Uncovering 10 Great British Spy Films

The name’s Bond, James Bond… But honestly, he’s been hogging too much of the spotlight. When you think of fictional spies, 007 is the first one who comes to mind, and the globally understood glamor and coolness of how he pulls off world-saving missions points to the inherent contradiction at the heart of Ian Fleming’s beloved character: Espionage is definitely more tedious and less rewarding than what we see in Bond novels and films.

After Britain’s military might was eclipsed on a global stage by America in the Second World War, Bond emerged as an attempt to convince readers that, actually, England was still top of its class in international matters – besides, covert ops and sophisticated skills were all you needed to look good in a post-empire Britain. Bond isn’t everything, though – so many novelists, screenwriters, and filmmakers have directly or indirectly responded to Fleming’s exciting but inauthentic portrayal of spy work. Throughout the Cold War, the “end of history” in the ‘90s, and into the War of Terror, there have been so many entertaining films depicting British spies acting nobly and disgracefully.

So, if you’re tired of watching British espionage in episodic chunks (like in Slow Horses, The Agency, Black Doves, Treason, The Night Manager, London Spy…), here are ten British spy films that deliver the goods, no questions asked.