Based on true events in ’70s spain, in which “El Lobo” (“The Wolf”) infiltrated the higher echelons of terrorist group ETA, this taut political thriller — an award-winning smash hit in Spain — crackles with edginess, energy and contemporary frisson in precisely the same way that The Interpreter didn’t.
As a friend of several ETA activists, “Txema” (Eduardo Noriega) was well-placed to infiltrate the Basque separatists, but soon found himself at odds with both the rival factions of the group and the demands of his secret-service paymasters. Though set during the dying days of Franco’s dictatorship, Courtois’ film has plenty to say about such timely issues as the blurred lines between freedom fighter and terrorist, activism and anarchism.