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Release Date : June 29, 2023

123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5

Starring: Nikhil, Iswarya Menon, Rana Daggubati, Sanya Thakur, Abhinav Gomatam, Aryan Rajesh, Makrand Deshpande, Jisshu Sen Gupta, Nitin Mehta, Ravi Varma, Krishna Teja & others

Director: Garry BH

Producer: K Rajashekhar Reddy

Music Directors: Vishal Chandrasekhar, Sri Charan Pakala

Cinematographers: Vamshi Patchipulusu, Mark David

Editor: Garry BH

Related Links : Trailer

Nikhil is back with yet another PAN Indian film named Spy. The movie is directed by famous editor Garry BH, and Rana played a cameo. Spy is about the death mystery of freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose. The film has hit the screens today, and let’s see how it is.

Khaadir (Nitin Mehta) is a most wanted terrorist who has become a big threat to India. RAW Agent Subhash (Aryan Rajesh) kills Khaadir, but under mysterious circumstances, Subhash too dies. RAW soon learns that Khaadir is alive and plans a mission to eliminate him. Jai (Nikhil) is one of the agents, who is the brother of Subhash. Jai has two objectives. The first one is to kill Khaadir, while the second objective is to find out who killed Subhash. What happened next? Is it RAW or Khaadir who got the upper hand? This forms the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

Nikhil once again is impressive with his neat performance in Spy. Nikhil looks good as a spy agent and performs with aplomb. He doesn’t go overboard, and the young actor is terrific in all the action sequences. The actor gets nice support from Abhinav Gomatam. Abhinav gets a full-length role, and the actor is good at his part. His one-liners evoke a few laughs.

The cameo by Rana Daggubati is good. Though the cameo doesn’t last long, it is effective. The way Rana explains the prominence of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is stunning. The cameo of Rana is followed by Azaadi song, and these portions generate interest.

Iswarya Menon is okay in her role. Sanya Thakur, Nitin Mehta, Markand Deshpande, and Ravi Varma did what was expected of them. Relatively the second half is better, as it has some decent moments.

Minus Points:

Though the movie has an interesting point about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the makers didn’t succeed in weaving a neat screenplay around it. The narrative is bland for the most part, and it doesn’t excite us much. Those who expect thrilling moments will get disappointed due to the flat narration.

There isn’t anything new that has been showcased here, and the movie is just another regular spy thriller. Things like honey trapping were not executed properly. Only there are a couple of scenes that talk about Subhash Chandra Bose, and the movie could have been better had the makers focused more on the unexplored side of the freedom fighter.

Aryan Rajesh’s character is poorly written, as we don’t get to see much of him. Hence Spy fails on the emotional front too. The way Jisshu Sengupta’s character is designed is, again routine. Though a lot of action keeps happening, it doesn’t really create any excitement.

Technical Aspects:

The background score by Sri Charan Pakala is not that great. Azaadi song is good on screen. The cinematography by Vamshi Patchipulusu and Mark David is pretty average. The visuals in a few scenes looked odd due to poor CG works. The production values are decent. The editing is alright.

Coming to the director, Garry BH, he did a below-par job with his debut directorial. Though the point taken has good scope, the makers resorted to cliches and delivered a regular spy thriller that hardly has any thrills. The movie also doesn’t have any logics.

On the whole, Spy is a generic spy action thriller that doesn’t have anything new to offer. Nikhil’s sincere performance and a few decent moments here and there are its saving grace. The bland narration without any high or thrilling moments is the main drawback. It could have been much better had the makers concentrated more on Subhash Chandra Bose. Spy will end up being an okay watch, provided you keep your expectations in check.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

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'Spy' Telugu film review: An excruciating actioner with clumsy and fraudulent storytelling

At one point in Spy, there is intense indignation on Jai (Nikhil Siddhartha)’s face as he tries to explain to his boss that he does not want to work with his ex-girlfriend  (she has honey-trapped him in the past). “She cheated me, I will work with anyone else but her,” is what he says, sighing. The hurt is not entirely different to what we feel after watching Spy. One feels cheated here as well. Now, cheating is a commonplace term in the film industry for recreating a specific location in the story in someplace more logistically feasible. This is not the same as using VFX (though that is another form of cheating). The bottomline, as the word suggests, is you have got to cheat your audience into thinking they are in that actual location.

For a story that unfolds across Amman, Kathmandu, Yangon, New York City, Galle, New Delhi and Kohima, the film makes its Hyderabad locations obvious to an unflattering effect. It almost becomes a guessing game after a point. There is Ramoji Film City. That one set where filmmakers always go to, to shoot government hospital scenes. The famed Shimla Mall road is Kathmandu here. The Old city predominantly inhabited by Muslims is the makers’ replacement for  Yangon, a Buddhist-majority city.

And the list goes on. Not being able to recreate locations well is inconsequential and forgivable, but in a film from this genre—this is an egregious transgression. The sense of vicarious joy and exploration that we wish to experience in films that jet across continents is sorely absent here. The film’s lackadaisical production values are only aggravated by the fact that the background in the film is so off-focus and blurry that I almost wondered if I was watching the film with my prescription glasses off. All of these shortcoming make Spy a rather crude and visually impoverished film. 

The makers don’t stop with the guess location game, they also urge us to play the ‘spot the cliche’ game. Janaab? Check. Abbu? Check. Bad men from Pakistan? Check. Regressive ideas? Check. RAW? Check. Sleeper cell? Check. Rogue Agent? Check. The film does not try to rise above these terms. And the writing also seems reverse-engineered just about enough for the most low-hanging jokes and oft-repeated stereotypes to come through. For instance, there is a shot of a Pakistani relishing a burger, only for an Indian “spy” to shame his country’s food shortage the very next second. 

The elephant in the room, the famed (and deeply fascinating) conspiracy theory regarding Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s death — is at best, an insect here, making a minor-sized impact to this film’s story. The legendary freedom fighter is reduced to mere clickbait here. One wonders why it even appears in the film till you see Rana make a guest appearance as a pilot. “We don’t have time for introductions” is what he brusquely says, before giving an angsty 10-minute lecture on the 1944 Battle of Kohima.

This is where the film’s true and disingenous intentions come through. Rana’s character is practically an extension of Anupam Kher’s character in Kartikeya 2. Both characters give a rousing monologue that becomes a bigger talking point in the entire film. 

The ideology is clear. The target audience is also receptive. But does anyone, let alone, the people who echo the core ideology of a film, need to endure two hours of incoherent, derivative meandering for a few minutes of chest-thumping declarations? This is cheating the art and the format of cinema itself. 

Cast: Nikhil Siddhartha, Abhinav Gomatam, Ishwarya Menon, Jisshu, Makarand Deshpande Director: Garry BH

Rating: 1/5 stars

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Spy telugu movie review: 'స్పై' మూవీ రివ్యూ.

టాలీవుడ్ హీరోలంతా ఇప్పుడు పాన్ ఇండియా పేరు తెగ కలవరిస్తున్నారు. హీరో నిఖిల్ కూడా ఇందులో ఉన్నాడు. తెలుగులో చిన్నహీరోగా పలు హిట్స్ కొట‍్టిన నిఖిల్.. 'కార్తికేయ 2'తో దేశవ్యాప్తంగా గుర్తింపు సొంతం చేసుకున్నాడు. ఏ మాత్రం అంచనాల్లేకుండా వచ్చిన ఆ చిత్రం సూపర్ హిట్ అయింది. అది దైవభక్తి నేపథ‍్యం. ఇప్పుడు దేశభక్తి కాన్సెప్ట్ తో తీసిన 'స్పై' సినిమాలో నటించాడు. విడుదలకు ముందే మోస్తరు అంచనాలు ఏర్పడ్డాయి. తాజాగా ఈ చిత్రం థియేటర్లలోకి వచ్చింది. మరి ఎలా ఉంది? ఏంటనేది రివ్యూలో చూద్దాం!

కథేంటి? జై(నిఖిల్).. 'రా' ఇంటెలిజెన్స్ లో ఏజెంట్‌గా పనిచేస్తుంటాడు. శ్రీలంకలో ఓ మిషన్‌ని పూర్తిచేసి స్వదేశానికి తిరిగొస్తాడు. ఈ క్రమంలో 'రా' చీఫ్ శాస్త్రి (మకరంద్ దేశ్‌పాండే).. ఓ మిషన్ లో భాగంగా చనిపోయిన ఏజెంట్ సుభాష్ వర్ధన్ (ఆర్యన్ రాజేశ్) ఫైల్ అప్పగిస్తాడు. అతడి చావుకి కారణం తెలుసుకోమని ఆర్డర్ వేస్తాడు. ఈ మిషన్‌లో భాగంగా జై పలు సవాళ్లని ఎదుర్కొంటాడు. చివరకు ఏం తెలుసుకున్నాడు? ఈ కథలో ఖాదిర్ ఖాన్, అబ్దుల్ రెహ్మాన్(జిషుసేన్ గుప్తా) ఎవరు? చివరకు మిషన్ సక్సెస్ అయిందా లేదా అనేదే 'స్పై' స్టోరీ.

ఎలా ఉందంటే? సాధారణంగా స్పై సినిమాలు అనగానే కథ ఎలా ఉంటుందనేది మనకు తెలుసు. ఎందుకంటే అప్పుడెప్పుడో వచ్చిన సూపర్‌స్టార్ కృష్ణ 'గూఢచారి 116' నుంచి అడివి శేష్ 'గూఢచారి' వరకు ఈ తరహా మూవీస్ చూస్తూనే ఉన్నాం. ఓ ఏజెంట్ ఉంటాడు... రా డిపార్ట్‌మెంట్.. దానికి ఓ చీఫ్.. ఆయన సదరు హీరో అనబడే ఏజెంట్‪‌కి ఓ మిషన్ అప్పగిస్తాడు. ఫైనల్ గా అది పూర్తి చేసి, విలన్ ని చంపాడా లేదా అనేదే స్టోరీ. సరిగా ఈ టెంప్లేట్‌ని ఉన్నది ఉన్నట్లు నిఖిల్ 'స్పై' సినిమా ఫాలో అయిపోయింది. పైపెచ్చు కొత్తదనం అస్సలు లేదు.

ఫస్టాప్ విషయానికొస్తే.. జోర్డాన్ లో ఆయుధాలని స్మగ్లింగ్ చేసే విలన్ ఖాదిర్ ఖాన్ ని మన రా ఏజెంట్ సుభాష్ కాల్చి చంపేస్తాడు. ఆ వెంటనే సుభాష్ ని ఎవరో చంపేస్తారు. కట్ చేస్తే శ్రీలంకలో జై పాత్రలో నిఖిల్ ఎంట్రీ, ఓ మిషన్ పూర్తి చేసి.. స్వదేశానికి వచ్చేయడం. ఇక్కడొచ్చిన తర్వాత సుభాష్ ని ఎవరు చంపేశారో తెలుసుకోమని నిఖిల్ కు మిషన్ అప్పజెప్తారు. అలా నేపాల్ వెళ్తాడు. అక్కడ ఏజెంట్ వైష్ణవి(ఐశ్వర్య మేనన్) వీళ్ల టీమ్ తో కలుస్తుంది. ఈమెకి జై పాత్రతో గతంలో ఓ లవ్ స్టోరీ ఉంటుంది. అది చాలా రొటీన్ గా అనిపిస్తుంది. 

ఓ మంచి సీన్ తో ఇంటర్వెల్ బ్యాంగ్ పడుతుంది. సెకండాఫ్ లో ఖాదిర్ ఖాన్ కోసం వెళ్తే.. ఏజెంట్ జై టీమ్ కి బోలెడన్ని కొత్త విషయాలు తెలుస్తాయి. అలానే మన దగ్గర నుంచి సుభాష్ చంద్రబోస్ డెత్ మిస్టరీ ఫైల్ మిస్ అయినట్లు తెలుస్తోంది. ఇంతకీ అది ఎవరి చేతికి చిక్కింది? ఫైనల్ గా జై ఏం తెలుసుకున్నాడు? ఎవరిని చంపాడు లాంటివి తెలుసుకోవాలంటే మీరు థియేటర్ కి వెళ్లి సినిమా చూడాల్సిందే. 

టీజర్, ట్రైలర్ చూసి ఇదో మంచి ఇంటెన్స్ థ్రిల్లర్ అనుకుంటే మీరు పప్పులో కాలేసినట్లే. ఎందుకంటే ఇందులో దేశభక్తి అనే కోటింగ్ తప్ప రొటీన్ రెగ్యులర్ స్పై తరహా సినిమానే. ఏ మాత్రం కొత్తదనం లేదు. అలానే చాలాచోట్ల సినిమాటిక్‌ లిబర్టీ విపరీతంగా తీసుకున్నారు. ఓ సీన్ లో ఓ అమ్మాయి చిన్నప‍్పటి ఫొటో దొరుకుతుంది. దాన్ని ఫోన్ లో ఫొటో తీసి 25 ఏళ్ల తర్వాత ఎలా ఉంటుందో జై టీమ్ కనిపెట‍్టేస్తారు. అది కూడా కేవలం నిమిషాల్లో. ఈ సీన్ చూడగానే.. ఆడియెన్స్ మరీ అంతా పిచ్చోళ్లగా కనిపిస్తున్నారా అనే డౌట్ వస్తుంది. అలానే జై ఏజెంట్ కావడానికి, సుభాష్ చంద్రబోస్ ఫైల్ లో ఏముందనేది చూపించలేదు. పోనీ యాక్షన్ సీన్స్ అయినా కొత్తగా ఉన్నాయా అంటే అదీలేదు. బోరింగ్ కే బోరింగ్ అన‍్నట్లు తయారయ్యాయి.

ఎవరెలా చేశారు? ఏజెంట్‌గా నిఖిల్ ఫెర్ఫెక్ట్‌గా సెట్ అయ్యాడు. తను ఇప్పటివరకు చేయని జానర్ కావడం వల్లనో ఏమోగానీ మంచి ఈజ్ తో చేసుకుంటూ వెళ్లిపోయాడు. అభినవ్ గోమఠం.. ఏజెంట్ కమల్ పాత్రలో యాక్షన్ కంటే కామెడీనే ఎక్కువ చేశాడు. కొన్నిసార్లు ఆ కామెడీ ఓకే అనిపించినప్పటికీ.. మరికొన్నిసార్లు స్టోరీని సైడ్ ట్రాక్ పట్టించినట్లు అనిపించింది. హీరోయిన్ గా చేసిన ఐశ్వర్య మేనన్.. ఏజెంట్ వైష్ణవి పాత్రలో ఓకే. ఏదో ఉందంటే ఉందంతే. నిఖిల్ పక్కన ఉండటం తప్పితే పెద్దగా చేసిందేం లేదు. మిగతా వాళ్లు పర్వాలేదనిపించారు. రానా.. కాసేపు అలా కనిపించి అలరించాడు. పోసాని కృష్ణమురళి, ఆర్యన్ రాజేశ్, సచిన్ ఖేడ్కర్, సురేశ్ లాంటి మంచి నటులు ఉన్నప్పటికీ.. వాళ్లందరికీ ఒకటి రెండు సీన్లకే పరిమితం చేశారు. 

ఈ సినిమా టెక్నికల్ పరంగా అయినా బాగుందా అంటే పెద్దగా చెప్పుకోదగ్గ స్థాయిలో ఏం లేదు. శ్రీచరణ్ పాకాల బ్యాక్ గ్రౌండ్ స్కోరు బాగున్నప్పటికీ.. విశాల్ చంద్రశేఖర్ పాటలు థియేటర్ నుంచి బయటకొచ్చాక గుర్తుండవ్. సినిమాటోగ్రఫీ పర్లేదు. గ్రాఫిక్స్ అయితే కొన్నిచోట్ల తేలిపోయాయి. యాక్షన్ కొరియోగ్రఫీ బాగుంది కానీ ఇంకా బెటర్ గా చేసి ఉండాల్సింది. నిర్మాణ విలువలు పర్లేదు. డైరెక్టర్ గ్యారీ బీహెచ్.. స్వతహాగా ఎడిటర్. కానీ ఈ సినిమాలోని ఫస్టాప్ లో కొన్ని సీన్లు అలానే ఉంచేశారు. వాటి వల్ల ల్యాగ్ అనిపించింది. వాటిని ట్రిమ్ చేసుంటే బాగుండేది. ఓవరాల్‌గా చెప్పుకుంటే 'స్పై'.. రెగ్యులర్ రొటీన్ బోరింగ్ డ్రామా. పెద్దగా థ్రిల్ పంచదు, అలా అని ఇంటెన్స్ స్టోరీ కూడా ఉండదు. స్పై సినిమాలను ఇష్టపడేవాళ్లకు అంతో ఇంతో ఈ చిత్రం నచ్చుతుంది.

-చందు, సాక్షి వెబ్ డెస్క్

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SPY Twitter Review: Tweets To Go Through Before Watching Nikhil Siddhartha's Latest Action-Thriller Flick

Nikhil Siddhartha's SPY Twitter Review :After scoring his career's biggest success in Karthikeya 2 and raising his bar, actor Nikhil Siddhartha, now another pan-India hero, is ready with his racy action-thriller, SPY. The movie hit the screens on June 29 in Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam.

Editor-turned-director Garry BH is making his directorial debut with this film which features Iswarya Menon as the female lead. Actor Aryan Rajesh, Allari Naresh's brother, is making a comeback to the silver screen after a long hiatus.

The movie revolves around a RAW agent named Jai, who unravels the connection between a notorious arms dealer and the secrets of the renowned freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandrabose. He also is on a mission to find out the reason behind the untimely death of his brother-all while protecting the country from a massive threat.

SPY Twitter Review

Spy was released all over the world to a decent buzz on June 29. The filmmakers exuded great confidence in their film, and coming from Nikhil Siddhartha, his fans and film buffs are expecting a treat since the trailer has upped expectations.

A few film buffs who have already watched the film a bit earlier than the rest have shared their excitement and opinions about SPY through social media handles. Below are some of those tweets which give you an insight into what to expect from this action-thriller SPY.

#SPYMovie received good positive talk from the USA premiere and box office winner. congratulations to @actor_Nikhil and team.. 3 వరుస హిట్స్ తో రచ్చ చేస్తున్న #NikhilSiddhartha 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ppMGDUQl8x — Veera Reddy @For The People (@VeeraReddyForT1) June 29, 2023

Non-stop adrenaline rush from start to finish. Strap in for a wild ride packed with explosive action and stunning special effects #SPYMovie #SPYReview #SPYMovieReview #NikhilSiddhartha #SPY pic.twitter.com/7WvyM40vUz — Rajakumar (@mrajkumar7254) June 29, 2023

The movie stars Nikhil Siddhartha, Iswarya Menon, Aryan Rajesh, Jisshu Sengupta, Makrand Deshpande, Chandu Kanuri, Robert Laenen, Dayanand Reddy, Abhinav Gomatam, Sanya Thakur, Ravi Varma, Nitin Mehta, Prisha Singh, Sonia Naresh, Amir Ali Shaik, among others in key roles. Actor-producer Rana Daggubati was also seen in an important cameo.

The movie, which marks the directorial debut of Garry BH, who tried his hands at direction after having a vast experience in film editing, is written by Anirudh Krishna Murthy and K Raja Shekhar Reddy. The movie is a production venture of K Raja Shekhar Reddy and Charantej Uppalapati.

Vishal Chandrasekhar composed Spy's tunes while Sricharan Pakala scored the background music. Mark David and Vamsi Patchipulusu have cranked the camera. Editing was taken care of by Garry BH. Robert Laenen, who also played a role in the film, was the movie's Stunt Choreographer.

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Spy is a Telugu movie released on 29 Jun, 2023. The movie is directed by Garry BH and featured Nikhil Siddhartha, Iswarya Menon, Abhinav Gomatam and Aryan Rajesh as lead characters. Other popular actors who were roped in for Spy are Jishu Sengupta, Makarand Deshpande and Sanya Thakur.

Spy Movie Review: This story of a spy lacks spunk

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Spy - Official Telugu Trailer

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Spy - Official Hindi Trailer

Spy - Official Teaser

Spy - Official Telugu Teaser

Spy - Official Malayalam Teaser

Spy | Song - Jhoom Jhoom (Lyrical)

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Dc 62819 232 days ago

Boring!! Too many loopholes and absolutely nonsense acting.

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• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
• This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
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A spy with a mysterious past, who is on a mission to uncover the truth about a dangerous terrorist organization. A spy with a mysterious past, who is on a mission to uncover the truth about a dangerous terrorist organization. A spy with a mysterious past, who is on a mission to uncover the truth about a dangerous terrorist organization.

• Surender Reddy
• Vakkantham Vamsi
• Akhil Akkineni
• Sakshi Vaidya
• 9 User reviews
• 5 Critic reviews

• Defence Minister

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• Apr 30, 2023
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• April 28, 2023 (India)
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• Runtime 2 hours 36 minutes

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Spy: 2023 Indian Telugu Action Thriller Film Review, Movie Trailer

4to40.com July 9, 2023 Movie Reviews 534 Views

Movie Name: Spy Directed by: Garry Bh Starring: Nikhil Siddharth, Iswarya Menon, Aryan Rajesh, Makrand Deshpande, Robert Laenen, Dayanand Reddy, Sanya Thakur, Nitin Mehta Genre:  Action ,  Thriller Running Time:  122 Minutes Release Date: June 29, 2023 Languages: Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam Rating:  Budget:   ₹ 30 crore

The Unsolved Mystery Of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Death

Spy Movie: About

Spy is an upcoming Telugu movie scheduled to be released on 29 June, 2023 . The movie is directed by Garry BH and will feature Nikhil Siddhartha, Iswarya Menon, Aryan Rajesh and Makarand Deshpande as lead characters. Other popular actor who was roped in for Spy is Dayanand Reddy.

Spy Movie Trailer:

Movie Review:

Khaadir (Nitin Mehta) is a most wanted terrorist who has become a big threat to India. RAW Agent Subhash (Aryan Rajesh) kills Khaadir, but under mysterious circumstances, Subhash too dies. RAW soon learns that Khaadir is alive and plans a mission to eliminate him. Jai (Nikhil) is one of the agents, who is the brother of Subhash. Jai has two objectives. The first one is to kill Khaadir, while the second objective is to find out who killed Subhash. What happened next? Is it RAW or Khaadir who got the upper hand? This forms the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

Nikhil once again is impressive with his neat performance in Spy. Nikhil looks good as a spy agent and performs with aplomb. He doesn’t go overboard, and the young actor is terrific in all the action sequences. The actor gets nice support from Abhinav Gomatam. Abhinav gets a full-length role, and the actor is good at his part. His one-liners evoke a few laughs.

The cameo by Rana Daggubati is good. Though the cameo doesn’t last long, it is effective. The way Rana explains the prominence of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is stunning. The cameo of Rana is followed by Azaadi song, and these portions generate interest.

Iswarya Menon is okay in her role. Sanya Thakur, Nitin Mehta, Markand Deshpande, and Ravi Varma did what was expected of them. Relatively the second half is better, as it has some decent moments.

Minus Points:

Though the movie has an interesting point about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the makers didn’t succeed in weaving a neat screenplay around it. The narrative is bland for the most part, and it doesn’t excite us much. Those who expect thrilling moments will get disappointed due to the flat narration.

There isn’t anything new that has been showcased here, and the movie is just another regular spy thriller. Things like honey trapping were not executed properly. Only there are a couple of scenes that talk about Subhash Chandra Bose, and the movie could have been better had the makers focused more on the unexplored side of the freedom fighter.

Aryan Rajesh’s character is poorly written, as we don’t get to see much of him. Hence Spy fails on the emotional front too. The way Jisshu Sengupta’s character is designed is, again routine. Though a lot of action keeps happening, it doesn’t really create any excitement.

Technical Aspects:

The background score by Sri Charan Pakala is not that great. Azaadi song is good on screen. The cinematography by Vamshi Patchipulusu and Mark David is pretty average. The visuals in a few scenes looked odd due to poor CG works. The production values are decent. The editing is alright.

Coming to the director, Garry BH, he did a below-par job with his debut directorial. Though the point taken has good scope, the makers resorted to cliches and delivered a regular spy thriller that hardly has any thrills. The movie also doesn’t have any logics.

On the whole, Spy is a generic spy action thriller that doesn’t have anything new to offer. Nikhil’s sincere performance and a few decent moments here and there are its saving grace. The bland narration without any high or thrilling moments is the main drawback. It could have been much better had the makers concentrated more on Subhash Chandra Bose. Spy will end up being an okay watch, provided you keep your expectations in check.

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Young hero Nikhil pinned a lot of his hopes on Spy, which is based on the very interesting real-life story of the disappearance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The film is promoted as a slick spy thriller. Let’s see what it has in store for the viewers.

Story: Jai (Nikhil) is a RAW agent working in Sri Lanka. He is notified of terrorist activity after a terrorist named Kaadir Khan, who is believed to be killed, resurfaces and sends a video to the prime minister’s office. Jai is now designated with the mission of nabbing Kaadir. In the process, he discovers the personal loss he had to suffer due to this particular terrorist. How is this mission related to the disappearance of Netaji Subhash Chandrabose?

How did the actors perform?

Nikhil is fine in his role of a spy. There’s nothing too challenging about it, but Nikhil does blend in and delivers a fine act. Iswarya Menon gets a brief role and she is alright. Abhinav Gomatam had a full length character and his performance is adequate. Aryan Rajesh, Marakand Deshpande, and others do justice to their roles.

What about off screen talents?

Talented editor, Garry BH turns a director with this film. Being an editor, one would expect him to deliver a sharply-cut spy thriller. However, the X factor and sharpness is limited in this film as it mostly progresses on a predicable note.

The opening half is watchable with decent moments here and there. There’s just about enough impetus here. But the latter half is a mess. The blending of Netaji’s track isn’t smooth and it doesn’t quite sit in. This was the most important part of the film and it stutters.

For films like Spy to work, the screenplay should be crisp and pacy. In this case, despite the short runtime, we get a feeling it goes on and on and on.

The BGM and songs are weak and they don’t add value to the film. The cinematography is impressive as the visual presentation looks rich and vibrant. The production values are of good quality.

What’s Hot?

What’s Not?

• Predictable narration
• Not many exciting spy scenes
• Poor mix of Netaji track
• No thrills in the end

Verdict: Spy is a below par thriller that has a few bright moments here and there but as a package, it fails to deliver a satisfying thriller movie experience. Nikhil’s honest efforts are seen, but the cinematic brilliance that is needed for spy thriller goes missing. It makes for a below average watch, at best.

Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.25/5

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SPY is a thrilling action movie directed by Garry BH. The main actors in the movie are Nikhil Siddharth, Iswarya Menon, Sanya Thakur, and Abhinav Gomatam. Supporting roles are played by Makarand Deshpande, Sanya Thakur, Pasupathi, Nitin Mehta, and others.

The music for the film was composed by Sricharan Pakala, and the cinematography was done by Vamsi Patchipulusu and Mark David. Garry BH is also the editor of the film. K Rajashekar Reddy produced the movie under the Ed Entertainments banner.

7:15 AM IST: Spy movie gets started with introduction of RAW agents, a new mission to find who killed one of the RAW agents Subhash ( Aryan Rajesh) and finding Kadhir Khan an international terrorist.

Final Report: Spy comes to an end with most predictable second half. Overall the move falls short and limits to occasional good moments. Nethaji story not blended well which the narrator banked on to be the underlying emotion of the movie. Nikhil acted well in the movie but lack of emotion in the movie ruins it all.

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2023 ‘స్పై’ Directed by Garry BH

A RAW agent is in search of his brother’s killer, unravels the connection between a notorious arms dealer and the hidden secrets of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, risking everything to protect India from impending chaos.

Nikhil Siddhartha Iswarya Menon Abhinav Gomatam Jisshu Sengupta Nitin Mehta Ravi Varma Sanya Thakur Aryan Rajesh Makrand Deshpande Rana Daggubati Sachin Khedekar Suresh Posani Krishna Murali Dayanand Reddy Abhijeeth Poondla Tanikella Bharani Madhumani Prisha Singh Krishna Teja

Director Director

Producer producer.

K Raja Shekhar Reddy

Writers Writers

Anirudh Krishnamurthy K Raja Shekhar Reddy

Editor Editor

Cinematography cinematography.

Julián Amaru Estrada

Production Design Production Design

Ravi Anthony

Art Direction Art Direction

Arjun Surisetty

Composer Composer

Sricharan Pakala

Costume Design Costume Design

Akhil Dasari Raaga Reddy Sujeeth Krishnan

ED Entertainments

Alternative Titles

स्पै, ಸ್ಪೈ, സ്പൈ, ஸ்பை

Action Thriller

Releases by Date

29 jun 2023, releases by country.

• Theatrical UA

135 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Nikhil Das ★★

Boring lifeless and cheesy spy thriller, Screenplay and performances looked terrible. The filmmakers didn't do anything it is my mistake to watch this shit even though I expected it to be terrible.

Review by Vihaan Akkiraju ★½

Pathaan made in Hyderabad

Review by Surya | Screen Savor ½

A flashy title doesn't guarantee a good film, and this one serves as a prime example of that. It was a complete mess, a textbook case of how not to execute a spy-based movie. The writing was shockingly bad and absurd. Many sequences in the film were downright illogical, with side characters, whether terrorists or RAW agents, behaving as if they were deaf, blind, or dumb, completely oblivious to everything happening in front of them unless the protagonist pointed it out. Even the most senior RAW agents seemed clueless about their organization, as if they were there merely to spoon-feed information to the audience from time to time.

There's a lack of coherence in the timeline, giving the film a…

Review by R.U.B.R ★½

Nikhil at the end of the film : కొన్ని నిజాలు తెలియకపోవడమే మంచిది.

Me to the people : కొన్ని సినిమాలు చూడకపోవడమే మంచిది.

PS: Agent(2023) kanna konchem better anthey.

Review by CinemaDeluxe ★

Unintentionally hilarious.

Please leave a seat empty in every show of this movie for Netaji.

Review by Chaitanya Krishna Raavi

What kind of shit this is 🤢

Review by ashish ½

tollywood is so washed if 98% of the movies that come out every year are like this, it's so over

Review by CinemaMadness ★★

#Spy (Telugu) {2.25/5} - Shy unda asala. 🙄

Very average story told in a very very neersfying way. Except for Abhinav Gomatham one liners this film is a dud. 😑

Ineffective action episodes with very illogical scenes. 😵

Nikhil did well. 👍🏻 Abhinav is excellent. 👍🏻 Rana’s guest appearance didn’t creat any impact. 😑

Very okay songs and score. 🥲

Subhash chandra Bose name use cheskuni oka cheap narration ichinattu anipinchindi to be frank. 😑 Ika me istam.

Overall a very very below average flick. 

#CinemaMadness2023 #CinemaNo63inTheatres

Review by sai charan kodakallu ★★½

Spy----- A very ordinary story where Most of the times you feel bore

A Flat first half followed by below average second half.

Nikhil is okay and rest of the actors avoidable and a total miscast

Netaji peru Vaadukunnar but it has nothing to do about him just a few dialogues and few locations.

Rana cameo is Good and talks about bose is Watchable.

Songs Nevermind Okay BGM by Sricharan Pakala

Artifical action sequences

VFX is Not upto the mark.

Main point of spy thrillers is it should be engaging which lacks in this movie

Time unte chudandi or else you can wait for OTT

will stream on PRIME

Review by Surya Vijjana

A Lazily made pathetic Spy thriller which has the plot generated with chatGPT.

Bad acting, Silly premise & conflict with lacklustre VFX and narrative. SKIP 🥱🙏

Review by chethan ★★

even hanumanji couldn’t help adipurush but bhagwanji does that here

Review by Madhu ★

Ela Choosaru ra Theatre lo dinni 🌚

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Spy Telugu Movie Review : A Template film

Spy Telugu Movie Review

Telugu360 Rating 2.5/5

Jay( Nikhil) is a raw agent who is on a mission to checkmate Glodal terrorist Khadir Khan. Jay’s another task is to find who killed his brother, Subhash ( Aryan Rajesh) who died in a five year old mission. Another dimension to the script is a missing file related to Netaji Subhash Chandrabose. Rest of the film is about how Jay is able to resolve all three points.

Spy script is an overambitious one.The team has included all the keywords that are of global scale but the direction is of Ameerpet league. When we need to make a film on international secret services agent, apparently it needs to be on a mega budget and solid casting.Alternative approach is a small scale one with smart writing and engaging direction. Unfortunately, Spy film misses all above checkmarks. Only one thread in this film succeeded partially is when it talks around Netaji Subhash Chandrabose. The controversy surrounding his disappearance, His principles etc episodes play to the galleries well. That is the only saving grace of the film.

Production values are adequate if we measure from a typical Telugu film point of view . But the budget is sub par for the given theme.

The script is so silly that at somepoint, the film shows the proceedings cause China Vs India war. The terrorist Khadir Khan episodes are so monotonous. The second half introduces another villain ( Jisshu sengupta ) but still remains ineffective.Garry Bh direction is not adequate. Cinematography by Mark David is good. Background score by sricharan is okay.

Performances : Nikhil is fine as RAW agent ‘ Jay ‘. But not as effective as his previous outings. Abhinav Gomatam one liners are fine from comedy angle, but watching him as On field raw agent is a joke on audience. Atleast, his character should have been limited to a backoffice agent. Makarand Deshpande as Raw Chief overacts in many scenes. Jissu Sengupta is just Ok. Iswarya Menon acted as an NIA agent. Nitin Mehta as Khadir Khan is good pick but he could have got more screen presence.

Positives :

Few scenes on Netaji Subhash Bose principles

Sticks to the point

Nikhil’s Image

Negatives :

Flat Narration Overstuffed, All over the place story Poor direction

SPY film has big ideas with mediocre execution. The scenes written around Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose are a bit consolation in this template film. The scripts written around International SPY theme demand huge budget , which apparently one cannot match. Overall, SPY film could have been better.

Telugu360 Rating : 2.5/5

Movie : SPY (Telugu) Release date: 29th June 2023 Director: Garry Bh Music director: Vishal Chandrashekhar, Sricharan Pakala Cinematography: Mark David Language: Telugu Producers: K. Raja Shekhar Reddy

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Waste of time. Better to. Watch. In. OTT. Worth. 2/5.

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2023, Action/Mystery & thriller, 2h 2m

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Spy   photos.

The unsolved mystery of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death.

Genre: Action, Mystery & thriller

Original Language: Telugu

Director: Garry Bh

Producer: K. Raja Shekhar Reddy

Writer: Anirudh Krishna Murthy

Release Date (Theaters): Jun 28, 2023  limited

Runtime: 2h 2m

Distributor: Prathyangira Cinemas

Production Co: Ed Entertainments

Cast & Crew

Nikhil Siddharth

Iswarya Menon

Aryan Rajesh

Makrand Deshpande

Robert Laenen

Abhinav Gomatam

Dayanand Reddy

Sanya Thakur

Anirudh Krishna Murthy

Screenwriter

K. Raja Shekhar Reddy

Cinematographer

Film Editing

Vishal Chandrashekhar

Original Music

Sricharan Pakala

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• తెలుగు

Spy Review: Mission Fails

Movie: Spy Rating: 2/5 Banner: ED Entertainments Cast: Nikhil Siddharth, Iswarya Menon, Aryan Rajesh, Sanya Thakur, Abhinav Gomatam, Sachin Khedekar, Makarand Deshpande, Rana Dabbugati (guest role) and others Music: Vishal Chandrasekhar, Sricharan Pakala Director of Photography: Vamshi Patchipulusu, Mark David Story and Producer: Rajasekhar Reddy Edited and Directed by: Garry BH Release Date: June 29, 2023

Following the success of "Karthikeya 2" across India, Nikhil Siddharth's star power has risen. To capitalize on the craze, he has now appeared in another film with "pan-Indian" content.

Let's see if his latest thriller, "Spy," lives up to the hype.

Story: Agent Jai (Nikhil Siddharth) works for RAW. Bose (Aryan Rajesh), his brother, was also an agent who was slain on a mission overseas.

Abdul Khader (Nitin Mehta) a Pakistan terrorist scheming against India, and Jai is tasked with capturing him. Along with his assistant Kamal (Abhinav Gomatam) and fellow agent Vaishavi (Iswarya), Jai begins his work

During their mission, they discover that Khader is not acting alone. A rogue Pakistani scientist, he has planned a more deadly plot to tarnish India's reputation internationally.

The story is all about Jai aborting the scientist’s plans and also getting inspired by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s freedom fight.

Artistes’ Performances: From Nikhil to Makrand Desphande, everyone in the film does a routine job. Nikhil in no way suits the role of an agent.

Iswarya Menon's Telugu debut is okay. Abhinav Gomatam's jokes fall flat. Nitin Mehta and Jissu Sengputa add nothing new.

Technical Excellence: The cinematography is the best part of this movie. It is filmed in various locations and the cinematographer captures them lavishly. Background score is okay.

There are only two songs (one romantic and the other patriotic number) in the film and both lack appeal.

Highlights: Locations One or two episodes

Drawback: Cliched story Poor screenplay writing Mismatch of Netaji’s story Abhinav Gomatam’s silly jokes

Analysis "Spy" was promoted as a film that would reveal "India's Best Kept Secret." The makers confidently declared that it would address the unknown aspects surrounding Netaji Subash Chandra Bose's death and the freedom struggle, generating a lot of attention. However, the film has nothing to do with Bose's "secret."

The Nikhil Siddharth starrer "Spy" doesn't reveal anything new regarding Netaji's independence struggle or death. The filmmakers simply used gimmickry to increase their collection in the Hindi market, as films with nationalistic themes tend to do well in North India.

Forget the "Netaji" episode; even as a spy thriller, "Spy" falls flat. It becomes evident from the start that there is no proper story (written by the producer himself). All the standard espionage movie scenes are included.

We learn early on that Aryan Rajesh, Nikhil Siddharth's brother, was assassinated on a mission, so Nikhil Siddharth becomes an agent as well. When their father (Tanikella Bharani) speaks emotionally about Aryan Rajesh, it feels contrived. There is no emotional or patriotic feeling present throughout the film.

The RAW chief functions more like a conventional business executive. When discussing Netaji's "missing file," he sounds more like a politician than an agency leader. Even the film's hero appears to be an ordinary youngster rather than an actual agent. Filmmaker Garry has also included the music from "Happy Days" in the background, further spoiling the seriousness of the story.

We sense a lack of a serious tone whenever Abhinav Gomatam attempts to deliver conversational punches. How can a RAW agent manage to sound like a buffoon? Abhinav Goamatam is also an agent, but he asks foolish questions.

The film only has a few engaging scenes and attempts to generate tension regarding Netaji's missing file at the interval bang. However, when the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose episode finally arrives, it is a disappointment. Rana makes a brief appearance and delivers a speech that sounds contrived.

Though the film has a short running time, it feels lengthy due to the uninteresting proceedings.

Overall, "Spy" is more like Akhil's "Agent" - dull and tedious. The patriotic element of Netaji Bose is ineffective, and the film fails to provide any thrilling moments, inducing a sleep mode instead.

Bottom line: Boring

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The 25 best spy movies of all time, ranked

It's not all shaken martinis and gimmicky gadgets.

Everett (3)

When you think of spy movies, your mind likely envisions Daniel Craig in a tux or Tom Cruise hurling himself off something very high and dangerous. But the best espionage films run the gamut from moody procedurals to wrenching character studies, some of which interrogate the outright unglamorous lives of those secret agent types who choose covert surveillance and duty-bound betrayal over individual happiness. Don’t worry, though, even the most studious spies eventually have to engage in some action. 

Without dilly-dallying, here is Entertainment Weekly’s ranking of the 25 best spy movies ever made, and where to watch them.

25. Mission: Impossible (1996)

Tom Cruise has turned Ethan Hunt into his own personal, age-defying performance art project, relishing the chance to give stunt performers as much time off as possible. Here, his IMF lieutenant is thrust into leadership (after a twist that pissed off fans of the original TV series to no end), gathering a squad to locate an undercover agent list before Vanessa Redgrave’s baddie can get her hands on it. Along the way, director Brian De Palma keeps things moving with signature visual aplomb. A helicopter-train duel sets the tone for even more ludicrous Mission: Impossible stunts to come, and the plot is merely a pretense to get from one crowd-popping spectacle to the next. 

Where to watch Mission: Impossible : Paramount+

24. Pascali’s Island (1988)

For some (albeit, fictional) spies, the job is one of danger, seduction, and improbable gunplay. But for others, it’s just a job, one more beset by boredom and disillusionment than exploding fountain pens and helicopter pursuits. For a lonely depiction of low-level espionage work, seek out James Dearden’s Pascali’s Island , in which Ben Kingsley plays a forgotten spy on a Greek island in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire.  

Dutifully filing reports to his uncommunicative and far-off superiors, Pascali regards his pay as proof that his work is imperative. But the arrival of Charles Dance ’s mysterious Englishman sends Pascali into a tailspin of doubt about his purpose (and his friendship with a beautiful Austrian artist played by Helen Mirren ). Soon, it becomes clear that his earnest attempts at spycraft may have set a political disaster in motion. Kingsley is achingly vulnerable as the loyal little man whose devotion to an indifferent government costs him the only intimacy he’s ever known. 

Where to watch Pascali’s Island : Tubi

23. True Lies (1994)

It’s easy to chide Hollywood spy movie franchises like Mission: Impossible for excess, but they’ve got nothing on James Cameron’s ludicrously entertaining, over-the-top comic action flick. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a super spy improbably pulling off a double life and as an ordinary guy with his unknowing wife ( Jamie Lee Curtis ), True Lies bulges with heightened, well, everything. 

After missing yet another family event (to be fair, he was thwarting a nuclear threat by the dreaded “Crimson Jihad”), Arnold’s Harry Tasker struggles to reconcile his wife’s disillusionment with their marriage and prevent a terrorist plot against various major U.S. cities. With fine comic (and physical) turns from Curtis and Tom Arnold, True Lies is — in action craftsman Cameron’s hands — a bombastic hoot. 

Where to watch True Lies : Hulu

22. Bridge of Spies (2015)

Leave it to Steven Spielberg to find the bright side of espionage, as all-American icon Tom Hanks courageously leads a landmark Cold War prisoner exchange story co-written by the Coen Brothers. It’s not all rosy, of course, as Hanks’ crusading attorney continually asserts the constitutional rights of Mark Rylance ’s captured Russian spy, something that Red Scare America regards as tantamount to treason. 

Rylance won an Oscar as mild-mannered minor agent Rudolf Abel, while Hanks (as real-life lawyer James B. Donovan) endures mounting suspicion for maintaining supposedly sacred American principles, facing career setbacks and death threats from his own countrymen. But it’s in the meticulously recreated Checkpoint Charlie swap (involving downed U.S. spy plane pilot Gary Powers) that Spielberg shows off what a master filmmaker can do with a suspense sequence. 

Where to watch Bridge of Spies : AppleTV+

21. Munich (2005)

Steven Spielberg proved he could also tap into the dark, violent side of spy movies 10 years before Bridge of Spies . See: His gripping account of the real-life assassinations by Mossad after the 1972 Olympics terrorist attack in Munich that murdered 11 Israeli athletes. Eric Bana and Daniel Craig embark on a global search for the Palestinians responsible for the massacre, all the while battling assassins and their own tortured consciences. Both enemies prove to be equally dangerous, while Spielberg portrays the men as dutiful but conflicted instruments of national vengeance. 

Putting lauded director Spielberg at the service of such a politically and historically loaded incident is a recipe for controversy, something Munich reaped from all sides. While garnering Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, the film was assailed for being too soft on both ends of the Israel/Palestine conflict — and for turning the thorny subject matter into a more palatable morality tale about the nature of violence. Still, Munich ’s many suspense and action set pieces drive the story along with undeniable tension. 

Where to watch Munich : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

20. Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

After six films spanning 27 years, the Mission: Impossible franchise continued with this nearly three-hour-long installment. ( Part 2 is scheduled for summer 2025 .) Once more, Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt is not so much a super spy as a superhero, while the now 61-year-old actor once again pushes the limits of what a (fictional or, in Cruise’s stunt person-averse case, actual) human being can withstand.

Since long-running spy series are often signposts of our fears, Dead Reckoning ’s antagonist is a pernicious AI threatening the world’s military and financial systems. Director Christopher McQuarrie — with nearly $300 million and a fanatically dedicated lead actor — pulls out every stop imaginable as the crew races across the globe (like when Hunt rides his motorcycle off a towering cliff and then parachutes onto a speeding train). There’s a circular trajectory to Mission: Impossible ’s brand of high-flying spy intrigue, given the filmmakers cited North by Northwest (also a major inspiration for the James Bond films) as influential to this franchise’s thrills. Regardless, Dead Reckoning is the apotheosis of the big-budget spy blockbuster. 

Where to watch Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part 1 : Paramount+

19. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Matt Damon is the perfect actor to play Jason Bourne, an all-American soldier twisted into a pre-programmed, merciless killer by his own government. Damon’s handsome blankness as the tortured Bourne, first seen floating amnesiac in the Mediterranean in 2002’s The Bourne Identity , grounds the spy franchise’s impeccably choreographed action with a leavening somberness. This first sequel is arguably the series’ pinnacle, crafting a thrilling quest for revenge and redemption. 

After Paul Greengrass and his hand-held cameras took the directing reins from Doug Liman, The Bourne Supremacy asserted that happy endings are rarely in a spy’s cards. (Fans of the first film, or those familiar with the “women in refrigerators” cliche, might be upset at how a major character is dispatched to kick off this sequel.) With Jason Bourne framed for a mysterious bombing and theft in Germany, it’s up to Damon’s still memory-deprived agent to hop the globe, utilizing the impressive muscle memory of every dirty espionage trick he was taught by a rogue CIA super-assassin program to seek out the truth. 

The supporting cast remains stellar ( Joan Allen , Brian Cox , Julia Stiles , Karl Urban ), as Bourne navigates ingenious spy gambits, daring last-minute escapes, and some truly brutal fight scenes to reach his goal. The reveal of his true purpose only underscores the ugly toll of this international gamesmanship. 

Where to watch The Bourne Supremacy : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

18. The Ipcress File (1965)

During the initial wave of James Bond mania, Michael Caine played a different sort of spy in 1965’s The Ipcress File — but that was by design. Intended as a more ironic and downbeat alternative to the then-burgeoning Bond franchise, this spy thriller (from the novel by Len Deighton) sees Caine as a dapper, lightly insubordinate, glasses-wearing British agent who uncovers clues to a conspiracy against the world’s scientists. This Caine is something of a foodie, and the film was produced by Bond’s Harry Saltzman and scored by frequent Bond composer John Barry, but that’s where Harry Palmer’s similarities to 007 end. 

Cocky, cockney, and constantly beset by everyday duties, this (along with Alfie the following year) is the birth of Michael Caine the everyman superstar. Dragooned into the service after a criminal past, Caine’s Palmer disdains oppressive authority and regulation, even while proving himself a most capable sleuth and, when need be, efficiently violent. All the Cold War staples (brainwashing, torture, top secret microfilm) are in play as Palmer (whom Caine portrayed in four additional films) doggedly proves his mettle against foes foreign and domestic. 

Where to watch The Ipcress File : Not available to steam

17. Julia (1977)

The life of writer Lillian Hellman may seem like an odd inspiration for a suspenseful spy story, but this crackling drama delivers the goods. Following the playwright’s ( Jane Fonda ) career and relationship with detective novelist Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards), Fred Zinneman’s film truly comes alive in the second half, when Hellman goes to wartime Europe in search of her childhood friend Julia (a striking Vanessa Redgrave ) whose own intellectual journey has turned her into an anti-fascist crusader. 

With the liberal but sheltered Hellman (herself later accused of “un-American activities”) making a dangerous voyage to Nazi Germany to supply Julia’s WWII resistance colleagues with funds, Zinneman pulls off one of the most tense and expertly performed sequences in spy movie history. After a horrifying scene in which fascists hurl academics over balconies, we watch as Julia walks Lillian through a terse exchange, with the duo’s loving reunion taking the form of a high-wire act of perilous espionage. 

Where to watch Julia : Google Play (to rent)

16. Ronin (1998)

Of course, spy movies aren’t just about sad, shadowy men poring over microphones and microfiche. Sometimes it’s about sad, shadowy men shooting it out over scenic French roadways in speeding cars, double-crosses, and foot chases. This thriller from director John Frankenheimer sees an aging and battle-worn action star in Robert De Niro encounter all of the above. 

De Niro plays a mercenary recruited to an international team by a mysterious Irish woman (Natascha McElhone) to track down and retrieve a specific metal attache case. Ronin never gets around to telling us what’s in the hotly-contested suitcase, and that’s the point — for all the assembled foot soldiers on every side, there’s always a suitcase. Frankenheimer deploys his twists (and a couple of all-time best car chases) like a devious puppet master, and De Niro, in one of his last great performances, keeps his character’s true nature expertly under wraps until the film’s final swerve. 

Where to watch Ronin : Max

15. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Like Munich , Kathryn Bigelow ’s Oscar-nominated, fact-based tale of terrorism and the revenge reaped as many accolades as it did (often contradictory) criticism. American intelligence agencies’ hunt for Osama bin Laden is portrayed as a global manhunt, with Jessica Chastain ’s dogged CIA analyst chasing down sparse and scattered leads — even when they come from the euphemistically termed “enhanced interrogation techniques” used on suspects at black sites. 

Bigelow turns Chastain’s obsession into a crackling detective story, complete with enough real-world intelligence-gathering gadgetry to put James Bond to shame. As the hunt gains momentum, a post-9/11 America’s descent into (graphically depicted) torture remains an open moral question, with the stoic Chastain maintaining her singular pursuit of justice. Above all, Zero Dark Thirty is a riveting recreation of one of the most intense intelligence operations of all time, while its lack of cut-and-dry ethical stances speaks to the darkest side of the espionage game — and human nature. 

Where to watch Zero Dark Thirty : Starz

14. The 39 Steps (1935)

If, as cinema contends, there are vast, intertwining networks of devious agents around us at all times, it’s only natural that some of the best spy movies involve regular folks finding out things they’re not supposed to. Such is the case in Alfred Hitchcock ’s template-setting spy drama The 39 Steps , which sees two very different people face constant (and entertaining) peril in a pre-WWII English countryside teeming with spies lurking in unexpected places.

An innocent man (Robert Donat) drags an even more innocent bystander (Madeleine Carroll) into his escape from a network of spies after some top-secret information falls into his hands. The two naturally fall for each other (their enforced intimacy was pretty racy for the time), but not without Hitchcock putting them into some deliciously sticky situations, leading to a still-sensational finale at the London Palladium. 

Where to watch The 39 Steps : Tubi

13. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

George Lazenby ’s sole outing as 007 — which came between Sean Connery ’s fifth and sixth films — goes above and beyond to distinguish itself as an utterly unique entry in Britain’s premier espionage franchise, injecting a welcome helping of grit and heart into the proceedings. It’s the first (and, for most of the character’s history, the only) Bond movie to add genuine emotional vulnerability to its central superspy, allowing him to fall in love with the romantic lead rather than cast her aside as another one-night stand. 

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service sees Bond called to protect Contessa Teresa "Tracy" di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), the daughter of a prominent criminal overlord who helps him track down Ernst Blofeld (Telly Savalas) and SPECTRE’s biological warfare operation in the Swiss Alps. As his affection for the countess blossoms, we’re treated to a more complicated, well-rounded vision of the agent, which makes sense given that the relationship was possibly inspired by Ian Fleming’s real-life tragic romance during WWII. Additionally, the snowy action sequences — including chaotic downhill skiing and slippery car chases on ice — are among the very best in Bond history.

Where to watch On Her Majesty's Secret Service : Max

12. The Quiet American (2002)

A genre giant gets a deceptively muted adaptation in this Vietnam-set drama based on Graham Greene’s novel (who, like Frederick Forsyth and John le Carré, is a veteran of the intelligence service MI6). The film — while nominally a love triangle — gradually reveals itself as another instance of empathy and espionage colliding.

Michael Caine plays a sodden British journalist during the 1950s occupation of what was then known as French Indochina. Losing his much younger Vietnamese lover (Do Thi Hai Yen) to an American undercover operative ( Brendan Fraser , outstanding as the brash embodiment of U.S. anti-communist foreign policy) leads the seen-it-all Caine to finally play the spy game with tragic results. It’s Caine’s movie, as his dissolute reporter’s confused tangle of self-interest and world-weariness sows the seeds of this quietly devastating story. 

Where to watch The Quiet American : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

11. The Day of the Jackal (1973)

Frederick Forsyth is another all-time great spy writer, and his fictionalized version of the 1962 assassination attempt on French President Charles de Gaulle (from within France’s military) forms the backbone of this icy, meticulous thriller. Like le Carré, Forsyth was an associate of MI6 (as a longtime unpaid informant). The journalist used his investigative skills to craft this story about the fallout from Gaulle granting independence to colonial Algeria, which put him in the merciless crosshairs of a paid killer. 

A little-known actor at the time, Edward Fox is impeccable as “the Jackal,” an assassin hired by the right-wing group OAS to gun down the president. There’s nothing flashy or even passionate about this spy — he’s a surgically sharp instrument, assuming various disguises and dodging the several intelligence services on his quest to fulfill his contract. Michael Lonsdale matches the Jackal as the French cop tasked with thwarting the rumored assassination. When Fox’s Jackal kills, it’s out of pragmatism; when Lonsdale’s detective succeeds, it’s because his methods are similarly dispassionate and tenacious. Thus, the film’s white-knuckle finale boils down to a miniscule misstep, one that reveals how espionage is vulnerable even to a grain of sand. 

Where to watch The Day of the Jackal : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

10. The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (1965)

Based on the John le Carré novel, Martin Ritt ’s bleak spy thriller also features George Smiley (see No. 3 on this list), although the spymaster’s machinations here better exemplify just how cold-blooded someone in his position must be. Smiley tasks disillusioned MI6 agent Alec Leamas ( Richard Burton ) with defaming an East German intelligence officer during the height of the Cold War. Though he initially seems ripe for defection, Leamas soon discovers (and too late) that this ingeniously deadly espionage game makes mere pawns out of friends and foes alike. 

Thanks to Burton’s affecting performance, Leamas’ downward spiral feels all too real as he’s manipulated by the English and East Germans in equal, heartless measure. The puppetry trickles downward when he romances a naive British communist (a heartbreaking Claire Bloom) and makes her collateral damage in his double-agent balancing act, proving that surveillance leaves little room for sentiment. Even so, these “seedy squalid bastards” (as Leamas calls them) rely on human beings for intel, and the film’s devastating conclusion shows the cost of cutting yourself off from your soul. 

Where to watch The Spy Who Came In From the Cold : Kanopy

9. North by Northwest (1959)

One of the most purely entertaining thrillers of all time, Alfred Hitchcock mines his go-to plot — an innocent man accused — and runs it with some of the most memorable sequences in movie history. Cary Grant was never more suave and effortless than as Roger Thornhill, an unsuspecting ad man mistaken for a government agent by an ever-widening gang of thugs, spies, and an anti-American spymaster (James Mason). Along the way, our wily protagonist meets up with Eva Marie Saint ’s Eve Kendall, whose quick infatuation is only partly due to him being played by Cary Grant. 

For a standard MacGuffin microfilm-and-treason plot (the explanation of which is hilariously drowned out by a convenient airplane engine), the film hooks us from the start and drags us happily from one stunning set piece to another. Eventually, the whole tangled tale hangs (literally) from the impassive visages of the presidents at Mt. Rushmore, setting a template for high-concept, outlandish thrills for decades to come.

Where to watch North by Northwest : Tubi

8. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

For a more baroque tale of undercover operatives and the shadowy forces underwriting them, John Frankenheimer’s The Manchurian Candidate is a sure bet. Frank Sinatra could really act when he wanted to, and his hard-boiled Korean War vet is formidable as he unravels why his former army buddy and rising political candidate (Laurence Harvey) remains a blurry memory to him and his surviving squad mates. 

Crisply choreographed action (Sinatra and Henry Silva have an improbably gripping, early-for-America martial arts battle) and an all-time great villainous turn by Angela Lansbury combine with the film’s zippy, trippy tone for potent doses of Cold War paranoia. It’s a myth that President Kennedy’s assassination the following year caused Sinatra to demand The Manchurian Candidate be pulled from theaters. Still, the story of a lone gunman with seemingly shady motivations continues to prickle audiences adamant that nothing in world politics is ever what it seems on the surface. 

Where to watch The Manchurian Candidate : Tubi

7. Casino Royale (2006)

The neverending James Bond series has so informed and/or warped our ideas of spies, that choosing entries for this list means deciding which eras of over-the-top popcorn silliness comes closest to personal preference. That said, it’s tough to bet against the most recent Bond, Daniel Craig , especially in his first outing, a typically loose adaptation of Ian Fleming ’s 1953 novel Casino Royale .

After the increasingly cartoonish Pierce Brosnan years, the iconic character is reinvented (again) as a brutishly effective MI6 agent who just got his license to kill. Craig’s Bond is defiant to the point of insubordination (no small feat when facing off against Judi Dench ’s imperious boss, M) as he violently pursues clues leading directly to a high-stakes poker game against Mads Mikkelsen ’s criminal mastermind, Le Chiffre. (That the game comes down to a round of “who has the most outrageously impossible hand” is prime James Bond.) 

Meanwhile, this 007 flirts with the requisite femme fatale (a great Eva Green ), banters with enabling CIA pal Felix Leiter (an also great Jeffrey Wright ), and engages in sequences that are so spectacular, they could serve as climaxes of multiple smaller-budgeted thrillers. If this glowering Bond isn’t as suave as some of his predecessors, Craig’s gravitas amidst all the over-the-top action lends him an almost-human presence. Almost. 

Where to watch Casino Royale : Amazon Prime Video

6. The Lives of Others (2006)

Many of the best spy movies mine the divide between duty and conscience in an infamously unfeeling business. This wrenchingly intimate German drama sees the late Ulrich Mühe play a dedicated surveillance expert in East Germany tasked with spying on an artist couple, only to become inconveniently touched by their lives. That the film’s story shockingly mirrors a betrayal from Mühe’s own life (his ex-wife allegedly kept tabs on the actor for the Stasi) only makes his performance as the increasingly conflicted snooper more compelling.

The Lives of Others makes a fine double feature with another movie on this list, 1974’s The Conversation (see below). Like Gene Hackman ’s Harry Caul, Mühe’s Hauptmann Wiesler imagines that living in isolation will absolve him of the horrors wrought by his work. As a divided Germany grinds towards reconciliation during the latter part of the film, the race between the surveillance state’s omnipresent brutality and Wiesler’s flicker of humanity forms a decidedly modern tragedy.

Where to watch The Lives of Others : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

5. Army of Shadows (1969)

Sticking it to the Nazis is always a crowd-pleaser, even as this French Resistance tale combines adventure and moral relativism into a bracing, crushing watch. Following Lino Ventura’s Resistance agent Gerbier as he infiltrates (and repeatedly escapes) the fascists occupying France, director Jean-Pierre Melville crafts a film that’s both a rip-roaring spy thriller and a soul-crushing examination of a good man forced to do terrible things — and the toll it takes on his soul. 

Amidst the movie’s various prison breaks (including one Nazi guard game sadistic enough to anticipate Sophie’s Choice ), Gerbier gathers the titular cadre of allies to carry out his daring missions. But he knows their shadowy work will inevitably put them in positions where unthinkable calls must be made. Released in a France still reeling from President Charles de Gaulle (see The Day of the Jackal above), Army of Shadows was thought to be an unfashionably laudatory depiction of the Resistance’s violent methods. However, as times and attitudes have changed, many now regard the film as a complicated, ugly portrait of how incompatible espionage is with a clean conscience. 

Where to watch Army of Shadows : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

4. Three Days of the Condor (1975)

Spy movies often play up the action, but there’s a lot of paperwork behind the derring-do. This exceptionally taut thriller from Sydney Pollack shows that even functionaries find themselves in the thick of things, with Robert Redford ’s nominal CIA analyst (he reads spy novels in search of coded plots) accidentally uncovering sensitive information and going on the run. 

Redford’s protagonist, who must hurriedly remember that his codename is “Condor,” is forced to dodge the shadowy forces pursuing him through 1970s New York. (Including a scene-stealing hitman played by the late, great Max von Sydow .) That involves kidnapping a photographer ( Faye Dunaway , also outstanding) in a desperate moment. But the gorgeous duo’s inevitable attraction never distracts from the danger — or the stakes of even the most tangential espionage. 

Where to watch Three Days of the Condor : Amazon Prime Video

3. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

John le Carré is one of the most adapted spy novelists, and it’s easy to see why. A former member of Britain’s MI5 and MI6, he penned exquisitely detailed fiction based on insider knowledge, with one of his finest creations being dogged spymaster George Smiley. Gary Oldman plays the iconic character to Oscar-nominated perfection in this searing spy drama from Tomas Alfredson ( Let the Right One In ).

With the Cold War at its height and British intelligence under siege from Russian moles, Oldman’s unassuming Smiley assembles an underground team of similarly dedicated agents after he’s ousted as head of “The Circus.” The film portrays spy work in all its understated, politicking self-importance, punctuated by shocking violence and narrow escapes. Meanwhile, Oldman and Alfredson make Smiley’s gamesmanship as masterful as it is chillingly subtle, and the cast is crowded with some of Britain’s best actors, including John Hurt, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Tom Hardy, and Benedict Cumberbatch. 

Where to watch Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy : Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

2. Notorious (1946)

Alfred Hitchcock's greatest spy movie, and one of the greatest spy movies in general, came via this romantic thriller about undercover operatives, Nazis, and a secret cache of potentially world-destabilizing secrets. Teaming Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant at their respective heights of star power, talent, and beauty, Hitchcock crafts a suspenseful story about espionage and the unthinkable sacrifices it demands. 

In the aftermath of WWII, Bergman’s party girl tries to drink away the shame of her father being a Nazi collaborator, leaving her ripe for recruitment by Grant’s government superiors when an enclave of escaped Nazis in Rio de Janeiro starts plotting a comeback. Tasked with pimping the conflicted Bergman out as a bride to a charming fascist (Claude Rains), Grant finds himself in an untenable war between love and duty. Meanwhile, Bergman’s position undercover becomes more and more fraught with danger and compromise. 

Replete with nerve-shredding, suspenseful set pieces — the wine cellar sequence is Hitchcock at his most sadistically brilliant — Notorious , for all its melodramatic beats, explores the horrible moral tension that lurks in even theoretically altruistic espionage. 

Where to watch Notorious : Tubi

1. The Conversation (1974)

Courtesy Everett Collection

Harry Caul is a spy only in the mercenary sense. Gene Hackman’s surveillance expert is a pair of ears for hire, sent to make a seemingly impossible recording of a couple’s hushed conversation amidst a noisy crowd. That Harry succeeds (in a brilliantly conceived scene) marks him as a true master in his grimy field, but that victory is soon overshadowed by his detecting an unsettling secret. 

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola , The Conversation fits into (and exemplifies) the spy genre by interrogating how power and covert surveillance are inextricably linked to moral rot. Harry fancies himself nothing but a technician, having cut himself off from all but the most superficial personal connections after a past disaster related to his work. But taking pride in an invasive and potentially devastating craft is, as Harry discovers with increasing paranoia, destined to boomerang when the observer becomes the observed. Hackman delivers one of his greatest performances here, with Harry’s fumbling conscience laying bare the no-win situation of a professional interloper.

Where to watch The Conversation : PlutoTV

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• What is the release date of 'Spy'? Release date of Nikhil Siddhartha and Iswarya Menon starrer 'Spy' is 2023-06-29.
• Who are the actors in 'Spy'? 'Spy' star cast includes Nikhil Siddhartha, Iswarya Menon, Abhinav Gomatam and Aryan Rajesh.
• Who is the director of 'Spy'? 'Spy' is directed by Garry BH.
• Who is the producer of 'Spy'? 'Spy' is produced by K.Rajashekhar Reddy.
• What is Genre of 'Spy'? 'Spy' belongs to 'Action,Thriller' genre.
• In Which Languages is 'Spy' releasing? 'Spy' is releasing in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam.

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