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Trailer

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold

1965Movie1 h 52 min

DramaThriller
80
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.5Rotten Tomatoes86%82%

A relentlessly bleak, gripping drama movie about politics and mystery, with standout performances and characters.

Good for friends night · teens · drop-in friendly

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want to half-watch while scrolling

Where to watch

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Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Story

Brace yourself for greatness.

British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the Cold War during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.

Feels like

  • Cold War Espionage
  • Cynical Spy Thriller
  • Moral Ambiguity
  • Political Intrigue
  • Deception & Betrayal
  • Psychological Warfare
  • Bleak Realism
  • Classic Adaptation
  • Moral Compromise

Cast

24 of 30

Crew

Directed by
Martin Ritt
Written by
John le Carré, Paul Dehn, Guy Trosper
Produced by
Martin Ritt
Music by
Sol Kaplan

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

December 16, 1965 · 1 h 52 min · Violence

Released
December 16, 1965
Runtime
1 h 52 min
Content
Violence
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original language
English
Also spoken
Dutch
Made in
United Kingdom
Available in
54 countries

Tropes

Unreliable Narrator, Framing the Guilty Party, Bookends +9

  • Unreliable Narrator
  • Framing the Guilty Party
  • Bookends
  • Agents Dating
  • Cerebus Retcon
  • Despair Event Horizon
  • Early-Installment Weirdness
  • Adaptation Name Change
  • Insistent Terminology
  • Dirty Business
  • Soft-Spoken Sadist
  • Establishing Character Moment

12 of 52 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream The Spy Who Came In from the Cold?"

Questions about The Spy Who Came In from the Cold

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Spy Who Came In from the Cold?

Hoopla

In the United States, The Spy Who Came In from the Cold is free with ads on Hoopla. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 9 other countries.

Is The Spy Who Came In from the Cold worth watching?

80
GreatGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 80 (IMDb 7.5 and Rotten Tomatoes 86%).

Will I feel good after watching The Spy Who Came In from the Cold?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 7 for melancholy, against 3 for hopefulness.

What tropes does The Spy Who Came In from the Cold use?

Unreliable NarratorFraming the Guilty PartyBookendsAgents DatingCerebus RetconDespair Event HorizonEarly-Installment WeirdnessAdaptation Name ChangeInsistent TerminologyDirty BusinessSoft-Spoken SadistEstablishing Character Momentand 40 more

TV Tropes lists 52 tropes for it, including Unreliable Narrator, Framing the Guilty Party, and Bookends.