Movies like The 39 Steps
If you like "The 39 Steps" you are looking for clever, exciting and serious movies about / with on the run, undercover, agent as target, world war one, manhunt, race against time and espionage themes of Adventure, Crime and Drama genre shot in UK.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps:
1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
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The 39 Steps (2008)
3K
Genre: Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Richard Hannay, a mining engineer on holiday from the African colonies, finds London socialite life terribly dull. Yet it's more than he bargained for when secret agent, Scudder, bursts into his room and entrusts him with a coded notebook, concerning the impending start of World War I. In no time both German agents and the British law are chasing him, ruthlessly coveting the Roman numerals code, which Hannay believes he must crack himself.
Style:
clever, exciting, serious, suspenseful, period piece, surprise ending, crime thriller, captivating, realistic, period drama
Plot:
on the run, undercover, agent as target, world war one, manhunt, race against time, espionage, uncover truth, heroes, betrayal, danger, political conspiracy, false accusation, dishonesty, state affairs, who to trust, map, train, castle, traitor, uncle niece relationship, sexist, photographic memory, mistaken identity, notebook ...
Time:
1910s, 20th century
Place:
scotland, united kingdom, england, europe, london
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to The 39 Steps
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, serious, suspenseful and exciting films with plots about undercover, dishonesty, spy, espionage, danger, state affairs and secret agent mostly in Drama, Thriller and Crime genres. Some movies like The 39 Steps: The Riddle of the Sands (1979), The Gunman (2015), The Ipcress File (1965), The Shadow in the North (2007), Legacy (2013). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
In the early years of the 20th Century, two British yachtsmen (Michael York and Simon MacCorkindale) stumble upon a German plot to invade the east coast of England in a flotilla of specially designed barges. They set out to thwart this terrible ...
Style:
serious, suspenseful, exciting, realistic, independent film
Plot:
spy, yacht, military, sailing, ocean, espionage, state affairs, danger, undercover, conquering, heroes, ship ...
Time:
1900s, year 1979, 20th century
Place:
germany, britain, england
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Spain, UK, France
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
Eight years after fleeing the Congo following his assassination of that country's minister of mining, former assassin Jim Terrier is back, suffering from PTSD and digging wells to atone for his violent past. After an attempt is made on his ...
Style:
intense, suspense, exciting, fast paced, political thriller ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
agent as target, espionage, chase, undercover, hitman, home invasion, gangster, gunfight, weapons, danger, conspiracy, mercenary ...
Time:
year 2014, year 2006, 21st century
Place:
south africa, europe, london, barcelona, africa
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
This espionage thriller represents a landmark in spy movies introducing the sly, dry intelligence agent Harry Palmer. The story, centers on Palmer's investigation into British Intelligence security. He's soon enmeshed in a world of ...
Style:
atmospheric, enigmatic, suspenseful, suspense, exciting ...
Plot:
cold war, espionage, spy, conspiracy, double agent, brainwashing, undercover, politics, british, investigation, political intrigue, secret agent ...
Time:
60s, 20th century
Place:
albania, london, england, europe, scotland yard ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
The year is 1914 and Richard Hannay, Mining Engineer who is visiting Britain for a short time before returning to South Africa, is shocked when one of his neighbours, Colonel Scudder, bursts into his rooms one night and tells him a story that ...
Style:
suspenseful, stylized, psychological, exciting, tense ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
conspiracy, terrorist, murder, assassination attempt, secret agent, manhunt, frame up, uncover truth, danger, espionage, state affairs, on the run ...
Time:
1910s, year 1978, 1900s, 20th century, pre world war one ...
Place:
big ben london, london, england, europe, britain ...
Similarity:
48%
Movie in collections
Genre: Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
When an elderly client loses a fortune on an investment, fearless Sally Lockhart will stop at nothing to rectify the situation — even if it means risking everything important to her in the process. As Sally sorts out the threads of the mystery — ...
Style:
serious, suspenseful, realistic, exciting, captivating ...
Plot:
victorian england, murder, amateur sleuth, detective agency, amateur detective, marriage proposal, uncover truth, investigation, partners against crime, partner, friends, danger ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, edwardian era, 1870s
Place:
london, europe, england
Similarity:
26%
501
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Set in the 1970s London during the height of the Cold War when a young spy discovers the disturbing truth about his father's complex past. Based on Alan Judd's 2001 novel Legacy, the second in the Thoroughgood series after 1981's A ...
Style:
serious, captivating, realistic, tense, suspenseful
Plot:
spy, forbidden love, cold war, espionage, kgb, secret agent, government agency, love and romance, betrayal, undercover, dishonesty, political unrest ...
Time:
20th century, 70s, year 1974
Place:
england, london, britain, europe, soviet union ...
Similarity:
25%
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
The Assassination Bureau has existed for decades (perhaps centuries) until Diana Rigg begins to investigate it. The high moral standing of the Bureau (only killing those who deserve it) is called into question by her. She puts out a contract for the ...
Style:
dark comedy, retro, political thriller, black comedy, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
assassin, hitman, assassination, killer, world war one, spy, professional killer, covert operation, conspiracy, serial killer, women, love story ...
Time:
1900s, 1910s, year 1969, edwardian era, 19th century ...
Place:
paris france, venice, europe, london, england ...
Similarity:
25%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
Charles Dobbs is a British secret agent investigating the apparent suicide of Foreign Office official Samuel Fennan. Dobbs suspects that Fennan's wife, Elsa, a survivor of a Nazi Germany extermination camp, might have some clues, but other ...
Style:
serious, tense, suspenseful, exciting, psychological ...
Plot:
cold war, espionage, spy, private detective, working undercover, office, insomnia, secret agent, uncover truth, danger, infidelity, political corruption ...
Time:
year 1966, 60s
Place:
britain, england, london
Similarity:
24%
Movie in collections
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Two British agents are murdered by a mysterious Neonazi organization in West Berlin. The British Secret Service sends agent Quiller to investigate. Soon Quiller is confronted with Neonazi chief "Oktober" and involved in a dangerous game ...
Style:
neo noir, political thriller, independent film, exciting, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
spy, espionage, cold war, british intelligence, neo nazi, secret agent, stasi, ss, undercover, agent, secret service agent, secret mission ...
Time:
year 1966, 60s
Place:
berlin germany, germany, europe
Similarity:
24%
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Having spent 10 years in prison for nationalist activities, Shack Twala is finally ordered released by the South African Supreme Court but he finds himself almost immediately on the run after a run-in with the police. Assisted by his lawyer Rina Van ...
Style:
serious, realistic, suspenseful, exciting, captivating ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
on the run, racism, chase, injustice, betrayal, state affairs, danger, against the rules, politics, secret agent, false accusation, political corruption ...
Time:
70s, year 1975
Place:
africa, south africa, johannesburg south africa
Similarity:
24%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, France
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Five highly-trained KGB agents are sent to the west to assassinate several Soviet dissidents. In order to stop the diabolical plot, an American agent must infiltrate Soviet intelligence and obtain information from a Russian computer.
Style:
suspenseful, intense, serious, realistic, political ...
Plot:
iron curtain, cold war, kgb, spy, espionage, assassination, undercover, politics, danger, dishonesty, journalism, government agency ...
Time:
20th century, year 1982, 80s
Place:
east germany, germany, east berlin, paris france, moscow russia ...
Similarity:
23%
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
After years of meticulous planning, a terrorist operation is reaching its final stages. The authorities have received no intelligence; they are in a race against time but don't yet know it. As the operation unfolds, we see the working lives of ...
Style:
rough, suspenseful, serious, exciting, tense ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
radical, terrorism, nuclear holocaust, political conspiracy, terrorist bombing, terrorist plot, firefighter, save the day, secret agent, counter terrorism, danger, race against time ...
Place:
london, england, europe
Similarity:
22%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
An espionage thriller set in the 1950s and adapted from the novel "Year Suan/Plot Against" by May Jia. Tony Leung Chiu Wai plays a blind man who works for a piano tuner. He is recruited for a spy mission because of his exceptional hearing.
Style:
suspenseful, serious, tense, realistic, captivating
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
political unrest, war, undercover, intelligence agency, blind man, secret movement, dishonesty, misfit, code breaking, disability, espionage, state affairs ...
Time:
20th century, 50s, 1950s
Place:
hong kong, asia, china
Similarity:
22%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
A boy who cries wolf witnesses a political assassination on the island of Malta. But will anyone other than his granddad believe him?
Style:
serious, realistic, tense, suspenseful, independent film ...
Plot:
assassination, killer, coming of age, chase, on the run, danger, murder, hitman, martial law, pursuit, manhunt, state affairs ...
Time:
60s
Place:
malta, mediterranean sea
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
London of the late 19th century is a haven for political exiles of all sorts - refugees, partisans, anarchists. Verloc has made his living spying for the Russian goverment, an agent provacateur of sorts, while simultaneously providing information to ...
Style:
psychological, harsh, realistic, suspenseful, serious ...
Plot:
terrorism, betrayal, murder mystery, politics, police inspector, secret agent, sabotage, conspiracy, undercover, state affairs, dishonesty, danger ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, year 1996, 1880s, 18th century ...
Place:
london, england, europe, scotland, russia
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Story of international intrigue involving a university professor, an Arab prime minister, a ruthless businessman, a beautiful spy, and hieroglyphics.
Style:
suspenseful, talky, witty, realistic, serious ...
Plot:
espionage, spy, murder, political intrigue, gangster, justice, assassination, twists and turns, professor, intrigue, investigation, danger ...
Time:
60s, year 1966, 20th century, 70s
Place:
england, london, oxford university, europe, middle east
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
A Texan with a secret past (Gene Hackman) searches Europe with his son (Matt Dillon) after the KGB kidnaps his wife (Gayle Hunnicutt).
Style:
serious, suspenseful, realistic, suspense, neo noir ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
chase, espionage, father son relationship, missing person, rescue, spy, daring rescue, parents and children, secret agent, dishonesty, danger, heroes ...
Time:
80s, year 1985
Place:
hamburg germany, paris france, france, usa, texas ...
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
A terrorist attack in London results in the capture of suspect Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto). The attorney general appoints Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall) as special advocate on Erdogan's legal team. On the eve of the trial, ...
Style:
political, serious, suspenseful, clever, realistic ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
terrorism, terrorist, conspiracy, cia, politics, legal action, lawyer, murder, surveillance, legal investigation, law enforcement, state affairs ...
Time:
year 2013, 21st century
Place:
london, england, britain, usa, boston
Similarity:
21%
Movie in collections
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, West Germany, Italy
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
A writer gets wrapped up in espionage.
Style:
exciting, serious, realistic, suspenseful, rough ...
Plot:
spy, espionage, cold war, kidnapping, scientist, violent content, state affairs, heroes, danger, chases and races, rescue, dishonesty ...
Time:
year 1967, 60s, 20th century
Place:
china
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Italy
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Estranged by the degree of corporate influence within the largest U.S. listening station in the world, an aging NSA officer defects and mounts a clandestine counter-listening station high in the Italian alps.
Style:
realistic, serious, suspenseful, rough, tense ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
espionage, surveillance, secret agent, manhunt, on the run, rivalry, political conspiracy, life turned upside down, working undercover, undercover, danger, dishonesty ...
Place:
rome italy, europe, italy
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
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 ...
Style:
tense, captivating, serious, realistic, cult classic ...
Plot:
espionage, on the run, secret agent, undercover, head of state, dishonesty, state affairs, cover up, politics, prime minister, british politics, 007 ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
united kingdom, europe, germany
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, France
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
An international assassin known as ‘The Jackal’ is employed by disgruntled French generals to kill President Charles de Gaulle, with a dedicated gendarme on the assassin's trail.
Style:
political thriller, suspenseful, political, exciting, intense ...
Plot:
conspiracy, hitman, terrorism, assassin, police investigation, spy thriller, politics, assassination plot, serial killer, assassination attempt, espionage, french president ...
Time:
year 1963, 20th century, 60s, year 1973, 70s
Place:
paris france, france, algeria, europe, big ben london ...
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Adventure, Drama, War
Country: UK
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
The outbreak of World War I places Scots officer Geoffrey Richter-Douglas in an uncomfortable position. Although his allegiance is to Britain, his mother was from an aristocratic Bavarian family, and he spent his summers in Germany as a child. When ...
Style:
serious, realistic, exciting, rough, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
world war one, zeppelin, aviation, great war, world war, war, spy, flying, fighter plane, undercover, secret agent, wartime life ...
Time:
1910s, year 1971, 20th century, year 1915
Place:
germany, london, scotland
Similarity:
20%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
Colonel Casey discovers what appears to be plans by General Lloyd to use fake military excercises to assist Jack Giddings in his plans to remove President Foster from office. Colonel Casey, and President Foster must find evidence that there is a ...
Style:
serious, suspenseful, realistic, tense, political thriller
Plot:
coup d'etat, conspiracy, terrorism, political corruption, state affairs, betrayal, government agency, undercover, manhunt, special agent, revolution, danger ...
Time:
90s
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Italy, UK
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
Who is Anton Haliakov, who has just been abducted by the M.I.5 in London? A Soviet scientist apparently. But sixteen years before the man had another identity, Clément Tibère, and another nationality, French. So what led him to become Russian and ...
Style:
exciting, realistic, serious, suspenseful, rough ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
spy, covert operation, espionage, manhunt, chases and races, heroes, state affairs, escapades, undercover, rebellion, danger, dishonesty ...
Time:
70s, 20th century
Place:
france, london, russia, england, alps ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
A British intelligence agent must track down a fellow spy suspected of being a double agent.
Style:
talky, exciting, realistic, serious, suspenseful ...
Plot:
cold war, espionage, assassination, revenge, flashback, cold war era, covert operation, assassin, rivalry, state affairs, dishonesty, heroes ...
Time:
20th century, 60s
Place:
england, greece
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, France, Germany, USA, Hungary, Turkey
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet mole within his former colleagues at the heart of MI6.
Style:
confusing, neo noir, bleak, period piece, political ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
cold war, espionage, spy, secret service, mole, british intelligence, investigation, double agent, kgb, government agency, secret agent, undercover ...
Time:
70s, year 2011, 2010s, 20th century
Place:
london, england, europe, istanbul turkey, hungary ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Finland
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
A former British spy stumbles into in a plot to overthrow Communism with the help of a supercomputer. But who is working for whom?
Style:
political thriller, psychotronic, suspense, serious, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
cold war, spy, espionage, computer, anti communism, spy thriller, cold war era, russian spy, secret service agent, martial arts, woman with a gun, revolt ...
Time:
year 1967, 60s
Place:
helsinki finland, finland, england, texas, russia ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
When the Nazi high command learns in late 1943 that Winston Churchill will be spending time at a country estate in Norfolk, it hatches an audacious scheme to kidnap the prime minister and spirit him to Germany for enforced negotiations with Hitler.
Style:
exciting, suspense, tense, intense, serious ...
Plot:
world war two, espionage, spy, war, nazi germany, military, soldier, nazi soldier, commando mission, runaway, insubordination, rescue ...
Time:
1940s, year 1976, 20th century, year 1943
Place:
london, germany, poland, europe, england ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
In a vein similar to Bond movies, a British agent Philip Calvert is on a mission to determine the whereabouts of a ship that disappeared near the coast of Scotland.
Style:
independent film, realistic, serious, exciting, suspenseful ...
Plot:
spy, secret agent, james bond spoof, serial killer, covert operation, 007, explosions, ship, undercover, pirate, betrayal, espionage ...
Time:
year 1971, 70s
Place:
scottish highlands, london, britain, scotland
Similarity:
19%
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