When you’re in the mood to watch some suspenseful action, there’s no better option than a good spy movie. The spy genre may be the final uncharted frontier, but filmmakers have been exploring it since movies were first created.
This exciting and varied subgenre has everything from A-list actors to jaw-dropping budgets to create the best spy movies on Netflix in Canada.
Read on to find out which streaming espionage and spy movies rank the highest right now on the list of the best spy movies on Netflix in Canada.
You can find the description for the best movies on Netflix Canada here:
1. Mercury Rising (1998)
Director: Harold Becker
Writer: Ryne Douglas Pearson, Lawrence Konner
Cast: Bruce Willis, Miko Hughes, Alec Baldwin
Genre: Spy/Crime
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Runtime: 1h 51m
In “Mercury Rising,” Bruce Willis plays Art Jeffries, a rogue FBI agent who fights against evil federal officers to save Simon (Miko Hughes), an autistic 9-year-old who has broken the government’s new code.
He reads MERCURY, the most complex encryption system ever developed, with the ease of a native English speaker. If the United States’ opponents find out about Simon’s talent and manage to arrest him, the new billion-dollar secret code will be in jeopardy. One of the best crime movies on Netflix.
2. Austin Powers In Goldmember (2002)
Director: Jay Roach
Writer: Mike Myers, Michael McCullers
Cast: Mike Myers, Beyoncé, Seth Green
Genre: Spy/Comedy
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Runtime: 1h 34m
Dr. Evil plans to use time travel to take over the world, and he teams up with the enigmatic and unusual Goldmember by capturing Nigel Powers, Austin’s father, and England’s most famous spy.
Austin travels across time in pursuit of the criminals. He goes back to 1975 and teams up with Foxxy Cleopatra, a streetwise but fashionable investigator who used to be in love with him. Austin and Foxxy must work together to save Nigel from Dr. Evil and Goldmember’s evil plans.
3. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Director: Doug Liman
Writer: Simon Kinberg
Cast: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Adam Brody
Genre: Action/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Runtime: 2h 0m
This action movie on Netflix follows the story of the lives of John and Jane Smith, a married couple who seem to have hit a rut, is surprisingly ordinary. But they each have something they haven’t told the other: they’re both assassins for rival organizations.
The truth emerges when they are sent to assassinate Benjamin Danz, who is their common target. When they are finally able to drop their false identities, they learn that they have been tasked with killing each other, setting off a chain reaction of violent assaults. This is one of the best spy movies on Netflix in Canada.
4. The Departed (2006)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: William Monahan, Alan Mak
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
Genre: Drama/Spy
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Runtime: 2h 31m
This drama movie on Netflix follows the story f Billy Costigan, a police officer in South Boston, who goes undercover to join the gang led by Frank Costello. A known criminal called Colin Sullivan infiltrates the police department and exposes its operations to his syndicate masters.
At the same time, Billy earns the mobster’s confidence. When they discover a mole in their ranks, both groups realize Billy and Colin must determine their true identities to avoid being exposed. It’s interesting to see how they manage to hide the secret.
5. Eagle Eye (2008)
Director: D.J. Caruso
Writer: John Glenn, Travis Wright
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson
Genre: Mystery/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Runtime: 1h 58m
Two strangers, Jerry Shaw and Rachel Holloman have their lives turned upside down by a lady they have never met. The unknown caller threatens their life and loved ones by manipulating them using certain technologies.
As the situation worsens, Jerry and Rachel become the country’s most sought fugitives and must attempt to find out what’s going on. This masterpiece is among the spy movies on Netflix in Canada and also the best mystery movies on Netflix in Canada.
6. State Of Play (2009)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writer: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy
Cast: Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck
Genre: Mystery/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Runtime: 2h 7m
Stephen Collins is a rising star in Congress. Many in his party envision him as the future presidential contender because of his good looks, calm demeanor, and apparent integrity. Until that is, his research assistant/mistress is discovered dead.
Slain and damning truths begin to leak out. Collins’s old buddy Cal McAffrey, a journalist, is tasked with looking into the murder and stumbles onto a vast cover-up involving some of the nation’s most promising political and business personalities.
7. Salt (2010)
Director: Phillip Noyce
Writer: Kurt Wimmer
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Genre: Spy/Thriller
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
Runtime: 1h 40m
Officer Evelyn Salt took an oath to “duty, honor, and country” when she joined the CIA. However, Salt’s pledge is put to the test when a defector claims that she is a Russian agent.
As a wanted criminal, Salt must use all of her knowledge and experience to stay one step ahead of the law, but the more she tries, the more guilty she seems. Watch what happens next on Netflix’s thriller movie.
8. The Spy Next Door (2010)
Director: Brian Levant
Writer: Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer
Cast: Jackie Chan, Amber Valletta, Billy Ray Cyrus
Genre: Action/Spy
IMDb Rating: 5.4/10
Runtime: 1h 34m
Former CIA officer Bob Ho gives up his secret to marry his love, Gillian (Amber Valletta). But before he can do that, he has one more task to accomplish: win over Gillian’s offspring.
Bob steps up to babysit when Gillian is called away, but things go south when one of the kids inadvertently downloads a top-secret formula and a Russian terrorist takes aim at Bob’s potential new family. This is one of the best spy movies on Netflix in Canada.
9. Argo (2012)
Director: Ben Affleck
Writer: Chris Terrio, Tony Mendez
Cast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman
Genre: Biography/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Runtime: 2h 0m
A group of militants raid the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, and take 66 hostages. Six Americans get away from the mayhem and seek safety at the Canadian embassy.
The U.S. government hires extractor Tony Mendez to rescue the refugees since they know it’s just a matter of time until they’re discovered and killed. The goal of Mendez’s strategy is to have the immigrants work as his “film crew” while he travels across Iran pretending to be a Hollywood producer seeking sites.
10. Total Recall (2012)
Director: Len Wiseman
Writer: Kurt Wimmer, Mark Bomback
Cast: Colin Farrell, Bokeem Woodbine, Bryan Cranston
Genre: Sci-Fi/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Runtime: 1h 58m
In 2084, construction worker Douglas Quaid is bored out of his mind and longs to go to the newly inhabited planet of Mars. To get the excitement of Mars without really going there, he goes to “Rekall,” a firm that implants fake memories into people’s minds.
In the process, however, something goes awry, and Quaid learns that his whole existence has been a lie and that the individuals responsible for implanting the memories in his brain now want him dead. It is one of the top spy movies on Netflix in Canada you can enjoy.
You can watch this with your family and kids as this is the best movie for kids on Netflix.
11. RED 2 (2013)
Director: Dean Parisot
Writer: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber
Cast: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich
Genre: Crime/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Runtime: 1h 56m
Frank Moses and Marvin Boggs, two retired CIA black operations agents, find their lives turned upside down when the devastating Cold War weapon known as Nightshade reappears.
Frank and his crew are on the run from assassins. They must track down the one scientist who can solve the riddle of Nightshade and help them save their lives and the planet. The movie shows the characters’ struggles and hardships they face through the process.
12. The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)
Director: Susanna Fogel
Writer: Susanna Fogel, David Iserson
Cast: Justin Theroux, Blanka Györfi-Tóth, Vilma Szécsi
Genre: Action/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.0/10
Runtime: 1h 57m
As close as friends can get, Morgan and Audrey are living a routine life in Los Angeles until Audrey’s ex-boyfriend turns up with a squad of lethal assassins hot on his heels.
When the girls are suddenly thrown into a global conspiracy, they must avoid assassins and a suspicious British spy while coming up with a strategy to rescue the planet. What do you think, will the girls succeed in their goals?
13. Operation Finale (2018)
Director: Chris Weitz
Writer: Matthew Orton
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Mélanie Laurent
Genre: Drama/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Runtime: 2h 2m
Fifteen years after WWII ended, a team of Israeli secret operatives went to Argentina to find Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi official in charge of the transportation of millions of Jews to their execution in detention camps.
Peter Malkin, an agent tasked with smuggling the war criminal out of the country so that he may face justice, finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the wanted criminal.
14. Men In Black: International (2019)
Director: F. Gary Gray
Writer: Matt Holloway, Art Marcum
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani
Genre: Adventure/Spy
IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
Runtime: 1h 54m
Both the Men in Black and the universe’s baddies have gone global. Agent H, who is known for his excellent service, and M, a driven rookie, have decided to work together to ensure the safety of their colleagues.
After aliens that can transform into any human shape come on Earth, H and M go on a global tour to foil the invaders’ goals and rescue the agency and the planet.
15. Wasp Network (2019)
Director: Olivier Assayas
Writer: Olivier Assayas, Fernando Morais
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Edgar Ramírez, Gael García Bernal
Genre: Crime/Spy
IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
Runtime: 2h 7m
Rene emigrated to the US, leaving his family behind, and quickly rose to prominence in a covert group that patrolled the waters between Cuba and Florida. It frequently drops supplies to defectors on rafts or relays information about the coast Guard vessels’ whereabouts.
As a pilot, Rene is drawn into the more sinister aspects of Cuban-American relations, and a compelling side story about the dubious morality of revolution comes to the surface. Its storyline and cast choice has ranked it among the spy movies on Netflix in Canada.
16. The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019)
Director: Gideon Raff
Writer: Gideon Raff
Cast: Mbulelo Grootboom, Sizo Mahlangu, Michael Kenneth Williams
Genre: History/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Runtime: 2h 9m
A Jewish Ethiopian named Kebede Bimro partners with an Israeli Mossad spy named Ari Levinson in order to escort Ethiopian Jewish refugees into Israel. Ari understands that having a cover job to justify his possession of a facility and vehicles will greatly enhance his abilities to operate in Ethiopia.
Renting the Red Sea Diving Resort, and operating it as a front to ease the movement of migrants out of the country is the idea that he presents to the Israeli intelligence officer Ethan Levin. This is the strategy that would allow him to evacuate a substantially greater number of people.
17. The Coldest Game (2019)
Director: Lukasz Kosmicki
Writer: Lukasz Kosmicki, Marcel Sawicki
Cast: Bill Pullman, Lotte Verbeek, James Bloor
Genre: Sport/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Runtime: 1h 42m
The best sports movie of all time follows the story of a troubled mathematical prodigy getting ready to compete in a chess match between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1962. Both countries are determined to win the chess match.
However, he finds himself dragged into a dangerous game of espionage just as the Cuban missile crisis is threatening to disrupt global peace. Watch the full movie to know what twists the plot has for the audience.
18. TENET (2020)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Cast: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki
Genre: Spy/Sci-fi
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Runtime: 2h 30m
In the suspenseful work of science fiction that Christopher Nolan has written and directed, a CIA operative discovers how to alter time in order to prevent attacks in the future. The movie shows how he works through his newly found powers.
You should probably prepare yourself to spend the majority of the movie scratching your head over the film’s convoluted storyline since it will certainly confound you. But, you will have a sense of satisfaction from the amusement.
19. My Spy (2020)
Director: Peter Segal
Writer: Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber
Cast: Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Parisa Fitz-Henley
Genre: Action/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Runtime: 1h 39m
Throughout a regular surveillance operation, Sophie, age nine, overhears JJ, a seasoned CIA agent, eavesdropping on her family. This takes place during the mission. JJ reluctantly agrees to teach the brilliant young lady how to become a spy in return for the fact that he will not have his cover blown.
Sophie demonstrates that one does not need a great deal of expertise to outwit an experienced agent. She changes her mind after involving what at first seems to be a simple mission into a war of wits turns out to be a complex task.
20. Operation Mincemeat (2021)
Director: John Madden
Writer: Michelle Ashford, Ben Macintyre
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald
Genre: War/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Runtime: 2h 8m
When Operation Mincemeat unfolds in 1943, the Allies are planning a massive assault on the continent of Europe. The plot involves many risky situations and struggles to keep the mission a secret.
Moreover, they face an enormous challenge in trying to protect a massive German invasion army from the firepower of entrenched German fortifications without exposing themselves to a bloodbath. Tune in to this movie to have a thrilling weekend. You can watch other war movies on Netflix too.
Conclusion
How do you appreciate our selection of the best 20 spy movies on Netflix in Canada? The films explore many aspects of being a spy while also including genre conventions from subgenres like romance, horror, and drama. It’s no secret that espionage movies are huge box office draws. Thrilling set pieces and comedic premise hook you in.
Chris Mack
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