The latest James Bond reboot is one of the most talked-about releases in recent years. Casting rumors, plot details, and villain selections have all been up for discussion as fans hope to see a return to form for the spy franchise, which has sat atop the mountain for so long. It’s difficult to see that any movie series has rivaled James Bond and what it has achieved on a global scale. It is doubtful that even Ian Fleming would have thought that his literary creation would become the cinematic spy thriller phenomenon that he is now considered to be.
Nonetheless, there are still some spy thrillers that rival James Bond and certainly the worst of that franchise. Each of these picks brings something slightly different to the genre. Some of them are a part of massive franchises which continue to see great success. Others are one-off pieces, designed to thrill and subvert when needed. These espionage capers take the best of James Bond and reuse those tropes and traits, creating different art that’s just as powerful. While fans await the latest 007 adventure, these pictures offer great stand-ins.
Mission: Impossible Is A Franchise Standout
It was in 1966 that the Cold War spy show Mission: Impossible TV series first aired. The thriller was very much of its era, and while it made the most of what little budget was available, it was particularly memorable for its precision, suspense, and distinctive style. When it was announced that the series would be revisited in a movie format, many doubted its potential. However, with Tom Cruise attached to the spy vehicle, it was soon apparent that the ambitions of the 1996 production were far greater than those of the original show or any other attempts to revive the concept.
Mission: Impossible presents itself as a complete alternative to James Bond. While its heroes are still charming and Cruise’s Ethan Hunt sticks to the classic traits of an action hero, their work is far grittier and more nuanced. The franchise certainly builds to a crescendo as the stakes get larger and the fate of the world hangs in the balance, but that earliest Mission: Impossible, in particular, is much-loved for its dramatic pacing and slightly edgier approach to the material. Mission: Impossible was always going to be a franchise starter if it was handled correctly.
Naturally, Mission: Impossible and its sequels will always be remembered for two things. First, it’s the ensemble cast, which has always boasted tremendous chemistry and weaves in and out of the saga’s narrative. The second is the practical stunts and action choreography. Even in the first Mission: Impossible, the DNA of the franchise is evident to see. Even when the thriller approached seemingly impossible feats, the crew always found a way to achieve those spectacular moments on camera. That will always be its legacy.
Operation Mincemeat Sits Close To Bond’s Origins
On the face of it, Operation Mincemeat might look like a war film. It is set during the Second World War after all and focused on a real-life event. However, this is vastly different from a typical feature in this genre. In fact, very little of the war is actually seen on screen. Instead, Operation Mincemeat follows the narrative of a British unit attempting to create one of the most absurd bits of espionage that has ever been seen, in the hope of convincing the Nazis that they plan to attack a very different target compared to what they are actually aiming for.
The plan itself is to send a dead body out to sea, with fake documents and papers detailing the plan. The British then have to get these documents into the hands of the Nazis, without ever making them believe that it’s a trick. It’s a complex strategy and one that requires spies on the ground to achieve it. The 2021 war drama isn’t a typical spy thriller, but it has twists, turns, and plenty of secrets at its core, including the potential sabotage of the plot by the communists. It certainly isn’t as loud and non-stop as James Bond, but it is emotionally compelling.
Interestingly, Operation Mincemeat also has a connection to Bond himself, with Ian Fleming as a character in the film. It is thought that Fleming’s time with the military, involved in plots just like this one, is what inspired the author to build the James Bond character. Thus, Operation Mincemeat also serves as an origin story of sorts for the British spy and the writer who brought him to life. This is undoubtedly a must-watch one-off for genre completionists.
The Bourne Identity Offers A Nuanced Character Study
In 2002, The Bourne Identity was released, a production that would have an astounding impact on the genre as a whole. There were so many copycats after this was released, partially because of the character focus on Matt Damon’s Bourne himself. Dealing with memory loss, the picture found a way to give plenty of time to the lead’s development, without sacrificing the blockbuster action one might be looking for in a film of this budget.
Some time has to be given to Bourne’s action style and the way it transformed cinema for a few years. Because each action sequence in this movie carefully uses the camera to make every hit land more chaotically. The fighters are usually resourceful, and the sets genuinely play into the way a sequence might play out. It’s that low-budget, in-the-face feel of these moments that adds so much excitement to the Bourne saga, which is still one of Hollywood’s smartest series.
But it also rids the spy thriller genre of its classic flashy elements, instead looking for something a lot more grounded. It redefined the modern portrayal of these tropes, while giving a lot of time to the mystery at the film’s core. It is the willingness to continue exploring that mystery throughout the rest of the series and not quite end with the satisfying revelation that audiences wanted in the first film that makes this a story worth following long-term.
Kingsman Brings The Laughs
While Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The King’s Man, and perhaps even Argylle, have all contributed to the Kingsman universe to mixed results, there is no denying that the original picture was an absolute standout of its genre. Not only was it a brilliant parody of James Bond, inspired by the original graphic novel, but it was also an exceptional spy thriller unto itself and served as a beautiful way to modernize the genre and introduce it to a new generation of fans.
Taron Egerton was seemingly born for this part, the 2014 star managing to portray the journey of a working-class kid suddenly thrown into this unusual world of spycraft. Likewise, Colin Firth absolutely excels here, finally taking on a proper action role after all these years and following the James Bond archetype more closely. It’s the relationship and contrast between the two leads that gives the film its energy, coupled with Samuel L. Jackson’s unpredictable performance as the movie’s antagonist.
While its plot might be simple, there are certainly unexpected beats that raise the stakes tenfold, as sacrifices are made and the villain comes close to victory. Kingsman particularly revitalized the action elements of the spy genre with fast and kinetic sequences that stand out from the competition. The world-building is brilliant, the jokes land appropriately, but it’s those fight sequences that will be revisited the most by fans for years to come. It’s time to resurrect this franchise.
Atomic Blonde Twists The Genre
John Wick has a lot to answer for. There were a range of productions that went into development after the success of the hard-hitting action affair. Atomic Blonde was one of them. The 2017 hit is far more brutal and grounded than James Bond will ever be. It’s not about the gadgets and the flashy cars. Here, it’s all about the hits, with one fight sequence after another showing that Wick DNA in full as Charlize Theron smashes through the enemy.
Atomic Blonde follows a spy who must find a list of agents who are being smuggled into the West just as the Berlin Wall is about to collapse. The impact of the Cold War can be felt in every scene, with a tension hanging over the picture that provides a much more atmospheric approach to this storytelling. Theron’s Lorraine Broughton, a top MI6 Agent, takes risks she cannot afford, placing her in imminent danger at every turn.
It’s that constant tension that weighs on the audience just as it does on the lead, that makes this so emotionally gripping. Atomic Blonde might bring viewers in with its hard-hitting choreography, but they stay for the ferocious hero and the vibrant, neon aesthetics that shine a light on the dirt of this world. The gloss of James Bond cannot be found in this action-packed spy thriller, and that’s what makes it just so brilliant.
