The 25 Best Spy Movies Ever Made
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Emma Carey Paul Schrodt Josh Rosenberg
The best spy movies are a mix of suave, mystery, and action. From Bond to ‘Atomic Blonde,’ the alluring life of a spy will always draw film lovers into the mix.
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Esquire
In today's streaming wars, audiences are forced to become intelligence operatives. Oh, you want to watch a movie? Get ready to parse through seven platforms (two of which you subscribe to) to find out its streaming location. But viewers looking for a good spy movie shouldn't have to descend from the ceiling like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible just to watch Mission: Impossible. And that's why we ranked the top 25 spy movies ever made.

Think of this list as your "man in the chair." We've already done the hacking and surveillance work to guide you through your mission, open all the locked doors, and maybe even help you remember your password. This list includes real-life stories, including Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, as well as ridiculous comedies, such as Charade and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. If you're looking for the best of the best, head North by Northwest. For whatever mission you've accepted, these are the best spy films of all time.

Technically, De Palma's The Fury is only one-third spy movie. It's also part horror movie and part teen supernatural mind-fuck. The director's messy yet somehow perfect masterpiece sprints from one awe-inspiring set piece to another, as Kirk Douglas's hilariously gruff ex-CIA agent tries to free his son from the clutches of a diabolical government program (led by an equally hilarious John Cassavetes).

Based on a novel no one much cares about anymore, the movie mashes up what made Carrie so successful with every other movie convention that has obsessed De Palma, from Peeping Toms to elaborate escape plots—one here unfolds in near silence for about ten minutes and will make your heart skip a few beats. The result is pure visual ecstasy, all the way up to its (literally) head-exploding climax.