There are great spy movies from every era, with the 1960s cementing the genre as a timeless classic and the 1990s pushing boundaries, incorporating contemporary themes into iconic narratives. Movies like GoldenEye are obvious choices for the ’90s’ best contributions to espionage cinema. The James Bond projects of every decade come to define the spy thrillers of that era, as they’re a good indication of where the genre is headed and what spy movies are going to be focusing on throughout that decade. However, that doesn’t mean other franchises or stand-alone works aren’t as good.
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When it comes to the spy movies that real CIA agents recommend, the 1990s has a few, with some based on books and others using comedy and huge action set pieces to keep the audience engaged. Though it’s expected that a spy movie will keep you guessing until the very end, these projects are especially mind-bending, with plots that get exceptionally convoluted. However, this is part of the fun of watching an action-thriller about international spies. Seeing the characters piece together the mystery and go on exciting chases never gets old.
You are watching: 10 Best Spy Movies Of The 1990s
10
The Peacemaker (1997)
Directed by Mimi Leder
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The Peacemaker
R
Action
Thriller
Release Date
September 26, 1997
Runtime
124 minutes
Cast
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George Clooney
Lt. Col. Thomas Devoe
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Nicole Kidman
Dr. Julia Kelly
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Marcel Iureș
Dusan Gavrich
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Aleksandr Baluev
General Aleksandr Kodoroff
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George Clooney and Nicole Kidman have great chemistry in The Peacemaker, and the two iconic actors make the twisting spy thriller work. Though their characters fall into classic tropes, this is part of the fun of a movie like The Peacemaker. The film has no intention of reinventing the spy movie or turning it on its head. Instead, The Peacemaker ensures that the audience has a great time watching it from beginning to end.
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The Peacemaker is notable for its fun and unabashedly joyful approach to the genre, as it’s clear that the filmmakers have a deep love for the classics of espionage cinema. Directed by Mimi Leder, The Peacemaker is one of the few major spy movies directed by women, as it’s typically a male-dominated field. However, Leder proves that there should be more room for women within the spy genre, thanks to her fast-paced and attention-grabbing project.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
The Peacemaker (1997) |
46% |
39% |
9
The Saint (1997)
Directed by Phillip Noyce
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The Saint
pg-13
Action
Adventure
9.3/10
Release Date
April 4, 1997
Runtime
116minutes
Cast
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Val Kilmer
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Elisabeth Shue
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Val Kilmer leads the cast of The Saint as Simon Templar, a master thief who gets embroiled in a plot to steal a formula for clean energy from Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue). Even in the late ’90s, issues of energy and fuel shortages were potent enough to be the center of an action thriller, as Emma’s formula makes her the target of Simon’s crimes. Of course, things don’t go according to plan when the two can’t help falling in love, and Simon’s thieving ways are called into question.
One of the most fun parts of The Saint is all the disguises and different identities that Kilmer embodies throughout the story, with the actor disappearing into each archetype. Shue is genuine and believable as Emma, and the audience easily grows to like her as much as Simon does. Though The Saint makes its narrative more convoluted than it has to be, this adds to the atmosphere and classic tone of the film, harkening back to early additions to the genre.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
|
The Saint (1997) |
30% |
63% |
8
Patriot Games (1992)
Directed by Phillip Noyce
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Patriot Games
R
Action
Thriller
Release Date
June 5, 1992
Runtime
117 Minutes
Cast
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Harrison Ford
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Anne Archer
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Patrick Bergin
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Sean Bean
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After the success of the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October, the Tom Clancy novel Patriot Games was adapted. Harrison Ford takes on the role of Jack Ryan in this iteration of the story. While every actor who has played Jack Ryan in a movie or TV show has put a unique spin on the role, Ford is a highlight of the franchise. In Patriot Games, Ryan is once again chasing down bad guys and uncovering secret plots, and though the story isn’t the most original, Ford anchors the project.
There are aspects of Patriot Games that have not aged well, and while it doesn’t have the flash or excitement of some contemporary action-thrillers, it’s still full of tension.
There are aspects of Patriot Games that have not aged well, and while it doesn’t have the flash or excitement of some contemporary action-thrillers, it’s still full of tension. It’s always interesting to engage with spy franchises besides James Bond, as the Jack Ryan movies were almost the American answer to the success of Bond in the 1990s. Ford’s distinct Hollywood roots and ability to strengthen many famous pieces of IP made him the perfect candidate to portray Ryan.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Patriot Games (1992) |
72% |
73% |
7
True Lies (1994)
Directed by James Cameron
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True Lies
R
Comedy
Thriller
Action
9.5/10
Release Date
July 15, 1994
Runtime
141 minutes
Cast
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Tom Arnold
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Eliza Dushku
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Though True Lies gets a little silly and improbable throughout its run, it’s a cult classic spy movie for a reason, earning a strong legacy thanks to its leads and action sequences. Directed by James Cameron, who’s usually associated with his blockbuster sci-fi projects, True Lies is a funny twist on the typical espionage story. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis as the married couple, Harry and Helen, who are looking for more adventure.
Though Harry is a secret agent, Helen isn’t aware of his double life and slowly becomes entangled in his work as a spy. There are some dated elements in the movie, but True Lies can be viewed as a commentary on the issues within the action and spy genres when it’s revisited today. True Lies works because the script is self-aware, and both performers are committed to their roles, mining them for comedy and making them more than the traditional archetypes of spy and love interest.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
True Lies (1994) |
70% |
76% |
6
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
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Tomorrow Never Dies
PG-13
Action
Adventure
Thriller
8.8/10
Release Date
December 19, 1997
Runtime
119 Minutes
Cast
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Pierce Brosnan
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Jonathan Pryce
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Though Tomorrow Never Dies isn’t Pierce Brosnan’s best turn as the iconic James Bond, it’s still a fun and somewhat campy ride for audiences to enjoy. With Michelle Yeoh and Jonathan Pryce joining Brosnan in the cast, Tomorrow Never Dies features some great performances and paved the way for more exciting action sequences and gadget work within the Bond universe. The villain of Tomorrow Never Dies, played by Pryce, received praise for helping to root the film in reality and a more contemporary era.
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Tomorrow Never Dies is generally considered a middling entry in the Bond series, but one aspect of the movie’s story now seems incredibly prescient.
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Every Bond era brings something new to the table, and Tomorrow Never Dies takes many steps forward in modernizing the franchise. Though the story could be criticized for being a little too by the book, there are still innovative moments throughout the narrative. The way Tomorrow Never Dies is in conversation with the emergence of technology and how this would eventually come to be the world’s ruling power was well ahead of its time, elevating the movie beyond its original reception.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) |
57% |
53% |
5
Enemy Of The State (1998)
Directed by Tony Scott
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Enemy Of The State
R
Action
Drama
Thriller
Release Date
November 20, 1998
Runtime
132 Minutes
Cast
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Will Smith
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Gene Hackman
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Jon Voight
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Regina King
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The all-star cast of Enemy of the State is reason enough to watch the film and the intricate plotting cements it as a great addition to the genre. Enemy of the State builds its thrilling action and dynamic chase scenes but thrives on the subtle deception and conspiracies within the government that go all the way to the top. Will Smith and Gene Hackman play opposite each other as Robert Dean, a lawyer being targeted by the NSA, and Brill, a surveillance expert who helps Dean clear his name.
Though Enemy of the State isn’t a Gene Hackman movie he’s typically remembered for, it’s still an exciting piece of his filmography. Like many spy thrillers of the 1990s, Enemy of the State touched upon issues of paranoia and surveillance as anxieties surrounding new technologies were growing within the culture. Additionally, Enemy of the State examines contemporaneous global conflicts, tying them into the explosive story that is eventually neatly tied up in the satisfying conclusion.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Enemy of the State (1998) |
71% |
78% |
4
Ronin (1998)
Directed by John Frankenheimer
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Ronin
R
Action
Crime
Drama
10/10
Release Date
September 25, 1998
Runtime
121 Minutes
Cast
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Robert De Niro
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Jean Reno
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Though Robert De Niro is best known for his gangster and crime movies, he shines in Ronin, a spy thriller that combines espionage and high-stakes theft. De Niro plays Sam, a former CIA agent who teams up with a group of former intelligence agents and mercenaries to steal weapons. As Ronin‘s plot unfolds, it becomes clear that Sam and his allies are part of a much larger conspiracy and don’t have all the answers about who they’re working for.
Though De Niro is a recognizable figure, he disappears into his role, quickly becoming a compelling focal point for the narrative.
The car chases in Ronin set it apart from other ’90s spy films, giving Ronin a fast-paced and dynamic feel throughout its runtime. Though De Niro is a recognizable figure, he disappears into his role, quickly becoming a compelling focal point for the narrative. It’s always fun when a spy movie sets its characters free from the confines of government work and lets them run wild, especially when a movie is as visually innovative as Ronin.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Ronin (1998) |
70% |
80% |
3
The Hunt For Red October (1990)
Directed by John McTiernan
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The Hunt for Red October
PG
Thriller
10/10
Release Date
March 2, 1990
Runtime
135 Minutes
Cast
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-
Sean Connery
-
Alec Baldwin
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Sean Connery, who rose to prominence for his performances as James Bond within the franchise, plays a Soviet captain on the other side of the Cold War in The Hunt for Red October. He’s joined by Alec Baldwin, Tim Curry, and many other fantastic actors in the submarine thriller. Connery’s character, Marko Ramius, decides to defect to the U.S. with the submarine, Red October and begins a game of cat and mouse with Jack Ryan (Baldwin), who deduces his plan and attempts to help him.
Based on the novel by Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October has a strong premise and many twists and turns that keep the audience engaged. Much of the plot’s tension relies on the characters taking risks and trusting each other while maintaining their cover with their respective governments. The threat of nuclear war, which defined the spy movies of the Cold War, is at the forefront of The Hunt for Red October, demonstrating how these themes remained relevant well into the ’90s.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
The Hunt for Red October (1990) |
88% |
88% |
2
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Directed by Brian De Palma
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Mission: Impossible
PG-13
Action
Adventure
Thriller
8/10
24
8.3/10
Release Date
May 22, 1996
Runtime
110 minutes
Cast
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Jon Voight
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Ving Rhames
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Though the first Mission: Impossible movie looks very different from the latest action-thrillers starring Tom Cruise, it’s still a benchmark of the genre. The stunts might be a little less daring, but the 1996 Mission: Impossible boasts some memorable action sequences and the original team-up between Cruise as Ethan Hunt and Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell. This movie capitalized on the nostalgia of the TV series while making necessary updates.
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As the franchise progressed, Mission: Impossible became much more daring and technologically advanced, but this made the film an incredible time capsule of a genre. Many of the best spy thrillers of the past decades have been inspired by Mission: Impossible, and seeing Cruise evolve as an action star since the franchise began has been a joy. Revisiting the first Mission: Impossible today demonstrates how well the movie holds up compared to similar projects.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Mission: Impossible (1996) |
65% |
71% |
1
GoldenEye (1995)
Directed by Martin Campbell
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GoldenEye
PG-13
Action
Adventure
Crime
Thriller
10/10
9/10
Release Date
November 16, 1995
Runtime
130 minutes
Cast
See All
-
Pierce Brosnan
-
Sean Bean
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Pierce Brosnan makes his James Bond debut in GoldenEye, ushering in a new era for the franchise and ultimately cementing the 1990s as a fun decade for Bond. There are many reasons that the 1995 GoldenEye has become iconic, not just within the Bond canon but in the spy genre in general. Judi Dench steps into the role of M, arguably one of the most iconic portrayals of the character, and the success of the project helped bring Bond back to the forefront of espionage stories.
GoldenEye doesn’t skimp on action, adventure, and the classic elements of James Bond that make the franchise so beloved, but it also doesn’t shy away from commenting on its legacy and criticizing its flaws. This is what allows GoldenEye to exist in the modern era and be enjoyed today. Brosnan’s Bond is fresher and more human than ever before in GoldenEye, but he’s still just as suave and engaging as in the classics of the genre.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
GoldenEye (1995) |
80% |
83% |
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Category: Entertainment