Trailer
Summary
Two bumbling government employees think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys for nuclear war.
Good for
- Date night
- Friends night
- Party vibe
Where to watch
Fingerprint
At a glance
Critics vs audiences
Audiences like it more than critics (+34)
Critics 29Audiences 63GoodWatch 46
Tomatometer35%
Metascore22
User score6.9
IMDb6.4
Letterboxd · 24 K ratings3.1/5
Audience score56%
Box office
2.7×its budget
- Budget
- $22 M
- Worldwide
- $60 M
Worldwide it earned $38 M more than it cost.
Running time
1 h 42 min
A typical length for comedies
typical 100102Half of all comedies run 91–111 min.
Reach
Streams in 3 countries, rent or buy in 63 more
Released
1985
December 6, 1985
41 years ago
Genres
ComedyAdventureLanguage
English
Original language
Also spoken
RussianMade in
- United States
United Kingdom
Rated
- PGUnited States
Not for young kids: it's rated PG in the United States for strong language, and the viewing guide lists it for teens and adults.
What's in it
- ViolenceLittle or none
- Gore, disturbing imagesLittle or none
- Frightening scenesLittle or none
- Sex, nudityLittle or none
- Dark themesLittle or none
- Strong languageNamed in the advisories
In white: what the content advisories name. Levels from the title analysis.
Viewing guide
AdultsDate NightFriends NightParty VibeIntergenerationalPartner WatchPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensBackground WatchComfort WatchDrop-in FriendlyPure EscapismNot listed for kids or family movie night.
and 34 more53 people
- Chevy ChaseEmmett Fitz-Hume
- Dan AykroydAustin Millbarge
- Steve ForrestGeneral Sline
- Donna DixonKaren Boyer
- Bruce DavisonRuby
- Terry GilliamDr. Imhaus
Frank OzTest Monitor- Vanessa AngelRussian Rocket Crewperson
Bernie CaseyColonel Rhumbus
Charles McKeownJerry Hadley
William PrinceKeyes
Bob HopeSelf
Joel CoenDrive-In Security
Sam RaimiDrive-In Security
Martin BrestDrive-In Security- THTom HattenGeneral Miegs
James DaughtonBob Hodges
Jim StaahlBud Schnelker- BTBjarne ThomsenRussian Rocket Crewperson
Sergey RusakovRussian Rocket Crewperson
Costa-GavrasTadzhik Highway Patrolman
Seva NovgorodtsevTadzhik Highway Patrolman- SHStephen HoyeCaptain Hefling
Ray HarryhausenDr. Marston
Directing · 7
- John Landis Director
- David Sosna First Assistant Director
- Dusty Symonds First Assistant Director
- Pamela Carlton Script Supervisor
- David Garfath Second Unit Director
- Gareth Tandy Second Assistant Director
Writing · 3
- Dan Aykroyd Screenplay
- Lowell Ganz Screenplay
- Babaloo Mandel Screenplay
Production · 19
- Bernie Brillstein Executive Producer
- Brian Grazer Producer
- George Folsey Jr. Producer
- Marion Dougherty Casting
- Debbie McWilliams Casting
- John Palmer Production Manager
Camera · 10
- Robert Paynter Director of Photography
- Keith Hamshere Still Photographer
- Chic Anstiss Camera Operator
- John Palmer Camera Operator
- Brian West Second Unit Director of Photography
- W.C. 'Chunky' Huse Grip
Editing · 8
- Malcolm Campbell Editor
- Lisa Zeno Churgin Assistant Editor
- Donah Bassett Negative Cutter
- Bob Noland Color Timer
- Andrew MacRitchie Assistant Editor
- Anna Ksiezopolska Assistant Editor
Sound · 19
- Elmer Bernstein Original Music Composer
- Charles L. Campbell Supervising Sound Editor
- Richard C. Franklin Sound Editor
- Ivan Sharrock Sound Mixer
- Kathy Durning Music Editor
- Larry Carow Sound Editor
Art · 5
- Peter Murton Production Design
- Terry Ackland-Snow Production Design, Supervising Art Director
- Hugh Scaife Set Dresser
- Jim Morahan Assistant Art Director
- John Paterson Construction Manager
Costume & Make-Up · 7
- Deborah Nadoolman Landis Costume Design
- Pauline Heys Makeup Artist
- Stephanie Kaye Hairdresser
- Frank Griffin Makeup Artist
- Carole Bennett Hairdresser
- Linda DeVetta Makeup Artist
Visual Effects · 3
- Derek Meddings Visual Effects Supervisor
- Jim Michaels Visual Effects Producer
- Ray Caple Matte Painter
Lighting · 1
- John May Gaffer
Other crew · 23
- Paul Weston Stunt Coordinator
- David Forman Stunts
- Max Landis Thanks
- Greg Powell Animal Wrangler, Stunts, Animal Coordinator
- Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Thanks
- Brian Johnson Special Effects
Tropes
More like this
Similar
Most like Spies Like Us overall
Nearest on the related map: closest in everything it does to you, not one trait
- Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002)
GoodWatch score 79 - Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At! (1966)
GoodWatch score 82 - Top Secret! (1984)
GoodWatch score 73 - Get Smart (1965)
GoodWatch score 84 - Shanghai Noon (2000)
GoodWatch score 72 - The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966)
GoodWatch score 72 - OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006)
GoodWatch score 71 - Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
GoodWatch score 66 - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
GoodWatch score 66 - Manitou's Shoe (2001)
GoodWatch score 67 - The Naked Gun (2025)
GoodWatch score 73 - 'Allo 'Allo! (1984)
GoodWatch score 86 - Animal House (1978)
GoodWatch score 79 - Airplane! (1980)
GoodWatch score 77 - Hot Shots! (1991)
GoodWatch score 69 - Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
GoodWatch score 63
Same genre
More comedy movies
- Shazam! (2019)
GoodWatch score 69 - Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
GoodWatch score 67 - Dumb and Dumber (1994)
GoodWatch score 56 - DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)
GoodWatch score 65 - The Love Hypothesis (2026)
GoodWatch score 68 - Office Space (1999)
GoodWatch score 71 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
GoodWatch score 65 - Spy (2015)
GoodWatch score 71