Red Sparrow

Source novelist Jason Matthews may not have encountered a real-life Dominika in his work with the CIA, but "honeypot" school was indeed part of Soviet intelligence training. "In the Soviet Union, they had a school that taught young women the art of entrapment, the art of seduction, for blackmailing intelligence targets," Matthews explained. "They had a Sparrow School in the city of Kazan, on the banks of the Volga River, where young women were taught how to be courtesans. They were called 'Sparrows'."

General Korlinoi's medals are US Army medals. They include the Silver Star, the Purple Heart and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

The title doesn't appear until the 10-minute mark.

The UK version is cut for "strong sadistic violence" to earn a 15 certificate instead of an 18, which was done based on BBFC advice. As both countries make up the same distribution region, Ireland also received the same cut version (rated 16 for cinema and 18 on video). The contentious scene shows Ustinov being strangled:

• In the UK version, we only see a brief establishing shot where his hands are covering his throat, cutting right to a close-up of Dominika struggling but completely clean. The censored footage shows the wire cutting into Ustinov's throat for much longer, in more graphic detail after his arms hang loose, and him bleeding on Dominika's chest.
• Ustinov collapsing uses an alternate shot in the UK version, and the second close-up of Dominika is digitally bloodless as with the first, but there's still blood on her chest when putting on her clothes as per the uncut version (a continuity error).

The uncut version is roughly 13 seconds longer.

Featured in Chris Stuckmann Movie Reviews: Red Sparrow (2018)