New WW2 film out this weekend tells true story of Britain’s first female spy | Films | Entertainment

Malcolm McDowell co-stars as an undercover British agent opposite Roman Polanski’s daughter, Morgane Polanski (The French Dispatch, The Ghost Writer, The Wife), as Britain’s first and most daring female spy, Krystyna Skarbek, in the new World War 2 film, The Partisan.

An action-packed trailer for the new film can be viewed above, while a bio of the real-life Polish woman who worked for British Intelligence reads: “Born in Poland, Krystyna Skarbek was the first woman to serve Britain as a special agent during the Second World War, as well as the country’s longest-serving agent, one of the most effective.

“Hailed as Winston Churchill’s favourite spy and deemed Britain’s most glamorous, this courageous bona fide hero was also the inspiration behind the original James Bond girl, Vesper Lynd, in Ian Fleming’s first novel, Casino Royale.

“We meet her as a daring young woman with a flair for chaos, who finds her true calling in the shadows of war – a spy capable of changing the course of history.”

The new film’s official synopsis reads: “Budapest, 1939. Krystyna Skarbek – a fearless and headstrong woman – persuades a shadowy British agent, known only as Trenchcoat, to send her into Nazi-occupied Poland, where she must gather intel. But she has her own reasons to go there… her mother’s life is in danger. When Krystyna’s mission doesn’t go to plan, she narrowly escapes but suffers a huge personal loss and vows to make her life count. Four years later, hardened by the horrors of war and having proven herself, the resolute spy is parachuted into southern France, where she must assess the fragmented French Resistance and greenlight a major British weapons drop. Going undercover as a schoolteacher, Krystyna infiltrates a network on the edge of collapse. When betrayal surfaces and the resistance is nearly destroyed, Krystyna defies orders and takes a reckless stand. Alongside her only allies – including the legendary, but broken spy Roger and the fierce resistance leader Armand – they bait the German spy hunters into a fatal ambush, could victory at last be possible? But the war has far more terror and treachery in store… refusing to run, Krystyna must face danger head on, as she prepares to do the impossible. Wounded and alone… the brave heroine embarks on the mission that will define her legacy.”

The Partisan hits UK cinemas on October 3 and will be available on home release from October 27, 2025.