Washington Post by Stephen Hunter

The acting is superb, particularly from the three principals.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

Filled with tension, deception and bravura acting, Breach is a crackling tale of real-life espionage that doubles as a compelling psychological drama.

Boston Globe by Ty Burr

A compelling and eerily effective little drama.

Rolling Stone by Peter Travers

In this steadily gripping hothouse of a thriller, it's Cooper -- funny, fierce and bug-wild -- who gives us a look into the abyss.

Christian Science Monitor by Peter Rainer

Without Cooper's performance, Breach would have been a good, workmanlike thriller. His presence lifts it to a whole new level.

Baltimore Sun by Michael Sragow

In every important way, Breach isn't just a solid thriller; it's also an ambitious and engrossing piece of narrative journalism.

Portland Oregonian by Shawn Levy

That it's based on a true spying case seems almost incidental. The heart of the picture is the human drama.

The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt

In this film, everything comes down to the acting. Chris Cooper, one of our finest screen actors, gets inside the mysterious traitor. Ryan Phillippe has just the right gung-ho determination tempered with a touch of naivete as O'Neill. Meanwhile, Laura Linney nails the role of a career agent.

Newsweek by David Ansen

A wonderfully taut cat-and-mouse thriller.

Village Voice by Robert Wilonsky

This is a spy movie bereft of the genre's usual, casual kicks. It's not interested in cheap thrills or playing gotcha with the audience. (Which isn't to say parts of it aren't exhilarating.)