Famous movies about spies

“Argo”, the James Bond series or “Mission Impossible” offer viewers eye-catching action scenes and unique characters.

1. Argo (2012)

This film is based on real events that occurred between 1979 and 1981. After the US Embassy in Iran was attacked by extremists, a number of diplomats had to take secret refuge at the Canadian Ambassador's house. The US government, through the CIA, sent a spy to infiltrate Iran to find a way to bring them back safely.

The film, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, was a huge success both critically and commercially. Argo won three Oscars for “Best Picture,” “Best Adapted Screenplay,” and “Best Film Editing.” The film’s global revenue was $232 million against a production budget of just $44.5 million.

2. James Bond series(1962 - present)

The first episode of this series was released in 1962 with the title Dr. No. The main character throughout the series is James Bond, a spy of the British intelligence agency MI6 created by writer Ian Fleming in a series of detective novels.

Since Dr. No, there have been 22 more films about the spy codenamed 007. The appeal of this series has never shown any signs of waning. Audiences are always eagerly awaiting new adventures of the handsome, charming, and skilled spy with a taste for Martini “shaken but not stirred”. The 24th James Bond film, titled Spectre, is scheduled to be released later this year.

3. Three Days of the Condor (1975)

The adaptation of the novel Six Days of the Condor was one of the most successful films in the career of famous director Sydnet Pollack. The film starred two movie stars of the time, Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.

In the film, Robert Redford plays a CIA analyst who discovers that all his colleagues have been murdered after a lunch. He must escape a manhunt while trying to figure out who the killer is and who he can trust.

Three Days of the Condor grossed $41.5 million—a huge sum in the 1970s—and won an Oscar for Best Film Editing and a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

4. North by Northwest (1959)

This is a classic work directed by the famous director Alfred Hitchcock. The film is always on the list of the best films of all time by many prestigious magazines and film websites, and is listed as "must be preserved" by the US Library of Congress.

The film revolves around a New York advertising executive who is mistaken for a government undercover agent by a group of foreign spies. He must find a way to survive while being hunted across the country.

5. Jason Bourne series(2002 - present)

This series is based on the detective novels by author Robert Ludlum. The content revolves around the character Jason Bourne - a spy with amnesia, who must both find his identity and escape the government's pursuit to cover up clues.

The series has been praised for its suspenseful, dramatic content and realistic action scenes, without the use of computer effects. To date, the Bourne series has had three main episodes and one spin-off. The next episode is scheduled to be released in July 2016 with the return of star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass.

6. Munich (2005)

The film is based on a true event - 11 Israeli athletes were murdered at the 1972 Summer Olympics. After this massacre, the Israeli government sent a group of five spies to hunt down and destroy the perpetrators.

Munich was directed by the talented Steven Spielberg and starred Daniel Craig and Eric Bana. The film only grossed $130.4 million but was highly appreciated by critics and received five Oscar nominations, including “Best Picture”.

7. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was hunted down by the United States. The film Zero Dark Thirty depicts part of the search and destruction of this notorious terrorist leader through the perspective of a female CIA intelligence analyst and collector. Thanks to her efforts and dedication, American special forces found Bin Laden's hiding place.

Zero Dark Thirty was highly appreciated by film critics for its artistic value. 95 of the world's leading film critics ranked this work in the list of 10 best films of 2012. Zero Dark Thirty also received five Oscar nominations and four Golden Globe nominations. The film's director is female filmmaker - Kathryn Bigelow, who won an Oscar in 2010 for The Hurt Locker.

8. True Lies (1994)

This film is one of the high points of the muscular actor Arnold Schwarzenegger's career. In the film, based on the French comedy La Totale, the former Governor of California plays a counter-terrorism agent who, while hunting down a dangerous terrorist, suddenly suspects his wife of having an affair.

True Lies received much praise for its engaging and dramatic content, impressive action scenes, and humorous situations and dialogues. In particular, the pole dancing scene in the film by actress Jamie Lee Curtis is considered one of the most erotic scenes in cinema history. She also won the Golden Globe for “Best Actress” for her unique role in True Lies.

9. Mission: Impossible series(1996 - present)

Mission: Impossible is based on the popular American television series of the same name. This series helped elevate Tom Cruise to become one of the world's top movie stars. Tom plays the character of spy Ethan Hunt, who is tasked with dangerous and seemingly impossible missions.

Since the first film was released in 1996, there have been three more Mission: Impossible films released to audiences. With a total revenue of more than 2 billion USD, Mission: Impossible is among the 20 highest-grossing film series of all time. The fifth film, titled Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, is "making waves" in theaters this summer.

10. Spy Game (2001)

After Three Days of the Condor, veteran star Robert Redford starred in another memorable spy film, Spy Game, in which he played a retired CIA agent who joins the rescue of his student (played by Brad Pitt) who is being held captive in China.

Spy Game was critically acclaimed but not commercially successful. The film grossed only $143 million against a production budget of $115 million.

According to VNE