Movies like The School of Spies (1966)
The best movies like The School of Spies (1966) are Waiting for Anya (2020), Cloak and Dagger (1946) and Jacknife (1989). If The School of Spies hooked you with its drama and war, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBirdy (1984)7.1/10 from 608 votes
- NewestThe Mole (2024)Released 2024
- In JapaneseWife of a Spy (2020)Also in Japanese
Waiting for Anya (2020)
During the harrows of WWII, Jo, a young shepherd along with the help of the widow Horcada, helps to smuggle Jewish children across the border from southern France into Spain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCloak and Dagger (1946)
Italian partisans help a professor sent by the OSS to find an atomic scientist held by Nazis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJacknife (1989)
A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Scarlet and the Black (1983)
Fr. Hugh O'Flaherty is a Vatican official in 1943-45 who has been hiding downed pilots, escaped prisoners of war, and Italian resistance families. His activities become so large that the Nazis decide to assassinate him the next time he leaves the Vatican.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWife of a Spy (2020)
It’s 1940, and the population of Japan is divided over its entry into World War II. Satoko, the wife of a fabric merchant, is devoted to her husband but is beginning to suspect he’s up to something. Soon she allows herself to be drawn into a game in which she enigmatically conceals her intentions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBehold a Pale Horse (1964)
Manuel Artiguez, a famous bandit during the Spanish civil war, has lived in French exile for 20 years. When his mother is dying he considers visiting her secretly in his Spanish home town. But his biggest enemy, the Spanish police officer Vinolas, prepared a trap at the hospital as a chance to finally catch Artiguez.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
A dramatization of the American general and his court martial for publically complaining about High Command's dismissal and neglect of the aerial fighting forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOperation Mincemeat (2022)
In 1943, two British intelligence officers concoct Operation Mincemeat, wherein their plan to drop a corpse with false papers off the coast of Spain would fool Nazi spies into believing the Allied forces were planning to attack by way of Greece rather than Sicily.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBattleground (1949)
Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley and his American compatriots have already seen one of their own, Roderigues, perish under enemy fire. The men try to rebuff another series of Nazi attacks, but what they really need is a change in the weather. Without clear skies, they'll never get the air support they need.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Devil's Double (2011)
A chilling vision of the House of Saddam Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein's sadistic son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe One That Got Away (1957)
Based on the true story of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, the only German prisoner of war captured in Britain to escape back to Germany during the Second World War.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wings of Eagles (1957)
The story of Frank W. "Spig" Wead - a Navy-flyer turned screenwriter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisField of Lost Shoes (2015)
A group of teenage cadets sheltered from war at the Virginia Military Institute must confront the horrors of an adult world when they are called upon to defend the Shenandoah Valley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOutlaws - For Greater Glory (2012)
A chronicle of the Cristeros War (1926-1929), which was touched off by a rebellion against the Mexican government's attempt to secularize the country.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBirdy (1984)
Two young men are seriously affected by the Vietnam War. One of them has always been obsessed with birds - but now believes he really is a bird, and has been sent to a mental hospital. Can his friend help him pull through?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWalking with the Enemy (2014)
Regent Horthy is the leader of Hungary and a German ally, but his favorable standing with Hitler changes as the war comes to an end. Forced to cede Hungary’s power or else witness the execution of his son, Regent Horthy gives up control of his country to the Nazis, who quickly move Hungarians to ghettos and death camps, with no hope in sight. But the despair changes when a young man named Elek emerges. Separated from his family during the relocations and aided by the woman he loves , Elek defies the enemy by becoming one of them. In a race against time, disguised as a Nazi Officer he embarks on a mission to save his family and thousands of his countrymen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Quiller Memorandum (1966)
After two British Secret Intelligence Service agents are murdered at the hands of a cryptic neo-Nazi group known as Phoenix, the suave agent Quiller is sent to Berlin to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisMunich - The Edge of War (2021)
At the tense 1938 Munich Conference, former friends who now work for opposing governments become reluctant spies racing to expose a Nazi secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like this13 Rue Madeleine (1947)
Bob Sharkey, an instructor of would-be spies for the Allied Office of Strategic Services, becomes suspicious of one of the latest batch of students, Bill O'Connell, who is too good at espionage. His boss, Charles Gibson confirms that O'Connell is really a top German agent, but tells Sharkey to pass him, as they intend to feed the mole false information about the impending D-Day invasion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSalting the Battlefield (2014)
David Hare concludes his trilogy of films about MI5 renegade Johnny Worricker with another fugue on power, secrets and the British establishment. Johnny Worricker goes on the run with Margot Tyrell across Europe, and with the net closing in, the former MI5 man knows his only chance of resolving his problems is to return home and confront prime minister Alec Beasley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInside the Lines (1918)
A spy known as "1932" during World War I, is commissioned by the German Secret Service to trail English agent Captain Woodhouse to the Straits of Gibraltar and there effect the destruction of the British fleet. Before his departure, 1932 helps Jane Gerson, an American girl falsely accused of espionage, and later falls in love with her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & war
Smashing the Spy Ring (1938)
G-Men in Washington break up a powerful spy ring and capture the ringleaders.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Forever Red (2020)
Two former intelligence operatives from the cold war reunite 40 years later and are forced to confront a dark secret from their past.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Trap for Seven Spies (1966)
After the end of World War II former SS Colonel Von Rittenau resides in a French castle with a group of New Nazis. Von Rittenau captures seven former Allied secret agents after he discovers their names in an old Gestapo archive and now wants his revenge on them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both war
Clara by Day and Night (TBA)
Clara is a nurse who works in a hospital, but she secretly works as a contract killer. This double life plunges her into a relentless struggle to keep her secret safe, all while trying to lead a perfectly normal life. How long can she keep the two worlds from colliding?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Stolen Kisses (2001)
Max and Karen seem like a normal happily married couple, but in reality are undercover agents working for different governments. Their sexual relationship develops with new neighbors Melinda and Phil.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Target Hong Kong (1953)
Yankee soldiers-of-fortune smash a spy plot aimed at seizing Hong Kong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Mole (2024)
Román Aguirre (Sebastián Rubio) is a former Peruvian action film star. He had his best moment between the 70s and 80s, years in which he played his most famous role of all: "The Mole". Years later, a fast-paced life full of addictions has left Román almost forgotten. However, a meeting with Hugo Valcárcel (Pablo Saldarriaga), the most successful filmmaker of the moment, is about to return him to glory.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Lady Has Plans (1942)
Some dastardly criminals have stolen some top secret plans and tattoo them on the back of a woman so she can sell them to the highest bidder in Lisbon. This woman plans to take the place of a 'Sidney Royce', a legitimate traveler going to Lisbon as a reporter. Crossed signals allows the real Sidney to reach Portugal first, where she is pursued by those trying to obtain the plans and US government agents trying to prevent the sale.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Embassy (1972)
A KGB assassin infiltrates the American embassy in Beirut in an attempt to eliminate a Russian defector being protected by the CIA.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The School of Spies?
The closest matches to The School of Spies are Waiting for Anya (2020), Cloak and Dagger (1946) and Jacknife (1989). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The School of Spies?
Start with Waiting for Anya (2020), the closest match to The School of Spies.
What is the highest-rated movie like The School of Spies?
Birdy (1984), rated 7.1/10 by 608 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The School of Spies?
The Mole (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The School of Spies?
Yes: Wife of a Spy (2020).
How are movies similar to The School of Spies chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The School of Spies, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.