There is nothing better than curling up and watching a good movie. Some prefer watching dramatic thrillers, and others like to lose themselves in laughter with a comedy, but one of the most interesting movie genres is spy movies. These movies keep the audience on the edge of their seats as the plot untangles and weaves through the twists and turns of espionage.
Many of these films are filled with death-defying stunts, from car chases to hanging from helicopters to jumping out of planes, but a good spy movie is different than a simple action movie. The best spy movies weave complex worlds where it’s difficult to distinguish the truth from the lies. These movies keep viewers in an anxiety-induced state, watching for clues and analyzing every scene, only to be caught off guard by an unexpected ending. Moviegoers can’t get enough of the genre, from classic spy films like the long-running James Bond series with its dapper protagonist to the Bourne series with nonstop action-stealing scenes.
One thing that sets spy movies apart from other genres is that these films can fall into both comedy and drama. The wild and wacky Austin Powers can attest to that as he muddles his way through the 1960s-inspired comedy. When sexy spies are gifted with comedic chops, we get classics like “Top Secret” and “Burn After Reading.” Whether you prefer watching spy movies that center around world wars with secret agents and double-crossers or prefer ones with funny gags and one-liners, there is something for everyone in the genre. Check out the list of new and old spy movies to see if your favorite film about espionage is on the list. (Then check to see if any of them are among iconic movies turning 40 this year.)
To determine the best spy movies, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of April 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only spy movies with at least 2,500 IMDb ratings were considered. Cast information is from IMDb.
50. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (229,881 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (848,431 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (66 reviews)
- Starring: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York
49. Breach (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (60,266 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (377,402 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (178 reviews)
- Starring: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Dennis Haysbert
48. The President’s Analyst (1967)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (3,245 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (1,137 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (22 reviews)
- Starring: James Coburn, Godfrey Cambridge, Severn Darden
47. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (89,246 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (58,874 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (165 reviews)
- Starring: Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney
46. Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (119,719 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (226,468 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (204 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman
45. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (102,721 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (61,127 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (55 reviews)
- Starring: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens
44. Top Secret! (1984)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (63,617 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (41,648 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (48 reviews)
- Starring: Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Peter Cushing
43. Hopscotch (1980)
Source: Courtesy of AVCO Embassy Pictures
Source: Courtesy of AVCO Embassy Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (7,742 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (3,157 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (29 reviews)
- Starring: Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston
42. Thunderball (1965)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (111,293 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (63,340 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (51 reviews)
- Starring: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi
41. Saboteur (1942)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (24,734 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (8,405 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (28 reviews)
- Starring: Priscilla Lane, Robert Cummings, Otto Kruger
40. Broken Arrow (1950)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (8,233 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (1,036 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (9 reviews)
- Starring: James Stewart, Jeff Chandler, Debra Paget
39. Lust, Caution (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (39,691 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (51,356 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (148 reviews)
- Starring: Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Tang Wei, Joan Chen
38. Bad Company (1972)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (3,972 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (2,300 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (12 reviews)
- Starring: Jeff Bridges, Barry Brown, Jim Davis
37. GoldenEye (1995)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (245,610 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (285,758 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (79 reviews)
- Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco
36. No Way Out (1987)
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (37,905 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (20,795 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (46 reviews)
- Starring: Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young
35. American Made (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (188,290 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (26,388 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (270 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright
34. Ministry of Fear (1944)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (7,491 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (993 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (24 reviews)
- Starring: Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, Carl Esmond
33. Spies in Disguise (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (42,428 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (8,319 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (124 reviews)
- Starring: Rachel Brosnahan, Jarrett Bruno, Claire Crosby
32. The Report (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (44,830 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (1,058 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (240 reviews)
- Starring: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm
31. Thirteen Days (2000)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (59,734 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (30,172 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (124 reviews)
- Starring: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, Shawn Driscoll
30. Munich (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (229,404 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (330,282 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (211 reviews)
- Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Marie-Josée Croze
29. Dishonored (1931)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (2,516 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (500 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (10 reviews)
- Starring: Max Barwyn, Marlene Dietrich, Victor McLaglen
28. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (616,503 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (125,800 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (262 reviews)
- Starring: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson
27. All Through the Night (1942)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (4,086 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (592 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (10 reviews)
- Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Conrad Veidt, Kaaren Verne
26. Spy (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (237,184 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (83,010 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (259 reviews)
- Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jude Law
25. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (469,968 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (473,611 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (251 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg
24. Official Secrets (2019)
Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (49,024 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (361 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (166 reviews)
- Starring: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode
23. Three Days of the Condor (1975)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (52,010 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (11,762 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (47 reviews)
- Starring: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson
22. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (61,519 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (34,043 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (39 reviews)
- Starring: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda de Banzie
21. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (304,492 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (197,285 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (302 reviews)
- Starring: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt
20. Dr. No (1962)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (156,015 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (111,697 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (59 reviews)
- Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Bernard Lee
19. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (446,431 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (708,891 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (197 reviews)
- Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Joan Allen
18. The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (188,284 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (172,798 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (73 reviews)
- Starring: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn
17. From Russia with Love (1963)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (125,534 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (93,624 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (60 reviews)
- Starring: Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya
16. JFK (1991)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (158,513 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (62,651 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (64 reviews)
- Starring: Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Jack Lemmon
15. Bridge of Spies (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (313,980 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (65,587 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (312 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda
14. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (354,552 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (93,374 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (325 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner
13. Skyfall (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (648,708 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (374,338 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (381 reviews)
- Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris
12. The Bourne Identity (2002)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (523,907 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (965,745 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (192 reviews)
- Starring: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper
11. The Man Who Never Was (1956)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (5,387 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (1,745 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (6 reviews)
- Starring: Clifton Webb, Gloria Grahame, Robert Flemyng
10. Pickup on South Street (1953)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (13,750 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (4,425 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (36 reviews)
- Starring: Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter
9. The Train (1964)
Source: courtesy of United Artists
Source: courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (17,051 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (4,310 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (15 reviews)
- Starring: Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau
8. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (307,992 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (16,468 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (437 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames
7. Argo (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (617,860 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (208,987 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (359 reviews)
- Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman
6. Casino Royale (2006)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (601,654 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (703,961 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (259 reviews)
- Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench
5. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (616,488 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1,922,847 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (269 reviews)
- Starring: Matt Damon, Edgar Ramírez, Joan Allen
4. Goldfinger (1964)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (176,275 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (100,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (68 reviews)
- Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman
3. All the President’s Men (1976)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (117,562 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (50,360 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (65 reviews)
- Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden
2. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (73,496 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (31,403 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (60 reviews)
- Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh
1. Notorious (1946)
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (97,303 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (35,835 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (48 reviews)
- Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains