29 Riveting Spy Flicks That Will Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat
29 Must-See Spy Movies That Will Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat
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A running list of stressful careers that are 100 percent not for me: surgeon, teacher, airline pilot, hedge fund manager, and—probably most notably—spy. However! Just because I personally cannot imagine myself handling the high-stake demands of an espionage agent doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a good spy thriller. The best spy movies provide all the excitement of covert investigations without any of the risk, and if you’re in need of an action-packed flick for your next movie night, I’ve got some recs that’ll have you tempted to apply for a CIA job yourself…or not. ’Cause, ya know, stress.
Just a heads-up: This roundup doesn’t include any movies from franchises—so no James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Ryan, or Ethan Hunt to be found here—because otherwise we’d be here all day. But fear not—there are TONS of stand-alone spy thrillers worth two hours of your time, from classics (like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) to newer additions to the genre (like Tenet). In the mood for double agents, double-crossing, and a whole lot of Brad Pitt? Then keep scrolling for all the best espionage movies available to stream right now for a thrilling good time.
The Gray Man (2022)
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One of Netflix’s most expensive movies ever made that also stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans? Umm yes please! It’s based on the 2009 novel by the same name and is about a CIA agent who discovers corrupt secrets and has to go on the run trying to dodge a sociopathic ex-CIA operative.
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Tenet (2020)
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If you like your spy thrillers with a side of science fiction, then Tenet has got to be on your watch-list. Starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, it’s about a former CIA agent who figures out how to manipulate time and uses that power to prevent a catastrophic attack.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
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Set right before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Atomic Blonde stars Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton, an elite MI6 spy who’s tasked with taking down an espionage ring in Berlin—although the mission proves more dangerous than she initially realized.
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Hanna (2011)
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What happens when you leave the CIA and raise your daughter in the wilderness of Finland, training her to become an extremely deadly assassin? You get tracked down by the CIA trying to take the both of you out, of course! Saoirse Ronan is amazing as the titular Hanna and Cate Blanchett (who plays the CIA agent trying to track them down) is perfection as always.
Enemy of the State (1998)
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Will Smith and Gene Hackman take the lead in this movie about a group of NSA agents who conspire to kill a congressman. Despite working for the NSA and all, a tape of the murder manages to surface and ends up on the desk of a lawyer.
The Conversation (1974)
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You’re probably familiar with Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, but if you haven’t seen The Conversation, then you’re really missing out. Basically, it’s about a surveillance expert who uncovers a potential murder and has to decide whether he’s gonna do something about it.
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Three Days of the Condor (1975)
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We’ve all had bad days at the office, but this movie (starring ’70s movie hunk Robert Redford) is next level. Picture this: you’re a CIA analyst who pops out for a lunch break, and when you get back to the office, you realize that your co-workers… have all been murdered. Obviously, you start trying to find out who’s responsible.
North by Northwest (1959)
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No one’s better at keeping you on the edge of your seat than Alfred Hitchcock (highly recommend an emotional support blanket while watching his movies), and North by Northwest is no exception. It’s about a man who falls victim to a very unfortunate case of mistaken identity that ends up getting him pursued by a group of agents who think he’s trying to stop their smuggling operation.
M. Butterfly (1993)
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Who doesn’t love a lil’ romance with their side of spying? Certainly not I! But if you’re not familiar with the story of M. Butterfly, it’s about a French diplomat in China during that ’60s who falls for an opera singer who, as it turns out, is spying on him for the Chinese government.
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The Courier (2020)
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Set in the ’60s, this historical spy flick tells the real-life story of Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch), a British businessman who MI6 tapped to relay messages to a high-ranking Soviet official secretly providing intelligence to the West.
A Call to Spy (2020)
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Yet another spy thriller inspired by a true story, A Call to Spy is about three very different women who joined Churchill’s all-women spy agency at the beginning of WWII to help undermine the Nazi regime in France.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
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Of course, you can’t have a spy movie roundup without Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Set in London during the early ’70s, this flick follows the hunt for a Soviet double agent at the top of British Intelligence, and it’s a truly wild ride.
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Traitor (2008)
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In Traitor, Don Cheadle plays a Sudanese American former Special Ops soldier and devout Muslim who becomes the prime suspect in a string of explosions targeting civilians.
Shadow Dancer (2012)
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Set in 1990s Belfast toward the end of the Northern Ireland conflict, Shadow Dancer tells the story of a single mother and IRA member who is caught by a British agent and then given an impossible ultimatum: spy on her comrades or go to prison.
Body of Lies (2008)
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Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, this one is set in the Middle East, following the attempts of a CIA operative, his superior, and the head of Jordanian Intelligence to catch the elusive terrorist aligned with Al-Qaeda.
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The East (2013)
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Starring Alexander Skarsgård and Elliot Page, this wildly underrated spy thriller follows an undercover operative for a private intelligence firm who’s tasked with infiltrating “the East,” an ecoterrorism organization.
Lust, Caution (2007)
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Set during WWII, this v sexy espionage drama follows a secret agent who’s tasked with seducing (and then killing) an official who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. However, her mission becomes trickier when she engages in a wild love affair with him instead.
Allied (2016)
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Sure, it may have been a box office flop, but Allied still deserves a watch IMO. In it, Brad Pitt plays a Canadian intelligence officer who must pretend to be married to a French Resistance fighter (Marion Cotillard) during a mission in 1942 Casablanca…and of course, they end up actually falling in love.
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The Debt (2010)
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With an A+ cast that includes Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, and Jessica Chastain, this thriller tells the story of three young agents who successfully capture and kill a Nazi war criminal…or so they think.
Bridge of Spies (2015)
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Set during the Cold War, this historical drama tells the story of real-life NYC lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), who was recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate the release of a U.S. pilot captured by the Soviet Union…in exchange for a convicted spy whom Donovan once defended in court.
Corinne SullivanEditor
Corinne Sullivan is an Editor at HotSamples, where she covers a variety of beats, including lifestyle, entertainment, relationships, shopping, and more. She can tell you everything you need to know about the love lives of A-listers, the coziest bedsheets, and the sex toys actually worth your $$$. She is also the author of the 2018 novel Indecent. Follow her on Instagram for cute pics of her pup and bébé.
Laura is a NYC-based freelance writer. When she’s not binging the latest true crime docu-series, she’s obsessing over all things Harry Styles, RHONY, and John Mulaney. You can follow her on Instagram @lauraehanrahan
