When it comes to thrillers, action movies, and cinematic mysteries, it doesn’t get much more entertaining than a good spy movie. While, over the years, the genre has come to be defined by grand, physics-defying set pieces and larger-than-life globe-trotting narratives, there are still many spy movies that go for a narrative approach much more grounded in reality.
From Bond surfing a tsunami in Die Another Day to Cary Grant being chased and gunned down by a plane in North by Northwest, most spy movies don’t concern themselves too much with presenting situations and scenes that could actually take place in real life. On the other hand, movies based on the works of John le Carré and certain foreign arthouse spy movies have decided to show that realistic spy movies can be just as fun as the more glamorized ones.
10 ‘Argo’ (2012)
Directed by Ben Affleck
Though some agree that it’s one of the weakest Best Picture Oscar winners of the 21st century thus far, Ben Affleck‘s Argo is still a pretty entertaining and well-made movie. It’s a political thriller loosely based on the true story of a CIA agent who, acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer location-scouting for a new film, launches an operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.
Now, while realism and accuracy are definitely not the same thing, Argo‘s lack of historical accuracy does take away a few of its realism points. Even then, though, the movie’s foundation in events and people that actually happen make it feel more grounded than most films in the genre. This allows Affleck to have tons of fun with the material, offering a spy movie that’s purely fun even without gun-equipped Aston Martins.
- Release Date
- October 12, 2012
- Runtime
- 120 Minutes
- Writers
- Chris Terrio , Tony Mendez , Joshuah Bearman
- Budget
- $44.5 million
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
9 ‘The Good Shepherd’ (2006)
Directed by Robert De Niro
When an actor goes behind the camera, the results can be outstanding. Case in point: Robert De Niro‘s second film as a director after 1993’s A Bronx Tale– 2006’s The Good Shepherd. Though loosely based on events of the life of intelligence operative James Jesus Angleton, it’s a fiction telling the tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency, viewed through the prism of one man’s life.
The cast, featuring the likes of De Niro, Matt Damon, and Angelina Jolie, is out of this world. Thanks to them, it’s easy for De Niro to make the staggering 167 minutes of runtime feel earnest and realistic. Though the story takes plenty of liberties with historical facts, the film never deviates from the believability of little visual and historical details that give it an air of authenticity.
The Good Shepherd
- Release Date
- December 11, 2006
- Runtime
- 167
- Writers
- Eric Roth
8 ‘The Lives of Others’ (2006)
Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
The incredible German drama The Lives of Others is perhaps the country’s greatest film of the 21st century. Set in 1984 East Berlin, it’s about an agent of the secret police who’s conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover. He finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives, resulting in a phenomenally acted character study and sociopolitical commentary with a potent aura of suspense.
One of the best non-Bond spy movies ever, The Lives of Others is perhaps the best film ever made about Cold War Berlin, but its political layers are definitely not all it’s got going for it. While the story’s portrayal of the East German Secret Police isn’t entirely accurate, the whole thing feels so true to reality that nothing detracts from the film’s honesty. Often, character-focused spy movies like this one stand out in a genre that so often neglects good character development.
The Lives of Others
- Release Date
- March 30, 2007
- Director
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Cast
- Ulrich Mühe , Martina Gedeck , Sebastian Koch , Ulrich Tukur
- Runtime
- 137 minutes
- Writers
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Rent on Apple TV+
7 ‘Syriana’ (2005)
Directed by Stephen Gaghan
Syriana is a politically charged epic with the Middle Eastern oil industry as its backdrop. Weaving together multiple storylines, the film explores the work of the people personally involved in and affected by the industry. Ambitious, but never lost in its many stories; smart, but endlessly entertaining; quite demanding of its audience, but willing to reward every bit of patience and effort that they put in.
The movie has exceptional direction, a great script, and a fantastic cast. George Clooney‘s performance may be the weakest Best Supporting Actor Oscar win of the 2000s, but it’s still phenomenal. With a compelling and highly realistic view of how espionage affects geopolitical systems in the 21st century, Syriana‘s complexity may be daunting, but it’s undoubtedly worth it.
Syriana
- Release Date
- November 23, 2005
- Director
- Stephen Gaghan
- Runtime
- 128 Minutes
- Writers
- Stephen Gaghan , Robert Baer
6 ‘Breach’ (2007)
Directed by Billy Ray
Based on the true story of Robert Hanssen, one of U.S. history’s most infamous spies, Breach is pretty close to being as great as 2000s espionage thrillers get. In it, a computer specialist and FBI upstart enters into a power game with his boss, Hanssen, an agent who was put on trial for selling secrets to the Soviet Union.
With a career-defining performance by Chris Cooper, Breach is built out of slow but entirely effective tension. It’s deeper, smarter, much subtler, and—of course—a lot more grounded in realism than your average spy thriller, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less exciting. While people who prefer spy movies with non-stop plots might find this movie boring, those who like more character and theme-focused films will find it delightful.
Breach
- Release Date
- February 16, 2007
- Director
- Billy Ray
- Runtime
- 110 Minutes
- Writers
- Billy Ray , Adam Mazer , William Rotko
- Budget
- $23 Million
- Studio(s)
- Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
5 ‘Army of Shadows’ (1969)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
One of the greatest French dramas of all time by Jean-Pierre Melville, one of the country’s most talented filmmakers, Army of Shadows is by far one of the best WWII movies ever. In it, a man betrayed by an informant finds himself trapped in a torturous prison camp in Nazi-occupied France. He escapes to join the Resistance and continues on a quiet battle against the Nazis in an atmosphere of tension and distrust.
Army of Shadows is a film that’s as much about espionage as it is about war. At the same time, this film explores intimate, human themes, like betrayal, paranoia in times of war, and the cost of loyalty. It’s one of the greatest spy films ever made, with a portrayal of WWII espionage and Resistance that’s admirably dedicated to realism.
Army of Shadows
- Release Date
- September 12, 1969
- Director
- Jean-Pierre Melville
- Cast
- Paul Meurisse , Simone Signoret
- Runtime
- 145 minutes
- Writers
- Jean-Pierre Melville
Rent on Apple TV+
4 ‘The Spy Who Came In from the Cold’ (1965)
Directed by Martin Ritt
John le Carré was the king of spy novels; as such, it’s probably no surprise that the genre is always at its best when it’s adapting one of his stories. Some would argue that the best le Carré adaptation is The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. The film is about a British agent who, instead of coming in from the Cold War, chooses to face another mission.
Some would argue that the best le Carré adaptation is
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
.
One of the genre’s most essential outings, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold has been called “the definitive anti-Bond spy movie”, and in this case, that’s a huge compliment. There are no cheap gimmicks here; only realistic portrayals of espionage as dangerous and full of frustrating double-crossings. The cinematography is gorgeous, the performances are great, and Martin Ritt‘s direction helps the movie’s grittiness never feel boring.
Watch on Kanopy
3 ‘Bridge of Spies’ (2015)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
The legendary Steven Spielberg is an icon of Hollywood for a reason — or plenty of them, rather. He’s the pioneer of the summer blockbuster, he’s the man behind some of the most influential movies of the 20th century, and although his work during the 21st hasn’t been nearly as consistent, he has put out some incredible films, including Bridge of Spies. This Cold War drama follows an American lawyer recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for a captured American plane pilot.
Of course, the fact that the movie is based on an extraordinary true story helps in making it realistic, but it’s not the only factor that makes it so. The phenomenally restrained performances by Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance (the latter of whom won an Oscar for his work) help, as do Spielberg’s quiet yet vibrant direction and a nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime packed with fun moments and surprising thrills.
- Release Date
- October 16, 2015
- Runtime
- 142 Minutes
- Writers
- Joel Coen , Matt Charman , Ethan Coen
- Budget
- $40 million
- Studio(s)
- Disney
2 ‘A Most Wanted Man’ (2014)
Directed by Anton Corbijn
One of the most underrated spy movies of all time, with some of the best spy movie performances of all time, the John le Carré adaptation A Most Wanted Man has, unsurprisingly, often been praised for its degree of realism. It’s about a Chechen refugee who illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the midst of the international war on terror.
With the story being inspired by (though not based on) the story of real-life figure Murat Kurnaz, A Most Wanted Man potently displays the everyday realities of espionage, achieving surprising amounts of intensity and suspense despite its slow pace. Sharp, smart, and with Philip Seymour Hoffman elevating the whole thing with some of his best-ever work, it’s spy cinema at its peak.
Watch on Max
1 ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ (2011)
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
What could possibly top a list of the most realistic spy movies of all time if not a film based on a John le Carré book? Indeed, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy invariably comes up when talking about the topic of realism in spy films, and for good reason. It’s a Cold War mystery thriller where an espionage veteran is forced out of retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.
Despite its lack of action, or perhaps particularly because of it, Tinker Tailor stands out as arguably the most uniquely realistic spy movie of all time. Its gritty realism has led some real-life spies to name this the most realistic spy film of all time, which is hardly surprising for anyone who has seen it. As for people who haven’t, if they’re fans of the genre, they really shouldn’t miss this wonderful le Carré adaptation.
- Release Date
- September 16, 2011
- Runtime
- 127
