Bill Condon directs this with unintentionally tacky flair. If the opening titles weren't brutal enough, we repeatedly visit WikiLeaks as an cheesy looking imaginary physical space where exposition and overtly thematic moments play themselves into the ground. It also paints hacker/computer culture in a broad and somewhat condescending way.

Cumberbatch as Assange is the only compelling part of the film, but we only see him though the lens of other characters, which is a tremendously wasted opportunity. Imagine if ‘The Social Network’ pivoted around Eduardo Saverin instead of Mark Zuckerberg and you'll get the picture.

A chore.

• Favourite line: “We can use FFmpeg and throw it into Final Cut.”
• Close second: the :P emoticon that Assange sends at one point, although that isn't really dialogue.