Callum Turner Reveals His Top Espionage Film Pick—And It’s a Classic
British actor Callum Turner, often rumored as a future James Bond, shares his admiration for Alan J. Pakula’s 1974 thriller The Parallax View, calling its opening scene uniquely beautiful and unforgettable.
Whenever the search for a new James Bond heats up, it’s almost a given that every British actor in their thirties will find themselves in the conversation. Callum Turner, a London native born in 1990, is no exception. With a career that’s steadily gained momentum, Turner’s early roles didn’t exactly set Hollywood on fire. He appeared in supporting parts in films like Victor Frankenstein alongside Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy, the underwhelming Assassin’s Creed with Michael Fassbender, and the ill-fated Fantastic Beasts series. None of these projects really put him on the map as a must-watch talent.
However, Turner’s performances in John Boorman’s Queen and Country and Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room allowed him to step out from the background and show what he could do. More recently, he’s taken on roles in George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat and Steven Spielberg’s Masters of the Air, a spiritual follow-up to Band of Brothers and The Pacific. With his growing reputation and the right mix of fame and anonymity, it’s no surprise that Turner’s name has surfaced as a possible contender for the next 007. Rumor even has it that Denis Villeneuve favors him for the role, though casting for the 26th Bond film is still a long way off.
Turner’s Unexpected Espionage Favorite
What’s particularly intriguing is Turner’s taste in movies, especially when it comes to the spy genre. When asked by Letterboxd to list his all-time favorite films, Turner didn’t hesitate to name a classic from Alan J. Pakula.
“I’m going to go for The Parallax View,”
he shared.
“I just think it’s the most beautiful. The opening, you would never be able to do that now. The guy rolls off the top of a rotating restaurant tower.”
That unforgettable opening sets the tone for the 1974 thriller, where Paula Prentiss’s character, Lee Carter, witnesses a presidential hopeful’s fatal fall from a Seattle landmark. What appears to be a tragic accident is actually a carefully orchestrated assassination, with the shadowy Parallax Corporation working to keep the truth buried. As the real killer escapes and a decoy is eliminated, a string of mysterious deaths among witnesses follows over the next three years. Fearing for her own safety, Carter enlists the help of Warren Beatty’s investigative reporter, Joseph Frady.
A Deep Dive Into Conspiracy
Without giving away too much about a film that’s been around for half a century, Carter’s fears are well-founded. Her fate pushes Frady to dig deeper into the conspiracy, determined to uncover the truth behind the Parallax Corporation’s deadly reach. While The Parallax View isn’t a traditional spy movie and has no direct ties to the Bond universe, it’s packed with intrigue, suspense, and the kind of shadowy maneuvering that defines the best espionage stories.
Turner’s admiration for this film reveals his appreciation for cinematic tales of deception and danger. Whether or not he eventually steps into the iconic tuxedo, his taste in thrillers suggests he’s more than ready for the world of high-stakes intrigue.