"The characters are vividly realized, and their manipulation of the innocent Joan into traitorous actions is built up carefully and made very believable." [24]
Critics often praise the performances but find the pacing and tone to be somewhat standard for a period drama. Red Joan
Reviews of the film and book offer varied takes on how this complex historical story is handled. On the Film's Execution "The characters are vividly realized, and their manipulation
history.com/articles/soviet-spy-melita-norwood-red-joan">specific differences [28] between the real Melita Norwood and the fictional Joan Stanley? The real [31] was a British civil servant
The real [31] was a British civil servant who spied for the KGB for 40 years [28]. Unlike the fictional Joan, who was a physicist, Norwood was a secretary at a metals research association [31]. She was finally exposed in 1999 at the age of 87 but was never prosecuted due to her age [28].