James Bond is one of the most iconic movie characters of all time. The superspy has been a huge box office draw for well over 50 years and has left a huge impact on popular culture. As a result of this, Bond movies have also formed the basis for not only other serious adaptations of spy novels but parodies of the genre also.
With so many other movies being directly inspired by the James Bond franchise, it’s not hard for fans of it to find other great films that give off a similar vibe or even follow a similar formula.
Tenet (2020)
• Available on HBO Max
Many movie fans have called for Christopher Nolan to take on the Bond franchise in earnest as its influence on some of his action-thriller movies, especially his Batman trilogy, is quite evident.
Tenet is the closest that Nolan has come so far to producing an out-and-out take on a Bond film, with John David Washington’s secret agent embarking on a high-concept mission to prevent an apocalyptic plot involving time manipulation. With huge practical-effects-driven set-pieces and extravagant locations, it’s a must-watch for fans of the Craig era of 007 films.
Salt (2010)
• Available on Fubo TV
Angelina Jolie stepped into this role vacated by Tom Cruise to make the titular Evelyn Salt a superspy worth mentioning alongside both Bond and Cruise’s Ethan Hunt from the Mission: Impossible franchise.
A CIA agent accused of being a traitor, Salt must go on the run to prevent a wider plot involving a hidden team of Russian sleeper agents in the highest levels of the US goverment. Fans of the early Bond movies are sure to love its take on Cold War thrills.
Our Kind of Traitor (2016)
• Available on Tubi, Vudu, and Prime Video
Adapted from the novel of the same name by John le Carré, Our Kind of Traitor follows a civilian couple who become embroiled in a shadowy international plot involving illegal money and assassination.
The no-nonsense approach to the spy world is certainly more old-school Bond than latter-day Bond but the intelligent conversations driving the plot forward keep the tension as high as elaborate action sequences do.
Jack Reacher (2012)
• Available on Hulu and Paramount+
Tom Cruise brought author Lee Child’s heroic drifter character, Jack Reacher, to the big screen and, while they might not have the same expensive tastes as Bond, the highly-trained sleuth shares his uncompromising attitude.
With classy direction and a mysterious European villain courtesy of the legendary Werner Herzog, Jack Reacher is a gripping mystery with all the tension and quality of a Bond movie, even if the story never leaves Pittsburgh.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
• Available for purchase on Prime Video
A secret agent sent to Berlin, Charlize Theron’s Lorraine Broughton finds herself thrown into the middle of the Cold War on a mission to find out who murdered her colleague and to recover an important list.
The bare-knuckle brutality of the action scenes is the best testament to Theron’s commitment to the role, which sees the superspy showing off their Bond-like skills as both a lover and a fighter.
North By Northwest (1959)
Alfred Hitchcock is a master of filmmaking, managing to keep audiences hooked to the screen in spite of the nightmare-inducing narratives he became known for. His 1956 masterpiece, North by Northwest, is only one of several Hitchcock movies that informed the spy genre before Dr. No came out and directly inspired the Bond franchise.
The film is a mystery thriller that follows a New York City ad executive, played by Cary Grant, as he finds himself on the run for his life after being confused with a government agent by very dangerous international spies. Though Grant’s performance in Hitchcock’s Notorious would leave much more of a clear blueprint for Bond as a character, the set-piece-driven adventure here was also hugely influential for the genre.
Three Days Of The Condor (1975)
Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway star in this icy thriller that’s a must-see take on the spy formula, using a more subversive urban-set conspiracy story than what was going on with Roger Moore’s campier James Bond adventures in the mid-1970s.
Redford takes on the role of a CIA researcher that finds all of his co-workers assassinated when he returns from lunch, forcing him to go on the run in New York City and stay one step ahead of those trying to kill him in spite of his minimal field training.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)
An adaption of the classic espionage novel of the same name by John le Carré, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a Cold War thriller set during the 1970s. The movie follows George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a former British spy who is brought back in to find a mole.
Fans of the more literary side of James Bond will love this impeccably cast espionage thriller that amplifies the stiffer-upper-lip side of Bond to the nth degree.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
The Kingman franchise is heavily inspired by James Bond but adds its own twist to the spy genre. Rather than the Kingsman spy organization being an extension of a government, they’re an independent body. The first film follows a young man called Eggsy as he joins the group and works to stop a villain with a world-ending plan.
It’s a lot more raunchy than even the most risque Bond movies and more graphically violent than even 007’s darkest moments but those elements are balanced by the strong emphasis on comedy.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Starring Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, and Henry Cavill, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. follows two spies, one from the USA and one from the Soviet Union, who must work with the daughter of a missing scientist to stop a dastardly plot.
Director Guy Ritchie brings out a sizzling back-and-forth dynamic between the main trio, evoking a classic Bond movie feel that has the ability to make anybody consider Cavill in the role of 007.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
The Bourne Identity was a game-changer for the action and spy genre. Based on the best-selling novel by Robert Ludlum, the story follows Jason Bourne as he is pulled out of the ocean, barely clinging on to life with four bullet holes in his back. Suffering from amnesia, Bourne must then uncover the truth about his own past.
The film was a massive success both among critics and at the box office, offering a much more low-key take on the concept of a superspy that even the 007 franchise would come to emulate, especially in Daniel Craig’s 2008 Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
• Available on Parmount+
Hailed by critics as one of the best in Tom Cruise’s spy thriller series, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a stunning movie that follows the IMF team as they attempt to prevent a nuclear attack.
Henry Cavill joined the team for this adventure, furthering his credentials for the 007 role, and the dedication shown in the action sequences matches the Bond franchise’s emphasis on practicality with impressive gusto.
The Rock (1996)
• Available on Showtime
Filled with explosive shootouts and chases, this Michael Bay thriller sees Nicolas Cage’s timid FBI chemical weapons expert forced to team up with Sean Connery’s captured spy to break into Alcatraz and stop a group of rogue Special Forces soldiers that are threatening San Francisco with deadly nerve gas.
Connery’s character clearly plays off of his past as James Bond and the sheer variety of action sequences on display all but guarantees a good time for 007 fans.
The Ipcress File (1965)
The Ipcress File was released during the height of the rising popularity of James Bond in 1965 and Michael Caine portrays the main character, a spy named Harry Palmer. Unlike Bond, however, Palmer has to struggle with bureaucracy and leads a far less exotic lifestyle that focussed on the reality of post-war life in Europe rather than the far-flung fantasizing of Bond movies.
Caine would reprise the role several more times and, though they never achieved the popularity of Bond, they remain perhaps their most interesting counterpoint in the world of film.
Patriot Games (1992)
• Available on YouTube, Pluto TV, Prime Video, and Paramount+
Patriot Games follows former CIA agent Jack Ryan as he prevents the IRA from assassinating a prominent British official. As a consequence, Ryan becomes the target of an Irish terrorist played by Sean Bean.
Based on Tom Clancy’s novel, the film is truly gripping from start to finish and includes some stellar performances from the cast, most notably Harrison Ford as Ryan and he would reprise the role in 1994’s Clear and Present Danger. They’re an interesting take on the literary espionage hero and the British connection makes this one of Ryan’s most Bond-like movie outings to date.
