The 20 Best Political Thriller Movies Ever Made

Contrary to a popular argument that's made its way into various corners of the Internet, films have always been political. From the earliest days of the art form, films both directly and indirectly tackling historical political issues and hot-button controversies have been released, and throughout the development of the form, films of each generation have responded to the ever-changing state of the world.

Indeed, every film ever made is a product of the era in which it was created; watch an older film, you'll have a window into a time when at least something was radically different. Part of the reason older films are reassessed is to learn and understand how things have changed politically — and not only why that's the case, but whether or not it was for the better.

However, films that directly attack politics are more overt in their influence, and politics are often more palatable when filtered through the lens of entertainment. If you've ever found yourself stressed out about a political issue, a great political thriller can be just as intense.

Here are the 20 greatest political thriller movies in cinema history.

While the '70s political thriller genre is often associated directly with American politics as a result of the Watergate influence, the broader spectrum of political thrillers covers a more international perspective. It's a great tool to help learn about the political state of other governments and locations, especially when it's covering a pivotal moment from history.

The 1993 courtroom thriller "In The Name Of the Father" recreates one of the most controversial court cases in the history of the United Kingdom, and offers insight into the tensions of the IRA, which have been featured in many other political thrillers. As the film shows, the four men who were falsely convicted of the Guildford pub bombings in 1974 became known as the "Guildford Four," and director Jim Sheridan portrays the events in gripping detail, digging deep into what made the case so infuriating and shedding light on tensions that still exist in the U.K. today.

However, it's also a very emotional film that has empathy for these men and the suffering they experienced in prison. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers one of his strongest performances as Gerard Patrick Conlon, who was imprisoned alongside his father, Patrick (Pete Postlethwaite).

For those who like to complain that modern movies are too political, the 2012 political thriller "Argo" recounts an incredible incident in which the motion picture industry came in to solve an actual political crisis that threatened lives. 

The film tells a true story of an operation by CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to rescue Americans who were trapped in Iran after a rebel insurgency took hold of the U.S. Embassy amidst the Iranian Revolution. The rebels hunt down the Americans, but given the fragile state of U.S. relations (particularly with an election cycle), the U.S. government is cagey about sending an official operation that could be misinterpreted or provoke larger conflict in the region.

Mendez devised an incredible plan — he would travel with undercover agents to Iran under the guise that they were the crew for a science fiction film titled "Argo," in the aftermath of the box office success of 70s sci-fi films like "Star Wars," "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "Moonraker," and "The Black Hole." The hostages could then be transported out of the country under the same premise. The film is based on Mendez's biography, and contains his insights on the state of both Middle East relations and the 1970s film industry. Affleck also directed the film, his third feature after the gripping mystery "Gone Baby Gone" and the thrilling heist film "The Town."

Of all the great filmmakers of the '70s that responded to the ongoing sense of paranoia in political thrillers, Francis Ford Coppola's run of success is nearly unparalleled. Coppola directed many of the films that are considered among the best ever made in only a short period of time, and each took an angle that was either directly or indirectly tied to the political thriller genre. In 1974, Coppola had the unique achievement of directing two of the greatest films within a one-year period thanks to his work on "The Godfather: Part II" and the fundamental political thriller "The Conversation."

"The Conversation" was among the first films to tackle the sense of the surveillance state, and few films since have been able to tackle the paranoia of being watched in a manner quite as effectively. The film follows the surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), who accidentally discovers evidence of a murder while surveilling passersby in a public park. Caul questions whether or not he should speak out and turn the evidence over to investigators, as he could risk exposing the secret nature of his profession. 

Steven Spielberg has always been a very political filmmaker, and although he's generally thought of as one of the quintessentially American directors, he's frequently drawn upon his own Jewish heritage. Spielberg famously only helmed his Holocaust epic "Schindler's List" once he felt he'd matured enough as a filmmaker, and after tackling that devastating story he continued to approach darker material. Spielberg took on the complex nature of Jewish politics again in 2005 with his incredible thriller "Munich," which told the true story of a historical tragedy.

Although Spielberg's political views are fairly established and "Munich" tackles the hut button issues related to the fragility of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the film is thankfully sensitive to multiple viewpoints and focuses more on the historical figures as real people, rather than generic stand-ins serving as purely political mouthpieces. More than anything, "Munich" is a cautionary tale and a prayer for peace. The film follows the aftermath of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the covert operation by secret agents from the Israeli government to track down top-level orchestrators in the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The film questions the futility of vengeance and the perpetuation of violence, reflecting on how challenging it is to ask for a peaceful solution in a cycle that keeps renewing desires for revenge. Eric Bana brilliantly stars as Avner Kaufman, one of the top Israeli spies involved in the incidents.

Political thrillers occasionally highlight prominent reporters via an intersection with the investigative journalism genre. Journalism movies may typically be associated with the crime genre, but in instances in which journalists are investigating a political issue they can become unforgettable political thrillers. One of the most important aspects of crafting a great political thriller is having a protagonist that is worth investing in.

1974's "The Parallax View" offered up a great hero in the form of Warren Beatty's Joseph Frady, a news reporter digging into a series of political assassinations. Frady theorizes that the similar circumstances surrounding these killings link them all, and he's determined to get to the bottom of the case. Frady was a compelling protagonist because he related to the audience's desire to know answers; he's learning the details of the case at the same time that they are, and they're connected with his discoveries and may discover the parallels at the same moment he does. 

Frady discovers a latent organization involved in a brainwashing scheme, and in one of the most terrifying moments in the history of political thrillers, he sits down to watch a brief video montage clip designed to test stimuli and responsiveness.

There's perhaps nothing more panic-inducing than a highly competitive election cycle, as even those adverse to paying attention to political issues may tune in to follow the progress and results of the race. Films that focus on elections have a naturally exciting quality to them, and while some have sensationalized the process in order to create greater entertainment value, the best of them tend to keep things thrilling by treating the process as realistically as possible.

1972's "The Candidate" was a brilliant election thriller that provoked questions about experience, charisma, campaign promises, and idealism that are just as relevant 50 years later as they were during release. Robert Redford gives another brilliant performance as Bill McKay, a charismatic yet idealistic politician whose most prominent quality (other than his natural good looks) is his father, the former California governor John J. McKay (Melvyn Douglas). McKay doesn't seem naturally positioned for office, but Democratic party manager Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) is searching for a new candidate to oppose incumbent California senator Crocker Jarmon (Don Porter). He has struggled because, given Jarmon's long tenure in office and his popularity among voters and his party leadership, few established Democratic politicians would dare go up against him in a race.

McKay is placed in a position that is seemingly unwinnable, but his mild-mannered honesty actually gets through to voters, who find it refreshing amidst the sea of political jargon. The film follows the thrilling election to the end.

Just because a film is labeled a "political thriller" doesn't mean it has to take place entirely in official proceedings and slick office buildings; some of the best of the genre also include a fair amount of action and adventure. 1976's "Marathon Man" isn't only a classic political thriller, but one of the best action movies of the '70s. The brilliant John Schlesinger directed an adaptation of the highly popular novel of the same name by William Goldman, who adapted his own novel into a great screenplay.

The film follows doctoral history scholar Thomas Levy (Dustin Hoffman), who discovers that his brother, Doc (Roy Scheider), is involved with a stash of secret Nazi gold that is being sought after by former members of the Third Reich. The location hopping adventure thriller was released amidst actual worldwide concerns about the resurgence of German fascism, and it treats these issues seriously amidst the thrilling chase sequences. Laurence Olivier co-stars as the villainous Nazi scientist Dr. Christian Szell, an atypically sinister role for one of Old Hollywood's most likable stars.

Paranoia over governmental dishonesty and the suspicion of conspiracy may have been most prominent in American films of the '70s, but the same tensions were present decades earlier. Amidst the many films exploring the changing state of political parties and electoral rigging in the post-World War II landscape, 1962's "The Manchurian Candidate" is one of the most famous, as it was rather bleak than the standard political films of Old Hollywood. Director John Frankenheimer is one of the foremost classic filmmakers of combining realism and elevated genre entertainment, and he crafted an essential political thriller

"The Manchurian Candidate" follows an investigation by U.S. Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) into Raymond Shaw (Lawrence Harvy), a Korean war veteran whose family plays a pivotal role in national politics. Shaw is kidnapped and brainwashed by the Soviet Union and The People's Republic of China in a communist conspiracy effort to influence American elections.

"Zero Dark Thirty" was controversial for many reasons, but its depiction of torture sparked backlash. Kathryn Bigelow's film is directly referenced in Scott Z. Burns's political thriller "The Report," which details the "Torture Report" by CIA analyst Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) into the details that were left out of official documents. Jones sees himself as a patriot who is protecting the rights guaranteed to all Americans under the Constitution, but he finds himself having to work around the system in order to achieve justice. He pours over stacks of paperwork in a contained office with a loyal group of researchers, finding that many of the articles featuring details he needs have been blacked out.

"The Report" creates tension by showing how Jones is forced to become a whistleblower. He's soft-spoken — the farthest thing from an inflammatory personality — but grows increasingly paranoid when he realizes he's being silenced, and the claustrophobic, minimalist settings of the film greatly heighten the suspense. While the film is packed with meticulous detail, Driver's humanization of Jones gives the viewer someone to invest in.

Aaron Sorkin has a particularly snappy means of writing political dialogue, one that's been a hallmark since "The West Wing." Sorkin is well-versed in his American history, as well, and while a lot of his work is optimistic, he's unafraid of taking on controversial subject matter. 2020's "The Trial of the Chicago 7" follows the aftermath of the Chicago riots outside of the 1984 Democratic National Convention. Protestors gathered to address the Presidential candidates about finding a peaceful solution to the Vietnam conflict, but conflict was sparked with the Chicago police. "The Trial of the Chicago 7" follows the protest leaders upon being arrested and sent to court.

Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), David Dellinger (John Caroll Lynch), Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins), John Froines (Daniel Flaherty), and Bobby Seale (Yahya Adbul-Mateen II) are all charged with inciting violence. The group gains the defense counsel of William Kunstler (Mark Rylance), a mild-mannered lawyer who becomes infuriated by the corrupt procedures of Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella). Sorkin does a great job at fleshing out each member of the titular seven; while they are united in their cause, they have different perspectives on how the escalation occurred.