Highest-Rated Movies about 'Espionage', Sort by Popularity

The Thief (1997), Secret Agent (1936), The Lives of Others (2006), Inglourious Basterds (2009), 13 rue Madeleine (1946), North by Northwest (1959), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Nothing but the Truth (2008) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Espionage movies.

#2. Secret Agent (1936)

Storyline: British intelligence fakes the death of Edgar Brodie (John Gielgud) to send him on a mission in Switzerland, where as Richard Ashendon he is to locate and kill a Germany spy. Accompanying Brodie are fellow agents Elsa Carrington (Madeleine Carroll), who is to play Brodie's wife, and an eccentric assassin known as The General (Peter Lorre). Locating the spy on a train, Brodie and Elsa have second thoughts about their mission just as an American (Robert Young) ingratiates himself with them.

Plot Keywords: agent, assassin, partner, american, spy, dark, tense ...

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#3. The Lives of Others (2006)

Storyline: Gerd Wiesler is an officer with the Stasi, the East German secret police. The film begins in 1984 when Wiesler attends a play written by Georg Dreyman, who is considered by many to be the ultimate example of the loyal citizen. Wiesler has a gut feeling that Dreyman can't be as ideal as he seems, and believes surveillance is called for. The Minister of Culture agrees but only later does Wiesler learn that the Minister sees Dreyman as a rival and lusts after his partner Christa-Maria. The more time he spends listening in on them, the more he comes to care about them. The once rigid Stasi officer begins to intervene in their lives, in a positive way, protecting them whenever possible. Eventually, Wiesler's activities catch up to him and while there is no proof of wrongdoing, he finds himself in menial jobs - until the unbelievable happens.

Plot Keywords: spy, playwright, actress, lover, officer, dark, tense ...

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#4. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Storyline: In German-occupied France, young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa. Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war hero Fredrick Zoller takes a rapid interest in her and arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the "Basterds", a group of Jewish-American guerrilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine. As the relentless executioners advance and the conspiring young girl's plans are set in motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the very annals of history.

Plot Keywords: soldier, colonel, adolf hitler, mercenary, heroine, filmmaker, thrilling ...

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#6. North by Northwest (1959)

Storyline: Madison Avenue advertising man Roger Thornhill finds himself thrust into the world of spies when he is mistaken for a man by the name of George Kaplan. Foreign spy Philip Vandamm and his henchman Leonard try to eliminate him but when Thornhill tries to make sense of the case, he is framed for murder. Now on the run from the police, he manages to board the 20th Century Limited bound for Chicago where he meets a beautiful blond, Eve Kendall, who helps him to evade the authorities. His world is turned upside down yet again when he learns that Eve isn't the innocent bystander he thought she was. Not all is as it seems however, leading to a dramatic rescue and escape at the top of Mt. Rushmore.

Plot Keywords: ad executive, spy, secret agent, mother, henchman, police officer, amusing ...

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#7. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Storyline: From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash, Jr. experienced it all. A mathematical genius, he made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery. After many years of struggle, he eventually triumphed over his tragedy, and finally - late in life - received the Nobel Prize.

Plot Keywords: professor, student, genius, agent, psychiatrist, dark, inspiring ...

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#8. Nothing but the Truth (2008)

Storyline: When reporter Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) writes a story that reveals the identity of a covert CIA operative, the government demands that Rachel reveal her source. She defies the special prosecutor (Matt Dillon) and is thrown in jail. Meanwhile, her attorney, Albert Burnside (Alan Alda) argues her case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Plot Keywords: reporter, cia agent, prosecutor, attorney, husband, editor, suspenseful ...

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#9. Infernal Affairs (2002)

Storyline: Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan and Inspector Lau Kin Ming, respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst.

Plot Keywords: undercover cop, mole, crime boss, police chief, love interest, gangster, melodramatic ...

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#10. The Imitation Game (2014)

Storyline: Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

Plot Keywords: scientist, mathematician, gay man, military official, government official, emotional, powerful ...

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#11. Baby (2015)

Storyline: The country is perpetually under threat from terrorist powers and the common man walks unaware of the threats and the attacks that our Government controls and prevents. While the common Indian fights for everyday issues, there are deeper and bigger threats to him and his family that he will never know exist because it is the men and women in uniform that safeguard them. The men and women who put country before self, the men and women who define our history because they give a damn! Ajay (played by Akshay Kumar) is one such officer who is part of an elite team chosen from amongst the best in the Forces to form a covert Counter Intelligence Unit. In the course of foiling one terrorist attack bid, Ajay discovers a major threat to our nation - a plan to cause damage and strike fear at the heart of our very existence. The plot is masterminded by a maniacal leader whose organization has its tentacles spread across the world. As days progress, the unit goes through escalating challenges with...

Plot Keywords: intelligence officer, agent, terrorist, traitor, spy, police chief, brash ...

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#13. Notorious (1946)

Storyline: Following the conviction of her German father for treason against the U.S., Alicia Huberman takes to drink and men. She is approached by a government agent (T.R. Devlin) who asks her to spy on a group of her father's Nazi friends operating out of Rio de Janeiro. A romance develops between Alicia and Devlin, but she starts to get too involved in her work.—Col Needham <col@imdb.com>

Plot Keywords: secret agent, spy, nazi, mother, engaging, tense, suspenseful ...

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#14. The Bourne Identity (2002)

Storyline: Based very loosely on Robert Ludlum's novel, the Bourne Identity is the story of a man whose wounded body is discovered by fishermen who nurse him back to health. He can remember nothing and begins to try to rebuild his memory based on clues such as a Swiss bank account, the number of which is implanted in his hip. He soon realizes that he is being hunted and takes off with Marie on a search to find out who he is - and why he is being hunted.

Plot Keywords: jason bourne, girlfriend, assassin, government official, killer, amnesiac, gripping ...

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#15. Ice Cold in Alex (1958)

Storyline: A group of Army personnel and nurses attempt a dangerous and arduous trek across the desert of North Africa during World War II. The leader of the team dreams of his ice cold beer when he reaches Alexandria, but the problems just won't go away.—Rob Hartill

Plot Keywords: soldier, nurse, captain, driver, nun, spy, brooding ...

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