Break out your finest suit and surveillance gear for these stylish espionage tales.

License to stream: The 7 best spy movies on Netflix right now

Break out your finest suit and surveillance gear for these stylish espionage tales.

By Kevin Jacobsen and Terry Terrones

March 31, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET

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Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'; Ryan Gosling as Courtland Gentry in 'The Gray Man'; Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning'. Credit:

Movies set in the world of top-secret spycraft and covert operations have entertained audiences for decades. For major tentpoles like the James Bond series and *Mission: Impossible*, espionage is a central factor in their appeal, with their protagonists finding themselves in (and trying to escape from) extraordinary situations.

Netflix is home to numerous spy movies of this sort, with notable originals like 2022's *The Gray Man* alongside rousing period pieces like *Operation Mincemeat* (2022) and *Official Secrets* (2019) telling real-life stories of international intrigue. Ahead, we're highlighting seven of the best spy movies streaming now on the service.

Casino Royale (2006)

Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'.

Daniel Craig's first Bond film rejuvenated the long-running franchise, making 007 a leaner, meaner, and more modern spy. In his first mission as 007, Bond engages in a high-stakes poker game with bankrupt terrorist Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) but falls tragically in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), the British treasury agent bankrolling his game. In this reboot, M (Judi Dench) views Bond as a "blunt instrument" as he's just earned his license to kill, but hasn’t quite evolved into the stylish gentleman he'd later become.

Much of the credit *Casino Royale* receives for reviving interest in the long-standing franchise is attributed to the choice to present Bond as a more humanized version of the legendary — albeit historically unrelatable — character. As EW's critic writes, "It turns Bond into a human being again — a gruffly charming yet volatile chap who may be the swank king stud of the Western world, but who still has room for rage, fear, vulnerability, love." —*Terry Terrones*

Where to watch *Casino Royale*: Netflix through April 20

**Director:** Martin Campbell

**Cast:** Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench

The Gray Man (2022)

Ryan Gosling as Courtland Gentry/Sierra Six in 'The Gray Man'. Paul Abell/Netflix

Ken vs. Captain America! While on a mission, CIA agent Six (Ryan Gosling) learns his supervisor, Carmichael (Regé-Jean Page), is running unsanctioned assassination operations. When Six refuses to play ball, Carmichael sends smarmy, murderous, child kidnapper Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) to eliminate him, no matter how much collateral damage it causes. While the film wasn't shown much love by critics, the choice to cast two of Hollywood's most beloved leading men opposite each other was a strong one.

According to EW's critic, "Evans, smirking like a catbird, is the movie's main antagonist, and his pairing with Gosling is the pretty-man *Godzilla vs. Kong* most viewers came to see." Evans' snarky banter — ripped straight from the Movie Villain 101 playbook — combined with Gosling's Jason Bourne impression, makes for a wild ride. —*T.T.*

Where to watch *The Gray Man*: Netflix

**Directors: **Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

**Cast: **Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Regé-Jean Page

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning (2023)

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in 'Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning'.

This seventh entry in the *Mission: Impossible* saga sees star Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie attempting to top themselves after the staggering highs of 2018's *Fallout*. And they nearly succeed, focusing on another globe-trotting mission in which Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his trusted crew must prevent an all-powerful artificial intelligence system from being used for evil. Considering the rapid rise of AI in today's world, this resonates with audiences — and also leads to some of the most death-defying stunts in the franchise's history. Most notable among them is Ethan's motorcycle jump off a cliff, with EW's critic praising, "To say it's anything short of miraculous would be a lie. It's quite literally jaw-dropping." —*Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Christopher McQuarrie

**Cast:** Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson

Munich — The Edge of War (2022)

Jeremy Irons as Neville Chamberlain (standing) in 'Munich — The Edge of War'. Everett Collection

Two former college friends on opposite sides of the coming Second World War conspire to take down Hitler in this 2022 spy thriller. Based on the historical novel *Munich* by Robert Harris, the film centers on Hugh Legat, a private secretary for British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and Paul von Hartmann, a translator for the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With Chamberlain hoping to reach a peaceful agreement, Legat conspires with Hartmann to stop the dictator while they still can.

While it's hard to ignore how this story would ultimately end in reality, there is added resonance in viewing a historical account (however fictionalized its players may be) of the people who stuck their necks out to prevent catastrophe. George MacKay (2019's *1917*) and Jannis Niewöhner play the friends/co-conspirators, while Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons portrays Chamberlain, with Sandra Hüller and Jessica Brown Findlay filling out the cast. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Munich — The Edge of War*: Netflix

**Director: **Christian Schwochow

**Cast: **George MacKay, Jannis Niewöhner, Jeremy Irons, Sandra Hüller, Liv Lisa Fries

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Official Secrets (2019)

Keira Knightley as Katharine Gun in 'Official Secrets'.

Nick Wall/IFC Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

Based on real-life events, *Official Secrets* tells the story of Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), a translator-turned-whistleblower who leaks a top-secret memo exposing an illegal spying operation conducted by American and British intelligence agencies before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Katharine refuses to be silenced by her government as her leak becomes public, leading to much political and personal turmoil as she attempts to stand her ground and do what's right.**** "It's hard not to be moved by the singular passion of a woman who effectively dismantled her own life," writes EW's critic, "not just to salve her conscience but to save, as she saw it, the soul of a nation." *Official Secrets* flew under the radar when it was released in 2019, but it remains one of Knightley's best, most powerful, and most underrated performances. —*T.T.*

Where to watch *Official Secrets*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B

**Director:** Gavin Hood

**Cast:** Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, Rhys Ifans, Ralph Fiennes

Operation Mincemeat (2022)

Colin Firth as Ewen Montagu and Matthew Macfadyen as Charles Cholmondeley in 'Operation Mincemeat'. Giles Keyte/See-Saw Films/Netflix

The plot behind *Operation Mincemeat* might sound implausible if it weren't true. Taking place during World War II, Lt. Cmdr. Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) strategizes with intelligence officer Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen) to execute Operation Mincemeat. The plan: To trick the Nazis into thinking the Allies will invade from Greece rather than Sicily, they plant misleading papers on a corpse, passing him off as a deceased captain.

Directed by John Madden (1998's *Shakespeare in Love*), the film provides old-school thrills, with a massive ensemble of beloved British actors. Also of note is a fun inclusion by Johnny Flynn as Ian Fleming, the mastermind behind the James Bond book series. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Operation Mincemeat*: Netflix

**Director: **John Madden

**Cast: **Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Johnny Flynn, Jason Isaacs

Skyfall (2012)

Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Skyfall'.

Longtime James Bond fans could not have asked for a better 50th anniversary of the release of *Dr. No* (1962) than this widely acclaimed 23rd installment in the franchise. Daniel Craig returns for his third outing as Bond, who must track down a stolen hard drive containing top MI6 secrets. The mission eventually leads him back to his childhood home, providing for an enthralling, heart-wrenching finale. With stunning action set pieces, a delightfully wicked villain (Javier Bardem), and a surprisingly emotional through-line featuring M (Judi Dench), *Skyfall* resonated for casual moviegoers as much as diehard Bond devotees. The film earned five Oscar nominations, winning for its title theme performed and co-written by Adele. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Skyfall*: Netflix through April 20

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Sam Mendes

**Cast:** Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris

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Source: “EW Movie”