# Only 3 Spy Movies Are Better Than James Bond

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/only-3-spy-movies-are-better-than-james-bond/
- Published: 2026-08-13T11:56:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-24T05:18:45+00:00
- Original publisher: Collider
- Original article: https://collider.com/spy-movies-better-than-james-bond-films/
- Topics: Americas, Business, Entertainment, Film, Markets, World

## Key points

- Opinion piece names spy films it says beat every James Bond movie.
- North by Northwest (1959) cited for wit, thrills and Bond's influence.
- The Conversation (1974) praised despite poor initial box office reception.

## Summary

This is an opinion piece arguing that, despite the enduring dominance of the James Bond franchise, only three spy films actually surpass it in quality. The article contends that even Bond's weaker instalments remain solid entertainment and its best entries are true classics, making it a high bar to clear, but insists a small number of films have earned that distinction. The piece matters mainly as a critical ranking for cinema enthusiasts rather than reporting on a news event.

The two films discussed so far are Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 thriller North by Northwest, praised for blending humour, romance and suspense and for influencing early Bond films like From Russia With Love, and Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 film The Conversation, starring Gene Hackman as a surveillance expert grappling with a possible murder recording. The Conversation is noted for its release near the Watergate scandal, its modest $1.6 million budget, and later critical reappraisal by Roger Ebert. The article indicates a third film is also included in the ranking, though its details are not covered in the extract provided.

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