Movies Like The Recruit

If you liked The Recruit (2003), a action and thriller movie directed by Roger Donaldson, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
★ 7.3/10Also thriller
When bookish CIA researcher Joe Turner finds all his co-workers dead, he, together with a woman he has kidnapped, must work together to outwit those responsible until he determines who he can really trust.
2
The Amateur (2025)
★ 6.9/10Also thriller and action
After his life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder takes matters into his own hands when his supervisors refuse to take action.
3
Central Intelligence (2016)
★ 6.4/10Also action
Calvin Joyner, a mild-mannered accountant whose high school glory days are long behind him, reconnects with an awkward pal from high school through Facebook. After meeting up, Calvin’s mundane life takes an…
4
Pretty Poison (1968)
★ 6.7/10Also thriller
A troubled arsonist spins a tale of espionage to a captivating girl, who becomes enthralled and entangled in his dangerous fantasies, leading to unexpected murder and chaos that change their lives forever.
5
The Sentinel (2006)
★ 6.1/10Also action and thriller
Veteran Secret Service agent Pete Garrison investigates a colleague's murder and is subsequently framed as a mole in an assassination attempt on the President due to the machinations of a blackmailer who knows the…
6
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
★ 6.1/10Also action and thriller
Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.
7
Breach (2007)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller
Eric O'Neill, a low-level surveillance expert with the FBI, believes he is accomplishing his dream of becoming a full-fledged agent, with his unexpected promotion and assignment to clerk for Robert Hanssen, a renowned…
8
The Union (2024)
★ 6/10Also action
A New Jersey construction worker goes from regular guy to aspiring spy when his long-lost high school sweetheart recruits him for an espionage mission.
9
Blacklight (2022)
★ 6.1/10Also action and thriller
Travis Block is a shadowy Government agent who specializes in removing operatives whose covers have been exposed. He then has to uncover a deadly conspiracy within his own ranks that reaches the highest echelons of…
10
Fair Game (2010)
★ 6.5/10Also thriller
A devoted wife and mother leads a secret life as a CIA agent until her husband’s article exposes a scandal, putting her identity and loved ones at risk. As her world crumbles, she must navigate the fallout of her…
11
RED (2010)
★ 6.7/10Also action and thriller
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…
12
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
★ 6.6/10Also action and thriller
Agent Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA when Admiral Greer is diagnosed with cancer. When an American businessman, and friend of the president, is murdered on his yacht, Ryan starts…
13
The Courier (2020)
★ 7/10Also thriller
Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
14
Ghosted (2023)
★ 6.9/10Also action
Salt-of-the-earth Cole falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie—but then makes the shocking discovery that she's a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an…
15
My Spy (2020)
★ 6.9/10Also action
A hardened CIA operative finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, having been sent undercover to surveil her family.
16
Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)
★ 6.1/10Also action
An ordinary suburban couple finds it’s not easy keeping up with the Joneses – their impossibly gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors – especially when they discover that Mr. and Mrs. “Jones” are covert…
17
16 Blocks (2006)
★ 6.5/10Also action and thriller
An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse, but they find themselves running the gauntlet as other forces try to prevent them from getting there.
18
Back in Action (2025)
★ 6.4/10Also action
Fifteen years after vanishing from the CIA to start a family, elite spies Matt and Emily jump back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown.
19
Snowden (2016)
★ 7.1/10Also thriller
CIA employee Edward Snowden leaks thousands of classified documents to the press.
20
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
★ 6.4/10Also thriller and action
When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot recruits a…