Paramount Pictures
James Bondmay be the most popular spy associate with the musical style over the years , but several others are worthy of attention from hardcore fans . undercover agent moving-picture show have always been a preferent thanks to the thrilling legal action , twisty plot , and telling protagonists they often offer . Those who revel them will be glad to recognize that there are plenty of brilliant titles beyond the Bond dealership .
From classics likeNorth by Northwestto megahit likeMission : Impossible , legion non - James Bond undercover agent movies deliver edge - of - your - seat suspense with sophisticated storytelling . The enceinte ones examine that there ’s more than one way to tell apart exhilarating stories with mind - bending twists , undercover agents , and vague government conspiracies . So put down that vodka martini — shaken , not stirred — and fix for undercover agent tale that can contend with the renowned Mr. Bond .
Paramount Pictures
Atomic Blonde (2017)
Charlize Theron stars as the elect MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton in theater director David Leitch’sAtomic Blonde . found on the 2012 graphic novel by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart , The Coldest City , the movie adaption sees the agent tasked with call back a essential lean of double agents that could change the course of the Cold War . Her mission takes home on the eve of the tumble of the Berlin Wall , evoke the stake for everyone involved .
Atomic Blondemakes up for its lackluster and more or less predictable patch with dazzling visuals that transform 1989 Berlin into a neon - soak field of battle . The film sailplane thanks to Theron ’s performance as the badass protagonist who fans ca n’t facilitate but root for in each visceral , radical - violent engagement prospect . sum a killer eighties soundtrack , and this motion picture is a centripetal overload with a brilliant lead , cementing its position as a must - watch spy thriller .
Argo (2012)
Argois a gripping undercover agent thrillerbased on an unbelievable true history . Directed , produced by , and starring Ben Affleck , the film render the make bold CIA mission to rescue six American diplomats trapped in Tehran during the 1979 Persian hostage crisis . Affleck plays Tony Mendez , a CIA exfiltration expert who plans to flummox as a Canadian film producer scouting location for the titular imitation sci - fi movie . With the aid of Hollywood insider Lester Siegel ( Alan Arkin ) and John Chambers ( John Goodman ) , Mendez sets up the ruse to filch the diplomat out under the pretence of being part of a film crew .
To say that Mendez ’s architectural plan was unlawful is an understatement , and the movie alludes to this fatuousness with some in darkness humourous moments . It still mostly relies on suspense to keep viewers on edge , whichArgomasterfully does throughout its 120 - minute runtime . It seems impossible that such a wild design would work , which makes it all the more satisfying to see how they manage to pull it off .
The Bourne Identity (2002)
WhenJason Bourne ( Matt Damon)is found almost dead in the Mediterranean Sea with no retentivity of who he is , he sets off on a journeying to picture out who he really is and why assassins are track down him inThe Bourne Identity . The only clue to his past is a Swiss bank account turn embed in his coxa , along with his surprising skills in self - defense and language , which point towards a complicated yesteryear . Alongside Marie Kreutz ( Franka Potente ) , an unsuspecting civilian arrest up in his relief valve , Bourne races across Europe to piece together his recede memories before he ’s caught by those pursuing him .
The Bourne Identityis a landmark in spy films that eschewed the stylish and flashy world of James Bond for the messier and in the buff reality of Jason Bourne . Instead of a charming , calculate killer , Bourne is a vulnerable man haunted by the lifespan he does n’t think . This grit and realism would immediately set up the 2002 movie aside and help it exhort a dear franchise .
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Starring the dealership Centennial State - producer and writer Mike Myers playing the dual roles of Austin Powers and his arch opposition Dr. Evil , Austin Powers : International Man of Mysterywould be the first installment in the uproarious spy comedy . It follows Austin Powers ( Myers ) , a peachy British secret agent cryogenically block in the 1960s , who is unthaw out in the 1990s to stop his wicked - nemesis , Dr. Evil ( Myers ) . Dr. Evil has returned with a plan to carry the public ransom money for an usurious sum , but Powers — complete with his off-the-wall way signified , catchphrase , and outdated views on sex — has to adapt to a modernistic reality that ’s leave his swinging LX mojo behind .
organise by Jay Roach , Austin Powersis a glaring mockery of the suave world of Mr. Bond . Its style , gadgets , sexism , and over - the - top villain mock the clichés not just inthe James Bond moving picture , but in 1960s spy photographic film as a whole . This cagey satire and unapologetic slapstick humor make it outrageously entertaining , with the 1997 movie spawning two goofy sequels deserving watching .
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Director Tomas Alfredson’sTinker Tailor Soldier Spyis a Cold War spy film base on John le Carré ’s eponymous 1974 novel . It ’s concentrate on the retired British intelligence officer , George Smiley ( Gary Oldman ) , who is brought back to investigate a mole within MI6 , codenamed “ The Circus . ” Smiley ’s mission to expose the traitor leak secrets to the Russians leads him to slowly reveal the buried mysteries of British intelligence , agitate up the full organization .
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spybenefits from its talented ensemble stamp asterisk alongside Oldman , which admit Colin Firth , Tom Hardy , and Benedict Cumberbatch . A masterclass in slow - burn storytelling , the 2011 movie is far removed from the usual shootout and high - speeding chases , instead focusing on the quiet war of information and trust . Here , the smallest of gestures and most unimportant of conversations can turn the lunar time period , which reflect the genuine era and paranoia the cinema hop to charm .
The Lives of Others (2006)
In East Berlin in 1983 , a Stasi officer — a appendage of the secret police — is tasked with supervise the life of a prominent dramatist , Georg Dreyman ( Sebastian Koch ) , and his actress girlfriend , Christa - Maria Sieland ( Martina Gedeck ) , who are allegedly loyal to the Communist Party . The life of Others(German : Das Leben der Anderen ) sees Officer Gerd Wiesler ( Ulrich Mühe ) transform from a dutiful undercover agent to an unexpected sympathizer who ca n’t help but sense for the duad who do n’t live they ’re being watched .
Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck portray the oppressive surveillance regime with a unambiguously versed narrative . Despite the suffocating powerfulness of the Stasi , moments of humanness inspire one gentleman to rebel against everything he knows . This impactful floor unfold in hush conversations and the surprising emotion these inspire inthe flick ’s well - written spywho is forever changed by what he hears on the other side .
The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (1965)
The Spy Who Came In from the Coldis another spy moving picture based on a John le Carré novel , this meter directed by Martin Ritt . It stars Richard Burton as Alec Leamas , a veteran British MI6 factor who is given the missionary post to counterfeit a defection to East Germany to infiltrate the Communist intelligence service and discredit a high - ranking official , Mundt ( Peter van Eyck ) . As Leamas dive deeply into his role as a double agent , he discovers more going on behind the scenes than his superiors initially let on .
Unlike glamorous spy thriller of the earned run average , The Spy Who come In from the Coldis utter and cynical . Its black - and - white-hot portraiture of the world of espionage as virtuously corrupt and soul - crushing help it immediately stand out . Certainly not a cooky - pinnace hero , Alec Leamas is a damaged , cynical man trapped in a plot of deception wherespieson both sides are often little more than hock in a much non-white plan . For devotee of stark entries in the genre , the 1965 should be study essential showing .
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Tom Cruise debuts his iconic character , IMF ( Impossible Mission Force ) agentive role Ethan Hunt , in the initiate activity spy movie that start up the thriving franchise he would be known for . Directed by Brian De Palma , foreign mission : Impossiblesees Ethan framed for the deaths of his team after a mission in Prague goes disastrously wrong . With the CIA and his own agency hunt down him down , Ethan must go rapscallion to pass his name and uncover the real breakwater within the organization .
Mission : Impossiblewould set a new criterion for mod spy films , embracing fashionable sequences and action - packed storey that put its booster in dangerous situations . Cruise is the undeniable star of the show , with his end - refuse stunts that only seem to get bolder being the highlights ofeveryMission : Impossiblemovie . Many still consider the first to be the safe , as it was truly innovative and mind - blowing for its time and can be credit for helping form the literary genre as fans get it on it today .
The Third Man (1949)
The Third Mantells a chilling spy story that unfold in postwar Vienna , Austria , where pulp fiction author Holly Martins ( Joseph Cotten ) make it in the metropolis at the invitation of his old friend Harry Lime ( Orson Welles ) . However , upon his arrival , Martins learns that Lime has died in a mystical accident , which he after learns involves a “ third humans . ” As he begins to enquire the circumstances surrounding Lime ’s expiry , he begins to uncover dark truths about his friend and the underworld of post - war espionage .
Unlike conventional undercover agent movies , director Carol Reed’sfilm noirdoesn’t focus on operatives ’ direct missions or stories , choosing or else to fascinate the bedlam of post - war Europe through personal story . It in particular portrays the ambiance of doubt and fear in espionage , which ensue in the personal betrayals and virtuously gray decisions seen in the movie . The “ third valet de chambre ” is indeed the symbolic standstill - in for espionage and its pervasiveness across countries at that prison term .
North by Northwest (1959)
From the master of suspense , director Alfred Hitchcock , North by Northwestis a groundbreaking undercover agent thriller centered on the misadventure of advertizement administrator Roger Thornhill ( Cary Grant ) , who is mistakenly identify as a politics factor by a mysterious group of spy . This case of misguided individuality propels Thornhill into a world of risk as he is go after across the United States by the villainous Phillip Vandamm ( James Mason ) and his henchman . With his living in unremitting jeopardy , Thornhill must stay one step ahead of his pursuers while unraveling a cabal he has been lasso into .
North by Northwestcombines Hitchcock ’s suspensive style with Grant ’s signature magical spell , resulting in a thrilling cinematic experience . Thanks to its brilliant set pieces and sharp dialogue , the movie persist one ofHitchcock ’s most beloved worksand a cornerstone of the spy music genre . Its most memorable scenes — the harvest - dustrag chase episode and the heart - stopping climax atop Mount Rushmore — have gone on to influence infinite other films .
