Black Book

Black Book (Zwartboek, 2006) is Paul Verhoeven's wartime thriller, available to watch online on iFILM. In the occupied Netherlands, Jewish singer Rachel Stein survives the ambush that kills the rest of her family and throws her lot in with the Dutch resistance.

To get close to the German command, Rachel (Carice van Houten) dyes her hair blonde, takes the name Ellis, and seduces SS officer Ludwig Müntze (Sebastian Koch). The cover is the easy part. The longer she spends among the enemy, the murkier the loyalties around her become, and the harder it gets to keep falling for a man she's meant to betray. Verhoeven refuses clean heroes; cowards and decent people turn up on both sides of the line.

It was the costliest Dutch production of its era and marked the director's return home after his Hollywood run. Sharp, cynical, and full of turns that land where you don't expect them, this one rewards anyone who likes espionage drama with no safety net. Stream Black Book (2006) online on iFILM.