20 Spy Movies You Must See Before You Die

A classic of 60s cinema that doesn't get anywhere enough credit on lists like these, Martin Ritt's masterful adaptation of John le Carré greatest novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. The film stars Richard Burton as Alec Leamas, an MI6 agent who is sent on one last mission into East Germany, only to find himself entangled in a web of deceit and lies generated from both his own side and the enemy.

Shot in black and white and featuring a standout performance from Burton as the tired, disillusioned agent of the title, this adaptation is almost entirely faithful to the book on which it was based, which lends it a complex intelligence.

The plot, of course, is purposely complicated, and it's one that will take you a while to get your head around. Once you manage, though, and the puzzle falls neatly into place, you're left feeling out and out awed at its meticulous brilliance.

At its heart, this is a movie about the ethics of the spy profession, asking whether it's okay to deceive and mislead for the greater good. Everybody who watches this movie will come to their own conclusion, and that's one of the biggest strengths of this gripping adaptation; it exists in a place of quiet melancholy, where the lines between good and evil refuse to be blurred - they simply don't exist.