'Official Secrets' Trailer: Keira Knightley Tries To Stop The Iraq War

When the United States decided to declare war on Iraq, it was because there was apparently evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that he could use to wreak havoc on the world. But as we've learned since then, it seems that intelligence might have been manipulated to force a war that didn't need to happen. And the American people weren't the only ones who were tricked by their government.

Official Secrets is a new drama that tells the story of whistleblower Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley) a civilian translator at the Government Communications Headquarters intelligence office in the United Kingdom, who learns that members of the UN Security Council were being spied on in order to force through the resolution for the US and the UK to tackle Iraq head-on. Risking her own life and freedom, she sets out to do what is right in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, all in service of the greater good and the people of Britain. Watch the Official Secrets trailer below to see how that goes.

This movie has the vibe of films like All the President's Men and The Post, combining spycraft and government secrets with the diligence of the press. This is exactly the kind of scenario that reinforces the need for a free press in the United States, one where we can hold our government accountable for doing what's in the best interest of the people and not a handful of billionaires trying to run the show.

Official Secrets also played at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, almost as a sister to the other true story about government secrets, The Report. Though perhaps more fittingly, it feels like a companion to Vice, albeit without the satire and bombastic representation of our government's misdeeds. Here's what The Hollywood Reporter said in their review earlier this year:

"This is the kind of recent history lesson that tends these days to acquire more texture as a limited-series cable drama. Hood (Eye in the Sky), his co-screenwriters Sara and Gregory Bernstein and a seasoned ensemble of Brit stage and screen pros deliver a straightforward, solidly old-fashioned slice of real-life espionage, journalistic and legal intrigue that gets the job done in engrossing, clear-eyed fashion even if it lacks much in the way of stylistic verve."

In addition to Keira Knightley in the lead role, the movie also has an impressive ensemble that includes Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Matthew Goode (Watchmen), Ralph Fiennes (Skyfall), and Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill). The rest of the cast includes Indira Varma, Conleth Hill, Tamsin Greig, Monica Dolan, and Katherine Kelly.

In 2003, as politicians in Britain and the US angle to invade Iraq, GCHQ translator Katharine Gun leaks a classified e-mail that urges spying on members of the UN Security Council to force through the resolution to go to war. Charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act, and facing imprisonment, Katharine and her lawyers set out to defend her actions. With her life, liberty and marriage threatened, she must stand up for what she believes in.

Official Secrets hits select theaters on August 23, 2019.