20 best spy movies

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

From Soviet classics and works by Alfred Hitchcock to modern cool action films and long-term franchises.

20. Spy, get out

• France, UK, Germany, 2011.
• Detective, thriller.
• Duration: 127 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

British intelligence suspects that a Soviet spy has been working for the organization for a long time. However, it is impossible to calculate it, and all agents who openly declare the danger are soon fired. And then the former intelligence officer George Smiley begins a secret investigation. The intrigues turn out to be even more complicated than he expected.

The film is based on the book of the same name by John Le Carré (in the original title, as in Russian, there is a part of the counting room). Moreover, this novel was already transferred to the screens in the form of a series back in 1979. The leading actor in the new version of Gary Oldman tried to combine in his image the behavior of the actor Alec Guinness, who played in the series, as well as the author of the book himself. In addition, he tried to grow a small belly, typical of an elderly person. Such a deep approach and provided him with an Oscar nomination for this role.

19. Spy games

• USA, Germany, France, Japan, 2001.
• Action, thriller, detective.
• Duration: 122 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

On the last day of his service, CIA special agent Nathan Muir learns that his colleague Tom Bishop has ended up in a Chinese prison and will be executed within 24 hours. An experienced operative has to quickly develop a plan to rescue a partner, and at the same time find out the reasons why he was imprisoned. It was not without romance.

An experienced director Tony Scott (the younger brother of the famous Ridley Scott) has shot many films about cool military men and agents. But in this picture, he decided to rely on psychology and dialogues, therefore he invited very charismatic actors to the main roles. Muir is played by Robert Redford, and his protégé Bishop is Brad Pitt.

18. Body of Lies

• USA, UK, 2008.
• Detective, thriller, drama.
• Duration: 128 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

US National Intelligence Agent Roger Ferris searches the world for terrorists and prevents dangerous events. And he is helped by a CIA veteran Ed Hoffman, who constantly monitors the hero with the help of a satellite. While trying to catch the dangerous outlaw leader, Ferris comes up with a risky plan. But it turns out that the leadership can play their game behind him.

This film is from Ridley Scott himself, and even with Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead roles. By the way, the actors have previously starred together in the movie "The Fast and the Dead". According to the director's tradition, the twisted plot is filled with drive and manifestations of cruelty.

17. Mission: Impossible

• USA, 1996.
• Action, thriller, adventure.
• Duration: 110 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

The plot of this film, based on the TV series of the 60s and which gave rise to an entire franchise, is dedicated to the CIA secret agent Ethan Hunt. After the death of several colleagues, they begin to suspect him of betrayal. To clear his name, he must find a real mole.

Six parts of this franchise have already been released, the main advantage of which is considered to be a very cool action game. And the leading actor Tom Cruise, despite his age, continues to perform all the most dangerous stunts without an understudy.

16. Resident error

• USSR, 1968.
• Detective.
• Duration: 134 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

The son of a Russian émigré and professional intelligence officer Mikhail Tulyev returns to the USSR to activate old agents and obtain secret information. However, the KGB immediately begins to follow his every step. And then spy games begin, which will reveal a whole network of scouts.

This television movie with the magnificent Georgy Zhzhonov and Mikhail Nozhkin in the lead roles gave rise to a whole series of films about Mikhail Tulyev. Moreover, in the following parts, the character of the hero changed, the scout had already started working for Soviet intelligence.

15. Dossier of Ipcress

• Great Britain, 1965.
• Thriller.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

After the disappearance of several well-known scientists, Sergeant Harry Palmer, who works for the UK Department of Defense, takes up an investigation. The search leads him to an Albanian nicknamed Kingfisher. Soon Palmer finds a tape with the inscription "IPCRESS" and finds out the true purpose of the abduction.

The role of Harry Palmer glorified the future legend of cinema - British actor Michael Caine. And besides, many believe that it was Palmer, along with James Bond, who became the prototype of the famous comedy spy Austin Powers.

14. Nikita

• France, Italy, 1990.
• Action, thriller.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

A young girl Nikita, under the influence of drugs, went to a robbery and killed a man. The court sentenced her to life in prison. But after a while Nikita was injected, and she woke up already at the school for special agents. Now she is being trained as a professional spy and assassin to carry out the most secret missions.

The success of this French film by Luc Besson has spawned many remakes. First, in the United States released a full-length film "No Return" with a similar plot, where the main role was played by Bridget Fonda. And then there were two series: the Canadian "Her Name Was Nikita" with Peta Wilson and the American "Nikita" with Maggie Q.

13. Dr. No

• Great Britain, 1962.
• Action, thriller, adventure.
• Duration: 111 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, the film first introduced viewers to secret agent James Bond, codenamed 007. In this film, he encounters the powerful Spectrum organization, which is trying to seize the American launch mines at Cape Canaveral. The main rival of the agent is the sinister Doctor No.

James Bond tapes need no introduction. In fact, it was these films that gave impetus to the popularity of the spy action genre itself. More than 20 films about agent 007 have already been released, not counting numerous parodies and copies.

12. Enemy of the state

• USA, 1998.
• Action, thriller.
• Duration: 132 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Unsuspecting lawyer Robert Dean suddenly becomes the owner of a videotape that could expose the official. The clerk is pushing through a law that allows people to be spied on. From that moment on, the life of the protagonist turns into a nightmare: he is being chased by government agents capable of eavesdropping on conversations and spying on any citizen through surveillance cameras. From a successful lawyer, Dean turns into an enemy of the state.

This film was also directed by Tony Scott. Well, Will Smith, who played the main role, continued his victorious march on the screens: before that he starred in Men in Black and Independence Day. True, ahead of him was waiting for the rejection of the "Matrix" and a failure in the "Wild, Wild West".

11. Agents A. N. K. L

• USA, UK, 2015.
• Action, comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

CIA agent Napoleon Solo and Soviet KGB operative Ilya Kuryakin hate each other. But they have to unite to carry out the mission together. With the support of the daughter of the missing German scientist Gabi, they must hunt down the members of the international criminal organization that created the nuclear bomb.

Like Mission: Impossible, this film is based on the classic TV series of the same name. But director Guy Ritchie added his trademark humor to the story, and at the same time made a stunning visual series with costumes from the Cold War times.

10. Three days of the Condor

• USA, 1975.
• Detective, thriller.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

Joe Turner with the service pseudonym Condor works in the secret department of the CIA. But he is engaged exclusively in paperwork: together with his assistants, he looks for information leaks in the press. One day Joe goes out during his lunch break for a sandwich, and when he returns, he finds that all his colleagues have been killed. He soon realizes that it is not just criminals who are hunting him, but the CIA.

The film is based on the classic spy novel by James Grady. Only the original was called "Six Days of the Condor", and, accordingly, the action lasted twice as long. Here you can see the still rather young Robert Redford, who will later play an already experienced agent in "Spy Games".

9. Munich

• France, Canada, USA, 2005.
• Drama, thriller, historical.
• Duration: 164 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

The film is based on a real-life tragedy during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, when Palestinian terrorists killed Israeli athletes. A group of Mossad agents track down and destroy all those involved in this crime.

This film by Steven Spielberg received five Oscar nominations, in particular for Best Picture. However, the plot of "Munich" drew sharp criticism from both Palestine and Israel. Representatives of both states stated that the authors greatly distorted the real events. Spielberg replied to this that the film is only a tribute to the memory of the tragedy and the victims, so there is no need to judge it as a documentary story.

8. Spy Bridge

• Germany, India, USA, 2015.
• Drama, thriller, historical.
• Duration: 142 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

This film is also based on a true story. In the center of the plot is the lawyer James Donovan, who defended the Soviet spy Rudolph Abel at the trial. It is he who will become the main mediator in the negotiations when the USSR shoots down the American pilot Gary Powers. Despite the height of the Cold War, Donovan must negotiate a prisoner exchange.

Again, Steven Spielberg's painting, which received six Oscar nominations. In many ways, the success of the film was ensured by the excellent performance of Tom Hanks, who played the role of James Donovan.

7. Five fingers

• USA, 1952.
• Detective, thriller, drama.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

The film is set during the Second World War. A servant of the British ambassador to Turkey, which supports neutrality, sells secret documents to Germany and at the same time tries to have an affair with the Polish countess.

The film, which appeared just in the era of the US obsession with searching for spies, quickly gained public recognition and received Oscar nominations in the categories of Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

6. Kingsman: The Secret Service

• UK, USA, 2014.
• Action, comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 130 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Young and smart guy Eggsy lives in a poor area and hangs out with criminals. After he is once again caught by the police, a friend of his deceased father, Harry Hart, comes to the rescue. The man arranges for the young man to study in the coolest secret organization Kingsman. However, it is very difficult to stay in this school.

Director Matthew Vaughn took the famous comic by Mark Millar as a basis, greatly changed the plot and added completely insane action to it. As a result, the audience saw a very bright and dynamic spy comedy. The popular film has received a sequel, followed by a prequel, which tells about the organization of the Kingsman service.

5. Shield and sword

• USSR, Poland, East Germany, 1968.
• Drama, military, adventure.
• Duration: 325 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

During World War II, Soviet intelligence officer Alexander Belov, under the name of Johann Weiss, moves from Riga to Germany. Over the course of several years of service in the Abwehr, he has greatly moved up the career ladder and gains access to classified information.

This four-part film can be called the predecessor of "Seventeen Moments of Spring" (not included in this list only because of the larger number of episodes). "Shield and Sword" pleases with no less exciting and even more realistic plot, as well as excellent acting and music.

4. Bourne identification

• USA, Germany, Czech Republic, 2002.
• Detective, thriller, thriller.
• Duration: 113 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

The crew of a fishing boat finds the body of an unconscious man with two wounds in the Mediterranean Sea. When he regains consciousness, he does not remember his name or any past events. Soon the man finds out that his name is Jason Bourne. And at the same time he finds out that the killers are on his trail.

The book of the same name by Robert Ludlum was already transferred to screens in 1988, when Richard Chamberlain played Jason Bourne. But it was the new version with Matt Damon that spawned a whole franchise about the adventures of a tough spy, which already has five films.

3. Notoriety

• USA, 1946.
• Thriller, drama, melodrama.
• Duration: 102 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

The daughter of Johann Huberman, arrested for treason, meets an FBI agent. As it turns out, the meeting was organized on purpose. The girl is asked to help uncover a Nazi conspiracy in Rio de Janeiro. She must marry a German agent and find out the conspirators' plans to create a nuclear bomb. But the husband begins to suspect something, and the spy is in mortal danger.

The famous Alfred Hitchcock has always approached the development of his films with full dedication. To tell about the creation of a nuclear bomb more believably, he began to turn to experts and look for documents on the use of uranium ore. As a result, the director himself fell under the suspicion of the FBI.

2. North by northwest

• USA, 1959.
• Detective, thriller, adventure.
• Duration: 136 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

The main character Roger Thornhill, who works as an advertising agent, suddenly finds himself at the center of spy games. The thing is that counterintelligence takes him for a secret agent whom no one knows by sight. Roger has to escape from the special services, and only a mysterious stranger can help him.

This film was also directed by Alfred Hitchcock. And the plot is based on the real story of the Second World War, when British intelligence came up with a non-existent secret agent and forced the enemies to hunt him down.

1. Balkan spy

• Yugoslavia, 1984.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 9.

A resident of Yugoslavia, Ilya Chvorovich, was summoned to the police to inquire about his new tenant. It turns out that he lived in Paris for 20 years, and now he is opening an atelier in Belgrade. Chvorovich decides that he has settled a spy, and begins his own spy on the neighbor, attracting his wife and twin brother for this.

Not too well known now, but an absolutely gorgeous film, it combines stunning comedy and intense plot. The picture is often called the best creation of the cinema of Yugoslavia, and the actors who played in it showed the top of their skills.