We’re going to put it out there: yes, Apple TV+'s Slow Horses is great, but are there heaps of other brilliant spy thrillers that are just as pleasing - if not more so. We've searched high and low for the very best spy thrillers out there to bring you 9 that score a solid 5 stars.
From oldies (2018’s The Little Drummer Girl) to newbies (Leo Woodall’s brilliant turn in Prime Target) and everything in between, there are plenty of exhilarating spy thrillers that are available to watch right now. So, clear your diaries and get ready to binge our pick of the best...
Rabbit Hole
A spy series starring 24’s Kiefer Sutherland sounds just as good as it actually is. This eight-part series sees the actor step into the shoes of John Weir, a corporate espionage expert who finds himself caught up in a major conspiracy. So major in fact that it involves him being framed for murder by powerful forces with the ability to influence and control populations. It's a heart-pounding watch that’s right at the top of our 'must-see-if-you-love-spy-thrillers' list. Available to watch now on ITVX.
The Night Agent
The first series of The Night Agent was easily one of the best dramas of 2023, so no wonder we've been gifted with two more instalments. Gabriel Basso is the low-level FBI agent Peter Sutherland, who discovered conspirators inside the US government while working in The White House one night. He also then had the small task of saving the President on his hands. In series 2, he returned as a fully-fledged member of the secretive organisation Night Action where danger was quite literally everywhere... and it only got better from there. Available to watch now on Netflix.
Prime Target
His starring role as Bridget’s younger man in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy earned him quite the army of fans - as did his incredible turn as a mathematician in Prime Target. The One Day actor is a Cambridge maths student on the verge of a major breakthrough, having been fixated on finding pattern in prime numbers that would allow him to access every computer in the world. That is, until shadowy forces intervene to try and stop him. Available to watch on Apple TV+.
Black Doves
How can you go wrong when you've got a cast of heavyweights including Sarah Lancashire, Ben Whishaw and Keira Knightley? Created by Joe Barton (the genius behind Giri/Haji and The Lazarus Project), Knightley is Helen Webb, the intelligent, dutiful wife of UK Defence Secretary Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan), whose greatest concern is getting their twins to school on time, preparing for the family Christmas fundraiser, and keeping their gorgeous home tidy. Only Helen isn’t who she says she is – she’s actually a spy working for a mysterious organisation called the Black Doves and she’s also having an affair with civil servant Jason Davis (Andrew Koji) who’s assassinated before we’ve even got through the first episode. It’s super smart, gripping stuff - and it'll soon be back for series 2. Available to watch now on Netflix.
The Agency
One of Paramount+'s many brilliant shows, The Agency introduces us to Martian (the always brilliant Michael Fassbender), a CIA agent who spent years undercover in Sudan, before being called back to HQ in London. When the love (played by Jodie Turner-Smith) he left behind reappears, romance reignites – and his career, his real identity and his mission are pitted against his heart. Produced by George Clooney, the star-studded cast also features Jeffrey Wright and Richard Gere. Available to watch now on Paramount+.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Let's be clear, we're not talking about the 2005 film starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (although that's pretty good, too) here, but rather the Amazon Prime Video reboot-of-sorts that was released last year. This time around, there's no prior relationship between the main characters – the two spies, who come in the form of John (Donald Glover) and Jane (Maya Erskine), are in an arranged marriage as part of their secret missions. But is it as thrilling as the original? Oh yes! Available to watch now on Prime Video.
The Little Drummer Girl
An oldie but a goodie, this gripping espionage drama based on a John le Carré novel first aired in 2018 – and it’s not too late to watch it if you missed it the first time. It's also worth a re-watch if you didn't. Charlie (Florence Pugh) is a fiery young actress who meets a mysterious stranger - an Israeli intelligence officer - in Greece and is unwittingly drawn into a high-stakes international espionage operation. Over the course of six episodes, we join the pair as they embark on one very dangerous mission. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
The Night Manager
Another John le Carré adaptation, it’s been eight years since The Night Manager’s first series aired and this year, it returned in spectacular fashion. The first series followed eponymous manager Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) as he became entangled with Langbourne assisted arms dealer and principal antagonist Dicky Roper (Hugh Laurie). We also got to witness Olivia Colman’s sheer brilliance as Pine’s handler Angela Burr – who was just as brilliant in series 2. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
A Spy Among Friends
Glorious performances from the likes of Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce and Anna Maxwell Martin will keep you hooked on what was one of 2023’s major TV hits. The series was adapted from the New York Times best-selling book by Ben Macintyre and centres around the lives of Nicholas Elliott (Lewis) and Kim Philby (Pearce), who were both spies during the Cold War and who also happen to be lifelong friends. When Nicholas realises his colleague has been secretly working as a double agent for the KGB since 1934 however, his life is thrown into turmoil. Available to watch now on ITVX.