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The spy genre within the film industry has existed since the beginning, with loads of great titles and franchises. James Bond is perhaps the most iconic spy movie franchise, but there are plenty of other great spy movies on Netflix that you’ll miss out on if you just try to watch that suave Brit. Spy movies are filled with subterfuge, cool gadgets, intrigue, and an ever-unraveling plot that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Here are 10 of the best spy movies on Netflix you need to watch the next time you’re in the mood.
Salt (2010)
Angelina Jolie stars in this spy thriller as a CIA operative accused of being a Russian sleeper agent planning the downfall of the United States. In order to clear her name, Evelyn Salt will have to get to the bottom of the conspiracy against her homeland and find out who is actually behind the planned attack. Alongside Angelina Jolie is Liev Schreiber, who plays her colleague Ted Winter, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Darryl Peabody, an agent tasked with bringing Salt to justice for her alleged intentions.
Skyfall (2012)
While you’d do well to go outside the realm of James Bond, you really can’t beat this classic spy and his escapades. Skyfall is the twenty-third overall film in the James Bond series and the third to star Daniel Craig as the suave 007. This installment focuses on a loose end that wasn’t tied up in a previous mission and could have drastic consequences for Bond and his boss, M. After being accidentally shot by Moneypenny in the opening scene and presumed dead, Bond decides to retire quietly until an attack on MI6 forces him to return.
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
Tom Clancy is America’s version of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. Both have created iconic spy franchises that are beloved around the world to this very day. Clear and Present Danger is based on Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name and centers on Jack Ryan. Jack Ryan is appointed acting Deputy Director of Intelligence, the second-highest position within the CIA.
As he settles into his new role, he suddenly finds out that he isn’t being told everything he needs and that the CIA is funding a secret war against Colombian drug cartels using US operatives. This sends Ryan down a dark web of espionage, back-dealing, and increasing danger as he tries to unravel what is truly happening.
Red Notice (2021)
More comedy than thriller, Red Notice has a star-studded cast of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. The gist is that John Hartley (The Rock) is tasked with investigating a high-level art theft in Rome. Hartley eventually finds himself teaming up with Nolan Booth (Reynolds), a renowned art thief, to help catch Sara Black (Gadot), the culprit behind the original theft. It’s essentially a spy-buddy-cop movie with comedy and action all tied up in one.
Blackhat (2015)
Chris Hemsworth stars in this action-thriller alongside Tang Wei, Viola Davis, and Wang Leehom. It showcases the FBI working together with their Chinese counterpart to find the hackers responsible for attacks against a Hong Kong nuclear power plant and the Mercantile Trade Exchange in Chicago.
After learning that the code used to hack both locations was written by Nicholas Hathaway (Hemsworth), the two organizations decide to release him from prison, where he was being held on unrelated crimes, and help them find out who committed the attacks. Blackhat is a great international spy movie on Netflix that will keep you guessing.
A Call to Spy (2019)
Loosely based on the lives of three women who worked as British spies during World War II, A Call to Spy stars Sarah Megan Thomas (who also wrote and produced it) along with Stana Katic and Radhika Apte. During WWII, Britain was desperate for new recruits and began using women as spies in their network. This leads to Vera Atkins (Katic) recruiting Virginia Hall (Thomas) and Noor Inayat Khan (Apte) to help fight the Nazi regime in occupied France. The film itself deviates heavily from the actual lives and actions of these three women, but it’s still an enjoyable spy movie on Netflix.
The Spy (2019)
If you’re okay with a short miniseries, then definitely give The Spy a try. It’s a Netflix original starring Sacha Baron Cohen as Eli Cohen, a real-life spy and one of the best in Mossad—Israel’s national intelligence agency. There are fewer historical inaccuracies than the previous item on our list of the best spy movies on Netflix, but there are still some. That said, it doesn’t take away from the fact that The Spy is a captivating miniseries from start to finish.
Set in the years leading up to the Six-Day War in 1967 between Israel and Syria, it shadows Eli Cohen as he infiltrates the Syrian Ministry of Defense under a false identity, eventually becoming friendly with Syrian elites and even becoming the Deputy Defense Minister of Syria. It is truly an impressive story of just how high up a spy can entrench themselves behind enemy lines.
Hanna (2011)
An action thriller, Hanna stars Saoirse Ronan as the titular character, brought up in the rugged wilderness of northern Finland by her dad, Erik Heller, an ex-CIA agent. Erik knows secrets that can’t become public knowledge, and Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett) is sent to eliminate him and his daughter. After being kidnapped and sent to a CIA black site, Hanna will have to use the knowledge her dad gave her to survive, escape, and stop who’s behind all of this.
Operation Mincemeat (2021)
Another World War II spy movie, Operation Mincemeat, is based on Ben Macintyre’s book about the British operation of the same name. The film itself stars Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Jason Isaacs, and other big names as their characters attempt to disguise the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. The plot revolves around using the body of a dead homeless person disguised as a British military officer with documents describing an attack on Greece and the avoidance of Sicily. That should be enough to make you want to watch this crazy film about subterfuge and spying on Netflix—it’s also one of the best war movies.
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Moving to a different period of history, Charlie Wilson’s War is a biographical comedy-drama about U.S. congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) and CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Phillip Seymor Hoffman). After Wilson visits an Afghan refugee camp, he becomes frustrated by the misery he sees and the CIA’s non-desire to do anything more than use a soft approach against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
Upon returning home, Wilson begins efforts to increase the CIA’s impact in Afghanistan against the Soviets through the use of the Afghan mujahideen. The organization and support the CIA gave the mujahideen would eventually lead to their victory against the Soviets and would almost directly aid the downfall of the Soviet Union. This is one of the best spy movies on Netflix, as the main character isn’t even a spy himself but soon finds himself wrapped up in the world of espionage.