The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...

, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of

John le Carré David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. A "sophist ...

) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

films). Many novels in the

spy fiction Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intellig ...

genre have been adapted as films, including works by

John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, British Army officer, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. As a ...

, le Carré,

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...

(Bond) and

Len Deighton Leonard Cyril Deighton ( ; born 18 February 1929) is a British author. His publications have included cookery books and works on history, but he is best known for his spy novels. After completing his national service in the Royal Air Force, D ...

. It is a significant aspect of

British cinema British cinema has significantly influenced the global film industry since the 19th century. The oldest known surviving film in the world, ''Roundhay Garden Scene'' (1888), was shot in England by French inventor Louis Le Prince. Early colour ...

, with leading British directors such as

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

and

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), '' The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded th ...

making notable contributions and many films set in the

British Secret Service The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (MI numbers, Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of Human i ...

. Spy films show the espionage activities of

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

agents and their risk of being discovered by their enemies. From the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

espionage thrillers of the 1940s to the

James Bond films James Bond is a fictional character created by British novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. A British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007, Bond has been portrayed on film in twenty-seven productions by actors Sean Connery, David ...

of the 1960s and to the high-tech blockbusters of today, the spy film has always been popular with audiences worldwide. Offering a combination of exciting

escapism Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism also may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or general s ...

, technological thrills, and exotic locales, many spy films combine the

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

genres, presenting clearly delineated heroes for audiences to root for and

villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...

s they want to see defeated. They may also involve elements of

political thrillers Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of status or resources. The branch of social science that studies poli ...

. However, there are many that are comedic (mostly

action comedy films The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the Americ ...

if they fall under that genre). James Bond is the most famous of film spies, but there were also more serious, probing works like le Carré's ''

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold ''The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'' is a 1963 Cold War spy fiction, spy novel by the British author John le Carré. It depicts Alec Leamas, a United Kingdom, British intelligence officer, being sent to East Germany as a faux Defection, defect ...

'' that also emerged from the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. As the Cold War ended, the newest villain became

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

and more often involved the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

History

The spy film genre began in the

silent era A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

, with the paranoia of

invasion literature Invasion literature (also the invasion novel or the future war genre) is a literary genre that was popular in the period between 1871 and the World War I, First World War (1914–1918). The invasion novel was first recognised as a literary genr ...

and the onset of the

Great War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. These fears produced the British 1914 ''The German Spy Peril'', centered on a plot to blow up the

Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative ch ...

, and 1913's ''O.H.M.S.'', standing for "Our Helpless Millions Saved" as well as On His Majesty's Service (and introducing for the first time a strong female character who helps the hero). In 1928,

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

made the film '' Spies'' which contained many tropes that became popular in later spy dramas, including secret headquarters, an agent known by a number, and the beautiful foreign agent who comes to love the hero. Lang's Dr. Mabuse films from the period also contain elements of spy thrillers, though the central character is a criminal mastermind only interested in espionage for profit. Additionally, several of Lang's American films, such as '' Hangmen Also Die'', deal with spies during World War II.

did much to popularize the spy film in the 1930s with his influential thrillers '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934), '' The 39 Steps'' (1935), ''

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...

'' (1937) and ''

The Lady Vanishes ''The Lady Vanishes'' is a 1938 British Mystery film, mystery Thriller (genre), thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the 1936 novel '' ...

'' (1938). These often involved innocent civilians being caught up in international conspiracies or webs of saboteurs on the home front, as in '' Saboteur'' (1942). Some, however, dealt with professional spies, as in Hitchcock's ''

Secret Agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

'' (1936), based on

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

's '' Ashenden'' stories, or the Mr. Moto series, based on the books of John P. Marquand. In the 1940s and early 1950s, several films were made about the exploits of Allied agents in occupied Europe, which could be considered a subgenre. ''

13 Rue Madeleine ''13 Rue Madeleine'' is a 1947 American World War II spy film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring James Cagney, Annabella, Richard Conte and Frank Latimore. Allied volunteers are trained as spies in the leadup to the invasion of Europe, but ...

'' and '' O.S.S.'' were fictional stories about American agents in German-occupied France. There were several films based on the stories of real-life

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

S.O.E. agents, including '' Odette'' and ''

Carve Her Name With Pride ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' is a 1958 British war Drama (film and television), drama film based on the book of the same name by R. J. Minney. The film, directed by Lewis Gilbert, is based on the true story of Special Operations Executive agen ...

''. A more recent fictional example is '' Charlotte Gray'', based on the novel by

Sebastian Faulks Sebastian Charles Faulks (born 20 April 1953) is a British novelist, journalist and broadcaster. He is best known for his historical novels set in France – '' The Girl at the Lion d'Or'', ''Birdsong'' and '' Charlotte Gray''. He has also pu ...

. Also during the period, there were many detective films (''

The Thin Man Goes Home ''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1944 American comedy mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six '' Thin Man'' films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper ex-private detective Nick Charles a ...

'' and ''

Charlie Chan in the Secret Service ''Charlie Chan in the Secret Service'' is a 1944 mystery film starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. It is the first film made by Monogram Pictures after the series was dropped by 20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly ...

'' for example) in which the mystery involved who stole the secret blue-prints, or who kidnapped the famous scientist. In the mid-1950s, Alfred Hitchcock returned to the spy genre with ''

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film) ''The Man Who Knew Too Much'' is a 1956 American mystery thriller film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. It is Hitchcock's second film using this title, following his own 1934 film of the same na ...

'', a remake of his 1934 film of the same name. He followed this up in 1959 with ''

North by Northwest ''North by Northwest'' is a 1959 American spy thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. The original screenplay written by Ernest Lehman was intended to be the basis for ...

'' (1959), widely considered one of the most influential works within the spy genre. The peak of popularity of spy films is often considered to be the 1960s when

fears meshed with a desire by audiences to see exciting and suspenseful films. The espionage film developed in two directions at this time. On the one hand, the realistic spy novels of

and

were adapted into relatively serious

thrillers that dealt with some of the realities of the espionage world. Some of these films included ''

'' (1965), ''

The Deadly Affair ''The Deadly Affair'' is a 1967 British spy film based on John le Carré's first novel, '' Call for the Dead'' (1961). The film stars James Mason and was directed by Sidney Lumet from a script by Paul Dehn. As it is a Columbia Pictures produ ...

'' (1966), '' Torn Curtain'' (1966), and the '' Harry Palmer'' series, based on the novels of

. In another direction, the ''

'' novels by

were adapted into an increasingly fantastical series of tongue-in-cheek adventure films by producers

Harry Saltzman Herschel "Harry" Saltzman (; – ) was a Canadian theatre and film producer. He is best remembered for co-producing the first nine of the ''James Bond'' film series with Albert R. Broccoli. Apart from a ten-year stint living in St. Petersbu ...

and Albert R. Broccoli, with

Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...

as the star. They featured secretive and flamboyant supervillains, an archetype that would later become a staple of the explosion of spy movies in the mid-to-late 1960s. The phenomenal success of the ''Bond'' series leads to a deluge of imitators, such as the

eurospy Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film (when referring to Cinema of Italy, Italian-produced films in the genre), is a genre of spy films produced in Europe, especially in Italy, France, and Spain, that either sincerely imitated or else parodied the ...

genre and several from America. Notable examples include the two ''

Derek Flint Derek Flint is a fictional world adventurer and master spy featured in a series of movies and comic books. Flint, a parody of James Bond and Doc Savage, is an agent for Z.O.W.I.E. (Zonal Organization World Intelligence Espionage). Origins In 1965 ...

'' films starring

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

, '' The Quiller Memorandum'' (1966) with

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as '' Ship o ...

, and the ''

Matt Helm Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilton (1916–2006). Helm is a U.S. government counter-agent, a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of ...

'' series with

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

Television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

also got into the act with series like '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E'' and ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'' in the U.S., and ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'' and '' The Avengers'' in Britain. Spies have remained popular on TV to the present day with series such as '' Callan'', '' Alias'' and '' Spooks''. Spy films also enjoyed something of a revival in the late 1990s, although these were often action films with espionage elements or comedies like ''

Austin Powers ''Austin Powers'' is a series of American satirical spy comedy films created by Mike Myers, who stars as the British spy Austin Powers as well as his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil. The series consists of '' International Man of Mystery'' (1997), ' ...

''. Some critics identify a trend away from fantasy in favor of realism, as observed in ''

Syriana ''Syriana'' is a 2005 American political thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, loosely based on Robert Baer's 2003 memoir '' See No Evil''. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wr ...

'', the ''Bourne'' film series and the ''James Bond'' films starring

Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English actor. His accolades include two National Board of Review Awards, in addition to nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. ...

since '' Casino Royale'' (2006).

Films

Some of the most popular films include: Movie series (franchises) * ''

Bulldog Drummond Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond is a fictional character, created by H. C. McNeile and published under his pen name "Sapper". Following McNeile's death in 1937, the novels were continued by Gerard Fairlie. Drummond is a First World War veteran who ...

'' series (1922–1969) – 24 films * '' Mr. Moto'' series (1937–39, 1965) – 9 films * '' The Saint'' series (1938–1943) – 8 films * ''

OSS 117 OSS 117 is the codename for Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, a fictional secret agent created by French writer Jean Bruce (and continued by his widow Josette following Bruce's accidental death). Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath is described as being an Am ...

'' series (1956–2021) – 10 films * ''James Bond'' (1962–present) – 25 films * '' Harry Palmer'' (1965–1996) – 5 films * ''

'' series (1966–1969) – 4 films * ''

Lupin III , also written as ''Lupin the Third'', ''Lupin the 3rd'', or ''Lupin the IIIrd'', is a Japanese media franchise created by Monkey Punch. The series follows the endeavors of master thief Lupin III (character), Lupin III, grandson of gentleman t ...

'' (1974 – present) – 13 films and 28 TV specials * '' Carl Hamilton'' (1989–present) – 10 films * ''Jack Ryan'' (1990–2014) – 5 films * ''Mission: Impossible'' series (1996–2025) – 8 films * ''

'' (1997–2002) – 3 films * ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for ABC. It originally aired from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, airing for five seasons consisting of 115 episodes. It was produ ...

'' (2000–2019) – 3 films * ''Spy Kids'' series (2001–2023) – 5 films * ''The'' ''Bourne'' series (2002–2016) – 5 films * '' XXX'' (2002–present) – 3 films * ''

Infernal Affairs ''Infernal Affairs'' () is a 2002 Hong Kong crime drama film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak (director), Alan Mak from a screenplay written by Mak and Felix Chong. The film stars Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong ( ...

'' (2002–2003) – 3 films * ''

Johnny English ''Johnny English'' is a 2003 spy action comedy film directed by Peter Howitt and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and William Davies. It is a British-French venture produced by StudioCanal and Working Title Films, and distributed by Unive ...

'' (2003–2018) – 3 films * ''

Fast & Furious ''Fast & Furious'', also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'', is an American Action film, action media franchise centered on a series of films revolving around street racing, heist film, heists, and spy film, spies. The franchise also inclu ...

'' (2013–present) – 6 spy filmsThe first four focused on illegal street racing and the fifth focused on heists and thus they were not spy films * ''

Kingsman Kingsman or King's man may refer to: * Kingsman (rank), a British Army rank Arts and media * Kingsman (franchise), ''Kingsman'' (franchise) ** Kingsman (comic book), ''Kingsman'' (comic book), the basis for the franchise ** ''Kingsman: The Secre ...

'' (2014–2021) – 3 films Movies * ''

Spione ''Spione'' (; English title: ''Spies'', under which title it was released in the United States) is a 1928 German silent espionage thriller directed by Fritz Lang and co-written with his wife, Thea von Harbou, who also wrote a novel of the sa ...

'' (1928) * '' The Mysterious Lady'' (1928) * ''

Dishonored ''Dishonored'' is a 2012 action-adventure game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Set in the fictional, plague-ridden industrial city of Dunwall, ''Dishonored'' follows the story of Corvo Attano, bodyguard to th ...

'' (1931) * ''

Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (, ; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari ( , ; , ), was a Dutch Stripper, exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for German Empire, Germany during World War ...

'' (1931) * ''

On Secret Service ''On Secret Service'' is a 1933 British thriller film directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring Greta Nissen, Karl Ludwig Diehl, Don Alvarado, and Austin Trevor. It was produced by British International Pictures. It is based on the 1933 Germ ...

'' (1933) * '' The Lady of Lebanon'' (1934) * '' Madame Spy'' (1934) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934) * '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1938) * ''

The Spy in Black ''The Spy in Black'' (US: ''U-boat 29'') is a 1939 British spy film, and the first collaboration between the British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. They were brought together by Alexander Korda to make the World War I spy th ...

'' (1939) * ''

Night Train to Munich ''Night Train to Munich'' is a 1940 British thriller film directed by Carol Reed and starring Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison. Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the 1939 short story “Report on a Fugitive” by Gordon ...

'' (1940) * '' Virginia City'' (1940) * '' Saboteur'' (1942) * '' The Mask of Dimitrios'' (1944) * ''

Ministry of Fear ''Ministry of Fear'' is a 1944 American spy thriller film noir directed by Fritz Lang, and starring Ray Milland and Marjorie Reynolds. Based on the 1943 novel by Graham Greene, the film tells the story of a man just released from a mental asy ...

'' (1944) * ''

I See a Dark Stranger ''I See a Dark Stranger'' (U.S. title: ''The Adventuress'') is a 1946 British World War II spy comedy film directed by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat and starred Deborah Kerr and Trevor Howard. Plot Ireland, 1937. Young Bridie Quilty ha ...

'' (1946) * '' Notorious'' (1946) * ''

'' (1947) * ''

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene, and starring Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, Alida Valli as Anna Schmidt, Orson Welles as Harry Lime and Trevor Howard as Major Calloway. Set in post-Worl ...

'' (1949) * ''

Decision Before Dawn ''Decision Before Dawn'' is a 1951 American war film directed by Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (10 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), commonly known as Anatole Litvak, was a Russian-American filmmaker. Born to Jewish parents in Ki ...

'' (1951) * '' My Favourite Spy'' (1951) * ''

5 Fingers ''5 Fingers'', known also as ''Five Fingers'', is a 1952 American spy film noir directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by Otto Lang. The screenplay written by Michael Wilson was based on the 1950 book ''Operation Cicero'' (original Ge ...

'' (1952) * '' Pickup on South Street'' (1953) * '' Night People'' (1954) * ''

The Man Who Never Was ''The Man Who Never Was'' is a 1956 British espionage thriller film produced by André Hakim and directed by Ronald Neame. It stars Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame and features Robert Flemyng, Josephine Griffin and Stephen Boyd. It is b ...

'' (1956) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) * ''

Foreign Intrigue ''Foreign Intrigue'' (also known as ''Foreign Assignment'') is a syndicated espionage drama television series produced in Europe by Sheldon Reynolds. The 30-minute series ran for four seasons from 1951 to 1955, producing 156 episodes. It was ...

'' (1956) * ''

Carve Her Name with Pride ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' is a 1958 British war Drama (film and television), drama film based on the book of the same name by R. J. Minney. The film, directed by Lewis Gilbert, is based on the true story of Special Operations Executive agen ...

'' (1958) * '' The Silent Enemy'' (1958) * '' The Two-Headed Spy'' (1958) * ''

The Quiet American ''The Quiet American'' is a 1955 novel by English author Graham Greene. Narrated in the first person by journalist Thomas Fowler, the novel depicts the breakdown of French colonialism in Vietnam and early American involvement in the Vietnam ...

'' (1958) * ''

'' (1959) * ''

Our Man in Havana ''Our Man in Havana'' (1958) is a novel set in Cuba by the British author Graham Greene. Greene uses the novel to mock intelligence services, especially the British MI6, and their willingness to believe reports from their local informants. Th ...

'' (1959) * ''

The Pigeon That Took Rome ''The Pigeon That Took Rome'' is a 1962 American comedy war film directed and written by Melville Shavelson and starring Charlton Heston. The film is set in the Italian Campaign of World War II and was based on the 1961 novel ''The Easter Dinner' ...

'' (1962) * ''

The Manchurian Candidate ''The Manchurian Candidate'' is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a communist conspiracy. T ...

'' (1962) * '' Charade'' (1963) * '' Goldfinger'' (1964) * '' 36 Hours'' (1965) * ''

'' (1965) * '' Thunderball'' (1965) * ''

Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foliate ...

'' (1966) * ''

'' (1966) * '' The Defector'' (1966) * ''Derek Flint'' series ** ''

Our Man Flint ''Our Man Flint'' is a 1966 American spy-fi comedy film that parodies the ''James Bond'' film series. The film was directed by Daniel Mann, written by Hal Fimberg and Ben Starr (from a story by Hal Fimberg), and starred James Coburn as maste ...

'' (1966) ** '' In Like Flint'' (1967) * ''

Modesty Blaise ''Modesty Blaise'' is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by author Peter O'Donnell and illustrator Jim Holdaway in 1963. The strip follows Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talen ...

'' (1966) * '' The Quiller Memorandum'' (1966) * '' The Silencers'' (1966) * '' Torn Curtain'' (1966) * '' Casino Royale'' (1967) * ''

Deadlier Than the Male ''Deadlier Than the Male'' is a 1967 British crime and mystery film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Richard Johnson and Elke Sommer. It is one of the many take-offs of James Bond produced during the 1960s, but is based on an already est ...

'' (1967) * ''

The President's Analyst ''The President's Analyst'' is a 1967 American satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ted Flicker and starring James Coburn. The film has elements of political satire and science fiction, including themes concerning modern ethic ...

'' (1967) * '' You Only Live Twice'' (1967) * '' Hammerhead'' (1968) * ''

Ice Station Zebra ''Ice Station Zebra'' is a 1968 American espionage thriller film directed by John Sturges and starring Rock Hudson, Patrick McGoohan, Ernest Borgnine, and Jim Brown. The screenplay is by Douglas Heyes, Harry Julian Fink, and W. R. Burnett, lo ...

'' (1968) * ''

Topaz Topaz is a silicate mineral made of aluminium, aluminum and fluorine with the chemical formula aluminium, Alsilicon, Sioxygen, O(fluorine, F, hydroxide, OH). It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural ...

'' (1969) * '' Darling Lili'' (1970) * ''

The Kremlin Letter ''The Kremlin Letter'' is a 1970 American spy thriller film in PanavisionSeymour, Gene. "100 Greatest Spy Movies: A Special Collector's Edition from the Editors of American History. 2009. Weider History Group. directed by John Huston and sta ...

'' (1970) * '' The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe'' (1972) * ''

The Odessa File ''The Odessa File'' is a thriller by English writer Frederick Forsyth, first published in 1972, about the adventures of a young German reporter attempting to discover the location of a former SS concentration-camp commander. The name ODESSA ...

'' (1974) * ''

Three Days of the Condor ''Three Days of the Condor'' is a 1975 American spy thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, and Max von Sydow. The screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel was based on the ...

'' (1975) * '' The Eagle Has Landed'' (1976) * '' Marathon Man'' (1976) * '' Telefon'' (1977) * '' Avalanche Express'' (1979) * ''

Hopscotch Hopscotch is a playground game in which players toss a small object, called a lagger, into numbered triangles or a pattern of rectangles outlined on the ground and then hop or jump through the spaces and retrieve the object. It is a children's ...

'' (1980) * '' Eye of the Needle'' (1981) * ''

Teheran 43 ''Teheran 43'' (Russian: ''Тегеран-43''; French: ''Téhéran 43, Nid d'espions'') is a 1981 Soviet-French-Swiss political thriller film made by Mosfilm, ''Mediterraneo Cine'' and ''Pro Dis Film'', directed by Aleksandr Alov and Vladimir ...

'' (1981) * ''

Firefox Mozilla Firefox, or simply Firefox, is a free and open-source web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation. It uses the Gecko rendering engine to display web pages, which implements curr ...

'' (1982) * ''

Top Secret! ''Top Secret!'' is a 1984 action comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker ( ZAZ) and Martyn Burke. It stars Val Kilmer (in his film debut) and Lucy Gutteridge alongside a supporting cast featuring Omar Sh ...

'' (1984) * ''

The Falcon and the Snowman ''The Falcon and the Snowman'' is a 1985 American spy drama film directed by John Schlesinger. The screenplay by Steven Zaillian is based on the 1979 book ''The Falcon and the Snowman: A True Story of Friendship and Espionage'' by Robert L ...

'' (1985) * ''

Spies Like Us ''Spies Like Us'' is a 1985 American spy comedy film directed by John Landis, and starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest, and Donna Dixon. The film presents the comic adventures of two novice intelligence agents sent to the Soviet ...

'' (1985) * ''

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

'' (1985) * '' The Fourth Protocol'' (1987) * '' Real Men'' (1987) * '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990) * ''

The Russia House ''The Russia House'' is a spy novel by British writer John le Carré published in 1989. The title refers to the nickname given to the portion of the British Secret Intelligence Service that was devoted to spying on the Soviet Union. A film ba ...

'' (1990) * ''

Sneakers Sneakers (American English, US) or trainers (British English, UK), also known by a #Names, wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but are also widely used for everyday casual ...

'' (1992) * ''

Shining Through ''Shining Through'' is a 1992 American World War II drama film which was released to United States cinemas on January 31, 1992, written and directed by David Seltzer and starring Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith, with Liam Neeson, Joely Ric ...

'' (1992) * '' Undercover Blues'' (1993) * ''

True Lies ''True Lies'' is a 1994 American action comedy film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker, a U.S. government agent, who struggles to balance his double life as a spy with his familial duties, ...

'' (1994) * '' From Beijing with Love'' (1994) * '' The Long Kiss Goodnight'' (1996) * '' The Peacemaker'' (1997) * '' The Avengers'' (1998) * '' Ronin'' (1998) * '' Enemy of the State'' (1998) * ''

Spy Game ''Spy Game'' is a 2001 action thriller film directed by Tony Scott and written by Michael Frost Beckner and David Arata. The film stars Robert Redford and Brad Pitt as CIA operatives entangled in a covert rescue mission during the final day ...

'' (2001) * '' The Tailor of Panama'' (2001) * ''

'' (2002) * '' Undercover Brother'' (2002) * '' I, Spy'' (2002) * ''

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Confessions of a Dangerous Mind may refer to: *''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'', a 1984 autobiography by Chuck Barris Charles Hirsch Barris (June 3, 1929 – March 21, 2017) was an American game show creator, producer, and host, author, and ...

'' (2002) * '' The Recruit'' (2003) * ''Agent Cody Banks'' series ** '' Agent Cody Banks'' (2003) ** '' Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London'' (2004) * ''

Spartan Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern Pe ...

'' (2004) * '' Walk on Water'' (2004) * ''

'' (2004) * ''

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

'' (2005) * ''

'' (2005) * '' Black Book'' (2006) * '' The Good Shepherd'' (2006) * ''

The Lives of Others ''The Lives of Others'' (, ) is a 2006 German drama film written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck marking his feature film directorial debut. The plot is about the monitoring of East Berlin residents by agents of the Stasi, Ea ...

'' (2006) * '' Breach'' (2007) * '' Charlie Wilson's War'' (2007) * ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the Spy fiction, secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Bu ...

'' (2008) * ''

Burn After Reading ''Burn After Reading'' is a 2008 black comedy film written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It follows a recently jobless CIA analyst, Osborne Cox (John Malkovich), whose misplaced memoirs are found by a pair of dimwitted ...

'' (2008) * '' Farewell'' (2009) * ''

Knight and Day ''Knight and Day'' is a 2010 American satirical action comedy film directed by James Mangold and starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. The film was the second on-screen collaboration of Cruise and Diaz after '' Vanilla Sky'' (2001). The film fo ...

'' (2010) * ''

Salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

'' (2010) * '' Fair Game'' (2010) * '' The Debt'' (2010) * ''

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

'' (2010) * ''

Cars 2 ''Cars 2'' is a 2011 American animated spy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to '' Cars'' (2006), the second film in the ''Cars'' franchise, and the 12th animated film from the studio ...

'' (2011) * '' Page Eight'' (2011) * ''

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' is a 1974 spy novel by the author and former spy John le Carré. It follows the endeavours of the taciturn, ageing spymaster George Smiley to uncover a Soviet mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service. Th ...

'' (2011) * '' Haywire'' (2012) * ''Safe House (2012 film), Safe House'' (2012) * ''This Means War (film), This Means War'' (2012) * ''Ek Tha Tiger'' (2012) * ''Argo (2012 film), Argo'' (2012) * ''Vishwaroopam'' (2013) * ''A Most Wanted Man (film), A Most Wanted Man'' (2014) * ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' (2014) * ''Penguins of Madagascar'' (2014) * ''O21 (film), O21'' (2014) * ''Spy (2015 film), Spy'' (2015) * ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (film), The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (2015) * ''Bridge of Spies (film), Bridge of Spies'' (2015) * ''Iru Mugan'' (2016) * ''Atomic Blonde'' (2017) * ''Unlocked (2017 film), Unlocked'' (2017) * ''Tiger Zinda Hai'' (2017) * ''Red Sparrow'' (2018) * ''Goodachari'' (2018) * ''Operation Finale'' (2018) * ''The Catcher Was a Spy (film), The Catcher Was a Spy'' (2018) * ''Red Joan'' (2018) * ''Raazi'' (2018) * ''Vishwaroopam 2'' (2018) * ''War (2019 film), War'' (2019) * ''Official Secrets (film), Official Secrets'' (2019) * ''One Day: Justice Delivered'' (2019) * ''Kaappaan'' (2019) * ''Saaho'' (2019) * ''Romeo Akbar Walter'' (2019) * ''Satellite Shankar'' (2019) * ''The Courier (2020 film), The Courier'' (2020) * ''Tenet (film), Tenet'' (2020) * ''London Confidential'' (2020) * ''Black Widow (2021 film), Black Widow'' (2021) * ''Bell Bottom (2021 film), Bell Bottom'' (2021) * ''Yaksha: Ruthless Operations'' (2022) * ''The Gray Man (2022 film), The Gray Man'' (2022) * ''Sardar (2022 film), Sardar'' (2022) * ''Zarrar'' (2022) * ''Pathaan (film), Pathaan'' (2023) * ''Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre'' (2023) * ''Heart of Stone (2023 film), Heart of Stone'' (2023) * ''Tiger 3'' (2023) * ''Argylle'' (2024) * ''The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare'' (2024) * ''Black Bag'' (2025)

Television series

Some of the most popular television series include: Classic era * ''

'' (1960–1968) * '' The Avengers'' (1961–1969) * ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1964–1968) * ''

'' (1965–1968) * ''The Wild Wild West'' (1965–1969) * ''Get Smart'' (1965–1970) * ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1973) * ''The Prisoner'' (1967–1968) * '' Callan'' (1967–1972) * ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' (1973) * ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' (1973–1978) * ''The Bionic Woman'' (1976–1978) * ''The Sandbaggers'' (1978–1980) * ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TV miniseries), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' (1979) * ''Danger Mouse (1981 TV series), Danger Mouse'' (1981) * ''Smiley's People (miniseries), Smiley's People'' (1982) * ''Reilly, Ace of Spies'' (1983) * ''The Equalizer (1985 TV series), The Equalizer'' (1985–1989) * ''MacGyver (1985 TV series), MacGyver'' (1985–1992) Modern era * ''Æon Flux'' (1991–1995) * La Femme Nikita (TV series), ''La Femme Nikita'' (1997–2001) ** ''Nikita (TV series), Nikita'' (2010–2013) * '' Alias'' (2001–2006) * ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2014) * ''Kim Possible'' (2002–2007) * ''Foyle's War'' (2002–2015) * '' Spooks'' (2002–2011), aka ''MI-5'' * ''Burn Notice'' (2007–2013) * ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck'' (2007–2012) * ''The Company (miniseries), The Company'' (2007) * ''Archer (2009 TV series), Archer'' (2009–2023) * ''Human Target (2010 TV series), Human Target'' (2010–2011) * ''Rubicon (TV series), Rubicon'' (2010) * ''Strike Back (TV series), Strike Back'' (2010–2020) * ''Homeland (TV series), Homeland'' (2011–2020) * ''Person of Interest (TV series), Person of Interest'' (2011–2016) * ''The Americans'' (2013–2018) * ''The Blacklist'' (2013–2023) * ''The Honourable Woman'' (2014) * ''Turn: Washington's Spies'' (2014–2017) * ''Madam Secretary (TV series), Madam Secretary'' (2014–2019) * ''The Bureau (TV series), The Bureau'' (2015–present) * ''Deutschland'' trilogy (2015–2020) ** ''Deutschland 83'' (2015) ** ''Deutschland 86'' (2018) ** ''Deutschland 89'' (2020) * ''London Spy'' (2015) * ''Fauda'' (2015–present) * ''The Night Manager (British TV series), The Night Manager'' (2016) * ''Counterpart (TV series), Counterpart'' (2017–2019) * ''Condor (TV series), Condor'' (2018–present) * ''Killing Eve'' (2018–present) * ''The Little Drummer Girl (TV series), The Little Drummer Girl'' (2018) * ''The Looming Tower (miniseries), The Looming Tower'' (2018) * ''Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (TV series), Jack Ryan'' (2018–2023) * ''The Family Man (Indian TV series), The Family Man'' (2019–present) * ''The Spy (TV series), The Spy'' (2019) * ''Alex Rider (TV series), Alex Rider'' (2020–present) * ''Caliphate (TV series), Caliphate'' (2020) * ''Tehran (TV series), Tehran'' (2020) * ''La unidad'' (2020–) * ''Andor (TV series), Andor'' (2022-2025) * ''Slow Horses'' (2022–present)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spy Film Film genres Works about espionage, Film Action films by genre Spy films,

History

Films

Television series

See also

References