# Best spy films. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112 "2010-08-23T00:03:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/1 "2010-08-23T00:03:19Z")
I love spy films. I’m low on movie ideas so I need more film recommendations. I figure spy films would be a good way to fill the void. I’ll get the ball rolling: Three Days of the Condor The Conversation Nikita The Borne Films Munich The Good Shepard True Lies Spy Game Army of Shadows The Lives of Others Some of these films tilt more toward the assassin or hitman genre. Lets try to stick with movies where most of the plot is centered on espionage. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/2 "2010-08-23T00:13:17Z")
I really liked “No Way Out” but I don’t know if many others shared my taste on that one… I was about 15 when I saw it, and Sean Young was pretty hot back then. For a silly one, Bill Murray’s “The Man Who Knew Too Little” was mindless fun. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/3 "2010-08-23T00:17:02Z")
I become increasingly convinced that there is no category of movie for which _Undercover Blues_ is not a valid example. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/4 "2010-08-23T00:20:40Z")
An old one: “Hopscotch”, with Walter Mathau and Glenda Jackson and the miniseries: “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” Also, there’s some about a fictional member of MI6 with a license to kill. If you like those, there’s a bunch of them available … of varying quality. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/5 "2010-08-23T00:25:23Z")
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/6 "2010-08-23T00:27:19Z")
Whoops, **Frank** got there first. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/7 "2010-08-23T00:34:17Z")
On the classic side: _North By Northwest_ (1959) And thinking of Walter Mathau, I will include _Charade_ (1963). Both movies had Cary Grant BTW. For more recent fare I will have to add: _The Falcon and the Snowman_ (1985) and \* Hunt for Red October\* (1990) ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/8 "2010-08-23T00:36:10Z")
Another one that I doubt anyone will mention is Jumpin’ Jack Flash, but it was pretty entertaining for what it was… (It’s also the only Whoopi Goldberg movie I ever saw besides Ghost) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/9 "2010-08-23T00:36:13Z")
Also, The Mask of Dimitrios, while probably not among the best spy films, is certainly the best adaptation of any of Ambler’s novels, and is entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/10 "2010-08-23T01:07:56Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > I really liked “No Way Out” but I don’t know if many others shared my taste on that one… > > I was about 15 when I saw it, and Sean Young was pretty hot back then. > > For a silly one, Bill Murray’s “The Man Who Knew Too Little” was mindless fun. You should see _The Big Clock_ - not a spy film, but Noir, but _No Way Out_ is almost a full knock-off of an amazing chase of the protagonist. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/11 "2010-08-23T01:23:14Z")
The 39 Steps House on 92nd Street Pickup on South Street The Manchurian Candidate The Ipcress File Our Man Flint The Day of the Jackal Eye of the Needle Enemy of the State Spartan ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/12 "2010-08-23T01:38:19Z")
Trying to name ones that haven’t been named yet… \*\*Breach \*\*- one of the best spy films I’ve seen in a while, and it has the disturbing reality of being true. \*\*Sneakers \*\*- an average film, but entertaining enough. **Mission:Impossible** (the first one) was good, harmless fun. another vote for: **The Good Shepard** **The Falcon and the Snowman** ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/13 "2010-08-23T02:12:52Z")
For TV series, there is one clear best: **[The Sandbaggers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandbaggers)**. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/14 "2010-08-23T04:17:32Z")
[Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0174454/) [Breach](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401997/) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/15 "2010-08-23T05:31:09Z")
_Tailor of Panama_. Great film that makes you feel like all the other spy films are just fiction. Of course, \*it \*is fiction, too, but it is cynical enough to make you feel like you have achieved one more level of truthfulness. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/16 "2010-08-23T05:44:35Z")
Several of Hitch’s films especially in the 30’s and 40’s though they were usually in the lighter vein of the espionage genre. In addition to the ones mentioned there were: Notorious The Lady Vanishes Foreign Corresspondent The Secret Agent The Man who knew too much Of these I think only Notorious holds up really well but the others are enjoyable enough. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/17 "2010-08-23T07:44:22Z")
Lots of good suggestions, but of recent films: Roman Polanski’s GHOST WRITER was excellent. It just came out, so you should be able to find it on DVD, and most likely, premium cable channels in the next few months. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/18 "2010-08-23T15:07:30Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > The Ipcress File The sequel to _Ipcress_ - _Funeral in Berlin_ - is also quite good. ---
**Author:** ![TJVM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@TJVM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJVM)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/19 "2010-08-24T01:35:23Z")
I’d suggest [Ronin](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122690/). It may not fit precisely within the “spy” genre, but it’s about a bunch of former intelligence types doing mercenary work. And it has a terrific cast. I’d also second “Sneakers.” It’s not one of my favorite movies, but it’s a rare example of a “family” movie that I actually enjoy (no sex or serious violence, but still some decent grown-up fun). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112/20 "2010-08-24T03:45:49Z")
Ronin has a terrific everything. “Vienna.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-spy-films/551112.md?page=2)