Spy movies have enduring popularity, from the new action-thriller film, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," to the 90s political-spy thriller "Enemy of The State," audiences are captivated by them. Since this genre is here to stay, I've rounded up some of the edgiest, most beloved, and even comedic spy movies! 1. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) Cast: Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer Director: Guy Ritchie Runtime: 2 hours Rating : R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69% Plot via IMDB : The British military recruits a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II.
2. Bridge of Spies (2015) Cast: Tom Hanks , Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan , Alan Alda Director: Steven Spielberg Runtime: 2 hours, 21 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% Plot via IMDB : During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers. 3.
Breach (2007) Cast: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Dennis Haysbert Director: Billy Ray Runtime: 1 hour, 50 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84% Plot via IMDB : FBI upstart Eric O'Neill enters into a power game with his boss, Robert Hanssen, an agent who was put on trial for selling secrets to the Soviet Union. 4. Atomic Blonde (2017) Cast: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman Director: David Leitch Runtime: 2 hours, 5 minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79% Plot via IMDB : An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.
5. The Imitation Game (2014) Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode Director: Morten Tyldum Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90% Plot via IMDB : During World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians while attempting to come to terms with his troubled private life. 6.
Red Sparrow (2018) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts Director: Francis Lawrence Runtime: 2 hours, 19 minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45% Plot via IMDB : Ballerina Dominika Egorova is recruited to Sparrow School, a Russian intelligence service where she is forced to use her body as a weapon. Her first mission, targeting a C.I.
A. agent, threatens to unravel the security of both nations. 7.
The Man from U.N.C.
L.E. (2015) Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer Alicia Vikander Director: Guy Ritchie Runtime: 1 hour, 56 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68% Plot via IMDB : In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons.
8. The Good Shepherd (2006) Cast: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro Director: Robert De Niro Runtime: 2 hours, 48 minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 56% Plot via IMDB : The tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency is viewed through the prism of one man's life. 9.
Enemy of the State (1998) Cast: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight Director: Tony Scott Runtime: 2 hours, 7 minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71% Plot via IMDB : A lawyer becomes targeted by a corrupt politician and his N.S.A.
goons when he accidentally receives key evidence to a politically motivated crime. 10. Salt (2010) Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor Director: Phillip Noyce Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 62% Plot via IMDB : A CIA agent goes on the run after a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.
11. Casino Royale (2006) Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench Director: Martin Campbell Runtime: 2 hours, 24 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Plot via IMDB : After earning a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, in Montenegro.
12. Charlie's Angels (2000) Cast: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu Director: McG Runtime: 1 hour, 38 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68% Plot via IMDB : Three women, detectives with a mysterious boss, retrieve stolen voice-ID software, using martial arts, tech skills, and sex appeal. 13.
The Bourne Identity (2002) Cast: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper Director: Doug Liman Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84% Plot via IMDB : A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and attempting to regain his memory. 14. Ava (2020) Cast: Jessica Chastain, John Malkovich, Common Director: Tate Taylor Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 20% Plot via IMDB : Ava is a deadly assassin who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe specializing in high-profile hits.
When a job goes dangerously wrong she is forced to fight for her own survival. 15. Spy Hard (1996) Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Nicollette Sheridan, Charles Durning Director: Rick Friedberg Runtime: 1 hour, 20 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 7% Plot via IMDB : Dick Steele, Agent WD-40 is assigned by his Director to stop the evil General Rancor from destroying the world.
WD-40 believed Rancor was dead and he teams up with the hot KGB Agent Veronique Ukrinsky to find Rancor and save the world. 16. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) Cast: Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney Director: George Clooney Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80% Plot via IMDB : An adaptation of the cult memoir of game show impresario Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell), in which he purports to have been a C.
I.A. hitman.
17. Mr. & Mrs.
Smith (2005) Cast: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Adam Brody Director: Doug Liman Runtime: 2 hours Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60% Plot via IMDB : A husband and wife struggle to keep their marriage alive until they realize they are both secretly working as assassins. Now, their respective assignments require them to kill each other. 18.
All the Old Knives (2022) Cast: Goksin Erdemli, Kasia Madera, Chris Pine Director: Janus Metz Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64% Plot via IMDB : Veteran CIA agent Henry is reunited in Vienna with his former colleague and lover Celia. 19. Red Notice (2021) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber Runtime: 1 hour, 57 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 37% Plot via IMDB : An Interpol agent successfully tracks down the world's most wanted art thief with help from a rival thief.
But nothing is as it seems as a series of double-crosses ensues. 20. Road Joan (2018) Cast: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Stephen Campbell Moore Director: Trevor Nunn Runtime: 1 hour, 50 minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes Score: 30% Plot via IMDB : The story of Joan Stanley, who was exposed as the K.
G.B.'s longest-serving British spy.
21. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Cast: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York Director: Jay Roach Runtime: 1 hour, 29 minutes Rating: PG-13 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73% Plot via IMDB : A world-class playboy and part-time secret agent from the 1960s emerges after thirty years in a cryogenic state to battle with his nemesis Dr. Evil.
Have you watched these spy movies? Let me know in the comments!.
