Couples who spy together stay together (or die together, it’s a roll of the dice). We love a good spy couple movie where the action in the field is just as fiery as in the bedroom. Netflix is delivering the latest installment in this genre with "Back in Action," their first blockbuster movie of the year.
Cameron Diaz (Emily) and Jamie Foxx (Matt) star as former CIA agents who left the high-rolling life to start a family. Naturally, everything goes to hell and their kids get embroiled in a plot of mild vengeance and espionage. The movie is equal parts spy action and family drama sprinkled with some blood and humor.
Luckily for anyone who finished “Back in Action” and wants more, there are plenty of titles with a similar vibe and central focus. Between other couple-centric spy movies like “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” to the kid-focused “Spy Kids,” here are five movies like "Back in Action" to put on your watch list.
'Knight and Day'
Will Cameron Diaz fans please stand up? “Knight and Day” is another Diaz-led couply spy movie — except her character June finds herself tangled in some spy drama instead of being at the helm of it. This particular spy movie is a bit more comedic than “Back in Action,” but it’s perfect for people who love the Netflix movie but want a mildly less serious plotline.
Tom Cruise stars as Roy Miller, a misunderstood(ish) spy whose meet-cute with June puts her smack in the middle of his plight to clear his name after a frame job. In the process, he essentially kidnaps June to keep her “safe” (though there’s certainly an argument that she’s in more danger with him than without). Still, you can’t choose who you fall for (though avoiding spies is probably a solid plan if these movies are anything to go by).
►Watch on Max
'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'
When it comes to spy couple movies, 2005’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” is often the first one that comes to mind. Looking back, the Brangelina movie isn’t the best, but it’s iconic for a reason. Playing on Jane and John Doe monikers for unidentified bodies, Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie) and John Smith (Brad Pitt) are both secret spies working for rival agencies — and neither of them know about the other.
Realistically, how good of a spy could you possibly be when you sleep next to your nemesis every night without even knowing it? We’re just supposed to think they’re both That Good, but it is A Lot. Yet suspension of disbelief is the cornerstone of action movies and this one manages to be a lot of fun with a number of twists while keeping fans invested in the main couple as their secret identities unravel. The Smiths are devoid of children, which is probably a good thing given how many times they have guns pointed at them (and each other).
As a shameless Adam Brody stan from his “The O.C.” and “Gilmore Girls” days, I will watch just about anything that he’s in — so his stint as Benjamin is what made my family succeed in making me watch this when I was a kid. The cast also stars Vince Vaughn (Eddie), Kerry Washington (Jasmine), and Keith David (Father). Doug Liman directed the Simon Kinberg-written movie, which was recently remade into a Prime Video TV series.
►Watch on Netflix
'Spy Kids'
The kid plotline in “Back in Action” is much less prominent than the iconic early aughts franchise “Spy Kids,” but the latter is a fun, nostalgic option for the family. Now, have the graphics aged particularly well? Not really. And is the plot a little clunky and quirky? Perhaps. But just let us ‘90s kids have this.
The “Spy Kids” plotline is pretty easy to guess based on the title — yup, it centers on kids. Those kids are spies. Not a huge leap. Like “Back in Action,” the Cortez kids don’t grow up knowing that their parents are spies. However, the family’s spy past also comes back to bite them. This time, the kids are the ones who have to save the day rather than the other way around like “Back in Action.”
If you’re like me and mildly (OK, really) hate your sibling, Carmen (Alexa PenaVega) and Juni’s (Daryl Sabara) constant barbs provided a whole lot of fodder for insult inspiration — my favorite being Juni saying “Ew, gross” and answering, “You” when Carmen asks what he sees. What can I say? My humor was less refined (but was it really?). The gadgets are super fun and cool (when you’re watching as a kid), but raise your hand if the thumb people and the smiley purple creep still give you nightmares. The series featuring the original Cortez kids spanned four movies for a decade before the franchise relaunched with “Spy Kids: Armageddon” in 2023.
►Watch on Max
'The Joneses'
There are plenty of other ways a family (even a found family) can bond over some world-class deception aside from actual spy work. For instance, what about pretending to be a suburban family in order to shill products to the locals and con them into spending mass amounts of money on things they don’t actually need? The fake Jones family in “The Joneses” is all about that as they’re employed by an agency that essentially tries to control the consumer market.
Unlike “Back in Action,” not only are the “Joneses” not actually related, but they’re all in on the scheme from the jump. Yet the film isn’t without personal growth and a hefty amount of sexual tension between Mr. and Mrs. Jones. It’s certainly not as action-packed as spy movies and is more of a comedy, but there are some very real moments in the movie and it stands out with a unique concept.
►Watch on Peacock
'Argylle'
Objectively speaking, there are a lot of better spy movies than “Argylle.” Not everyone vibed with the heavy-handed satire, the quirky tone and the overly dramatic plotlines. But rather than kids finding out about their parents’ spy past, Elly (Bryce Dallas Howard) learns about her own past as a spy after writing a popular book that happens to include details from her now-forgotten spy roots. That alone makes the plot rather unique and offers a string of twists that are hard to manage in a spy movie — as campy as it may be.
There’s something mildly fascinating about turning the normal family trope on its head with self-discovery rather than family discovery. And though Elly’s relationship with her cat comes before any man (same, girl), there is a romantic subplot on top of the family drama. Sure, the movie isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a fan of the spy genre and into satire, it’s worth a watch. And obviously, as a Swiftie, I was very into the clowning the entire fandom did in thinking that Taylor Swift wrote the book the movie was based on. Just give me a red nose and call it a day.
►Watch on Apple TV Plus
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