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99 Significant Espionage Films

Significant, not best, though certainly some of these films will be on anyone's best "spy" film rankings. Unfortunately, those rankings are most often done by critics with zero background in actual espionage who wouldn't know a CPU  - no, not a central processing unit, or steganography  - think Matryoshka Dolls (see what I mean?) from traffic analysis - here think The Imitation Game.

Most rankers have seen maybe twenty espionage films in their lives, or have copied them from other ranking lists to make up an article with a click-bait headline. Notice that North by Northwest is usually on all the Top 10s, and usually a couple of Bond films. On this list Northwest is ranked No. 50 and the first Bond, Dr. No comes in at No. 19. Of course Dr. No is not the best Bond film, but it was the first, and gave the world 007, M, Q, Moneypenny, and the Walther PPK. That makes it the most significant Bond film.

Many of the films will be unknown to most readers except for espionage enthusiasts. That's good. How boring to have a list of films that everyone has seen. This list will give you, depending on your  enthusiasm, a few months to a couple years of exciting movie-going.

There are no films on this list that I haven't seen at least three times, some as many as ten.

#1 Les Vampires - Did 007, Dr. No (Nok), Q's gear, the espionage genre start here?

#1 Les Vampires - Did 007, Dr. No (Nok), Q's gear, the espionage genre start here?

#2 Spione - In 1928, Fritz Lang perfects the espionage film template; used 1000's of times.

#2 Spione - In 1928, Fritz Lang perfects the espionage film template; used 1000's of times.

#3 The Third Man - Joe Harbin was not the 3rd man. He was MI6’s Harold “Kim” Philby.

#3 The Third Man - Joe Harbin was not the 3rd man. He was MI6’s Harold “Kim” Philby.

#4 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - Talky, thoughtful “whack-a-mole” spy film. Brilliant.

#4 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - Talky, thoughtful “whack-a-mole” spy film. Brilliant.

#5 The Manchurian Candidate (1962) - Bad Mommy. A+ "brainwashing" film.

#5 The Manchurian Candidate (1962) - Bad Mommy. A+ "brainwashing" film.

#6 Christopher Nolan spier is the most original Industrial Espionage film ever.

#6 Christopher Nolan spier is the most original Industrial Espionage film ever.

#7 Tenet - It's extra clever if you like to work crossword puzzles, *and* watch them.

#7 Tenet - It's extra clever if you like to work crossword puzzles, *and* watch them.

#8 Zero Dark Thirty - Does ZD30 define "spying?" "Find me somebody to kill!"

#8 Zero Dark Thirty - Does ZD30 define "spying?" "Find me somebody to kill!"

#9 The Day of the Jackal (1973) - The quintessentially handsome, bespoken spy/assassin.

#9 The Day of the Jackal (1973) - The quintessentially handsome, bespoken spy/assassin.

#10 The IPCRESS File - H. Palmer - nicest guy who lives in Apt 3B. “What! That geek is a spy?

#10 The IPCRESS File - H. Palmer - nicest guy who lives in Apt 3B. “What! That geek is a spy?

#11 The 39 Steps - Voted 4th Best British Film. Spy-hunting began here. And “Mr. Memory.”

#11 The 39 Steps - Voted 4th Best British Film. Spy-hunting began here. And “Mr. Memory.”

#12 The Lives of Others - It’s the best German espionage film if not for Lang’s #2, Spione.

#12 The Lives of Others - It’s the best German espionage film if not for Lang’s #2, Spione.

#13 Three Days of the Condor - Preppy grad lands a killer job reading books…for the CIA.

#13 Three Days of the Condor - Preppy grad lands a killer job reading books…for the CIA.

#14 Casino Royale (2006) - James Bond becomes 007. He gets his 2nd kill. He gets licensed

#14 Casino Royale (2006) - James Bond becomes 007. He gets his 2nd kill. He gets licensed

#15 The Conformist - It’s espionage about a smarmy, over-achieving neo-Fascist as*hat.

#15 The Conformist - It’s espionage about a smarmy, over-achieving neo-Fascist as*hat.

#16 The English Patient - If only all espionage films were this well-done; sadly, few are.

#16 The English Patient - If only all espionage films were this well-done; sadly, few are.

#17 Munich - Steven Spielberg directs Israel’s in-your-face answer to the Munich Massacre.

#17 Munich - Steven Spielberg directs Israel’s in-your-face answer to the Munich Massacre.

#18 Apocalypse Now - An Army Captain’s Top Secret intelligence op turns hallucinogenic.

#18 Apocalypse Now - An Army Captain’s Top Secret intelligence op turns hallucinogenic.

#19 Dr. No - Welcome to our lives - James Bond 007, M, Q, and the Walther PPK 7.65mm.

#19 Dr. No - Welcome to our lives - James Bond 007, M, Q, and the Walther PPK 7.65mm.

#20 The Lady Vanishes - (1938) Spies-on-a-train plot is still the standard for spy trainers.

#20 The Lady Vanishes - (1938) Spies-on-a-train plot is still the standard for spy trainers.

#21 Army of Shadows - Spying is cool! "I want to be a spy!" Maybe see this movie first.

#21 Army of Shadows - Spying is cool! "I want to be a spy!" Maybe see this movie first.

#22 Goldfinger - Six decades later James Bond 007 still makes us hate our boring 000 lives.

#22 Goldfinger - Six decades later James Bond 007 still makes us hate our boring 000 lives.

#23 The Bourne Identity - Like Bond, Bourne changed the way action spy films are made.

#23 The Bourne Identity - Like Bond, Bourne changed the way action spy films are made.

#24 John Wick - Eliminating agents in enemy organizations is a hands-on form of espionage.

#24 John Wick - Eliminating agents in enemy organizations is a hands-on form of espionage.

#25 The Age of Shadows - Korean “Heroic Corps” with Kang Ho, battle Japanese invaders.

#25 The Age of Shadows - Korean “Heroic Corps” with Kang Ho, battle Japanese invaders.

#26 Alphaville - Jean-Luc Godard’s futuristic, dystopianish, noirish, cultish French spy gem.

#26 Alphaville - Jean-Luc Godard’s futuristic, dystopianish, noirish, cultish French spy gem.

#27 Colossus: The Forbin Project - AI goes sideways. Uh-oh. Lots to ChatGPT about here.

#27 Colossus: The Forbin Project - AI goes sideways. Uh-oh. Lots to ChatGPT about here.

#28 Déjà Vu - Parallel universes? Time travel? ATF's Denzel + Gov't secret spy unit. Clever!

#28 Déjà Vu - Parallel universes? Time travel? ATF's Denzel + Gov't secret spy unit. Clever!

#29 The Kremlin Letter - Underrated, complex, morally ambiguous, with a startling ending.

#29 The Kremlin Letter - Underrated, complex, morally ambiguous, with a startling ending.

#30 Source Code - A secret spy soldier dies repeatedly on a train as every op fails…but one.

#30 Source Code - A secret spy soldier dies repeatedly on a train as every op fails…but one.

#31 Bullet Train - Ladybug, White Death, Carver, Wolf, Hornet, Twins, Prince, and “Barry.”

#31 Bullet Train - Ladybug, White Death, Carver, Wolf, Hornet, Twins, Prince, and “Barry.”

#32 Black Book - Voted Best All-Time Dutch film. Yeah, sex and NAZIs really sell tickets.

#32 Black Book - Voted Best All-Time Dutch film. Yeah, sex and NAZIs really sell tickets.

#33 Secret Agent - Hitchcock’s spier was there at the beginning. It’s a spy fan must-see.

#33 Secret Agent - Hitchcock’s spier was there at the beginning. It’s a spy fan must-see.

#34 The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - MI6 agent decides he’s had it up to, well, here.

#34 The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - MI6 agent decides he’s had it up to, well, here.

#35 Ivan’s Childhood - In Tarkovsky’s coming-of-age sad gem, Ivan is a 12-year-old spy.

#35 Ivan’s Childhood - In Tarkovsky’s coming-of-age sad gem, Ivan is a 12-year-old spy.

#36 Sabotage - Hitchcock wraps his spy story around a boy and his dog; difficult to watch.

#36 Sabotage - Hitchcock wraps his spy story around a boy and his dog; difficult to watch.

#37 The Good Shepherd - Damon/DeNiro’s take on CIA’s paranoiac James Jesus Angleton.

#37 The Good Shepherd - Damon/DeNiro’s take on CIA’s paranoiac James Jesus Angleton.

#38 Where Eagles Dare - BROADSWORD CALLING DANNY BOY BROADSWORD...”

#38 Where Eagles Dare - BROADSWORD CALLING DANNY BOY BROADSWORD...”

#39 The Scarlet Pimpernel - An English spy-fop badass wrecks France’s Reign of Terror.

#39 The Scarlet Pimpernel - An English spy-fop badass wrecks France’s Reign of Terror.

#40 The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse - NAZIs use spy gear in Luxor hotel; try to go nuclear.

#40 The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse - NAZIs use spy gear in Luxor hotel; try to go nuclear.

#41 Ministry of Fear - Fritz Lang’s NAZIs covet regular guy’s 1st Prize! - “code-in-a-cake.”

#41 Ministry of Fear - Fritz Lang’s NAZIs covet regular guy’s 1st Prize! - “code-in-a-cake.”

#42 Man Hunt - Fritz Lang’s hero opts not to shoot Hitler before Der Führer starts his sh*t.

#42 Man Hunt - Fritz Lang’s hero opts not to shoot Hitler before Der Führer starts his sh*t.

#43 Notorious - Hitchcock’s spier about loyalty, a man and a woman kissing, and a staircase.

#43 Notorious - Hitchcock’s spier about loyalty, a man and a woman kissing, and a staircase.

#44 Barry Lyndon - In this 1800’s classic, Stanley Kubrick’s spying is, of course, spot-on.

#44 Barry Lyndon - In this 1800’s classic, Stanley Kubrick’s spying is, of course, spot-on.

#45 Rear Window - “Jeff” Jefferies is not a voyeur; he’s just an accidental, busy-body spy.

#45 Rear Window - “Jeff” Jefferies is not a voyeur; he’s just an accidental, busy-body spy.

#46 Mission: Impossible - Look what Cruise’s M:I started! The breach of CIA HQ is gold.

#46 Mission: Impossible - Look what Cruise’s M:I started! The breach of CIA HQ is gold.

#47 Lust, Caution - A secret agent goes horny bunny for his gorgeous target; a bit not good.

#47 Lust, Caution - A secret agent goes horny bunny for his gorgeous target; a bit not good.

#48 Bridge of Spies - Glienicke is the real bridge over USA/USSR’s always troubled waters.

#48 Bridge of Spies - Glienicke is the real bridge over USA/USSR’s always troubled waters.

#49 Kingsman: The Secret Service - Original! Bond, Bourne, and now Eggsy, and manners.

#49 Kingsman: The Secret Service - Original! Bond, Bourne, and now Eggsy, and manners.

#50 North By Northwest - “The Mount Rushmore of spy films?” Ha-ha. But yeah, it’s kinda.

#50 North By Northwest - “The Mount Rushmore of spy films?” Ha-ha. But yeah, it’s kinda.

#51 The Spy Gone North - How secret agencies operate, not remotely like tv series portray.

#51 The Spy Gone North - How secret agencies operate, not remotely like tv series portray.

#52 The Stranger - Orson Welles stars in and directs a story-driven unheralded spy classic.

#52 The Stranger - Orson Welles stars in and directs a story-driven unheralded spy classic.

#53 Foreign Correspondent - An unabashedly pro-Western, anti-NAZI propaganda film.

#53 Foreign Correspondent - An unabashedly pro-Western, anti-NAZI propaganda film.

#54 The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) - Watch this one, then maybe the 1956 film.

#54 The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) - Watch this one, then maybe the 1956 film.

#55 Europa Europa - A Jewish man surrounded by NAZIs survives saying he’s a German.

#55 Europa Europa - A Jewish man surrounded by NAZIs survives saying he’s a German.

#56 I Saw the Devil - A Secret Agent gets really pis*ed at a brutal psycho, and is unpleasant.

#56 I Saw the Devil - A Secret Agent gets really pis*ed at a brutal psycho, and is unpleasant.

#57 Skyfall - Angry, dispirited; the best always-mopey-Craig Bond film is exalted by its cast.

#57 Skyfall - Angry, dispirited; the best always-mopey-Craig Bond film is exalted by its cast.

#58 The Imitation Game - Alan Turing, the gay comp genius is now on UK 50-pound note!

#58 The Imitation Game - Alan Turing, the gay comp genius is now on UK 50-pound note!

#59 Atomic Blonde - Work-out the triple-agent spy plot. Then enjoy 2 hours of a*s-kicking.

#59 Atomic Blonde - Work-out the triple-agent spy plot. Then enjoy 2 hours of a*s-kicking.

#60 Cold War - Lover spying on lover. Espionage that drains all hope and joy from that life.

#60 Cold War - Lover spying on lover. Espionage that drains all hope and joy from that life.

#61 The Constant Gardener - Corporate disinformation and murder; intel op goes wonky.

#61 The Constant Gardener - Corporate disinformation and murder; intel op goes wonky.

#62 State of Siege - Is he a businessman? Is he a policeman? Is he a diplomat? Nope, a spy.

#62 State of Siege - Is he a businessman? Is he a policeman? Is he a diplomat? Nope, a spy.

#63 April and the Extraordinary World - Animated steampunk spies and a cute talking cat!

#63 April and the Extraordinary World - Animated steampunk spies and a cute talking cat!

#64 Ghost in the Shell - (1996) - It’s the anime classic with a cyberpunk cyborg secret agent.

#64 Ghost in the Shell - (1996) - It’s the anime classic with a cyberpunk cyborg secret agent.

#65 To Live and Die in LA - Willem Dafoe pursues master counterfeiter until he goes to far.

#65 To Live and Die in LA - Willem Dafoe pursues master counterfeiter until he goes to far.

#66 Quiller Memorandum, The - Like champagne or hot buttered grits; its an acquired taste.

#66 Quiller Memorandum, The - Like champagne or hot buttered grits; its an acquired taste.

#67 Seven Days in May - It’s a clandestine Army Unit, ECOMCON battling Secret Service.

#67 Seven Days in May - It’s a clandestine Army Unit, ECOMCON battling Secret Service.

#68 Ronin - 90's spy film works because of DeNiro and it’s European sensibility. And Paris.

#68 Ronin - 90's spy film works because of DeNiro and it’s European sensibility. And Paris.

#69 Hunt for Red October, The - Yes, bad CGI; but no better ever espionage aboard subs.

#69 Hunt for Red October, The - Yes, bad CGI; but no better ever espionage aboard subs.

#70 Pickup on South Street - Pickpocket lifts Commie documents, sets-off a great spy story.

#70 Pickup on South Street - Pickpocket lifts Commie documents, sets-off a great spy story.

#71 Gorky Park - A secret KGB Cold War op draws the attention of a Moscow detective.

#71 Gorky Park - A secret KGB Cold War op draws the attention of a Moscow detective.

#72 Villainess - Don’t mistake her for “Kissy”! This Korean spier is a big-screen video game.

#72 Villainess - Don’t mistake her for “Kissy”! This Korean spier is a big-screen video game.

#73 Inglorious Basterds - Tarantino’s parallel WWII die-at-the-movies-you-NAZI-knobs.

#73 Inglorious Basterds - Tarantino’s parallel WWII die-at-the-movies-you-NAZI-knobs.

#74 Enter the Dragon - The espionage meets martial arts classic. RIP, MI6 agent, Bruce Li.

#74 Enter the Dragon - The espionage meets martial arts classic. RIP, MI6 agent, Bruce Li.

#75 Charade - Whitman's Candy Sampler of a spy film; Grant and Hepburn are soooo pretty.

#75 Charade - Whitman's Candy Sampler of a spy film; Grant and Hepburn are soooo pretty.

#76 Lobos Sucios - Two sisters resist NAZIs. All the critics missed all the Magical Realism.

#76 Lobos Sucios - Two sisters resist NAZIs. All the critics missed all the Magical Realism.

#77 La Femme Nikita - Gov’t trains a pretty felon to be an assassin. She falls in love. Oops.

#77 La Femme Nikita - Gov’t trains a pretty felon to be an assassin. She falls in love. Oops.

#78 From Russia with Love - Many 007 fans liked FRWL best, until they saw Goldfinger.

#78 From Russia with Love - Many 007 fans liked FRWL best, until they saw Goldfinger.

#79 The Front Line - South Korea Defense Security Command is born on a hill. It’s true.

#79 The Front Line - South Korea Defense Security Command is born on a hill. It’s true.

#80 Total Recall - (1990) Arnold as a househusband/badass spying on Mars is, well, Arnold!

#80 Total Recall - (1990) Arnold as a househusband/badass spying on Mars is, well, Arnold!

#81 The Woman in the Moon - 2h 49m, b&w, intertitles, spy-fi, and directed by Fritz Lang!

#81 The Woman in the Moon - 2h 49m, b&w, intertitles, spy-fi, and directed by Fritz Lang!

#82 JFK - You know a lot about this story. Did you know DA Clay Shaw was a CIA agent?

#82 JFK - You know a lot about this story. Did you know DA Clay Shaw was a CIA agent?

#83 Black Test Car - Can designing a Japanese sports car make a good espionage film? [x].

#83 Black Test Car - Can designing a Japanese sports car make a good espionage film? [x].

#84 The Bourne Supremacy - Maybe it’s a better second film because Bourne is gloomier.

#84 The Bourne Supremacy - Maybe it’s a better second film because Bourne is gloomier.

#85 L’Affaire Farewell – A Russian official, up-to-here with USSR politics, unloads secrets.

#85 L’Affaire Farewell – A Russian official, up-to-here with USSR politics, unloads secrets.

#86 Il Generale Della Rovere - This is a rare one-man show, about a moral and heroic spy.

#86 Il Generale Della Rovere - This is a rare one-man show, about a moral and heroic spy.

#87 Our Man in Havana - Alec Guinness sells vacuums and is a UK spy in pre-Castro Cuba.

#87 Our Man in Havana - Alec Guinness sells vacuums and is a UK spy in pre-Castro Cuba.

#88 The Conversation – A paranoia primer that follows a "spy" lacking real-spy tradecraft.

#88 The Conversation – A paranoia primer that follows a "spy" lacking real-spy tradecraft.

#89 Flame and Citron – Two Netherland heroes were so effective but so morally confused.

#89 Flame and Citron – Two Netherland heroes were so effective but so morally confused.

#90 Ninotchka - Greta Garbo, a Soviet "diplomat" is a secret agent who, oops, falls in love.

#90 Ninotchka - Greta Garbo, a Soviet "diplomat" is a secret agent who, oops, falls in love.

#91 The Chef, The Actor and The Scoundrel - fun and graphics become strange spy story.

#91 The Chef, The Actor and The Scoundrel - fun and graphics become strange spy story.

#92 The Man Who Never Was - WWII hero, MAJ William Martin was the perfect soldier.

#92 The Man Who Never Was - WWII hero, MAJ William Martin was the perfect soldier.

#93 Saboteur - Hitchcock’s anti-Nazi-5th- column-is-active-in-America spier is underrated.

#93 Saboteur - Hitchcock’s anti-Nazi-5th- column-is-active-in-America spier is underrated.

#94 Night Train to Munich – Carol Reed directs Rex Harrison among trash bins of NAZIs.

#94 Night Train to Munich – Carol Reed directs Rex Harrison among trash bins of NAZIs.

#95 Casablanca - Time has gone by but it hasn’t obfuscated the ubiquitous spying, or Bogie.

#95 Casablanca - Time has gone by but it hasn’t obfuscated the ubiquitous spying, or Bogie.

96. Burn! - British secret agent Marlon Brando tries to sort it out for England. Brando. Spy.

96. Burn! - British secret agent Marlon Brando tries to sort it out for England. Brando. Spy.

#97 Samurai Spy - Ninjas-as-spies epic is complex and requires you to think and think more.

#97 Samurai Spy - Ninjas-as-spies epic is complex and requires you to think and think more.

#98 The Legends of Rita - Lovely Rita realizes that more terrorism is never, ever the answer.

#98 The Legends of Rita - Lovely Rita realizes that more terrorism is never, ever the answer.

#99 The Russian Woodpecker - No. 1 if I were rating scary Chernobyl conspiracy theories.

#99 The Russian Woodpecker - No. 1 if I were rating scary Chernobyl conspiracy theories.

Click on list to open a printable pdf of Hayden's 99 Essential Espionage Movies.

Click on list to open a printable pdf of Hayden's 99 Essential Espionage Movies.