7 Romantic Spy Thrillers That’ll Get Your Heart Pumping

Spy thrillers can be pretty rewarding.

For those who are willing to sacrifice some brain cells to remember the names of newfangled weapons and villains, the eventual fireworks are worth it. But for everyone who zones out when a movie scene does not involve explosions, gunfire, or parkour, there is also romance. If a movie or series has two characters with off-the-charts chemistry, then it’s more likely to get people hooked. Plus, if the actors playing the characters are easy on the eyes, then you can even imagine yourself becoming a spy and dating one – or both – of them. Being a spy is easy, after all. Based on movie and TV spies’ wardrobes, it mostly just involves a lot of shopping. That said, here are some spy movies and shows that truly ratchet up the romance.

Citadel

I’m going to start this list of sexy spy thrillers with a show that is great to fall asleep to. That’s not sass! Some people are genuinely looking for a show that they can fall asleep to. Now, I normally wouldn’t be recommending the second-most-expensive series of all time for such a thing, but this is a list of sexy spy thrillers, not a list of Biggest Mistakes of Amazon. So, let’s focus on the hotness factor. As superspies Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra are perfectly matched; they don’t let their stilted, corny dialogue get in the way of their horniness. In fact, you can see the sparks fly off the screen from their first meeting, and even if you fall asleep before Act 3, as I did, then you’ll always have that memory. 

Atomic Blonde

Now let’s move on to the movies and shows that you can watch before 11pm. In the case of Atomic Blonde, the “romance” is essentially just one short, messy lust affair between Charlize Theron and Sofia Boutella. However, it’s also the element of this movie that most people remember – other than the scenes of Theron kicking spy butt, that is. And considering that Theron is essentially James Bond in this movie, it makes sense that she should have her own ill-fated dalliance with a foreign lady. 

Casino Royale

Vesper Lynd was, if anything, James Bond’s intellectual equal. She could correctly deduce impossible things about a person simply from watching their behavior and mannerisms, and she regularly trounced Bond in the wit department. Nevertheless, she felt deeply, and she deployed sarcasm only to disguise her own pain. All of this is to say that she was Bond’s perfect match! Her arc in this excellent Bond origin movie makes her one of the best characters of the franchise. Plus, the spy couple’s romance ensures that you’ll get a healthy serving of sparks with your popcorn.

The Night Agent

This undemanding Netflix show is as much about its hot protagonists as it is about its nebulously evil-sounding spy phrases. It’s the type of Sunday evening show that goes down easy and helps you forget about work the next day. It’s not, however, the type of show that you’ll continue talking about at work, because you’ve most likely forgotten everything that happened. But hey, the central romance is fun! 

Alias

It’s easy to forget that this early-aughts ABC spy series was Jennifer Garner’s big break, but if you look back upon it, it’s easy to see why. Her character, Sydney Bristow, is compelling on her own, flashing an impressive skill set and wardrobe, while her ongoing romance with Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) is one of the best in TV history. It’s fun to watch these two make eyes at each other while flawlessly speaking multiple Romance languages. Also, mind you, the writers on this show were able to make their “will they, won’t they” vibe work for an entire season and a half – back when seasons were 22 episodes long! The writers on Abbott Elementary couldn’t even do that in 12.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

This one is a no-brainer! While the movie version is known for destroying Jennifer Aniston’s marriage, the TV version is genuinely great. However, if you’re just here to find something with two hot spies dazzling each other with one-liners, then they’ll both work, tbh. Who doesn’t want to watch Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt simultaneously slay a tango and each other? No one.