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The Best Cold War Movies

Updated January 4, 2021 7.6k votes 1.3k voters 137.9k views98 items

List RulesOnly movies that take place during the Cold War

A list of the best cold war movies ever made, ranked by movie fans with film trailers when available. This cold war movie list is ordered by popularity, so only the greatest movies about the cold war are at the top of the list. If there are any great movies about the cold war you believe we missed, please feel free to add them to the list yourselves. The films on this list are the most famous cold war movies of all time, so use it to find some movies that you haven't seen already. Click on these cold war movie titles for more information about the films if you'd like.The list you're viewing is made up of cold war films like The Iron Giant, The Hunt For Red October, and Rocky 4.This list answers the questions, "What are the best cold war movies?" and "What is the greatest cold war movie of all time?" Various bits of information are included with these popular cold war movies, and these Cold War spy movies, such as who directed them, when they were released and who starred in the films. Whether you're watching these cold war movies on DVD, Blu-ray or streaming, these good cold war movies can be enjoyed no matter what.

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The Hunt for Red October
Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery
Released: 1990
Directed by: John McTiernan
The Hunt for Red October is a 1990 American submarine spy-thriller film directed by John... more on Wikipedia
2
335
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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
James Earl Jones, Peter Sellers
Released: 1964
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known as... more on Wikipedia
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The Manchurian Candidate
Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury
Released: 1962
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
The Manchurian Candidate is a 1962 American Cold War suspense thriller directed by John... more on Wikipedia
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The Lives of Others
Ulrich Tukur, Ulrich Mühe
Released: 2006
Directed by: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
The Lives of Others is a 2006 German drama film, marking the feature film debut of filmmaker... more on Wikipedia
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Red Dawn
Charlie Sheen, Patrick Swayze
Released: 1984
Directed by: John Milius
Red Dawn is a 1984 American film directed by John Milius and co-written by Milius and Kevin... more on Wikipedia
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Crimson Tide
Denzel Washington, Viggo Mortensen
Released: 1995
Directed by: Tony Scott
Crimson Tide is a 1995 American submarine film directed by Tony Scott. On a U.S. nuclear... more on Wikipedia
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From Russia with Love
Sean Connery, Robert Shaw
Released: 1963
Directed by: Terence Young
From Russia with Love is the second James Bond film made by Eon Productions and the second to... more on Wikipedia

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WarGames
Matthew Broderick, William H. Macy
Released: 1983
Directed by: John Badham
WarGames is a 1983 American science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F.... more on Wikipedia
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Fail Safe
Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau
Released: 1964
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
Fail-Safe is a 1964 Cold thriller film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of... more on Wikipedia
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Top Gun
Tom Cruise, Meg Ryan
Released: 1986
Directed by: Tony Scott
Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Don... more on Wikipedia
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Rocky IV
Sylvester Stallone, James Brown
Released: 1985
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky IV is a 1985 American sports film written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, who also... more on Wikipedia
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Good bye, Lenin!
Daniel Brühl, Chulpan Khamatova
Released: 2003
Directed by: Wolfgang Becker
Good Bye, Lenin! is a 2003 German tragicomedy film. Directed by Wolfgang Becker, the cast... more on Wikipedia
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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch
Released: 2011
Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 2011 espionage film directed by Tomas Alfredson. The screenplay... more on Wikipedia
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Thirteen Days
Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood
Released: 2000
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Thirteen Days is a 2000 American historical drama-thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson... more on Wikipedia
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Good Night, and Good Luck
George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr.
Released: 2005
Directed by: George Clooney
Good Night, and Good Luck. is a 2005 American drama film directed by George Clooney and... more on Wikipedia
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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Richard Burton, Claire Bloom
Released: 1965
Directed by: Martin Ritt
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a 1965 British Cold War spy film directed by Martin Ritt... more on Wikipedia
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The Third Man
Orson Welles, Trevor Howard
Released: 1949
Directed by: Carol Reed
The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten,... more on Wikipedia
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North by Northwest
Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock
Released: 1959
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
North by Northwest is a 1959 American spy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and... more on Wikipedia
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Seven Days in May
Kirk Douglas, Ava Gardner
Released: 1964
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Seven Days in May is a 1964 drama-romance film written by Fletcher Knebel, Charles W. Bailey... more on Wikipedia
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Charlie Wilson's War
Julia Roberts, Amy Adams
Released: 2007
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 American biographical comedy-drama film, recounting the true... more on Wikipedia
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No Way Out
Brad Pitt, Kevin Costner
Released: 1987
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
No Way Out is a 1987 thriller film. It stars Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, and Sean Young. Will... more on Wikipedia
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The Ipcress File
Michael Caine, Sue Lloyd
Released: 1965
Directed by: Sidney J. Furie
The Ipcress File is a 1965 British espionage film directed by Sidney J. Furie, starring... more on Wikipedia
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Firefox
Clint Eastwood, Nigel Hawthorne
Released: 1982
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Firefox is a 1982 U.S. action film produced, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. It is... more on Wikipedia
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Miracle
Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson
Released: 2004
Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Miracle is a 2004 American sports docudrama about the United States men's hockey team, led by... more on Wikipedia
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K-19: The Widowmaker
Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson
Released: 2002
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
K-19: The Widowmaker is a 2002 submarine thriller film about the first of many disasters that... more on Wikipedia
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