Summary

• Spy movies no longer just feature debonair agents; diverse origins & characters bring new twists to the genre.
• Spy movies range from psychological thrillers to zany comedies, with innovative plots that keep viewers on edge.
• The tension, gadgets, and top-notch performances in spy movies like Bond, Salt, & Bourne make them stand out.

The best spy movies invite audiences into a world of intrigue, danger, and action. James Bond is undoubtedly the first character to spring to mind when the genre is discussed, and while Ian Fleming's 007 surely helped to raise its popularity and inspire imitators, the spy movie was around long before Bond. The genre has branched out considerably since then. Spy movies no longer only feature dashing, debonair secret agents. Spies can be from anywhere, but secret agent movies still maintain cat-and-mouse elements that made the genre so beloved.

Spy movies range from psychological thrillers to zany comedies. The stories take place across nations or just between one confused department. They involve real-world figures or fabricated organizations. What is important is a sense of tension in the plot, a legitimate feeling the hero could be on their last mission if even one mistake is made. Gadgets, secret enemies, and HQs filled with sometimes helpful and sometimes bungling team members fill the best spy movies, but the tension and plotting make the best stand out.

30 Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002)

Sam Rockwell Stars As Gong Show Host Chuck Barris

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind might be one of the most unusual secret agent movies because it tells the often disputed tale of Chuck Barris. While most of the world knows Barris as a TV game show host (The Gong Show), he wrote an "unauthorized biography" where Barris claims he worked as a CIA assassin at the same time as he was a television host.

The movie plays as a dark comedy but has everything spy movie fans could want.

In Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Sam Rockwell plays Barris while George Clooney directs and Julia Roberts has a key role as well. The movie plays as a dark comedy but has everything spy movie fans could want. It was also a critical success. Rockwell won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival, and the movie showed that Clooney was a director on the rise.

29 Spy Game (2001)

Robert Redford & Brad Pitt In An Espionage Thriller

When CIA agent Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) is arrested for espionage, his mentor Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) gets pulled from the edge of a long-awaited retirement as he sets out to free his old friend. Spy Game delves into the partnership between the two agents, going back to the Vietnam War and stretching into the modern spy world. Director Tony Scott's high-energy filmmaking mixed with an intelligent script makes for a great "race against the clock" entry in the spy movies genre.

Seeing two generations of Hollywood leading men of this caliber sharing the screen is exciting, and their partnership is used wonderfully, making for a great mentor-student relationship. The movie did well at the box office, but barely made back its large $115 million budget, thanks to competition that included Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Pixar's Monsters, Inc.

The film received mixed reviews from critics, who mostly praised Pitt and Redford in the lead roles.

28 Salt (2010)

Angelina Jolie Stars As A Russian Sleeper Agent

In Salt, the usual formula for spy movies is flipped when the protagonist is revealed to be a Russian sleeper agent. Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a sleeper cell who is compelled to start a nuclear holocaust but fights to override her programming. Like any of the best secret agent movies, Salt keeps information hidden until it's revealed in the finale. Director Phillip Noyce is no stranger to the espionage genre, previously directing both of the Jack Ryan movies with Harrison Ford in the lead. Here, he had a chance to create a new female action hero.

The film is grounded by the committed performance of Jolie and its practical stunts. Salt offers a much wilder and more explosive experience than similar spy movies, and there's still demand for Salt 2 a decade later. The movie was a huge box office success and received positive reviews, while also picking up an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Mixing. With that said, it is puzzling that Jolie never returned to the role once again.

27 Tenet (2021)

A Time-Travel Spy Movie