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Political Thriller movies

High-stakes suspense inside institutions: corruption, influence, leverage, and decisions affecting many lives.

Safe House

1. Safe House

Action Thriller Spy Action Political Thriller
6.7
20121h 55min

Overview

A dangerous CIA renegade resurfaces after a decade on the run. When the safe house he's remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead.

Themes

Deception under duress, Moral ambiguity under pressure, Power abuse in intelligence, Betrayal within institutions, Loyalty under surveillance, Exposure of corruption

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Action Thriller Adventure Spy Action Political Thriller
7.4
20112h 13min

Overview

Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Identity and disguise, Team cohesion under threat, Institutional disavowal, Secrecy and oversight, Global pursuit under pressure

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

In Time

3. In Time

Action Thriller Science Fiction Dystopian Sci-Fi Epic Action
6.7
20111h 49min

Overview

In the not-too-distant future, the aging gene has been switched off. To avoid overpopulation, time has become the currency and the way people pay for luxuries and necessities. The rich can live forever, while the rest struggle to negotiate for their immortality. A poor young man who suddenly comes into a fortune of time finds himself on the run from a corrupt police force known as the "time keepers".

Themes

Class inequality, Time as currency, Wealth and immortality, Scarcity and desperation, Redistribution of time, Corrupt policing

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Adjustment Bureau

4. The Adjustment Bureau

Science Fiction Thriller Romance Simulation & Reality-Shift Sci-Fi Political Thriller
7.0
20111h 46min

Overview

A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him – and chooses to fight for his own destiny. Battling the powerful Adjustment Bureau across, under and through the streets of New York, he risks his destined greatness to be with the only woman he's ever loved.

Themes

Free will vs plan, Time and fate, Destiny vs choice, Covert control, Power and ambition, Personal agency under manipulation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Tourist

5. The Tourist

Action Thriller Romance Spy Action Political Thriller
6.0
20101h 43min

Overview

American tourist Frank meets mysterious British woman Elise on the train to Venice. Romance seems to bud, but there's more to her than meets the eye.

Themes

Fake identity dynamics, Undercover romance tension, Deception and loyalty, Money as motive, Loyalty under pressure, Law enforcement tension

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

RED

6. RED

Action Adventure Comedy Crime Thriller
7.0
20101h 51min

Overview

After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA black ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunites with old Joe, crazy Marvin and wily Victoria to uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens their lives. Only their expert training will allow them to survive a near-impossible mission -- breaking into CIA headquarters.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Government deception, Genocide cover-up, Authority versus accountability, Past operations haunting present, Risk and protection of allies

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Whistleblower

7. The Whistleblower

Drama Thriller Crime Political Thriller Political Drama
7.1
20101h 52min

Overview

Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac discovers a deadly sex trafficking ring while serving as a U.N. peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Risking her own life to save the lives of others, she uncovers an international conspiracy that is determined to stop her, no matter the cost.

Themes

Institutional corruption, International power dynamics, Whistleblower risk, Accountability vs immunity, Gender-based exploitation, Victims' testimony

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Salt

8. Salt

Action Mystery Thriller Spy Action Political Thriller
6.5
20101h 40min

Overview

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a Russian defector accuses her of being a Russian sleeper spy. She goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, protect her husband, and stay one step ahead of her colleagues at the CIA. Her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who is Salt?"

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception and trust, Hostage dynamics, Identity under threat, Secrecy and betrayal, Political brinkmanship

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Carlos

9. Carlos

Crime Drama Thriller History Historical Event
7.6
20105h 39min

Overview

The story of Venezuelan revolutionary, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, who founded a worldwide terrorist organization and raided the OPEC headquarters in 1975 before being caught by the French police.

Themes

Ideological extremism, Shifting alliances, Backer dependence, Arms trafficking, Mercenary politics, State security dynamics

Available on

AMC+ Amazon Channel
Criterion Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Unthinkable

10. Unthinkable

Drama Thriller Political Thriller
7.0
20101h 37min

Overview

The government gets wind of a plot to destroy America involving a trio of nuclear weapons for which the whereabouts are unknown. It's up to a seasoned interrogator and an FBI agent to find out exactly where the nukes are.

Themes

Coercive interrogation, State violence and harm, Deception in crisis, Ethical limits of torture, Civilian collateral damage, Authority vs humanity, Fear under pressure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.