Spy movies are full of unpredictable elements; viewers hardly could guess what’s next in the plot. This is why they are the most entertaining movies to watch in UK.
The exciting action and high stakes of adventure stories make them a fan favorite. So, call your friends or family and enjoy this great genre of everything mixed on screen together this weekend.
Netflix has a lot to offer in this genre and you must explore the most exciting best spy movies on Netflix in UK we have listed below. If these movies are geo-restricted, use a VPN to access them. We recommend ExpressVPN as the best VPN for streaming in UK.
Casino Royale (2006)
Director: Martin Campbell
Writer: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench
Genre: Spy/Thriller/Adventure
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Runtime: 2h 24 m
Movie Plot:
Daniel Craig makes his debut as James Bond in this film. In it, Bond is given his first assignment as 007, which is to eliminate a financial backer of terrorism.
With his newfound lethal authority in hand, he challenges his nemesis to a game of high-stakes poker at Casino Royale in Montenegro. It is one of the best spy movies ever made. Given the interesting plot & spy, the thrill the audience gets is worth watching. It is one of the best adventure movies on Netflix in UK.
Argo (2012)
Director: Ben Affleck
Writer: Chris Terrio, Tony Mendez
Cast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman
Genre: Drama/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Runtime: 2h 0m
Movie Plot:
During the November 1979 siege of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iranian terrorists kidnapped 56 Americans before the Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor, hid them in his residence.
Canadians have been risking their lives every day for two months as the CIA and US State Department attempt to devise an exit strategy. An “ex-filtering” expert named Tony Mendez suggests that they pretend to be a Canadian film team investigating locales for the upcoming science fiction picture Argo.
The Coldest Game (2019)
Director: Lukasz Kosmicki
Writer: Lukasz Kosmicki, Marcel Sawicki
Cast: Bill Pullman, Lotte Verbeek, James Bloor
Genre: Spy/Thriller
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Runtime: 1h 42m
Movie Plot:
‘The Coldest Game,’ a Netflix original film, takes place at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis and tells the tale of an American man who is uprooted from his life and dropped into Poland to win a chess match.
The match turns out to be a diversion for a much larger operation, the success of which will determine the future of not just America but the whole globe.
The spectator is presented with a riveting concept in this espionage thriller, and the protagonist, after making some difficult choices (including betrayals and sacrifices), is forced to face the painful consequences of his actions. It is surely one of the best thriller movies in UK ever released.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Director: Marc Forster
Writer: Neal Purvis, Paul Haggis
Cast: Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Craig, Mathieu Amalric
Genre: Spy/Adventure/Thriller
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Runtime: 6.6./10
Movie Plot:
Daniel Craig’s James Bond and Dame Judi Dench’s M track down a mysterious multinational power and corruption network that’s making billions.
Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a famous pioneer in environmentally friendly technologies, becomes Bond’s next target after an assassination attempt on M.
The odious Greene plans to secure a desolate region of Bolivia in return for aiding a strongman in a coup. Since the C.I.A. turns a blind eye, it’s up to Bond, a former agent, and a beautiful mystery woman, to stop Greene. M doubts whether she can trust Bond or whether he is possessed by vengeance.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Director: Brian De Palma
Writer: Bruce Geller, David Koepp
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart
Genre: Adventure/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Runtime: 1h 50m
Movie Plot:
Ethan Hunt and the International Rescue Committee partnered with CIA hitman August Walker to stop a global catastrophe. John Lark, an arms trader, works with a terrorist organization called the Apostles.
They are about launch a simultaneous nuclear strike on the Vatican, Jerusalem, and Mecca, Saudi Arabia, using three plutonium cores. Ethan and his team are in a race against time to recover the weapons before the wrong people get their hands on them after they go missing.
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
Movie Plot:
In this science fiction thriller, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, a CIA agent learns to manipulate time in order to stop future attacks.
An unidentified CIA employee referred to only as “The Protagonist,” is recruited by a shadowy group called Tenet to take part in a worldwide operation that takes place outside of linear time.
To stop a rogue Russian tycoon named Andrei Sator from using his psychic powers to trigger World War III. When facing this impending danger, the Protagonist will eventually learn to use “time inversion” to their advantage. We you love watching sci-fi movies on Netflix in UK, this one is for you!
Snowden (2016)
Director: Oliver Stone
Writer: Kieran Fitzgerald, Oliver Stone
Cast: Joseph Gordon, Levitt Shailene, Woodley Melissa Leo
Genre: Spy/Crime
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Runtime: 2h 14m
Movie Plot:
Secret information is the focus of many espionage films. This is a biopic on Edward Snowden, the leaker of information regarding the NSA’s unlawful mass spying.
Top NSA contractor Edward Snowden resigned after becoming disillusioned with the intelligence establishment.
He is now aware of the massive data collection efforts underway to monitor all electronic communication, not only that of foreign governments and terrorist organizations but also that of everyday Americans.
Snowden becomes a traitor to some, a hero to others, and a wanted man once he releases this confidential material. Surely, one of the best crime movies on Netflix in UK!
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Director: Paul Greengrass
Writer: Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns
Cast: Matt Damon, Edgar Ramírez, Joan Allen
Genre: Mystery/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Runtime: 1h 55m
Movie Plot:
Simon Ross is a reporter who is on a mission to reveal Operation Blackbriar. It is a development of Project Treadstone. He searches for a series of journal pieces. Further, he unwittingly draws Bourne out of hiding.
Bourne arranges to meet with Ross and quickly becomes aware that their conversation is being monitored. Bourne’s dark background is resurfaced by the reporter’s revelations, and he must piece together the information while evading the company’s attempts to eliminate him.
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
Movie Plot:
When compared to other WWII tales, Operation Mincemeat stands out for its odd and alluring cinematic combination of amazing suspense and imaginative fiction.
Michelle Ashford’s characters show a seamless blend of elements and emotions, including tension, romance, suspense, comedy, and countless twists.
It’s a very personal tale about the unseen troops who fight a new type of battle under cover of darkness and deceit, plagued by the awareness that victory is never certain. If you are a fan of watching war movies in UK, you will like this one too!
Official Secrets (2019)
Director: Gavin Hood
Writer: Sara Bernstein, Gregory Bernstein
Cast: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode
Genre: Crime/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Runtime: 1h 52m
Movie Plot:
This movie tells the actual tale of a British man who blew the whistle on an unlawful NSA espionage operation that was aimed to coerce the United Nations Security Council into authorizing the war on Iraq in 2003.
The information was leaked to the press, which caused much chaos between the two nations. How the story unfolds is very interesting to watch, making it one of the best spy movies on Netflix in UK.
Legacy Of Lies (2020)
Director: Adrian Bol
Writer: Adrian Bol
Cast: Scott Adkins, Anna Butkevich, Yuliia Sobol
Genre: Action/Spy
IMDb Rating: 5.0/10
Runtime: 1h 41m
Movie Plot:
To learn the horrifying truth regarding operations undertaken by unknown secret agencies, a former MI6 agent is thrust back into the world of espionage and high risks. Adkins temporarily suspends his collaborative efforts with filmmaker Jesse V Johnson for Legacy of Lies.
Legacy of Lies has a mysterious atmosphere, thanks to the work of writer/director Adrian Bol. Adkins portrays a former agent for MI6 who is troubled by the loss of his wife due to a failed operation. They’ve also worked together on some great action movies.
The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019)
Director: Gideon Raff
Writer: Gideon Raff
Cast: Mbulelo Grootboom, Sizo Mahlangu, Michael Kenneth Williams
Genre: Spy/History
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Runtime: 2h 9m
Movie Plot:
The movie is set at the beginning of the 1980s. It revolves around the operations of different undercover operatives from many countries transporting thousands of people into Israel.
The plot also shows a few courageous Ethiopians who used an abandoned hideaway in Sudan to do the task without being noticed by Israel’s law and order officials. The movie gives viewers a constant feeling of anticipation about what will happen next.
Red Joan (2018)
Director: Trevor Nunn
Writer: Lindsay Shapero, Jennie Rooney
Cast: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Stephen Campbell Moore
Genre: Drama/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
Runtime: 1h 41m
Movie Plot:
Trevor Nunn’s “Red Joan,” a traditional but subtly engrossing spy thriller based on a real tale, frames its plot by introducing us to Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) at the age of eighty. She’s content to spend her days doing the same routine things that everyone else in her British neighborhood did in the early 2000s.
The flashback scenes in “Red Joan” are what really stick out, beautifully shot by Zac Nicholson, the cinematographer. He focused on the earthy textures and colors of the period.
Characters are expertly costumed by Charlotte Walter (who also dressed “Their Finest” with the same level of attention to the era’s knitwear and suiting).
Wasp Network (2019)
Director: Olivier Assayas
Writer: Olivier Assayas, Fernando Morais
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Edgar Ramírez, Gael García Bernal
Genre: Thriller/Spy
IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
Runtime: 2h 7m
Movie Plot:
The narrative focuses on the experiences of political prisoners of Cuban who have been in detention in UK since the later months of the 1990s on the suspicion that they were involved in the murder.
However, the story keeps returning to sequences of Olga, another character who is working hard throughout the film, whether at a tannery, as a janitor, at a desk job, etc. There are counter-revolutionary working two jobs to make ends meet for every revolutionary.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Mark Boal
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt
Genre: Spy/History
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Runtime: 2h 37m
Movie Plot:
One of the world’s most sought-after terrorists who caused the tragic events on September 11, 2001, is Osama Bin Laden. The global pursuit of this terrorist commander has consumed two in UK administrations’ time and energy.
Jessica Chastain’s character is a hardworking operator who plays a crucial role in discovering Bin Laden’s whereabouts. Nighttime Navy SEALs raid on Bin Laden’s Abbottabad in Pakistan compound in May 2011, which resulted in his death. It is one of the best spy movies on Netflix that you’ll enjoy for sure in UK!
The November Man (2014)
Director: Roger Donaldson
Writer: Michael Finch, Karl Gajdusek
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko
Genre: Action/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Runtime: 1h 48m
Movie Plot:
An ex-CIA agent is recruited back into the agency for a personal assignment, where he discovers himself being assigned against his old student. It’s a dangerous game that involves high-ranked CIA officers and the next president of Russia.
His old boss recruits Ex-CIA operative Peter Devereaux to rescue a lady now in Russia and close to a presidential candidate suspected of war crimes during the Chechen conflict.
She knows someone who can vouch for them. According to his acquaintance, she will only talk to him. Will he succeed in his assignment? Watch the movie on Netflix to know what happens at the climax. If you love to watch adventure-action movies in UK, we highly recommend you this one.
The Hunt For Red October (1990)
Director: John McTiernan
Writer: Tom Clancy, Larry Ferguson
Cast: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn
Genre: Adventure/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Runtime: 2h 15m
Movie Plot:
The Hunt for Red October is one of the finest spy movies of all time. The plot is thrilling and will make sure that you are on the edge of your seat. In November of 1984, the finest submarine skipper working for the Soviet Union disobeys upper management’s instructions.
He sails for the United States in a brand new undetectable submarine. It is imperative that the CIA and the American military make a speedy conclusion as to whether he is attempting to defect or launch a conflict. It is one of the must-watch spy movies on Netflix in UK.
Men In Black (1997)
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Writer: Lowell Cunningham, Ed Solomon
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino
Genre: Comedy/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Runtime: 1h 38m
Movie Plot:
Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) and Jay (Will Smith), the Men in Black, perform immigration services and regulate all things foreign on Earth for a well-funded but unofficial government organization.
The MIB agents discover the fatal scheme of an interstellar terrorist while looking into a string of near-unreported encounters. The terrorist’s goal is to eliminate two ambassadors from rival galaxies who are now based in New York City. It is indeed one of the best spy comedy movies of all time in UK!
The Berlin File (2013)
Director: Seung-wan Ryu
Writer: Ted Geoghegan, Stefanie Y. Hong
Cast: Ha Jung-woo, Han Suk-kyu, Seung-beom Ryu
Genre: Action/Thriller/Spy
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Runtime: 2h 0m
Movie Plot:
During an illicit weaponry deal in Berlin, North Korean phantom agent Jong-seong intervenes. As Jong-Seong prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice, a renowned North Korean spy puts everyone’s loyalty to the test.
The North Korean operative in Berlin is betrayed and released during a financial espionage plot. As agents from both North and South Korea doggedly pursue them, he and his wife, a translator at the North Korean embassy in Berlin, attempt to evade capture.
Skyfall (2012)
Director: Sam Mendes
Writer: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Cast: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris
Genre: Adventure/Spy
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Runtime: 2h 23m
Movie Plot:
Events spiral out of control as James Bond’s (Daniel Craig) latest mission goes awry. After attacks on MI6 and the exposure of undercover operatives throughout the globe, M (Judi Dench) is forced to move the agency.
M has no choice but to confide in Bond after discovering that MI6 has been thoroughly infiltrated. Bond, with the help of a field agent (Naomie Harris), goes undercover to track down Silva (Javier Bardem), an old adversary of M’s who is out for revenge. It is the most watched and one of the best spy movies on Netflix in UK!
Conclusion
So, how do you like our list of the 20 best Spy Movies on Netflix in UK? The films cover a variety of facets of a spy while also including elements from subgenres like romance, horror, and drama.
You won’t be able to take your eyes off the movies in UK because of the compelling situations and plots they depict. It should come as no surprise that spy films are one of the most popular types of films. They capture your attention with all of the exciting sequences and set-ups in UK.
Chris Mack
