Eye of the Needle (1981): cast, story & where to watch
1981 · Film · ★ 6.6
Released in 1981, Eye of the Needle is an action, thriller, drama and romance film directed by Richard Marquand, running about 108 minutes. “To love a stranger is easy. To kill a lover is not.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Great Britain, 1944, during World War II. Relentlessly pursued by several MI5 agents, Henry Faber the Needle, a ruthless German spy in possession of vital information about D-Day, takes refuge on Storm Island, an inhospitable, sparsely inhabited island off the coast of northern Scotland.
Who’s in it. Eye of the Needle stars Donald Sutherland as Faber, Kate Nelligan as Lucy, Ian Bannen as Godliman and Christopher Cazenove as David, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Eye of the Needle has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $18M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Eye of the Needle page.
If you liked it. Fans of Eye of the Needle tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Eye of the Needle (1981)?
- In US, Eye of the Needle is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel and MGM Plus, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Eye of the Needle worth watching?
- Eye of the Needle holds an audience score of 6.6 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy action, thriller, drama and romance. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Eye of the Needle?
- Eye of the Needle stars Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Ian Bannen, Christopher Cazenove and Stephen MacKenna.
- When was Eye of the Needle released?
- Eye of the Needle was released in 1981, with a runtime of about 108 minutes.