Best Spy Thriller

Captain America: The Winter Soldier redefined the MCU by shifting its tone towards a grounded spy thriller. The film sees Captain America uncovering a conspiracy within S.H.I.E.L.D., forcing him to qu...

Patriot is a darkly comedic spy thriller that follows John Tavner, an intelligence officer who is forced to go undercover as a mid-level employee at a piping firm. Key features include its unique blen...

Killing Eve, available on AMC+, is a darkly comedic thriller centered on Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a MI6 operative obsessed with tracking down Villanelle (Jodie Comer), a psychopathic assassin. The sh...

Burn Notice, a USA Network series, follows a former CIA operative who is suddenly burned and stripped of his assets and identity. He uses his skills to help people in need while trying to uncover the...

Spy x Family is a delightful blend of high-stakes espionage and heartwarming family comedy. It follows a master spy who must build a fake family to infiltrate an elite school, unaware that his 'wife'...

Slow Horses, streaming on Apple TV+, is a darkly comedic spy thriller following a team of disgraced MI5 agents relegated to Slough House, a dumping ground for failures. Led by the slovenly but brillia...

Alias, a classic from the early 2000s, follows Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner), a double agent working for the CIA while infiltrating a criminal organization known as SD-6. The show is renowned for i...

The Bureau is a sophisticated French espionage thriller that explores the world of DGSE intelligence officers. While it focuses on the 'shadow war' of intelligence rather than traditional battlefield...

Counterpart explores the concept of a parallel universe accessible through a hidden doorway in a Berlin office building. The series follows Howard Silk, a low-level bureaucrat, as he discovers the exi...

Amazon's Jack Ryan series offers a modern take on the iconic literary character. John Krasinski delivers a strong performance as the titular CIA analyst who finds himself thrust into dangerous situati...

True Lies is a massive, high-budget spectacle that manages to be both a thrilling spy movie and a hilarious domestic comedy. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a secret agent who struggles to balance his dan...

Notorious is a thrilling spy thriller set against the backdrop of post-World War II Germany. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman deliver captivating performances as a double agent and a suspected spy. The f...

Metal Gear Solid, released for the PlayStation, revolutionized the stealth action genre with its cinematic presentation and groundbreaking gameplay. It introduced a 3D environment, complex boss battl...

The Ipcress File, starring Michael Caine, is a gritty and stylish spy thriller that helped define the genre's aesthetic. It follows a reluctant criminal recruited by British Intelligence for a dangero...

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. served as a bridge between the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and television, following a team of agents protecting the world from threats. The series evolved significantly ove...

Raazi is a spy thriller based on a true story about a young Indian woman who marries a Pakistani army officer during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. The films suspenseful plot, strong performances, and e...

Viet Thanh Nguyens 'The Sympathizer,' the 2016 National Book Award winner, is a darkly comic and suspenseful spy thriller about a double agent navigating the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Nguyens writ...

Andor is a departure from the typical Star Wars formula, offering a grounded, gritty spy thriller set in the early days of the Rebellion. It focuses on the political machinations of the Empire and the...

Spooks (known as MI-5 in the US) is a British television series that follows a team of MI5 agents working to protect national security. The show is known for its fast-paced action, realistic portrayal...

The Good Shepherd is a historical spy thriller that chronicles the early years of the CIA and the personal sacrifices made by its agents. Matt Damon delivers a compelling performance as a conflicted i...

Fast & Furious Presents: Spy Racers is an animated action series expanding the Fast & Furious universe. The show follows teenage spies who use their racing skills to thwart criminal organizations. The...

Cars 2 takes the Cars characters on a globe-trotting adventure filled with espionage and racing. Lightning McQueen and Mater become embroiled in a plot to disrupt the World Grand Prix. While the film'...

Burn After Reading is a darkly comedic spy thriller centered around a stolen hard drive and a series of misunderstandings. The films absurd plot, inept characters, and satirical humor make it a hilari...

Hanna is an action-thriller series about a teenage girl who was genetically engineered to be the perfect assassin. She escapes her isolated upbringing and is hunted by a ruthless intelligence agency....

Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a high-concept action-comedy that explores the dynamics of a marriage where both partners are secret assassins working for competing agencies. The chemistry between Brad Pitt and A...

Body of Lies is a tense, fast-paced espionage thriller set in the modern Middle East. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, the film explores the complexities of intelligence work and the mora...

The Courier is a gripping spy thriller based on the true story of Greville Wynne, an unassuming British businessman who is recruited to act as a courier for a Soviet intelligence agent during the Cold...

Vatan (Homeland) is a spy thriller series focusing on a Turkish intelligence officer working to protect his country from internal and external threats. The series combines action, suspense, and politi...

Viet Thanh Nguyens Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a gripping spy thriller and a biting satire of the Vietnam War and its aftermath. The protagonist is a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who...