CineCrossroads: Films and series that take you into the world of espionage

North by Northwest (1959)

Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest remains one of cinema's most celebrated espionage thrillers, combining suspense, mistaken identity and international intrigue.

Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill, an advertising executive who is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies. After being kidnapped and pursued across the country, he becomes involved in a dangerous conspiracy that he barely understands.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Set during the Cold War, the film follows George Smiley, a retired British intelligence officer brought back to investigate a suspected Soviet mole inside MI6, known in the story as the Circus.

As Smiley examines old operations and interviews former colleagues, he discovers that the traitor could be one of the agency's most senior figures. Every conversation becomes a potential source of deception, and even long-standing friendships come under suspicion.

Argo (2012)

Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, Argo tells the story of an extraordinary CIA operation during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.

After militants seize the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, six American diplomats manage to escape and take refuge at the Canadian ambassador's residence. With their lives in danger, CIA specialist Tony Mendez develops an unusual plan to bring them home: he creates a fictional science-fiction film production as a cover for their extraction.

The Spy Gone North (2018)

Based on real events, the film follows a South Korean intelligence officer known by his codename Black Venus. In the 1990s, he is sent undercover to North Korea to gather information about the country's nuclear program.

Unlike many conventional spy films, The Spy Gone North relies on quiet conversations, careful negotiations and psychological tension rather than action sequences.

TV series to watch

The Americans (2013–2018)

What happens when two intelligence officers spend years pretending to be an ordinary American couple?

That is the central premise of The Americans, a Cold War drama created by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg.

Set in the 1980s, the series follows Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, played by Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell. They are Soviet KGB officers living undercover in suburban Washington, D.C., where they raise their children while carrying out secret missions.

The Bureau (2015–2020)

French series The Bureau, also known as Le Bureau des Légendes, offers one of television's most grounded portrayals of foreign intelligence work.

The central character, Guillaume Debailly, returns to Paris after spending six years undercover in Syria. However, adjusting to ordinary life proves difficult, particularly when his past relationships begin to interfere with his professional responsibilities.

Slow Horses (2022–present)

The Apple TV series follows a group of MI5 agents who have made serious mistakes during their careers and have been assigned to Slough House, a department where intelligence officers are effectively sidelined.

Their unconventional leader, Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman, is a sharp-minded but difficult former intelligence officer who rarely shows respect for his colleagues. Despite their reputation as professional failures, the team repeatedly finds itself involved in dangerous investigations and national security threats.

You can read last week’s special edition of CineCrossroads here.