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Spy movies offer a unique type of thrill. High-risk circumstances, exotic places, and romantic allegiances enthrall viewers, who are charmed by the handsome operatives marching into high risks situations. In spite of the expected high-tech gadgetry, adrenaline-pumping action sequences, and mind-boggling twists, the film is still captivating.
There is still an opportunity for exciting variation despite all of these requirements for the spy game. A good spy film can be sultry, thrilling, or utterly ridiculous. We’ve got a spy thriller for you, no matter what you’re looking for. If you’re a fan of spy flicks, you’ll love these selections from Netflix’s spy movies collection.
Inception:
Year: 2010
Directors: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard
Runtime: 2 h 28 m
IMDB: 8.8/10
The atmosphere of great curiosity is something that this film brings to the table thanks to Christopher Nolan’s trademark film style. Dominick, a memory thief who takes people’s secrets by entering their dreams and retrieving them from their subconscious, is the main character of the film Inception. The fact that he and his colleague engage in business espionage has resulted in him losing the ability to see his children freely. In a surprising turn of events, Dominick is presented with the opportunity to utilize his powers to implant a thought in the mind of another individual in return for having his criminal record expunged. If he wants to bring calm into his life, he must do this while avoiding an adversary who poses a significant threat.
Argo:
Year: 2012
Directors: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham,
Runtime: 2 h
IMDB: 7.7/10
This acclaimed historical thriller from 2012 was directed by Ben Affleck, who also starred in the film. Ben Affleck pulled double duty, acting as both director and leading man.
The plot of the film Argo, inspired by a CIA operation that was stranger than fiction, centers on an innovative agent (Affleck) who goes undercover as a science fiction movie director to rescue Americans from the Iran hostage crisis in 1979. It is necessary for him to work with some real Hollywood types in order for the hoax to be successful. These real Hollywood types include a snarky make-up artist played by John Goodman and a surly producer played by Alan Arkin. Both of these characters inject sass and humor into an otherwise heart-poundingly tense situation. Film critics praised Ben Affleck’s masterful blending of drama, suspense, and humorous jabs at the Hollywood film industry in Argo, which won three Oscars, including the award for Best Picture.
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo:
Year: 2011
Directors: David Fincher
Cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Joely Richardson, Geraldine James
Runtime: 2 h 38 m
IMDB: 7.8/10
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a long-term socio-psychological thriller based on the same-titled, award-winning book series by Stieg Larsson. Lisbeth Salander, a bright but antisocial hacker/investigator, put under state-appointed guardianship, and Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist, are presented to us concurrently in the film. They decide to work together in order to solve a murder mystery that occurred forty years ago. The movie is gloomy and nasty and deals with topics such as abuse, vengeance, and murder, all of which keep the audience hooked.
Spy Kids:
Year: 2001
Directors: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara, Alan Cumming, Tony Shalhoub, Teri Hatcher, Cheech Marin
Runtime: 1 h 28 m
IMDB: 5.6/10
In order to protect their former spy parents from the hands of a criminal mastermind, two young children train to become spies themselves. Carmen and Juni will courageously go on a series of heart-pounding adventures in an effort to rescue their parents and maybe the whole planet. They will be armed with a backpack full of high-tech devices and out-of-this-world transportation in order to complete their quest.
Casino Royale:
Year: 2006
Directors: Martin Campbell
Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Isaach De Bankolé
Runtime: 2 h 24 m
IMDB: 8.0/10
James Bond has been the gold standard for the spy thriller for many decades. Daniel Craig, an English leading man, was cast as James Bond 007 in the blockbuster film released in 2006 that redefined the character of Bond for the modern day. Moore, Connery, and Brosnan were among the actors that came before Craig in the role of Bond. Casino Royale, directed by Martin Campbell and took place in the operative’s early days at MI6, while he was working toward getting his license to murder, transported spectators back in time. Craig, who has blue eyes that are as steely as his manner, made his imprint on this famous brand by flinging himself into spectacular action, delivering quick quips, and courting a stunning Bond Girl. His eyes are as steely as his demeanor.
The Bourne Ultimatum:
Year: 2007
Directors: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramírez, Albert Finney, Joan Allen, Tom Gallop, Corey Johnson
Runtime: 1 h 55 m
IMDB: 8.0/10
The Bourne Ultimatum, the film starring Matt Damon as a super-agent, was so successful in 2002 that it not only competed with James Bond for box office receipts. However, it was also the beginning of an exciting spy thriller film series centered on a character named Jason Bourne. The Bourne Ultimatum is the third episode of the film series that stars Matt Damon in the role of an approachable assassin who is on the run. The film is adapted from the book of the same name, written by Robert Ludlum. Bourne has gotten into trouble with his previous CIA handlers as he attempts to gain a deeper understanding of his time as a covert agent. His former handlers’ Operation Blackbriar appears determined to bring him in or put him down for good. This rugged warrior, though, has a soft spot in his heart for an “inside guy,” and they are best friends. The movie stars David Strathairn, Julia Stiles, and Paddy Considine.
Unknown:
Year: 2011
Directors: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella, Sebastian Koch, Olivier Schneider, Stipe Erceg, Rainer Bock
Runtime: 1 h 53 m
IMDB: 6.8/10
Do the critics well acclaim this one? No. Despite this, the action-thriller film, released in 2011 and starring Liam Neeson, was a huge financial success at the box office.
In that case, you won’t want to miss this action-packed movie, which has horror filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra experimenting with the genre of espionage for the first time. The Unknown is a film starring Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris, a man going to Berlin with his seemingly ideal wife, based on a French book by Didier Van Cauwelaert. Then, however, he loses his briefcase and is involved in a taxicab accident, which propels him into a strange new world in which his wife claims she is not his wife and that he is not Dr. Martin Harris. In his search for the truth, this mysterious man of action stumbles across evidence of fraud, conspiracy, and a plan to kill someone, and that’s just scratching the surface. Collet-Serra and Neeson have created a delicious thriller that does not disappoint with its mix of suspense, dread, action, and mystery.
Quantum of Solace:
Year: 2008
Directors: March Froster
Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright, David Harbour, Jesper Christensen
Runtime: 1 h 46 m
IMDB: 6.6/10
The events of Casino Royale are continued in the sequel, Quantum of Solace. This is the second film starring Daniel Craig as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Bond, who is on a personal vengeance in this film, is trying to track down and punish those who coerced his sweetheart into betraying him in the last film. The film follows Bond as he goes about his mission. Because of this pursuit, he encounters Dominic Greene, a heartless businessman, and learns of his scheme to take control of an important natural deposit of oil in another nation. Bond has to put a halt to this scheme and sabotage it, which will lead him to some disclosures and a dangerous route of espionage. On this route, will he find retribution, or will he discover another quest? In order for us to discover the answer, we are going to have to follow James Bond throughout the whole of the film.
Snowden:
Year: 2016
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jaymes Butler, Robert Firth, Rachel Handshaw, Christian Contreras, Parker Sawyers, Rhys Ifans
Runtime: 2 h 14 m
IMDB: 7.3/10
Edward Snowden, a senior contractor at the National Security Agency, resigned from his position because he had become disillusioned with the intelligence establishment. He is now aware that a seemingly insurmountable mountain of data is being compiled to monitor all forms of digital communication. This data is being gathered not just from governments in other countries and terrorist organizations but also from average citizens in the United States. When Edward Snowden decides to reveal these highly confidential documents, he immediately becomes a traitor in certain people’s eyes, a hero in the eyes of others, and a wanted criminal.
The Coldest Game:
Year: 2019
Director: Lukasz Kosmicki
Cast: Bill Pullman, Lotte Verbeek, James Bloor, Robert Wieckiewicz, Aleksey Serebryakov, Corey Johnson, Nicholas Farrell, Evgeniy Sidikhin, Cezary Kosinski
Runtime: 1 h 42 m
IMDB: 6.2/10
The Coldest Game is a drama that takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It tells the story of an American mathematician and chess player named Joshua Mansky, an alcoholic. The United States government recruited Joshua Mansky to play as a replacement chess player in a tournament held in Warsaw. In addition to focusing on trying to come out on top of the game, which most people are unaware of, Mansky is tasked with gathering as much information as he can on the Soviets. Would he be successful in doing what he had been tasked to do, or would he fall short? The two nations are engaged in a game of chess that is being played both on the board and in military board rooms as they compete for global dominance.
The Departed:
Year: 2006
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin
Runtime: 2 h 31 m
IMDB: 8.5/10
The suspenseful and action-packed nature of this movie will have audiences on the edge of their seats for the whole film, causing them to question every character’s motives. The film follows the two factions, the police and federal agents versus the Boston Irish Mob, and the moles inside each organization seeking to identify the imposters. The two groups are pitted against one another. One of Martin Scorsese’s most accomplished productions, “The Departed,” has an all-star cast.
Bastille Day ( The Take):
Year: 2016
Director: James Watkins
Cast: Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Charlotte Le Bon, Kelly Reilly, José Garcia, Thierry Godard, Vincent Londez, Arieh Worthalter, Mohamed Makhtoumi
Runtime: 1 h 32 m
IMDB: 6.3/10
The film follows the conventions of a standard yet entertaining action movie, including a corrupt government official, an unknowing civilian, and a terrorist outfit that must be stopped and arrested. In addition, the plot of the movie is about a CIA officer who joins forces with a pickpocket in order to foil the plans of a gang of terrorists who want to rob a bank under the guise of a bomb scare and a widespread belief in a conspiracy. If one does not intend to pay excessive attention to the narrative of the film, then it is a movie that can be seen with pleasure.
From Paris With Love:
Year: 2010
Director: Pierre Morel
Cast: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden, Bing Yin, Amber Rose Revah, Eric Godon, François Bredon, Chems Dahmani
Runtime: 1 h 32 m
IMDB: 6.4/10
James Reese has a respectable career as an assistant to the United States Ambassador in France; yet, his true calling is a part-time position with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He has always dreamed of having a career in the secret service and can’t believe his good fortune when he is offered a job working with Charlie Wax. James quickly finds himself wishing for his desk job when he’s forced to deal with the trigger-happy Charlie, but when he finds out that the same criminals they’re seeking to apprehend are pursuing him, he knows that Charlie may be his last chance of survival.
Mile 22:
Year: 2018
Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, John Malkovich, Ronda Rousey, Carlo Alban, Natasha Goubskaya, Chae-rin Lee, Sam Medina
Runtime: 1 h 34 m
IMDB: 6.1/10
In the suspenseful action film Mile 22, a CIA agent named James Silva leads a group of paramilitary troops on a mission to retrieve and transfer a foreign asset from a United States embassy located in the made-up nation of Indocarr to an airfield that is located 22 miles away from the embassy. The distance between the two locations is shown as being exactly 22 miles. The trip is fraught with difficulties since the city’s forces and gangs are actively working to prevent the travelers from arriving at their destination.
Extraction:
Year: 2020
Director: Sam Hargrave
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Bryon Lerum, Ryder Lerum, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Shivam Vichare, Piyush Khati, Sara Rumao, Randeep Hooda
Runtime: 1 h 56 m
IMDB: 6.7/10
When Tyler Rake, a courageous black market mercenary who has nothing more to lose, is asked to take on a deadly assignment, he agrees to do it without any hesitation, despite the fact that he has nothing else to lose. A cruel rival crime lord has abducted Ovi Mahajan, the 14-year-old son of Ovi Mahajan Sr., who is now doing time in jail for his involvement in worldwide organized crime. The young man was taken into custody when he sneaked out of his home late one night with the intention of going to a club. The boy’s security guard, Sanju, is a former member of Black Ops.
When the boy’s father threatens Sanju’s kid if Sanju is unable to return Ovi unharmed, Sanju finds himself in a difficult situation. He is aware that the businesses that do these kinds of extractions charge a lot of money, and the incarcerated Mahajan Sr. does not have the financial means to pay for it. Therefore, he plans to provide the corporation with half the money and then take over the business himself midway. Sadly, this makes the boy’s situation much more vulnerable.
American Assassin:
Year: 2017
Director: Sam Hargrave
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Bryon Lerum, Ryder Lerum, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Shivam Vichare, Piyush Khati, Sara Rumao, Randeep Hooda
Runtime: 1 h 51 m
IMDB: 6.2/10
In addition, Mitch Rapp, the primary character of the book American Assassin by Vince Flynn, is seen in the film adaptation of the same name. Rapp is in the midst of exacting retribution for the death of his fiancée, who was killed in a terrorist assault. Rapp is recruited by the CIA and given training as an agent when his attempt to assassinate the guy who was responsible for the death of his fiancée is thwarted by an intervention by United States special forces. Rapp, Hurley, an agent from Turkey, and another operative from Turkey work together in an effort to prevent a former prisoner who was thought to be dead from igniting a nuclear war. The movie has a good amount of action, drama, and suspense to keep the viewer interested throughout each and every scene.
Operation Finale:
Year: 2016
Director: Chris Weitz
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Mélanie Laurent, Lior Raz, Nick Kroll, Michael Aronov, Ohad Knoller, Greg Hill, Torben Liebrecht, Michael Benjamin Hernandez
Runtime: 2 h 2 m
IMDB: 6.6/10
Numerous films have been made highlighting the horrors the Nazis committed during the Holocaust. As a consequence of the Holocaust, a number of Nazi officials were brought to justice for the war crimes they committed. The film Operation Finale covers Adolf Eichmann’s arrest and subsequent transfer to Israeli custody after he was apprehended. After about a decade and a half had passed after World War II’s conclusion, the events depicted in the film take place at a time when Israeli spies are able to track down one of the prominent holocaust masterminds, Adolf Eichmann, who is hiding out in Argentina with his family under an identity. After that, Israeli spies abduct him and smuggle him into the country of Israel under cover of darkness so that he may face charges for the war crimes he committed.
The Angel:
Year: 2018
Director: Ariel Vromen
Cast: Boyana Avdjieva, Toby Kebbell, Marwan Kenzari, Hannah Ware, Sasson Gabay, Atanas Srebrev, Waleed Zuaiter, Tsahi Halevi, Maisa Abd Elhadi,
Runtime: 1 h 54 m
IMDB: 6.6/10
The Angel is based on the accurate tale of Ashraf Marwan, a high-ranking official in the Egyptian government who also worked as a spy for the Israeli intelligence service. His diplomatic efforts helped bring about permanent peace between Israel and Egypt. As a result, there are rumors that he is a double agent. The film is based on Uri Bar-book Joseph’s “The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel,” originally written as a novel. It depicts Marwan’s life before he became a high-ranking official in Egypt, as well as the events and circumstances that eventually led to his working as a spy for Israel. It sheds more light on how Marwan used his position to bring peace between Egypt and Israel and stability across the region.
State of Play:
Year: 2009
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Cast: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Michael Berresse, Harry Lennix
Runtime: 2 h 7 m
IMDB: 7.1/10
The film “State of Play” is included on this list despite the fact that it is not technically a spy movie. This is owing to the fact that the elements of surveillance and detection play a major part in the film. The concept of privatized military groups, the role of the press, and the corruption of politicians are investigated in the television show “State of Play,” which is an adaptation of the British television series of the same name. The events leading up to the narrative’s beginning consist of two murders and an apparent suicide. It turns out that the person who committed suicide was the lover of a renowned politician named Stephen Collins. In addition, we speak with Cal McAffrey, an investigative journalist, and Della Frye, a reporter for the Washington Globe. Together, they begin to piece the pieces of a massive conspiracy that involves politicians, weapons companies, and veterans. In the end, they would find an unexpected reality, and the audience would be shocked by what they learned.
Polar:
Year: 2019
Director: Jonas Åkerlund
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, Katheryn Winnick, Fei Ren, Ruby O. Fee, Matt Lucas, Robert Maillet, Anthony Grant, Josh Cruddas
Runtime: 1 h 58 m
IMDB: 6.3/10
Polar is a renaissance action movie based on the graphic book “Polar: Came from the Cold.” The plot revolves around the world of covert assassin groups and hitmen. The story of Duncan Vizla, also known as The Black Kaiser, a reformed assassin who is now retired, and the former employer who betrayed him and set a price on his head is at the center of this movie. As a direct consequence, the reformed assassin is compelled to come out of retirement to battle for his own life and the life of someone he has grown to like.
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