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 is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tang ...

, 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 and Irish author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. ...

) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

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 intelligen ...

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, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. After a brief legal career ...

, le Carré,

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is 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., an ...

(Bond) and

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

. It is a significant aspect of British cinema, with leading British directors such as

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. 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 featur ...

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 the ...

making notable contributions and many films set in the British Secret Service. Spy films show the espionage activities of

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

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

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

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 Nive ...

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 or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or gener ...

, technological thrills, and

exotic Exotic may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Exotic R4, a differentiable 4-manifold, homeomorphic but not diffeomorphic to the Euclidean space R4 *Exotic sphere, a differentiable ''n''-manifold, homeomorphic but not diffeomorphic to the ordinar ...

locales, many spy films combine the action and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

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

villain A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. '' Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a charact ...

s for them to hate. They may also involve elements of political thrillers. However, there are many that are comedic (mostly action comedy films 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'' that also emerged from the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

. As the Cold War ended, the newest villain became

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

and more often involved the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

History

The spy film genre began in the

silent era A silent film is a film with no 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, when ...

, with the paranoia of

invasion literature Invasion literature (also the invasion novel) is a literary genre that was popular in the period between 1871 and the First World War (1914–1918). The invasion novel first was recognized as a literary genre in the UK, with the novella '' The ...

and the onset of the

Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. 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 serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north ban ...

, and 1913's ''O.H.M.S.'', standing for "Our Helpless Millions Saved" as well as

On His Majesty's Service ''On His Majesty's Service'' or ''On Her Majesty's Service'' (depending on the sex of the reigning monarch), is an official franking commonly seen on correspondence from government departments in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and oth ...

(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), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary '' Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. ...

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 Dr. Mabuse is a fictional character created by Norbert Jacques in his 1921 novel ('Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler'), and his 1932 follow-up novel ''Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse'' (1932). The character was made famous by three films about the characte ...

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 popularise 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, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

'' (1937) and '' The Lady Vanishes'' (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'' (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 John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 – July 16, 1960) was an American writer. Originally best known for his Mr. Moto spy stories, he achieved popular success and critical respect for his satirical novels, winning a Pulitzer Prize for '' ...

. In the 1940s and early 1950s there were several films made about the exploits of Allied agents in occupied Europe, which could probably be considered as 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, ...

'' and '' O.S.S.'' were fictional stories about American agents in German-occupied France, and there were a number of films based on the stories of real-life British S.O.E. agents, including '' Odette'' and ''

Carve Her Name With Pride ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' is a 1958 British war 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 agent Violette Szabo, GC, who w ...

''. 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 pub ...

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

The Thin Man Goes Home ''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1945 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 and his ...

'' 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, and it marks the introduction of Number Three So ...

'' for example) in which the mystery involved who stole the secret blue-prints, or who kidnapped the famous scientist. The peak of popularity of the spy film 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 which dealt with some of the realities of the espionage world. Some of these films included '' The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'' (1965), '' The Deadly Affair'' (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 and

Albert R. Broccoli Albert Romolo Broccoli ( ; April 5, 1909 – June 27, 1996), nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career. Most of the films were made in the United Kingdom and often filmed at Pi ...

, with

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

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

eurospy Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film (when referring to 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 British James ...

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). Films 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 ''The Quiller Memorandum'' is a 1966 British neo noir eurospy film filmed in Deluxe Color and Panavision, adapted from the 1965 spy novel '' The Berlin Memorandum'', by Elleston Trevor under the name "Adam Hall", screenplay by Harold Pinter, d ...

'' (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 t ...

'' series with

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television 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 b ...

'' and '' The Avengers'' in Britain. Spies have remained popular on TV to the present day with series such as '' Callan'', ''

Alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the J ...

'' 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 spy action comedy films: '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997), '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) and '' Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002). The films were produced ...

''. 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 Wrig ...

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

Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English-American actor who gained international fame playing the secret agent James Bond in the film series, beginning with '' Casino Royale'' (2006) and in four further instalments, up to '' ...

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

'' series (1966–1969) – 4 films * '' Lupin III'' (1974 – present) – 13 films and 28 TV specials * '' Carl Hamilton'' (1989–present) – 10 films * ''Jack Ryan'' (1990–2014) – 5 films * ''Mission: Impossible'' series (1996–2024) – 8 films * ''

'' (1997–2002) – 3 films * ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by ...

'' (2000–2019) – 3 films * ''Spy Kids'' series (2001–2011) – 4 films * ''The'' ''Bourne'' series (2002–2016) – 5 films * ''

XXX XXX may refer to: Codes and symbols * 30 (number), Roman numeral XXX * XXX, designating pornography ** XXX, an X rating ** .xxx, an internet top-level domain intended for pornographic sites * XXX, a symbol of the straight edge lifestyle * XXX, t ...

'' (2002–present) – 3 films * ''

Infernal Affairs ''Infernal Affairs'' is a 2002 Hong Kong action thriller film co-directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. Jointly written by Mak and Felix Chong, it stars Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Sammi Cheng and Kelly Chen. The film fo ...

'' (2002-2003) – 3 films * ''

Johnny English ''Johnny English'' is a 2003 spy 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 Universa ...

'' (2003–2018) – 3 films * ''

Fast & Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...

'' (2011–present) – 5 spy filmsThe first four focused on illegal street racing and thus they were not spy films * '' Kingsman'' (2014–present) – 3 films *

John Wick ''John Wick'' is an American action thriller media franchise created by Derek Kolstad and centering around John Wick, a former hitman who is forced back into the criminal underworld he had abandoned. The franchise began with the release of '' ...

(2017-present) - 2 films One-shots, sequels and remakes * ''

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 ''The Mysterious Lady'' (1928) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer silent film romantic drama, starring Greta Garbo, Conrad Nagel, and Gustav von Seyffertitz, directed by Fred Niblo, and based on the novel ''War in the Dark'' by Ludwig Wolff. The film ...

'' (1928) * '' Dishonored'' (1931) * ''

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

'' (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 German ...

'' (1933) * '' The Lady of Lebanon'' (1934) * '' Madame Spy'' (1934) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934) ** '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) * '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) * ''

'' (1936) * '' The Lady Vanishes'' (1938) * ''

The Spy in Black ''The Spy in Black'' (US: ''U-Boat 29'') is a 1939 British 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 thril ...

'' (1939) * '' Night Train to Munich'' (1940) * ''

Virginia City Virginia City is a census-designated place (CDP) that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada, and the largest community in the county. The city is a part of the Reno– Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. Virginia City developed as a boom ...

'' (1940) * '' Saboteur'' (1942) * ''

The Mask of Dimitrios ''The Mask of Dimitrios'' is a 1944 American film noir directed by Jean Negulesco and written by Frank Gruber, based on the 1939 novel of the same title written by Eric Ambler (in the United States, it was published as ''A Coffin for Dimitrios'' ...

'' (1944) * '' Ministry of Fear'' (1944) * '' I See a Dark Stranger'' (1946) * '' Notorious'' (1946) * ''

'' (1947) * ''

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten ...

'' (1949) * '' Decision Before Dawn'' (1951) * '' My Favourite Spy'' (1951) * '' 5 Fingers'' (1952) * ''

Pickup on South Street ''Pickup on South Street'' is a 1953 Cold War spy film noir written and directed by Samuel Fuller, and released by the 20th Century Fox studio. The film stars Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, and Thelma Ritter. It was screened at the Venice Film Fe ...

'' (1953) * '' Night People'' (1954) * '' The Man Who Never Was'' (1956) * ''

Carve Her Name with Pride ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' is a 1958 British war 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 agent Violette Szabo, GC, who w ...

'' (1958) * '' The Silent Enemy'' (1958) * '' The Two-Headed Spy'' (1958) * '' The Quiet American'' (1958) ** '' The Quiet American'' (2002) * ''

North by Northwest ''North by Northwest'' is a 1959 American spy thriller film, produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The screenplay was by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture ...

'' (1959) * ''

Our Man in Havana ''Our Man in Havana'' (1958) is a novel set in Cuba by the British author Graham Greene. He makes fun of intelligence services, especially the British MI6, and their willingness to believe reports from their local informants. The book predates ...

'' (1959) * '' The Pigeon That Took Rome'' (1962) * '' The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962) ** '' The Manchurian Candidate'' (2004) * ''

Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and Au ...

'' (1963) * '' 36 Hours'' (1965) * '' The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'' (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 "Foli ...

'' (1966) * '' The Deadly Affair'' (1966) * '' The Defector'' (1966) * ''Derek Flint'' series ** '' Our Man Flint'' (1966) ** ''

In Like Flint ''In Like Flint'' is a 1967 American spy fi comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas, the sequel to the parody spy film ''Our Man Flint'' (1966). It posits an international feminist conspiracy to depose the ruling American patriarchy with a fem ...

'' (1967) * '' Modesty Blaise'' (1966) * ''

'' (1966) * '' Torn Curtain'' (1966) * ''

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 ethics ...

'' (1967) * '' Ice Station Zebra'' (1968) * ''

Topaz Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al Si O( F, OH). It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural state is colorless, though trace element impurities can mak ...

'' (1969) * ''

Darling Lili ''Darling Lili'' is a 1970 American romantic-musical spy film, written by William Peter Blatty and Blake Edwards, the latter also directing the film. It stars Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, and Jeremy Kemp, with music by Henry Mancini and lyrics by ...

'' (1970) * '' The Kremlin Letter'' (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 political 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 ...

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

Hopscotch Hopscotch is a popular 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 ch ...

'' (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 current ...

'' (1982) * '' Top Secret!'' (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 Lin ...

'' (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: Physical items * 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 artillery, fi ...

'' (1985) * ''

The Fourth Protocol ''The Fourth Protocol'' is a thriller novel by British writer Frederick Forsyth, published in August 1984. Etymology The title refers to the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which (at least in the world of the novel) contained four secr ...

'' (1987) * ''

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 b ...

'' (1990) * ''

Sneakers Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...

'' (1992) * '' Shining Through'' (1992) * ''

True Lies ''True Lies'' is a 1994 American spy action comedy film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Art Malik, Tia Carrere, Bill Paxton, Eliza Dushku, Grant Heslov and Charlton Heston. I ...

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

Spy Game ''Spy Game'' is a 2001 American action thriller film directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. The film grossed $62 million in the United States and $143 million worldwide on a $115 million budget, and received mostly ...

'' (2001) * ''

The Tailor of Panama ''The Tailor of Panama'' is a 1996 novel by British writer John le Carré. A 2001 film was released based on the novel. Plot Harry Pendel is a British expatriate living in Panama City and running his own successful bespoke tailoring busine ...

'' (2001) * '' Undercover Brother'' (2002) * '' Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'' (2002) * ''

The Recruit __NOTOC__ Recruit can refer to: Military * Military recruitment * Recruit training, in the military * ''Rekrut'' (English: Recruit), a military recruit or low rank in German-speaking countries * Seaman recruit Books *''Le Réquisitionnaire'' (En ...

'' (2003) * ''

Agent Cody Banks ''Agent Cody Banks'' is a 2003 American spy action comedy film directed by Harald Zwart. The film follows the adventures of the 15-year-old title character, played by Frankie Muniz, who has to finish his chores, avoid getting grounded, and sa ...

'' (2003) * '' Spartan'' (2004) * '' Walk on Water'' (2004) * ''

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

'' (2005) * ''

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

The Lives of Others ''The Lives of Others'' (german: link=no, Das Leben der Anderen, ) 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 Berli ...

'' (2006) * ''

Breach Breach, Breached, or The Breach may refer to: Places * Breach, Kent, United Kingdom * Breach, West Sussex, United Kingdom * ''The Breach'', Great South Bay in the State of New York People * Breach (DJ), an Electronic/House music act * Miroslav ...

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

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the 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 Buck Henry, an ...

'' (2008) * ''

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

'' (2008) * '' Farewell'' (2009) * '' Knight and Day'' (2010) * ''

Salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

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

Cars 2 ''Cars 2'' is a 2011 American computer-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 ...

'' (2011) * ''

Page Eight ''Page Eight'' is a 2011 British political thriller, written and directed for the BBC by the British dramatist David Hare, his first film as director since the 1989 film '' Strapless''. The cast includes Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Michael Gamb ...

'' (2011) * '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' (2011) * '' Haywire'' (2012) * ''

Safe House A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is, in a generic sense, a secret place for sanctuary or suitable to hide people from the law, hostile actors or actions, or from retribution, threats or perceived danger. It may also be a metaphor. Histori ...

'' (2012) * '' Ek Tha Tiger'' (2012) * ''

Argo In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of ...

'' (2012) * '' Vishwaroopam'' (2013) * ''

A Most Wanted Man ''A Most Wanted Man'' is a thriller/ espionage novel by British writer John le Carré, published in September 2008 by Hodder & Stoughton in the United Kingdom and in October 2008 by Scribner in the United States. A young Chechen ex-prisone ...

'' (2014) * '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' (2014) * ''

Penguins of Madagascar ''Penguins of Madagascar'' (also known as ''Penguins of Madagascar: The Movie'') is a 2014 American computer-animated spy action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Starring the voices of Tom McGr ...

'' (2014) * '' O21'' (2014) * '' Spy'' (2015) * '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (2015) * '' Bridge of Spies'' (2015) * ''

Iru Mugan ''Iru Mugan'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language science-fiction spy action thriller written and directed by Anand Shankar. Produced by Thameens Films, the film stars Vikram in double role alongside Nayanthara, Nithya Menen, Nassar, Thambi ...

''(2016) * '' Atomic Blonde'' (2017) * '' Unlocked'' (2017) * '' Tiger Zinda Hai'' (2017) * ''

Red Sparrow ''Red Sparrow'' is a 2018 American spy thriller film directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Justin Haythe, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Jason Matthews. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, ...

'' (2018) * ''

Goodachari ''Goodachari'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language action spy thriller film directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka. The film stars Adivi Sesh, Sobhita Dhulipala, and Jagapathi Babu with Prakash Raj, Supriya Yarlagadda, Vennela Kishore, Anish Kuruvi ...

'' (2018) * '' Operation Finale'' (2018) * '' The Catcher Was a Spy'' (2018) * ''

Red Joan ''Red Joan'' is a 2018 British spy drama film, directed by Trevor Nunn, from a screenplay by Lindsay Shapero. The film stars Sophie Cookson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Tom Hughes, Ben Miles, Nina Sosanya, Tereza Srbova, and Judi Dench. The fil ...

'' (2018) * ''

'' (2018) * '' Raazi'' (2018) * '' Vishwaroopam 2'' (2018) * ''

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

'' (2019) * '' Official Secrets'' (2019) * '' One Day: Justice Delivered'' (2019) * '' Kaappaan'' (2019) * '' Saaho'' (2019) * ''

Romeo Akbar Walter ''Romeo Akbar Walter'' (; alluding the Research and Analysis Wing) is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Robbie Grewal. It stars John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher. The narrative c ...

'' (2019) * ''

Satellite Shankar ''Satellite Shankar'' is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language action drama film written and directed by Irfan Kamal. The film starring Sooraj Pancholi and Megha Akash is produced by Cine 1 Studios and SCIPL. The film based on the life of Indian soldi ...

'' (2019) * '' The Courier'' (2020) * ''

Tenet A tenet is a synonym for axiom, one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based. Tenet may also refer to: Media * Tenet (band), a heavy metal band * TENET (ensemble), an American early music vocal and instrumental group * ''Tenet'' ( ...

'' (2020) * ''

London Confidential ''London Confidential'' is an Indian Hindi-language spy thriller film which was premiered on ZEE5 on 18 September 2020. The film is directed by Kanwal Sethi and produced by Mohit Chhabra and Ajay Rai. It is created by S. Hussain Zaidi and stars ...

'' (2020) * '' Black Widow'' (2021) * ''

Bell Bottom Bell-bottoms (or flares) are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the trouser leg. These are similar to flared jeans. History Naval origins In the early 19th century, when a standardized uni ...

'' (2021) * '' Yaksha: Ruthless Operations'' (2022) * '' The Gray Man'' (2022) * ''

Sardar Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also be ...

'' (2022) * ''

Zarrar ''Zarrar'' is a 2022 Pakistani spy action thriller film written and directed by Shaan Shahid and produced by Ejaz Shahid and Adnan Butt under the banner of Jehan Films. It stars Shaan Shahid as the titular character along with Kiran Malik, ...

'' (2022) * ''

Borrder ''Borrder'' is an upcoming Indian Tamil-language spy thriller film directed by Arivazhagan Venkatachalam and produced by Vijaya Raghavendra under the banner All in pictures. The film starring Arun Vijay, Regina Cassandra and Stefy Patel, revol ...

'' (2022)

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 ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels ...

'' (1965–1969) * ''

'' (1965–1970) * '' Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1973) * ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'' (1967–1968) * '' Callan'' (1967–1972) * '' Seventeen Moments of Spring'' (1973) * ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin ...

'' (1973–1978) * '' The Bionic Woman'' (1976–1978) * ''

The Sandbaggers ''The Sandbaggers'' is a British spy drama television series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. Set contemporaneously with its original broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980, ''The Sandbaggers'' examines the effect of espionag ...

'' (1978–1980) * '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' (1979) * '' Danger Mouse'' (1981) * ''

Smiley's People ''Smiley's People'' is a spy novel by British writer John le Carré, published in 1979. Featuring British master-spy George Smiley, it is the third and final novel of the " Karla Trilogy", following ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' and '' The Hon ...

'' (1982) * ''

Reilly, Ace of Spies ''Reilly, Ace of Spies'' is a 1983 British television programme dramatizing the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian-born adventurer who became one of the greatest spies ever to work for the United Kingdom and the British Empire. Among his exploits ...

'' (1983) * '' The Equalizer'' (1985–1989) * ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

'' (1985–1992) Modern era * ''

Æon Flux ''Æon Flux'' is an American avant-garde science fiction adventure animated television series that aired on MTV from November 30, 1991, until October 10, 1995, with film, comic book, and video game adaptations following thereafter. It premiered ...

'' (1991–1995) * ''La Femme Nikita'' (1997–2001) ** '' Nikita'' (2010–2013) * ''

'' (2001–2006) * '' 24'' (2001–2014) * ''

Kim Possible ''Kim Possible'' is an American animated Action comedy TV series, action comedy-Adventure fiction, adventure television series created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle for Disney Channel. The Kim Possible (character), title character is a teen ...

'' (2002–2007) * ''

Foyle's War ''Foyle's War'' is a British detective drama television series set during and shortly after the Second World War, created by ''Midsomer Murders'' screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz and commissioned by ITV after the long-running series ...

'' (2002–2015) * '' Spooks'' (2002–2011), aka ''MI-5'' * ''

Burn Notice ''Burn Notice'' is an American espionage television series created by Matt Nix, which originally aired on the USA Network for a total of seven seasons from June 28, 2007, to September 12, 2013. The show stars Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar ...

'' (2007–2013) * '' Chuck'' (2007–2012) * ''

The Company ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (2007) * ''

Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

'' (2009–present) * '' Human Target'' (2010–2011) * ''

Rubicon The Rubicon ( la, Rubico; it, Rubicone ; rgn, Rubicôn ) is a shallow river in northeastern Italy, just north of Rimini. It was known as Fiumicino until 1933, when it was identified with the ancient river Rubicon, famously crossed by Julius Ca ...

'' (2010) * '' Strike Back'' (2010–2020) * ''

Homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethn ...

'' (2011–2020) * ''

Person of Interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no le ...

'' (2011–2016) * ''

The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American period spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also serve as showrunners a ...

'' (2013–2018) * '' The Blacklist'' (2013–present) * '' The Honourable Woman'' (2014) * '' Turn: Washington's Spies'' (2014–2017) * '' Madam Secretary'' (2014–2019) * '' The Bureau'' (2015–present) * '' Deutschland 83'' (2015) * '' London Spy'' (2015) * ''

Fauda ''Fauda'' (, from ''fawḍā'', meaning "chaos") is an Israeli television series developed by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff drawing on their experiences in the Israel Defense Forces. The series premiered on February 15, 2015. It tells the stor ...

'' (2015–present) * '' Counterpart'' (2017–2019) * ''

Condor Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere. They are: * The Andean condor (''Vu ...

'' (2018–present) * '' Killing Eve'' (2018–present) * '' The Looming Tower'' (2018) * '' Jack Ryan'' (2018–present) * ''

The Family Man ''The Family Man'' is a 2000 American romantic fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Brett Ratner, from a screenplay by David Diamond and David Weissman. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni, with Don Cheadle, Saul Rubinek, and Jerem ...

'' (2019–present) * '' The Spy'' (2019) * '' Alex Rider'' (2020–present) * ''

Caliphate A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...

'' (2020) * ''

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

'' (2020) * '' Andor'' (2022)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spy Film Film genres

Film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

Action films by genre Thriller films by genre

History

Films

Television series

See also

References