When most people think of the spy genre, it’s hard to ignore the impact of the James Bond franchise, but there have been many other thrilling spy movies in the last decade. While James Bond still sets the tone in many ways, the spy genre is surprisingly diverse. The last few years have produced spy comedies, action thrillers and historical dramas based on true stories.
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Some other big spy franchises have been at their peak in the last 10 years, including Mission: Impossible and Kingsman, but the genre also has plenty of room for original stories. Some of the most intense recent spy movies have been based on true stories of espionage from the Cold War or World War II. Before James Bond makes a return, there are many other spy movies to keep fans of the genre satisfied.
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10 Spy (2015)
Melissa McCarthy’s Comedy Doesn’t Neglect Its Spy Narrative
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7/10 6.3/10 Spy
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*Availability in US Director Paul Feig Release Date June 15, 2015 Cast Melissa McCarthy , Rose Byrne , Jude Law , Jason Statham , Raad Rawi , Jessica Chaffin , Miranda Hart , Sam Richardson
Spy stars Melissa McCarthy as a desk-bound CIA agent who finds herself flung headfirst into a dangerous mission when her partner is seemingly killed by an arms dealer. It’s one of McCarthy’s best comedies, and she is a joy to watch as a bumbling fish-out-of-water in constant danger. She gets plenty of memorable jokes, but Spy also has moments of great physical comedy.
Spy is a great addition to the spy-comedy genre, although it takes a different approach to spoofs like Austin Powers and Johnny English. There are some elements of parody, particularly in Jason Statham’s self-satirizing hardman archetype, but Spy gets a lot of laughs from McCarthy’s performance. By having most of the other characters play it straight, and a genuinely compelling espionage narrative, McCarthy cuts a figure as someone who doesn’t belong.
9 Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
The First Kingsman Movie Introduces A Working-Class James Bond Type
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8/10 6.7/10 Kingsman: The Secret Service
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*Availability in US Director Matthew Vaughn Release Date February 13, 2015 Cast Michael Caine , Taron Egerton , Colin Firth , Mark Hamill , Samuel L. Jackson , Mark Strong
Although the Kingsman franchise has stumbled a little in the years following, the first movie in Matthew Vaughn’s series remains a thrilling crowdpleaser. Taron Egerton plays a young hoodlum lacking direction who suddenly gets drafted into a clandestine organization by Colin Firth’s dapper old hand. The interplay between the rookie and his experienced tutor propels the plot along nicely, as well as providing some hilarious comedic exchanges.
Matthew Vaughn’s stylized brand of action arguably reached its peak in Kingsman: The Secret Service. The beautifully choreographed church fight is the most eye-catching sequence, but there are many more creative action scenes dotted throughout the movie. Whether it’s a car chase through London in reverse gear or a fight with a blade-footed assassin, Kingsman delivers some gloriously cinematic moments. Kingsman: The Blue Blood faces a tough task living up to the high standards of the original.
8 Atomic Blonde (2017)
Charlize Theron Stars As A British Spy Walking Into A Hornet’s Nest
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6/10 7.5/10 Atomic Blonde
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*Availability in US Director David Leitch Release Date July 26, 2017 Cast Charlize Theron , Eddie Marsan , John Goodman , James Faulkner , Toby Jones , James McAvoy , Daniel Bernhardt , Sofia Boutella
After reinventing the action genre with Chad Stahelski on John Wick, David Leitch got his first directorial credit with Atomic Blonde. Charlize Theron stars as an MI6 spy sent on a dangerous mission in Berlin just as the wall is about to come down. Atomic Blonde is a captivating recreation of a fascinating moment of history, with the neon-soaked clubs of Berlin and the stark realities of the Cold War juxtaposing with one another.
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Atomic Blonde has been described as a female John Wick. Leitch started his career in Hollywood as a stunt performer, so he has an eye for action. He uses the same snappy fighting style of the John Wick movie, and Atomic Blonde is also replete with clever worldbuilding touches. One notable difference that sets Atomic Blonde apart is the espionage element, which is woven in nicely. Despite its box office success, Atomic Blonde has never gotten the sequel that it deserves. It has plenty of franchise potential.
7 Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
The Peak Of The Mission: Impossible Franchise Is An Action Masterpiece
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9/10 7.5/10 Mission: Impossible – Fallout
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*Availability in US Director Christopher McQuarrie Release Date July 25, 2018 Cast Tom Cruise , Rebecca Ferguson , Henry Cavill , Vanessa Kirby
Since 1996, Mission: Impossible has been the one spy franchise which has been able to consistently compete with James Bond. It’s also a rare example of a franchise which seems to improve over time, while so many others are desperately chasing their own tails trying to recapture the spark of their original movies. Mission: Impossible has evolved from a tense spy franchise into a high-adrenaline action franchise with wilder and wilder stunts.
2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout is arguably the best movie in the franchise so far, and one of the finest action movies of the 21st century. Tom Cruise brings his top-level stunts and undeniable charisma as usual, and he is ably assisted by a great supporting cast. From the breathtaking skydiving scene to the nail-biting finale on the helicopter, Mission: Impossible – Fallout provides wall-to-wall thrills. Mission: Impossible 8 promises more of the same, and it’s currently set for a 2025 release date.
6 The Beekeeper (2024)
Jason Statham’s Fanciful Thriller Is Relentlessly Entertaining
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6/10 10/10 The Beekeeper
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*Availability in US Director David Ayer Release Date January 12, 2024 Cast Jason Statham , Emmy Raver-Lampman , Josh Hutcherson , Bobby Naderi , Minnie Driver , Phylicia Rashad , Jeremy Irons
The Beekeeper has been one of the biggest box-office surprises of 2024, proving that there is an audience for original spy thrillers amid all the franchise juggernauts. A big part of The Beekeeper‘s appeal is that it plays to Jason Statham’s strengths, allowing him to showcase his impressive martial arts skills while cracking a few wry one-liners. It’s an out-and-out action thriller that doesn’t reveal its spy story until late in the game.
Statham plays Adam Clay, a former member of a mysterious society known as “the Beekeepers”. Only partway through the movie is it revealed that the Beekeepers are a top-secret spy agency, which helps explain Adam’s considerable skillset. The fact that he seems to be the only one of the Beekeepers who actually keeps bees is evidence that The Beekeeper doesn’t take itself too seriously, which makes for a thrilling ride. The Beekeeper‘s ending could set up a sequel.
5 Operation Mincemeat (2021)
Colin Firth Stars In An Unbelievable True Story
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5/10 Operation Mincemeat
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Operation Mincemeat tells the true story of one of the strangest chapters in the history of the Second World War. The movie takes its title from the Allied operation to intentionally mislead the Axis powers by planting false military documents on a corpse and placing it in an area where it would certainly be found by Axis troops. Operation Mincemeat presents a more realistic and less glamorous view of espionage than most spy movies.
Operation Mincemeat features Johnny Flynn as James Bond author Ian Fleming, who really worked on the operation during his time working for British Naval Intelligence. He isn’t the only character taken from real life, but his presence is a constant reminder that this stranger-than-fiction story genuinely took place during the war. Operation Mincemeat is well aware of its own absurdity, and it has some hilarious moments of dark humor.
4 Tenet (2020)
Christopher Nolan’s Sci-Fi Spy Thriller Is A Fresh Take On The Genre
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8/10 6.3/10 Tenet
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*Availability in US Director Christopher Nolan Release Date September 3, 2020 Cast Kenneth Branagh , John David Washington , Michael Caine , Robert Pattinson , Elizabeth Debicki , Dimple Kapadia , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Clemence Poesy
Tenet is the kind of spy movie which could only be made by Christopher Nolan. It combines the creative non-linear storytelling that he first explored in Memento with the big-budget sci-fi spectacle of movies like Inception and Interstellar. Tenet‘s unique structure has puzzled some, but there’s a rich story of espionage and intrigue for those who can keep up. Tenet‘s “inverted entropy” concept means that some scenes appear to take place in reverse.
For a long time, there were reports that Christopher Nolan was interested in directing a James Bond movie. Now that those rumors seem to have died down, Tenet may be the closest thing to a Nolan Bond movie. Kenneth Branagh’s psychotic omnicidal villain could be one of Bond’s adversaries, and Robert Pattinson’s daring spy is the closest thing Tenet has to Felix Leiter. Tenet was met with some bemusement when it was released, but it has been slowly winning audiences over ever since, and the inventive action scenes are a big reason why.
3 Bridge Of Spies (2015)
Tom Hanks And Mark Rylance Star In A Real-Life Cold War Drama
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5/10 5/10 Bridge of Spies
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*Availability in US Director Steven Spielberg Release Date October 16, 2015 Cast Alan Alda , Mark Rylance , Domenick Lombardozzi , Tom Hanks , Austin Stowell , Amy Ryan , Billy Magnussen
Bridge of Spies isn’t a typical thriller. It fits more into the category of a historical drama, as Steven Spielberg takes on a real-life story from the Cold War. There are a few moments when action erupts out of the simmering tension, but Bridge of Spies presents a tale of espionage that’s wiped free of any glamour. The story follows the uncomfortable aftermath of espionage operations.
Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have worked together many times, and Hanks delivers a characteristically powerful performance in Bridge of Spies. He plays a civilian lawyer who gets roped into negotiating a hostage exchange on behalf of the United States government. He is supported by a cast filled with talent, including Mark Rylance as the Soviet spy. Spielberg flaunts his ability to inject the most ordinary scenes with great intrigue.
2 The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Guy Ritchie’s Throwback Thriller Should Have Started A Franchise
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6/10 7/10 The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
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*Availability in US Director Guy Ritchie Release Date August 14, 2015 Cast Hugh Grant , Jared Harris , Armie Hammer , Henry Cavill , Alicia Vikander
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is based on a popular TV show from the 1960s, and there was some hope before its release that it could have spun into a franchise. Unfortunately, the movie’s poor box-office receipts swiftly put an end to this possibility, but The Man From U.N.C.L.E. has consistently found success on streaming. This proves that there is an audience for Guy Ritchie’s throwback thriller after all.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. has the same gorgeous style of some of Sean Connery’s earliest Bond movies. For fans who believe Henry Cavill would have been a superb 007, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a must-watch. He stars as an American agent who forms a tentative alliance with his Soviet counterpart during the height of the Cold War. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.‘s soundtrack, fashion and set design create a beautiful portrait of the 1960s.
1 The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
A Spy Thriller Set During The Second World War
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6/10 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Director Guy Ritchie Release Date April 19, 2024 Cast Henry Cavill , Eiza González , Alan Ritchson , Alex Pettyfer , Hero Fiennes Tiffin , Babs Olusanmokun , Til Schweiger , Henry Golding , Cary Elwes , Henrique Zaga
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. isn’t the only thrilling spy movie Guy Ritchie has made in recent years. After initially making a name for himself as a director of British gangster movies, Ritchie appears to have found a new favorite genre. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is based on the true story of a covert military unit commissioned by Winston Churchill to hunt down Nazis.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare pairs some of Guy Ritchie’s frequent stars with some fresh new faces. Henry Cavill is a joy to watch as a maverick soldier who likes to live dangerously, but it’s Alan Ritchson who stands out. He gets many of the movie’s biggest laughs, as well as some memorable action scenes. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare takes a closer look at a lesser-known side of the Second World War, but it’s all designed with Ritchie’s inimitable panache.
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