October 4, 2019
If you want to dig deep, watch this John le Carré spy classic from 1979. The miniseries stars Alec Guiness as George Smiley, a former spy who’s brought out of retirement to rat out a mole within the British Secret Intelligence Service. You can even watch it for free on YouTube, even in HD (select 1080). YouTube link is below.
Series Director: John Irvin
Cast: Alec Guinness, Michael Jayston, Anthony Bate
IMDb: 8.5
Where: YouTube, DVD, Blu-ray
If you want to continue the deep dive, watch the follow-up to the above miniseries. This time, Smiley’s brought out of retirement to investigate the death of a former colleague, which leads to a confrontation with his top foe, the Soviet spy Karla. Watch it on YouTube (link below).
Series Director: Simon Langton
Cast: Alec Guinness, Eileen Atkins, Bill Paterson
IMDb: 8.6
Where: YouTube, DVD, Blu-ray
This is a great, classic spy movie that hooks you in the first 10 minutes. I won’t give anything away. Redford did another notable spy movie: Spy Game (2001) directed by Tony Scott and co-starring Brad Pitt.
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson
IMDb: 7.5
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A fictional account, but supposedly based on facts, of the CIA’s hunt for Osama bin Laden after 9/11. Chastain plays a female CIA operative who is supposedly an amalgamation of several actual women. For the documentary version of this story, see Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Search for Bin Laden (HBO).
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt
IMDb: 7.4
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Follows the exploits of bi-polar CIA agent Carrie Mathison. In Season 1, she must deal with personal feelings for a war hero she also suspects is a double agent for al-Qaeda. The first two seasons might be the best, but this long-running spy series continues to be smart TV, certainly smarter than what’s on the major networks. Based on the Israeli series Prisoners of War.
Creators: Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon
Cast: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis
IMDb: 8.4
Where: Showtime, Hulu, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Unbeknownst to their children, Elizabeth and Philip Jennings of suburban Washington, D.C. are actually Russian spies. This show continued to bring the drama in every season. The 2018 final season was another corker. A smart show.
Creator: Joseph Weisberg
Cast: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Holly Taylor, Noah Emmerich
IMDb: 8.3
Where: FXNOW, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
An account of the five men tasked with hunting down the perpetrators of the 1972 Summer Olympics murders. Like Zero Dark Thirty, this carries extra weight since it’s based on a true story.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Marie-Josée Croze
IMDb: 7.6
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A CIA analyst is transferred to its Berlin Station and must learn the ropes of being a field operative while uncovering a mole within the organization. Intelligently done.
Creator: Olen Steinhauer
Cast: Richard Armitage, Rhys Ifans, Michelle Forbes, Leland Orser, Richard Jenkins
IMDb: 7.5
Where: EPIX, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Not as strong as the miniseries with Alec Guiness, but definitely a smart story. In fact, you may need to watch this more than once to understand it. From the master of the spy genre John le Carré.
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Cast: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy
IMDb: 7.1
Where: Starz, Netflix, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu, Google Play
Another great spy series from the Brits. This one very much has the feel of Tinker Tailor. The downside is there was no second season.
Creator: Toby Whithouse (Being Human)
Cast: Tom Hughes, Jonathan Aris, Victoria Hamilton, Brian Cox
IMDb: 7.9
Where: Sundance Now, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
An ex-soldier now hotel manager is asked to spy on an international arms dealer. A well-paced thriller from a story by John le Carré. The Brits know how to do smart TV.
Director: Susanne Bier
Writers: David Farr, John le Carré
Cast: Hugh Laurie, Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Debicki
IMDb: 8.2
Where: Amazon Prime, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
A Berlin spy drama with a sci-fi twist. Simmons was nominated for a Satellite Award. Question is, why wasn’t he nominated for, and winner of, an Emmy?
Creator: Justin Marks
Cast: J.K. Simmons, Harry Lloyd, Nazanin Boniadi, Olivia Williams
IMDb: 8.4
Where: Starz, iTunes, Amazon on Demand, Vudu
An account of the FBI’s and CIA’s friction and rivalry in the lead-up to 9/11. How they botched things. Again, high on the list because it’s based on true events.
Creators: Dan Futterman, Alex Gibney, Lawrence Wright
Cast: Jeff Daniels, Tahar Rahim, Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard
IMDb: 8.0
Where: Hulu, Amazon On Demand, iTunes, Vudu
In the U.K., this highly popular show is called Spooks. The series has many actors you might recognize. There are many seasons, but each one is a nail-biter. The series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers, which technically makes them more FBI than CIA, but I included it anyway.
Cast: Peter Firth, Hugh Simon, Nicola Walker, Rupert Penry-Jones
IMDb: 8.3
Where: Hulu, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
British political spy thriller. An Anglo-Jewish businesswoman committed to Middle East peace is caught up in a British/Israeli/Palestinian power struggle as she tries to bring greater technology to the West Bank. Gyllenhaal won a Golden Globe.
Director: Hugo Blick (The Shadow Line)
Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stephen Rea, Lubna Azabal
British title: The Honourable Woman
IMDb: 8.1
Where: Netflix, iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
British television espionage thriller series. A retired MI6 officer is forced back into service for one more job. Season 2 is probably a little stronger. A decent watch.
Creators: Simon Maxwell, Matthew Parkhill
Cast: Mark Strong, Walter Goggins, Joe Dempsie, Karima McAdams, Anastasia Griffith
IMDb: 7.0
Where: EPIX
John Krasinski plays the titular CIA analyst who also, always, sees action in the field. I had low expectations going in, and found this to be better than expected. Has some paint-by-numbers predictability, but I like the humility with which Krasinski imbues his character.
Creators: Carlton Cuse, Graham Roland
Cast: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Abbie Cornish
IMDb: 8.2
Where: Amazon Prime
French spy thriller that involves agents of the DGSE (General Directorate of External Security), the French equivalent of the CIA. Based on real accounts by former spies. A very fly-on-the-wall, slowly paced series with great subtlety and smarts. Considered by some to be France’s best television show ever.
Creator: Eric Rochant
Cast: Mathieu Kassovitz, Florence Loiret Caille, Sara Giraudeau
Original title: Le Bureau des Légendes
Language: French
IMDb: 8.5
Where: Sundance Now, iTunes, Amazon On Demand
An officer within the East German secret police is ordered to spy on a popular East German playwright suspected of West-German leanings. The film was lauded for its accurate depiction of East Germany. A movie that’s liked by all who see it. Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Cast: Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch
Original title: Das Leben der Anderen
Language: German
IMDb: 8.5
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
Here, Carice van Houten plays a completely different character from her red witch in Game of Thrones. She’s a Jew on the run in Naz-occupied Holland, who becomes a spy.
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman
Language: Dutch, German, English, Hebrew
IMDb: 7.7
Where: iTunes, Amazon On Demand, Vudu
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