Robert can be no simple feat for Alice, as he has perfected his wondrous story of being an MI5 agent and already moved on to his subsequent mark, however she makes use of her fury as gas to lastly put an finish to his deception and greed.
Each audiences and critics could not get sufficient of Rogue Agent and its many juicy twists and turns, because the fascinating thriller presently holds a strong 72% Rotten Tomatoes rating and 66% Popcornmeter rating and was praised for its intriguing screenplay, gradual burn pacing, and on-screen chemistry between its dazzling lead stars. Viewers could also be shocked to be taught that the wild premise of Rogue Agent and Robert Freegard himself are literally rooted in actuality and primarily based on true occasions.
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The True Story of Robert Hendy-Freegard
The actual Robert Hendy-Freegard was born in Dronfield, Derbyshire, England on March 1, 1971, and had jobs as a automobile salesman and bartender when he started perfecting his lies and epic tall tales. He finally befriended agriculture college students John Atkinson, Maria Hendy, and Sarah Smith in 1992 whereas working on the Newport pub The Swan. Freegard managed to persuade Atkinson that he was an undercover MI5 agent who was investigating an IRA connection at his school, Harper Adams College. He even managed to control him into behaving surprisingly amongst his friends and proving his loyalty by permitting himself to be crushed up, thus demonstrating his toughness.
Freegard pretended he was recruiting Atkinson and escalated the con by claiming his cowl had been blown, they usually needed to go on the run, convincing each Hendy and Smith to hitch them by pretending Atkinson had terminal most cancers and wished to expertise a “farewell tour” all all through England. All through the following decade, the group moved from one “protected home” to a different after Freegard instructed the ladies he was really an MI5 agent, convincing them to chop all ties with their households to be able to defend them and provides him all their cash.
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Smith gave Freegard her total £300,000 household inheritance whereas Atkinson handed over practically £400,000 to be able to obtain “witness safety,” and the scheming criminal additionally started a romantic relationship with Hendy through the time interval, with whom he had two daughters. He modified his identify to Hendy-Freegard throughout their romance and continued concentrating on no less than 5 ladies for his or her cash between 1995 and 2002, together with lawyer Caroline Cowper and American little one psychologist Kimberley Adams. Although his reign of terror lastly ended when Adams helped Scotland Yard and the FBI apprehend Freegard after months of surveillance in 2003.
Previous to Freegard’s arrest, Atkinson had sufficient and contacted the police in regards to the con artist, who, following an eight-month trial, was convicted of two counts of kidnapping, eight of deception, and 10 of theft, receiving a life sentence on September 6, 2005. Freegard was shockingly launched in 2009 following a profitable attraction which argued that he by no means really kidnapped anybody as they went willingly with him. After concentrating on one other lady named Sandra Clifton in 2011 and establishing a relationship, Freegard was as soon as once more arrested and sentenced to 6 years in jail in 2025 for ramming his automobile into two policemen whereas attempting to evade questioning.