Have there been any decent spy/action/thriller movies in recent years? List them here

[BigD]

Early reviews of Without Remorse from the P-F cognoscenti are not good. Same for Jack Ryan series.

I'm scratching my head and wondering if there have been many decent films in recent years outside of the often-mentioned Sicario, John Wick and Wind River?

I can give a luke warm endorsement for Extraction. Gun play is better than average. The amount of violence is staggering and it's not 'realistic' by normal standards but it's grounded in reality and more believable say John Wick. It's on Netflix.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AuMVVldB64





List your recommendations, if you don't mind.

[WobblyPossum]

If you’re open to TV shows, The Night Manager was a great miniseries that’s available on Prime. I also enjoyed Counterpart in Prime as well.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I liked the Killing Eve series.

[Andy T]

Only a few to mind so far: 13 hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Mission Impossible: Fallout, The Outpost.

[0ddl0t]

A few years old, but I enjoyed Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks

[BigD]

If you’re open to TV shows, The Night Manager was a great miniseries that’s available on Prime. I also enjoyed Counterpart in Prime as well.

Night Manager gets very positive reviews. I had not heard of it. I'm a big Lecarre but haven't read the Night Manager. Thanks for the recommendation. It's going in my queue.

[Sero Sed Serio]

Night Manager gets very positive reviews. I had not heard of it. I'm a big Lecarre but haven't read the Night Manager. Thanks for the recommendation. It's going in my queue.

It’s more than a few years old, but I thought the Gary Oldman version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was excellent.

It’s still filming, but Gary Oldman is starring in an Apple TV adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slow Horses book series, which is probably my favorite book series right now.

[HCM]

Early reviews of Without Remorse from the P-F cognoscenti are not good. Same for Jack Ryan series.

I'm scratching my head and wondering if there have been many decent films in recent years outside of the often-mentioned Sicario, John Wick and Wind River?

I can give a luke warm endorsement for Extraction. Gun play is better than average. The amount of violence is staggering and it's not 'realistic' by normal standards but it's grounded in reality and more believable say John Wick. It's on Netflix.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AuMVVldB64





List your recommendations, if you don't mind.

Sicario isn't realistic either but it's entertaining

Fauda - Israeli TV anti-terrorism show on Netflix

Mosul - 2019 Arab film about an Iraqi police SWAT team battling ISIS in Mosul

Triple Frontier - American Ex Special Forces rip off a drug cartel

Zero, Zero,Zero - Italian series on netflix about the Italian mafia's cocaine trafficking from Mexico into Europe. Pretty decent.

[idahojess]

I watched the first couple episodes of Tehran on Apple TV.

It was pretty good to start with. It's about a Mossad agent in Tehran.

I made it a bit into the third episode, but I had little bit of trouble suspending disbelief, as there were some scenarios that looked set up for drama/intrigue. I may continue watching it.

But, really, a realistic show about Mossad agents in Tehran would probably be pretty drama free, silent and boring:

What happened? How did that guy die? We don't know, it just happened.

[Eric_L]

It’s more than a few years old, but I thought the Gary Oldman version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was excellent.

It’s still filming, but Gary Oldman is starring in an Apple TV adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slow Horses book series, which is probably my favorite book series right now.

This, Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy was great. Not sure if realistic, but lots of acting, very little shooting.

[P30]

If you include 2015 in "recent years", then Spectre (James Bond). But I suppose for most of us, this movie is obviously decent, if not great. I mention it for completeness.

[JSGlock34]

If you’re open to TV shows, The Night Manager was a great miniseries that’s available on Prime. I also enjoyed Counterpart in Prime as well.

The Night Manager was excellent. Deviates a bit from the book, but I think the changes made for a more enjoyable series. The same production company is also behind The Little Drummer Girl mini-series, which was a faithful adaptation of the Le Carre novel, but a much slower burn. They're also behind the film adaptations of A Most Wanted Man and Our Kind of Traitor, which are well acted, but also slow burns. I'd only recommend the latter three if you're a Le Carre fan - The Night Manager has more mainstream appeal.

Counterpart was cancelled before its time, but the Season Two finale serves well enough as a series conclusion. It's a great show for the pandemic.

I'd add Operation Finale to the list. They deviated from history to amp up the drama, but still a good movie.

Last, Six Days was well done - a depiction of Operation Nimrod (the SAS raid on the Iranian Embassy in London).

[P30]

A few years old, but I enjoyed Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks
Thank you! I just checked: This movie is included in Amazon Prime at least here in Germany. I did not know the movie yet, will watch it soon.

[Hot Sauce]

Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy and A Most Wanted Man are great suggestions. Good Le Carre adaptations are worth their weight in gold. Thinking man stuff, not much gun play.

For something more kinetic, try Body of Lies.​

[Mark D]

Den of Thieves was pretty good. Gun handling is mixed - some good, some sloppy. There's one handed manipulations that are executed pretty well. L.A. vibe. Gerard Buttler plays a complex character. Nice plot twist towards the end. Free on Netflix.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdgXhJDPjzo

[Tabasco]

Started "McMafia" on AMC last night. Russian mafia version of Sopranos. One of the actors from
"Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy", and one from "Munich" that I recognize. Pretty good, I'll keep watching.

[43Under]

This, Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy was great. Not sure if realistic, but lots of acting, very little shooting.

But it pales in comparison with the old BBC version (6 one-hour episodes) starring Alec Guinness. I have it and the sequel, Smiley's People, on DVD.

I'm trying to think of other recent forays into the OPs requested area. I tried "The Gunman" starring Sean Penn and Javier Bardem, but despite the solid actors the story seemed kinda dumb. Action scenes were okay. Many have described it as "Sean Penn's 'Taken'", i.e. old actor suddenly doing action flicks.

The second Sicario had a great setup and then the story turned into a mess that truly made no sense.

I've been watching Narcos and Narcos: Mexico on Netflix. As long as you're cool with subtitles, they are very well-done (or if you are a fluent Spanish speaker).

[rd62]

I enjoyed Sicario, Extraction, and Den of Thieves for what they are. In the same vain I enjoyed Old Guard.

[Kanye Wyoming]

I've been watching Narcos and Narcos: Mexico on Netflix. As long as you're cool with subtitles, they are very well-done (or if you are a fluent Spanish speaker).
+1. Both were captivating.

I only knew a few words of Spanish so I was dependent on the subtitles. Now I know a few more, mostly variants of the Spanish for asshole.

[HCM]

French action film “15 Minutes of War” about the GIGN rescues of school bus hostages in Djibouti in the 1970s.

[Wise_A]

If you include 2015 in "recent years", then Spectre (James Bond). But I suppose for most of us, this movie is obviously decent, if not great. I mention it for completeness.

Spectre is a legitimately good movie, and easily the best of the Daniel Craig Bonds.

Lemme get the list out.

It Comes At Night was a solid 4/5.
If you haven't already, go watch Altered Carbon. It's science fiction and is also a series, but it still works, and is stunning with 4K and HDR. Then check out Umbrella Academy.
Miss Sloane was pretty good. Keep out if easily-offended about politics, although on whole, it's balanced.
Triple Frontier is another solid 4/5 action movie.
War Dogs is great, and I fuckin' hate Miles Teller.
The Outsider is a bit of a hidden gem. It's not great, but it deserves better billing than it gets.
Operation Finale is a superb film.
Midnight Special has an interesting premise: suppose there was a cult with a child messiah, and suppose they were right.
Black Sea: it is a submarine gold heist movie. Done.
You don't have to have watched Breaking Bad to enjoy El Camino.
I Care a Lot was excellent, darkly comedic. Also, Peter Dinklage.

And because this is getting overlong: The Highwaymen, No Escape, Hold the Dark (just when you think it can't get any crazier...). And that's just my Netflix list.

[vcdgrips]

The Narcos series are quite good. If you are a proficient spanish speaker who was once near fluent and/or simply want to get better, they actually help quite a bit over the arc of them all re understanding fairly rapid Spanish in multiple "accents". My son and I will likely watch them to help tune him up for a Mission Trip in 2022.

In that vein, Mar de Plastico (sea of plastic) re murder in a spanish beach town with thousands of "hectares" of semi permanent plastic grow houses is decent as well.

Indeed, I would go as far to say that most of the police/action offerings of Amazon and Netflix are decent enough. I acknowledge my expectations may be low in the High RPM/Low IQ genre.

At the expense of sounding like a PITA broken record-Most Movies are Not Films (any random mob film v. the Godfather) and Most TV show are Not Television Events (any ransom miniseries v. the Wire.)

[43Under]

But it pales in comparison with the old BBC version (6 one-hour episodes) starring Alec Guinness. I have it and the sequel, Smiley's People, on DVD.

I'm trying to think of other recent forays into the OPs requested area. I tried "The Gunman" starring Sean Penn and Javier Bardem, but despite the solid actors the story seemed kinda dumb. Action scenes were okay. Many have described it as "Sean Penn's 'Taken'", i.e. old actor suddenly doing action flicks.

The second Sicario had a great setup and then the story turned into a mess that truly made no sense.

I've been watching Narcos and Narcos: Mexico on Netflix. As long as you're cool with subtitles, they are very well-done (or if you are a fluent Spanish speaker).

I left out "Mile 22". If you can get past Wahlberg chewing all the scenery, it at least has some decent action sequences and some cool gear. The plot's kinda dumb, but no worse than a lot of movies out there. I'll often put this movie on while working out or the like. Mindless action (some hand-to-hand, some shooting, a few explosions, etc.).

[Gadfly]

Some one mentioned “No Escape”. It’s a low budget, and it did not do well at the box office. But it is a solid “oh shit the whole city is out to kill me” action flick. I liked it far more than I expected, or should have. Guy and his family takes a job in a foreign country... and he arrives just in time for a full scale workers revolution, and the workers are out to kill evil foreigners.

https://youtu.be/DOjj07EuO50

https://youtu.be/DOjj07EuO50


Also enjoyed “Siege at Jaddotsville”. It’s about an UN peacekeeping mission in the 60s. Irish held outpost surrounded by French Mercenaries and local rebels. Kind of a modern day Alamo... or Rourkes Drift. Lots of FAL porn.


https://youtu.be/rHNtzyXvyLc


And Atomic Blond was far better than I expected. It is just a John Wick kind of rehash, but I love the story, the soundtrack, the color palet, the fight scenes....


https://youtu.be/aieQrj9Yy8s

[Sharkbite]

"Nobody" was excellent.

[Chance]

HBO Max has Warrior (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5743796/) now. The second season really its stride and is definitely one of those shows we're going to re-watch periodically. Kieran Bew should have won something for his performance in the second season, but I'm guessing the show trended a little too escapist to be taken seriously.

[Mark D]

Not recent, but Training Day is on Netflix. It's great. Still.

[Guerrero]

Didn't realize it was already 7 years old, but "Captain America: Winter Soldier" is the best techno-thriller to come along in a long time.

[rd62]

I forgot about No Escape. Loved it. As a father having Owen Wilson having to escape and evade with his family had me more on the edge of my seat than with any other movie I can recall.

[LittleLebowski]

I enjoyed The Courier (https://amzn.to/3eN20rX). Based upon Oleg Penkovsky and Greville Wynne.

[helothar]

e: just realized these had already been mentioned, but they get my recommendation as well.


https://youtu.be/OUyYBrlF_W8

thought this was very good. Phillip Seymore Hoffman's last role as well.
Based on a book by the same guy who wrote Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy so similarly there is not a lot (if any) shooting.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxQW8NGNb60
I always liked Body of Lies as well, good cast and more shooting.

[Coyotesfan97]

Some one mentioned “No Escape”. It’s a low budget, and it did not do well at the box office. But it is a solid “oh shit the whole city is out to kill me” action flick. I liked it far more than I expected, or should have. Guy and his family takes a job in a foreign country... and he arrives just in time for a full scale workers revolution, and the workers are out to kill evil foreigners.

https://youtu.be/DOjj07EuO50

https://youtu.be/DOjj07EuO50


Also enjoyed “Siege at Jaddotsville”. It’s about an UN peacekeeping mission in the 60s. Irish held outpost surrounded by French Mercenaries and local rebels. Kind of a modern day Alamo... or Rourkes Drift. Lots of FAL porn.


https://youtu.be/rHNtzyXvyLc


And Atomic Blond was far better than I expected. It is just a John Wick kind of rehash, but I love the story, the soundtrack, the color palet, the fight scenes....


https://youtu.be/aieQrj9Yy8s

Dang you beat me to it on a recommendation for Atomic Blonde. I was surprise about how good it is. The story is excellent. I’ve watched it multiple times. I’ll also second or third the recommendation for Nobody. I loved it. The climatic scene is over the top and for some dark humor reason I was laughing up a storm. I probably would’ve gotten some weird looks in a theatre.