Movies with Spies live in the space between a whispered lie and a slammed door. Some nights you want realism, where spycraft and paperwork feel as tense as gunfire. Other nights you want spectacle, where a passport stamp can trigger a chase across continents. The vibe matters more than plot. That range is why you might queue Casino Royale, then switch gears to the gray patience of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or the mistaken-identity sprint of North by Northwest. In an espionage thriller, the most dangerous weapon is often information moving faster than anyone can verify it. Trust nobody, not even the hero. This guide focuses on craft and vibe as much as plot, so you can pick a film that matches your attention span and comfort level. Later we also flag a few movies about spies that play gentler with violence while still delivering suspense.
Spy movies come in several distinct flavors, and they reward choosing the right one for the evening. Some are about institutional power, where an intelligence agency becomes the unseen character shaping every decision. Others are about the private cost of secrecy, where the job rewires friendships, romance, and self-respect. You will also find sleek puzzle boxes that treat identity as a weapon, and rougher stories that feel closer to field work. If you want a single turning point, look for the moment a double agent must decide who gets sacrificed. Pick the vibe first, then the era. The list below is ranked, but it is also curated by tone so you can jump to the section that fits your mood. When you press play, you should feel prepared, not tricked.
- What this list covers: Classic Cold War dramas, modern CIA-era stories, surveillance-driven paranoia, and blockbuster spy adventures built around covert operations
- How the ranking works: Ordered from lower IMDb rating at #25 to higher at #1 (IMDb ≥ 6.5)
- How to choose fast: Use tone, intensity and comfort notes to match your mood or household
- Last verified: 10 February 2026
How we picked Movies with Spies
We aimed for variety across eras and styles, from postwar classics to modern manhunts and franchise set pieces. Each pick offers clear craft value—performance, pacing, atmosphere, or structure—and we balanced dialogue-driven drama with pure espionage thriller momentum. We included comfort notes because violence, torture, and moral bleakness can land differently depending on who is watching. Every title meets IMDb ≥ 6.5 and the ranking runs from the lowest score at #25 to the highest at #1. All IMDb ratings in this article were verified on 10 February 2026.
25. The Recruit (2003)
- Actors: Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan
- Director: Roger Donaldson
- Genre: thriller, mystery
- Tone: slick, twisty
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
A promising graduate is pulled into CIA training where every lesson might be a test. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The slick, twisty approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
24. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
- Actors: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy
- Director: Tomas Alfredson
- Genre: espionage drama, thriller
- Tone: meticulous, chilly
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.0/10
A retired intelligence analyst is asked to uncover a mole at the top of British intelligence. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The meticulous, chilly approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
23. No Way Out (1987)
- Actors: Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young
- Director: Roger Donaldson
- Genre: thriller
- Tone: urgent, paranoid
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
A Washington aide becomes trapped in a cover-up as the investigation closes in from all sides. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The urgent, paranoid approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
22. Spy Game (2001)
- Actors: Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Catherine McCormack
- Director: Tony Scott
- Genre: action thriller
- Tone: kinetic, clever
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
A CIA veteran tries to save his protégé while outmaneuvering the agency’s internal politics. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The kinetic, clever approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
21. Mission: Impossible (1996)
- Actors: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart
- Director: Brian De Palma
- Genre: action, spy thriller
- Tone: sleek, suspenseful
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
After a mission goes wrong, an agent must clear his name by exposing the real betrayal. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The sleek, suspenseful approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
20. The Ipcress File (1965)
- Actors: Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Guy Doleman
- Director: Sidney J. Furie
- Genre: espionage thriller
- Tone: dry, wary
- Suitable for: adults, older teens
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
A London operative follows a trail of missing scientists into a mind-bending conspiracy. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The dry, wary approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults, older teens who want a spy story that still feels human.
19. Ronin (1998)
- Actors: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone
- Director: John Frankenheimer
- Genre: action thriller
- Tone: hard-edged, procedural
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
A team of specialists hunts a mysterious case while everyone around them plays a different angle. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The hard-edged, procedural approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
18. Eye in the Sky (2015)
- Actors: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman
- Director: Gavin Hood
- Genre: war thriller
- Tone: tense, moral
- Suitable for: adults, teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
A drone operation becomes a moral crisis when a civilian enters the strike zone. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The tense, moral approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults, teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
17. Three Days of the Condor (1975)
- Actors: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Max von Sydow
- Director: Sydney Pollack
- Genre: political thriller
- Tone: anxious, grounded
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
A CIA reader becomes the target after his office is wiped out, and he has to survive on instinct. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The anxious, grounded approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
When tradecraft meets pressure
The lower half of the ranking leans into recruitment, betrayal, and the machinery around the mission. Here the thrill is procedural, and suspense comes from watching characters choose the least bad option. This is where spycraft becomes texture: meetings in cars, quiet checks, and tiny improvisations under stress. If you prefer psychological tension over nonstop action, this stretch is your sweet spot.
16. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
- Actors: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton
- Director: Kathryn Bigelow
- Genre: thriller, drama
- Tone: relentless, austere
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
A driven analyst pursues fragments of intelligence across a decade-long hunt for a single target. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The relentless, austere approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
15. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
- Actors: Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner
- Director: Martin Ritt
- Genre: spy drama
- Tone: bleak, fatalistic
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
A weary operative is sent on a final mission across the Berlin divide where loyalty is a trap. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The bleak, fatalistic approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
14. Munich (2005)
- Actors: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Genre: historical thriller
- Tone: gripping, heavy
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
An assassination-and-retaliation mission forces a team to confront the cost of vengeance. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The gripping, heavy approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
13. Bridge of Spies (2015)
- Actors: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Genre: historical drama, thriller
- Tone: measured, humane
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
A lawyer is drawn into Cold War negotiation to arrange a prisoner exchange under global scrutiny. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The measured, humane approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
12. The Conversation (1974)
- Actors: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield
- Director: Francis Ford Coppola
- Genre: mystery thriller
- Tone: claustrophobic, uneasy
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
A surveillance expert obsessively replays a recording and fears he has enabled a killing. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The claustrophobic, uneasy approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
11. Argo (2012)
- Actors: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman
- Director: Ben Affleck
- Genre: historical thriller
- Tone: tense, wry
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
A rescue plan in Iran hides in plain sight behind a fake movie production. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The tense, wry approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
10. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
- Actors: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson
- Director: Christopher McQuarrie
- Genre: action thriller
- Tone: breathless, muscular
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
A failed recovery triggers a race to stop catastrophe as alliances shift and time runs out. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The breathless, muscular approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
9. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
- Actors: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Joan Allen
- Director: Paul Greengrass
- Genre: action thriller
- Tone: urgent, handheld
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
A frame-up drags Bourne back into violence, forcing him to fight the system that built him. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The urgent, handheld approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
From Cold War corridors to global sprint
Now the list turns toward larger canvases, where history, institutions, and mythic hero figures start to dominate the frame. You will feel the genre expand from offices and tapes into border crossings, international politics, and cinematic showdowns. Cold war intrigue still lingers in the DNA, even when the films roar forward on adrenaline. If you like bigger stakes and clearer villains, the next stretch is built for you.
8. The Day of the Jackal (1973)
- Actors: Edward Fox, Terence Alexander, Michel Lonsdale
- Director: Fred Zinnemann
- Genre: thriller
- Tone: precise, cold
- Suitable for: adults, older teens
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
A professional assassin plans a political killing while investigators race to identify him. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The precise, cold approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults, older teens who want a spy story that still feels human.
7. The Bourne Identity (2002)
- Actors: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper
- Director: Doug Liman
- Genre: action thriller
- Tone: propulsive, gritty
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
An amnesiac with lethal skills searches for his identity while being hunted by his former handlers. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The propulsive, gritty approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
6. Skyfall (2012)
- Actors: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench
- Director: Sam Mendes
- Genre: spy action thriller
- Tone: operatic, dark
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
Bond faces an enemy who attacks MI6 and forces a reckoning with the past. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The operatic, dark approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
5. Notorious (1946)
- Actors: Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Claude Rains
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Genre: espionage romance, thriller
- Tone: romantic, suspenseful
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 7.9/10
A woman infiltrates a Nazi-linked circle, and her cover demands intimacy as a weapon. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The romantic, suspenseful approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
4. Casino Royale (2006)
- Actors: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen
- Director: Martin Campbell
- Genre: spy action thriller
- Tone: bruising, modern
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Bond’s early mission turns into a high-stakes poker duel designed to bankrupt a terrorist financier. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The bruising, modern approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
3. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
- Actors: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn
- Director: Paul Greengrass
- Genre: action thriller
- Tone: relentless, breathless
- Suitable for: teens with parents
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
Bourne closes in on the program’s architects as the agency tries to erase its own tracks. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The relentless, breathless approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for teens with parents who want a spy story that still feels human.
2. North by Northwest (1959)
- Actors: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Genre: adventure thriller
- Tone: playful, escalating
- Suitable for: families with teens
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
A mistaken identity turns a man into bait, sending him sprinting through a maze of deception. The hook lands early, then keeps tightening the screws as new details surface. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The playful, escalating approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for families with teens who want a spy story that still feels human.
1. The Lives of Others (2006)
- Actors: Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch
- Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Genre: drama, thriller
- Tone: intimate, haunting
- Suitable for: adults
- IMDb rating: 8.4/10
A Stasi officer surveils an artist couple and slowly changes as he listens to their lives. Movies with Spies work best when the first lie feels small and the consequences arrive late. Under the plot mechanics, the film is really about trust and the price of secrecy. Its emotional center comes from watching ordinary needs collide with professional obligation. The intimate, haunting approach shapes the rhythm, balancing investigation, pursuit, and reveals. Intensity depends more on pressure than gore, but the stakes stay personal and sharp. It earns a place here because it uses suspense as character work, not just noise. It is best for adults who want a spy story that still feels human.
Conclusion: revisiting Movies with Spies
Use this ranking like a menu: start low when you want twists and pace, then climb higher when you want character, history, and consequences. Movies with Spies also reward rewatching, because you notice how often the action is really information changing hands. If you keep the suitability notes in mind, you can build a weekly run that alternates spectacle with quieter, more psychologically demanding stories.
Over time, the genre becomes a lens on power—who gets to define truth, who gets erased, and who survives by adapting fastest. For deeper background on American film history and production context, browse the AFI Catalog. For high-authority criticism and cultural reporting that often revisits classic thrillers and modern releases, explore The New York Times Movies section.
