Entertainment
10 Greatest Spy Thrillers of the Last 100 Years, Ranked
Spy movies and thrillers are two genres that get along remarkably well, and as such, several of the greatest spy films of all time are thrillers, and vice versa. These are stories that naturally lend themselves to suspense, excitement, tension-filled action sequences, and mysterious narratives full of intrigue. No wonder so many masterful ones have come out throughout the last century.
Going through Hollywood’s Golden Age with classics like Notorious all the way to Daniel Craig‘s Bond days with films like Skyfall, the best spy thrillers of the last 100 years are a testament to the heights the genre can reach when in the hands of a capable filmmaker. As thought-provoking as they are adrenaline-pumping, these great films are among the best in the history of this exhilarating genre.
10
‘The Spy Who Came In from the Cold’ (1965)
With John le Carré arguably having been the quintessential master of the art of the spy novel, it’s no surprise that so many films based on his work have been made over the years. The question of what the best one of the bunch is, however, isn’t really a question at all. That title would have to go to the British spy thriller The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, one of the best spy movies of all time.
It’s old-school spy filmmaking at its best, one of the greatest and most realistic films ever made about the Cold War. Many people over the years have lovingly referred to this as the perfect anti-Bond movie, and especially seeing as le Carré actually devised the original book as his antidote to those 007 stories that he so intensely disliked, it’s hard to argue against them. There’s no glamor or fancy fictional gadgets here: It’s a gritty, cold look at contemporary Cold War espionage entirely committed to sincerity.
9
‘Skyfall’ (2012)
They may not be the best choice for those who prefer spy movies at their most realistic, but who doesn’t love watching a good James Bond film every now and then? Daniel Craig‘s run as the legendary MI6 agent wasn’t without bumps along the road, but it also had some of the highest points in the character’s entire filmography. Case in point: Skyfall.
It’s nothing short of one of the best spy movies of the 21st century, perfectly balancing action, suspense, emotionally compelling character work, and the same kind of intelligent deconstruction of the Bond mythos that characterized Craig’s whole tenure. With Javier Bardem at his most terrifying and Craig having made the role of 007 entirely his own, there’s no way of watching Skyfall without enjoying its many sprawling set pieces and engaging character moments.
8
‘The Hunt for Red October’ (1990)
Tom Clancy is perhaps best known as the writer who created the iconic Jack Ryan, so it’s no coincidence that his debut novel, The Hunt for Red October, was also the character’s debut. Both creator and creation came into the public eye together, and six years later, the first-ever film adaptation of a Jack Ryan story came out. Directed by Die Hard and Predator‘s John McTiernan, the thriller of the same name is one of the best spy movies of the ’90s.
Starring top-form Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery, the film is a faultless submarine thriller that proves spy movies are very much capable of breathing underwater. Immensely tense and perfectly acted, it’s a true ticking time bomb of a film that feels like it never lets up. The Hunt for Red October is edge-of-your-seat suspense at its most entertaining, and it was a hell of a way of bringing Jack Ryan to the big screen for the first time.
7
‘The Day of the Jackal’ (1973)
The best classic spy thrillers were many times based on iconic novels, and the British-French co-production The Day of the Jackal (based on Frederick Forsyth‘s book of the same name) is no exception. What could possibly go wrong with a spy film when you have an airtight screenplay, direction full of personality, and an incredibly exciting structure? As it turns out, very little.
The Day of the Jackal is about as close as the genre can possibly come to perfection, delivering an intricately constructed story where it feels like every detail—no matter how small—was meticulously put in place and polished up. That attention to detail, however, never robs the movie of its feeling of unpredictability. It’s mysterious and suspenseful like every great spy flick should be, and throughout its whole 2-and-a-half-hour runtime, it never ceases to be exciting.
6
‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (1962)
Based on the 1959 Richard Condon novel of the same name, The Manchurian Candidate is one of the best thriller movies of the ’60s. Bolstered by a flawless cast featuring the likes of Frank Sinatra and Angela Lansbury, it’s an inventive and intrigue-filled masterpiece the likes of which could only have been made at the tail end of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Blending thriller and satirical elements in perfect measure, the film feels as timely today as it did back in 1962. But aside from being ahead of its time, The Manchurian Candidate is also irresistibly entertaining, full of colorful and memorable characters shot in perfect black and white. Though it was a commentary on McCarthyism, its themes and story have aged like fine wine and still feel entirely relevant in today’s divided political climate.
5
‘Notorious’ (1946)
Although best known as the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock also made some great romance movie masterpieces in his career, and Notorious is one of his best. Starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in one of the most explosive actor-actress duos of Hollywood’s Golden Age, it’s a spy noir that many critics throughout history have recognized as Hitchcock’s first attempt at a serious romance.
Notorious is sublime thanks to Hitchcock’s thrilling direction and its expertly woven-together technical elements.
Aside from its historic importance and its two exceptional stars, Notorious is sublime thanks to Hitchcock’s thrilling direction and its expertly woven-together technical elements. It may not be its director’s absolute best, but it’s definitely up there, with a terrific sense of suspense and a hypnotic atmosphere as its foundations, plus a healthy dose of unexpected but much-welcome eroticism.
4
‘Casino Royale’ (2006)
It was the one that started it all for Daniel Craig’s legendary run as the ultra-iconic James Bond. Casino Royale wasn’t just the perfect introduction for this brazenly modern version of 007, but it’s arguably also the best Bond film to date. From the gadgets to the romance to the martinis, it’s a complete twist and reinvention of the Bond formula for the new millennium.
Craig is magnificently elegant and imposing in the role, and Eva Green works wonders as one of the best Bond girls in the franchise (certainly one of the most consequential). Top that with a stellar villain in Mads Mikelsen‘s Le Chiffre and a story revolving around the price to pay for a life of secrecy, and you have an all-time great spy movie. Casino Royale is clever, exciting, entertaining, often unexpectedly amusing, and packed with winks and details that fans of the character are bound to love.
3
‘The Lives of Others’ (2006)
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The winner of the 2007 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the German masterpiece The Lives of Others is one of the best spy thrillers of all time, period. It was the first notable drama film about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the German Democratic Republic, and two decades later, it’s still one of the best surveillance thrillers ever made.
Some have argued that the film grants its main character a bit too much sympathy, but Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler (played by a top-notch Ulrich Mühe) is the perfect pair of eyes through which to see this enthralling story. It makes for some really effective intrigue and gut-wrenching emotion, and though fans of more action-heavy spy thrillers may prefer to look elsewhere, The Lives of Others is a must-see for those who love to see when the genre leads more toward the “spy” side of things.
2
‘North by Northwest’ (1959)
If there’s any filmmaker who deserves to be mentioned twice when talking about excellent thrillers, no matter the subgenre, it’s Alfred Hitchcock. The director’s North by Northwest is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, and for good reason. It’s certainly one of the most incredibly spy movies ever, largely boosted by Cary Grant’s unforgettable lead performance.
North by Northwest is the gold standard for mistaken-identity thrillers, a practically perfect film that’s every bit as exciting as it is amusing. Gripping, breezily-paced, and full of iconic shots, it’s an entirely unique spy film that’s impossible to look away from. Hitchcock sprinkles dark humor in all the right places, making the movie one of the most genuinely enjoyable outings in his whole filmography.
1
‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018)
The Mission: Impossible franchise has long been famous for being one of the most consistent action movie franchises of all time, but even the best movie series have a pinnacle, and this one’s is Mission: Impossible — Fallout. It’s the sixth entry in the saga, one of the best action thrillers of the last 10 years.
From the helicopter chase during the third act to the iconic bathroom fight scene, one can find several of the best and most entertaining action sequences of the 21st century here. The stunts are as death-defying as ever, Tom Cruise and the rest of the ensemble do a phenomenal job, and the villains are easily among the series’ best. There’s virtually nothing about this perfectly-paced, emotionally engaging, absolutely nail-biting spy thriller that doesn’t work, and that makes it reasonable to call it the best that the genre has ever seen.