12 Exciting Spy Movies You Need to Watch Again
Updated: Jul. 13, 2020Dive into the exhilarating and dangerous world of espionage with these modern classics!
Spy Game (2001)
Aging CIA agent Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) puts his retirement on hold when he discovers that his former protégé, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), has been arrested in China for espionage. To make matter worse, since Bishop was captured during a non-official operation for his girlfriend, the CIA plans to cut ties and leave him there. Redford to the rescue!
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The Bourne Identity (2002)
In this influential espionage thriller, Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, an amnesia-plagued CIA agent who can’t remember how he ended up drifting in the Mediterranean Sea with a gunshot wound. What he does remember: how to memorize a tonne of information instantly, deadly hand-to-hand combat, and how to race a car through the crowded streets of Paris! With the help of a down-on-her-luck German citizen (Franka Potente), Bourne races against time to figure out his real identity before his vengeful handlers catch up to him.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Carly Simon sings the theme song (“Nobody Does It Better”) for the 10th film in the James Bond series—and Roger Moore’s third outing as the iconic secret agent. In The Spy Who Loved Me, Bond is tasked with stopping Karl Stromberg, a wealthy businessman who plans to destroy the world and start over in an Atlantis-style submerged city. To help him: Barbara Bach as a kick-ass KGB agent. Look out for Richard Kiel as “Jaws,” a silver-toothed thug who is after Bond.
From Russia with Love (1963)
From Russia with Love picks up where Dr. No left off: in the second-ever entry in the James Bond series, a group of villains are mad that Bond (Sean Connery) killed Dr. No in the previous film and are determined to take him down. That means 007’s got a collection of spies tailing him—and a few of them happen to be very beautiful women, of course. A highlight: Bond’s briefcase, which is filled with retro spy accessories and booby traps.
Skyfall (2012)
In one of the most acclaimed entries in the James Bond series, 007 (this time played by Daniel Craig) faces off against Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a former MI6 agent-turned-cyberterrorist. Silva used to work for M (Judi Dench), 007’s superior, but was left for dead during a bungled mission. Can Bond stop Silva before he exacts revenge on Bond’s boss?
True Lies (1994)
Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his campy best in this James Cameron-directed action-comedy. The ’90s icon plays Henry Tasker, a seemingly normal family man who’s actually a secret black ops agent. Things get complicated when his suspicious wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and rebellious teen daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku) get kidnapped by nuclear weapon-toting terrorists.
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Bridge of Spies (2015)
In this Steven Spielberg drama, Tom Hanks plays James Donovan, a lawyer in charge of a tense prisoner exchange with the Soviet Union. The U.S. needs to retrieve a pilot shot down on a spy mission, in addition to a grad student in Germany. The trade will be for Rudolf Abel, a KGB spy played by Mark Rylance, who won an Oscar for this film. Filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense and amazing performances, Bridge of Spies is a first-rate spy thriller based on true events.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
The only thing more exciting than being a secret agent is finding out that you’re married to one. But that’s also totally dangerous—especially when you’re just trying to have a nice dinner at home and you discover your spouse’s weapon stash right as they’re trying to kill you. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were at the height of their Hollywood powers in this memorable action-comedy.
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Spy Kids (2001)
Dynamic visuals and a goofy sensibility make this action film a favourite for children and parents alike. Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino play Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez, the mom and dad of a spy family. When a bunch of thumb-headed robots (yep, you read that right!) come for the kids, they escape in a submarine and later hatch a plan to save their parents. Good thing they’re total naturals when it comes to spy craft, too!
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The Conversation (1974)
Gene Hackman gives the best performance of his career in this Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece. Harry Caul (Hackman) is a surveillance expert who struggles to balance his devout Catholicism with his morally ambiguous line of work. His worst fears are realized when his most recent assignment may or may not have resulted in the murders of a philandering couple. Released shortly after the Watergate scandal, The Conversation offers great insight into mid-70s political corruption and paranoia.
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