Cold war era movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant cold war era movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out realistic, serious, political, suspenseful, tense and intense films and TV shows about / with cold war, cold war era, espionage, politics, spy, betrayal, surveillance, intrigue, dialogue and state affairs plots mostly in Thriller, Drama and History genres shot in USA, UK, France and other countries.
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TOP 10 movies tagged as cold war era: The Assets (2014), Charlie Wilson's War (2007), The Americans (2013), Thirteen Days (2000), The Courier (2020), Bridge of Spies (2015), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Stalin (1992), JFK (1991), Red Dawn (1984).
Best films
New films
List of cold war era movies
Genre: Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
1985 serves as the backdrop to the final showdown of the Cold War when Sandy and her partner Jeanne Vertefeuille vowed to find the mole that would turn out to be the most notorious traitor in US History, Aldrich Ames. Sandy is in a race against time ...
Style:
serious, suspenseful, tense, realistic, political
Plot:
spy, cold war, espionage, cold war era, cia, secret agent, communism, double agent, investigation, state affairs, government agency, dishonesty ...
Time:
80s, 1880s
Place:
usa, soviet union, russia, ussr
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
The true story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets had some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
Style:
clever, political, factual, realistic, humorous ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
cold war, cia, politics, womanizer, satire, spy, politician, propaganda, swimming pool, soviet afghanistan war, congressman, brutality ...
Time:
20th century, year 1980, year 1988, 2000s, year 2007 ...
Place:
afghanistan, washington d.c., texas, pakistan, helsinki finland ...
Is relevant?
122K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min.
TV show
Story:
Set during the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB officers posing as an American married couple in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and their neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI ...
Style:
exciting, captivating, sexy, realistic, atmospheric ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
cold war, espionage, spy, undercover, working undercover, mission, top secret, kgb, mole, government agency, couple relations, investigation ...
Time:
80s, 2010s, 20th century
Place:
washington d.c., soviet union, usa, ussr
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
Dramatisation of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the nuclear standoff with the USSR sparked by the discovery by the Americans of missle bases established on the Soviet allied island of Cuba. Shown from the perspective of the US President, John F Kennedy, ...
Style:
political, tense, suspenseful, thought provoking, disturbing ...
Plot:
cold war, politics, spy, president, diplomacy, political intrigue, un, race against time, nuclear, cold war era, conspiracy, cuban missile crisis ...
Time:
y2k, year 2000, 60s, 20th century, year 1962
Place:
cuba, ussr, north america, the philippines, usa ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Czech Republic
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Style:
suspense, tense, captivating, powerful, action drama ...
Plot:
spy, cold war, russian spy, cuban missile crisis, counter intelligence, husband wife sex, cold war era, agent, prospector, spy hero, reconnaissance, politics ...
Time:
2020s, 1950s, 60s, year 1962, year 1964 ...
Place:
germany, berlin germany, cuba, langley virginia, moscow russia ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: USA, India, Germany
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan, recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate ...
Style:
suspense, historical drama, dramatic, period piece, intense ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
cold war, espionage, lawyer, spy, cia, agent, soviet spy, courtroom, politics, berlin wall, court, negotiation ...
Time:
year 1960, year 2015, 2010s, year 1957, 1950s ...
Place:
east germany, berlin germany, soviet union, new york, west germany ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 135 min.
Story:
A new Soviet nuclear missile sub (a Boomer) heading out on her maiden voyage that is being tracked by a Los Angeles class American submarine suddenly goes silent and "disappears". This focuses the attention of both U.S. Intelligence and ...
Style:
suspense, political thriller, political, exciting, clever ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly
Plot:
submarine, cold war, navy, espionage, spy, nuclear threat, politics, cold war era, water, cia, nuclear submarine, torpedo ...
Time:
80s, year 1990, year 1984, 20th century
Place:
russia, washington d.c., usa, atlantic ocean, maine ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: Russia, Hungary, USA
Duration: 172 min.
Story:
The life and career of the brutal Soviet dictator, Josef Stalin.
Style:
political, captivating, realistic, serious, disturbing ...
Plot:
world war two, josef stalin, propaganda, communism, politician, dictatorship, intrigue, evil man, political leader, cold war era, cold war, terror ...
Time:
1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 50s, year 1917 ...
Place:
ussr, soviet union, russia
Is relevant?
181K
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA, France
Duration: 189 min.
Story:
New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.
Style:
tense, political thriller, controversial, political, disturbing ...
Plot:
investigation, assassination, kennedy assassination, president, political conspiracy, conspiracy theory, legal, politics, cia, assassination of president, cold war era, courtroom ...
Time:
20th century, 60s, 90s, year 1991, year 1963
Place:
america, washington d.c., north america, midwest, chile ...
Is relevant?
68K
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
It is the dawn of World War III. In mid-western America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces.
Style:
intense, serious, rough, suspenseful, exciting ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night, kids, teen drama
Plot:
survival, propaganda, cold war, dystopia, politics, anti communist, invasion, betrayal, high school, small town, fictional war, winter ...
Time:
80s, year 1984, 20th century, future, near future
Place:
colorado, soviet union, ussr, china, new mexico ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 136 min.
Story:
An expatriate Russian dancer is on a plane forced to land on Soviet territory. He is taken to an apartment in which a black American who has married a Russian woman lives with her. He is to become a dancer for the Bolshoi again, but he wishes to ...
Style:
exciting, suspenseful, retro, colorful, realistic ...
Audience:
girls' night, teens
Plot:
ballet, cold war, dance, defector, cold war era, dancing, kgb, escape, ballerina, dancer, culture clash, expatriate ...
Time:
year 1985, 80s
Place:
russia, soviet union, siberia, london, ussr
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story:
The Manchurian Candidate is a political thriller from American director John Frankenheimer. An American soldier is brainwashed into being a killer for the communist Russians during the Korean War.
Style:
political thriller, psychological, political, suspenseful, suspense ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
conspiracy, cold war, political conspiracy, brainwashing, assassin, manipulation, nightmare, senator, cold war era, communism, korean war, election ...
Time:
1950s, 20th century, year 1962, 50s, year 1952
Place:
new york, north korea, china, washington d.c., korea ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, Japan, USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
The story of journalist, Edward R Murrow's stand against Senator McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
Style:
political, tense, period piece, factual, melancholic ...
Plot:
politics, media, television, mccarthyism, journalist, reporter, fighting the system, cold war, propaganda, terrorist, patriotism, communism ...
Time:
1950s, 20th century, 50s, year 2005, 90s ...
Place:
new york, washington d.c., california, usa, soviet union ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Germany, France, Czech Republic
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex depicts the political turmoil in the period from 1967 to the bloody "Deutschen Herbst" in 1977. The movie approaches the events based on Stefan Aust's standard work on Die Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF). The ...
Style:
political, bleak, realistic, harsh, intellectual ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
terrorism, politics, revolutionary, protest, prison, political unrest, assassination, capitalism, terrorist attack, revolution, idealism, trial ...
Time:
70s, year 2008, 60s, 20th century, year 1970 ...
Place:
germany, rome italy, west berlin west germany, somalia, berlin germany ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Poland
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
During the Cold War, a local Polish officer and a young Soviet woman wedded to a Soviet officer are drawn together by music.
Style:
romantic drama, captivating, sincere, disturbing, melancholic ...
Plot:
cold war era, cold war, forbidden romance, love affair, military life, love interest, love story, romantic relationship, male female relationship, love and romance, couple relations, relationships ...
Time:
70s
Place:
poland, soviet union
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Germany
Duration: 167 min.
Story:
Inspired by true events, Olympic swimmer Harry Melchior defects from East Germany in the 1960s and hatches a daring plot to help his sister and others flee East Berlin through a 145-yard underground tunnel.
Style:
suspense, suspenseful, political, compassionate, captivating ...
Plot:
berlin wall, tunnel, politics, communism, breast feeding, political unrest, cold war, wartime, heroes, danger, daring rescue, prison escape ...
Time:
ancient times, 60s, year 2001
Place:
east germany, germany, berlin germany, west berlin west germany, german democratic republic ...
Is relevant?
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 ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Mexico
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union.
Style:
tense, realistic, psychological, captivating, serious ...
Plot:
espionage, cold war, undercover, treason, cold war era, double agent, drug, political conspiracy, dishonesty, buddies, society, hitman ...
Time:
20th century, 70s, year 1985, year 1974, 80s
Place:
usa, california, soviet union, mexico city, mexico ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
During the Cold War, an American scientist appears to defect to East Germany as part of a cloak and dagger mission to find the formula for a resin solution, but the plan goes awry when his fiancee, unaware of his motivation, follows him across the ...
Style:
suspense, enigmatic, tense, suspenseful, stylized ...
Plot:
cold war, espionage, spy, secret agent, stasi, iron curtain, politics, murder mystery, nobility, cold war era, secrets, police investigation ...
Time:
20th century, year 1966, 60s
Place:
east germany, berlin germany, germany, europe, east berlin ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
Based in part on Robert F. Kennedy's book, "Thirteen Days," this film profiles the Kennedy Administration's actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Style:
political, captivating, tense, thought provoking, realistic ...
Plot:
cold war, cuban missile crisis, president, cold war era, u.s. president, diplomacy, nuclear threat, politics, spy, missile, diplomat, armed forces ...
Time:
year 1962, 60s
Place:
cuba, washington d.c., latin america, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy
Country: Italy, France, West Germany
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
The village of mayor Peppone and Don Camillo, after much dispute, gets assigned a sister village in Russia. When Peppone and his comrades decide to attend the ceremony on the other side of the iron curtain, Don Camillo wants to join. Peppone is ...
Plot:
cold war era, kolkhoz, tractor, mayor, vodka, communism, italian opera, journalist, confusion, blackmail, revenge, italian abroad ...
Place:
soviet union, russia, moscow russia, italy, ussr
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Soviet Union
Duration: 166 min.
Story:
About Russian space program and missile industry, and it's founder Sergei P. Korolev, from the 1920s to the first man in space in 1961.
Style:
epic, inspirational, serious, dramatic, educational ...
Plot:
space program, cold war era, space exploration, biopic, innovation, perseverance, ambition, industrialization, triumph, scientific discovery, patriotism, world war two ...
Time:
60s, 1920s, 1950s, post world war two
Place:
soviet union, moscow russia, ukraine, russia, ussr
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Germany, France
Duration: 137 min.
Story:
A tragic love story set in East Berlin with the backdrop of an undercover Stasi controlled culture. Stasi captain Wieler is ordered to follow author Dreyman and plunges deeper and deeper into his life until he reaches the threshold of doubting the ...
Style:
gloomy, political thriller, sincere, political, emotional ...
Audience:
date night, adult
Plot:
surveillance, cold war, spy, communism, berlin wall, stasi, politics, redemption, espionage, iron curtain, life philosophy, voyeurism ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1989, 2000s, 90s ...
Place:
east germany, germany, berlin germany, europe, soviet union ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
A reporter Mullen 'stumbles' on a story linking a prominent Member of Parliament to a KGB agent. In fact it is also linked to a near Nuclear disaster involving a teenage runaway and an Americal USAF base. Has there been a Government ...
Style:
political thriller, neo noir, political, cult classic, serious ...
Plot:
spy, journalism, political corruption, member of parliament, cover up, cold war, secret service agent, government conspiracy, newspaper reporter, reporter, death of protagonist, conspiracy ...
Time:
80s
Place:
london, england, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
James Bond helps a Russian General escape into the west. He soon finds out that the KGB wants to kill him for helping the General. A little while later the General is kidnapped from the Secret Service leading 007 to be suspicious.
Style:
saga, suspense, exciting, spy action, surprise ending ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
007, espionage, cold war, soviet afghanistan war, desert, cello, assassin, secret service, secret agent, deception, british secret service, cia agent ...
Time:
80s, 20th century
Place:
vienna, britain, soviet union, central europe, middle east ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: West Germany, USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Director Robert Siodmak's 1962 film, inspired by true events, is about an East Berlin resident who attempts to escape to West Berlin with his family and girlfriend through a secret underground tunnel.
Style:
political
Plot:
berlin wall, cold war, cold war era, communism, iron curtain, tunnel, stasi, family relations, loss of son, anti communism, house, group ...
Time:
60s, year 1961
Place:
berlin germany, east berlin, west berlin west germany, germany, german democratic republic ...
Is relevant?
Genre: History, War
Country: UK
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
Based on actual accounts, this film portrays the days and hours before and during the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina, which eventually lead to the Falklands War. As the Argentine forces land on the main island and make their way ...
Style:
historical drama, tense, period piece, realistic, suspenseful ...
Plot:
falklands war, invasion, cold war era, siege, island, occupation, heroism, realism, showdown, isolation, patriotism, cold war ...
Time:
80s
Place:
argentina
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Italy, Turkey
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
Agent 007 is back in the second installment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organization known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding device known as the Lektor, using the ravishing ...
Style:
spy action, saga, exciting, realistic, suspenseful ...
Audience:
manly, boys' night
Plot:
james bond, spy, agent, 007, cold war, spy hero, train, vigilante, assassin, secret service, secret agent, espionage ...
Time:
year 1963, 20th century, 60s
Place:
turkey, russia, istanbul turkey, venice, europe ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
An expatriate British publisher unexpectedly finds himself working for British intelligence to investigate people in Russia.
Style:
political, stylized, sentimental, sex comedy, contemplative ...
Plot:
cold war, iron curtain, espionage, covert operation, surveillance, cold war era, politics, undercover, intrigue, secret agent, international relations, love ...
Time:
80s
Place:
lisbon portugal, russia, england, soviet union, europe ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA, France
Duration: 167 min.
Story:
Edward Wilson, the only witness to his father's suicide and member of the Skull and Bones Society while a student at Yale, is a morally upright young man who values honor and discretion, qualities that help him to be recruited for a career in ...
Style:
tense, sexy, suspense, political, factual ...
Plot:
cold war, espionage, spy, double agent, cia, politics, corruption, conspiracy, mentor, secret agent, patriotism, invasion ...
Time:
year 1960, 1940s, 20th century, year 2006, year 1961 ...
Place:
cuba, usa, london, berlin germany, washington d.c. ...
Is relevant?
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