Movies About the CIA

From Laura Poitras, starring Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, William Binney, Jacob Appelbaum
Rated R

Citizenfour is a 2014 documentary film directed by Laura Poitras that follows the story of Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who leaked confidential documents to the media revealing numerous government surveillance programs. The film follows Snowden in his journey to Hong Kong, where he meets with Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald, and begins to share the classified documents he has obtained from the NSA. In the film, Snowden is portrayed as a courageous whistleblower, who is willing to risk his own freedom in order to protect the public from governmental overreach. He is portrayed as a heroic figure, who is unafraid to challenge the United States government and stand up for the rights of the people. Throughout the film, Snowden discusses the implications of the government's surveillance programs and the importance of privacy and security. The documentary provides an intimate look into the life of a person who made the difficult decision to reveal classified information in the public's interest, and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of civil liberties and the dangers of unchecked government power.

From Oliver Stone, starring Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
Rated R

"JFK" is a 1991 American political thriller/mystery directed by Oliver Stone and starring Kevin Costner as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who investigates the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The film explores possible conspiracies surrounding the event, with particular suspicion falling on the involvement of the CIA and the Mafia. The film also stars Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Sissy Spacek, and Joe Pesci. The film follows Garrison as he investigates the assassination, and presents his theories of a cover-up by the government. It features a large ensemble cast, as well as archival footage, and interviews with witnesses and researchers associated with the assassination. The film received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Stone, and won two awards for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.

From Ben Affleck, starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin
Rated R

Argo is a 2012 American historical drama directed by Ben Affleck. Set during the 1979–1981 Iran hostage crisis, the film dramatizes the rescue of six American diplomats who had evaded capture during the raid of the United States Embassy in Tehran. Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor and his team of CIA agents, led by Tony Mendez, devise a daring plan to extract the six Americans from Iran by having them pose as a Canadian film crew scouting for locations for a fictitious science fiction film called "Argo". With the help of Hollywood make-up artist John Chambers and producer Lester Siegel, the team is able to create a believable cover for the mission. Mendez then travels to Tehran to execute the mission and with help from some local contacts, the six Americans are able to safely make it out of Iran. The film ends with the actual footage of the six Americans returning home to the United States.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan
Rated PG-13

Bridge of Spies is a 2015 legal and historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen. The film stars Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, and Alan Alda and follows a Brooklyn lawyer who is enlisted by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union. The film follows American lawyer James Donovan, who is enlisted by the CIA to negotiate the release of a Soviet spy recently arrested in the United States. Donovan is sent to East Berlin to negotiate a prisoner exchange, and must face off against a hardened Soviet operative. In a race against time, Donovan must use his wits and legal expertise to negotiate the release of the pilot and keep the Cold War from escalating even further.

From Kathryn Bigelow, starring Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Mark Strong
Rated R

From Roger Donaldson, starring Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, Shawn Driscoll, Drake Cook
Rated PG-13

From Gavin Hood, starring Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, Rhys Ifans
Rated R

From Oliver Stone, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto
Rated R

From Scott Z. Burns, starring Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Ted Levine
Rated R

From Doug Liman, starring Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Jesse Plemons
Rated R

From Mike Nichols, starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Rated R

From Billy Ray, starring Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Dennis Haysbert, Laura Linney
Rated PG-13

From Christian Carion, starring Guillaume Canet, Emir Kusturica, Alexandra Maria Lara, Ingeborga Dapkunaite
Rated Not Rated

From George Clooney, starring Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts
Rated R

From Michael Cuesta, starring Jeremy Renner, Robert Patrick, Jena Sims, Robert Pralgo
Rated R

From Jeffrey Nachmanoff, starring Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Archie Panjabi, Saïd Taghmaoui
Rated PG-13

From Stephen Gaghan, starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet, Kayvan Novak
Rated R

From Doug Liman, starring Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Sonya Davison, Vanessa Chong
Rated PG-13

From John Schlesinger, starring Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Pat Hingle, Joyce Van Patten
Rated R

From Steven Soderbergh, starring Demián Bichir, Rodrigo Santoro, Benicio Del Toro, Catalina Sandino Moreno
Rated Not Rated

From Robert De Niro, starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin
Rated R

From Michael Winterbottom, starring Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Irrfan Khan, Archie Panjabi
Rated R