Spy thriller films are always something that you can fall back on when indecisive about what to watch. Spy thriller films combine drama, thrill, suspense, and action and are filled with plot twists. These films are surely enough to entice anyone. Many of these films are made in a way that they seem unrealistic. However, many of these films are not just realistic but based on true stories!! This article will give you 10 great movies based on true stories in the spy thriller genre.
1. Munich:
Munich is an incredibly unique story adapted from the book written by George Jonas. The book is about Israeli Counter Intelligence Operations and is called Vengeance. And the story piqued the interest of Steven Spielberg so much that he bought the rights to the book. The movie begins with several Israeli soldiers being killed. When terrorists infiltrate and create a massacre during the 1972 Munich Olympics. To retaliate against the attack, the Israeli intelligence agency, The Mossad, launched operation wrath of god. Avner Kaufman, an Israeli spy, leads a team of five highly experienced men to travel across the globe. To hunt down the perpetrators of the Munich massacre of 1972, who had fled after the attack on Israeli athletes.
2. Valkyrie:
During Hitler’s reign in Germany, during the second world war, there were multiple attempts to assassinate Hitler. Some of these attempts came very close and could have changed the course of history. In the movie Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, the protagonist leads a group of Germans that were anti-Hitler. During the film, they carry out multiple attempts to kill Hitler, while operating right under his nose as Nazi soldiers of the Third Reich.
3. The day of the Jackal:
The Day of the Jackal was released back in 1973 and even now is revered as a national treasure. President Charles de Gaulle is very famous in France but is depicted as a radical figure, causing much controversy due to his beliefs on a range of sensitive issues. The film follows a group of trained mercenaries belonging to the paramilitary forces of France. The group conducts many assassination attempts on the president’s life, failing each time. So they hire a mysterious assassin called ‘The Jackal’.
4. Fair Game:
This 2012 political spy thriller includes famous stars such as Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. The film covers the story of Valerie Plame, a diplomatic American Attaché who works in Iraq. Her job was to spy on the Iraqi government and report any finding of weapons of mass destruction. During her stay in Iraq, Valerie is constantly communicating with her husband, Joseph Wilson, played by Sean Penn. When Joseph publishes an article with critical information that only Valerie could know, her cover is blown. Valerie has to fight her way out of Iraq to save her life.
5. Madras Café:
In the genre of spy thriller films, Madras café is an original gem. This film tells how LTTE terrorists from Sri Lanka managed to kill The Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. The film is more like a documentary than a movie. And its fluidic transition makes this film very elegant and beautiful to watch.
6. Syriana:
A geopolitical thriller made by Stephan Gaghan, Syriana, is an incredible espionage thriller. The film shines a light on the oil politics between the Middle East and the West during the early 2000s. The movie stars George Clooney, who plays the role of Bob Barnes. Bob is a veteran CIA operative who is caught between the political fiasco and framed as a scapegoat in an international scandal. The movie also shows how influential the middle east oil industry is and how it can shape global events.
7. Breach:
The film follows the story of Robert Hanssen, a legend within the FBI. Eric O Neil is a rookie assigned to work under Hannsen, but Eric is specially chosen. He was tasked with spying on Robert Hannsen. Robert was suspected of leaking critical information to Russians and was guilty of multiple treasonous acts.
8. Europa Europa:
In this film, Marco Hofschneider plays Salek, a young man of Jewish descent. He separated from his family as a young child. When the Nazis expanded and took over Germany. Salek managed to deceive everyone and claimed that he was a pure-blooded German Aryan. Salek, during the war, showed extraordinary bravery and became a war hero, a title that he never pursued. As the film progresses, Salek becomes an Informant for the Allies and translator for the Nazis.
9. The Falcon and The Snowman:
The film follows Christopher Boyce, a young man. He always wanted to get a job and serve his nation as a true patriot. His father helps him get a reputable job working for the CIA. Boyce is in charge of handling highly classified documents. He soon becomes disillusioned by his monotonous desk job, and the morally grey areas that he works in. As an act of treason, Boyce decides to defect and contact his drug addict friend Daulton Lee. Lee acts as his middle man and smuggles classified documents to the Russians. Lee eventually fails to cover his tracks, and the roads lead back to Boyce, and all hell breaks loose.
10. Operation Chromite:
The film operation chromite Is an international collaboration between Americans and South Koreans. This film is set during the Battle of Inchon. It shows a fictionalized depiction of the joint CIA-United States military Operation named Trudy Jackson. This operation planned to send a group of American and Korean soldiers behind enemy lines. And wreak havoc on the port city of Inchon. The aim was to either occupy the port or to destroy it completely. The film exemplifies the allies’ actions during the war and stays true to its core as an espionage thriller.
