SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD

GB
2015
1hr 44mins
Dir: Bharat Nalluri
Starring: Peter Firth and Jennifer Ehle

When a terrorist escapes custody during a routine handover, MI5 must track him down before an imminent terrorist attack on London

Spooks: The Greater Good (known as MI-5 in some countries) is an espionage thriller film continuing from the 2002–2011 British television spy series Spooks. It has opening scenes filmed in London’s Docklands with aerial shots of Poplar that include the Docklands Light railway station and depot. There is also a truly excellent aerial shot of St Pancras station, though no trains are seen here. However, we do see a train in a later aerial view of Brixton with a Class 465 EMU in the station, and at the very end of the film, Blackfriars station can be seen in a view across the Thames. Although it does not ‘drop’ into the confines of this database there is a very lengthy scene filmed at Heathrow Terminal 5 that include some rare shots of the Terminal 5 Transit, the automated people mover that conveys air passengers between the main airport terminal and its satellite buildings.

This aerial scene opens the film, and shows a view overlooking Poplar in East London. The little red train towards the bottom right of the shot is a Docklands Light Railway train on its way towards West India Quay. Poplar station is visible above the bridge crossing the tracks and the main A1261 road, which is jammed full of traffic. Beyond the station towards the top left is Poplar DLR depot.
Moving in closer now and Poplar station is clearly visible to the left as a police helicopter surveys the scene
This is a real rarity, St Pancras from the air
This somewhat more conventional view shows the steps leading up to the station from Pancras Road
This is Brixton, and a Class 465 ‘Networker’ EMU is arriving into the station. The bridge crossing the station carries the Atlantic lines from Denmark Hill to Shepherds Lane Junction and are not provided with platforms at Brixton.
As Kit Harrington stands on the banks of the Thames, the canopy of the platforms at Blackfriars station can be seen stretching across the bridge in the background