The Cold War is over. There is an entire generation of adults who never lived in a world with a Berlin Wall, or a Soviet Union. Of course, for many years, films related to the tenuous dynamic between America and the USSR were commonplace. That made sense; it was the defining geopolitical relationship for decades. On occasion, you still get a film dealing with the United States and Russia at odds with one another. These are the best films about America and the Soviet Union, and the friction between the two. Also, shoutout to John Le Carré and all the films adapted from his books, but his Cold War stories tended to focus on British spies.
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“Rocky IV” (1985)
MGM
Sports, some say, serve as an analogue for war. If you want to make that case, just point to “Rocky IV.” The all-American Rocky Balboa fights the evil Soviet superman Ivan Drago, who killed Apollo Creed. When Rocky wins, he gives a speech to basically end the Cold War. It’s bombastic, but fun.
2 of 18
“Miracle” (2004)
Disney
Sports as analogue for war? The Miracle on Ice is a real-life version of that. You know the story. A team of scrappy American amateurs faces the Soviet Union’s vaunted Red Army team at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. The U.S. won, a sporting event so iconic the whole team got the biopic treatment in “Miracle.” As a film, it’s a solid underdog story.
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“The Hunt for Red October” (1990)
Paramount
You could make the argument that “The Hunt for Red October” is the last Cold War film. It came out in 1990, and they added an opening crawl to explain that the story of the film had taken place a couple years prior. This is the first Jack Ryan film, and still the best of the bunch. Sure, Sean Connery plays a Soviet submarine captain, but that’s a quibble.
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“Thirteen Days” (2000)
New Line Cinema
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a legitimately scary event. Anything serious was averted, so many years later, a dramatic retelling in a film made sense. Granted, it helps that Jack and Bobby Kennedy were at the center of the event, and that Kevin Costner co-starred as special assistant to JFK, Kenneth O’Donnell.
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“Bridge of Spies” (2015)
Dreamworks
Steven Spielberg making a political drama starring Tom Hanks? Sounds like Oscar fodder. Indeed, an Oscar was won for “Bridge of Spies.” However, it did not go to Spielberg or Hanks, but to Mark Rylance, who won for Best Supporting Actor.
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“The Falcon and the Snowman” (1985)
Orion
Before he hung with the Winter Soldier, the Falcon was palling around with the Snowman. Okay, so we’re talking about a different Falcon. This is a based-on-a-true story film about two disillusioned young men who decide to sell American government secrets to the Soviet Union. It’s a taut thriller bolstered by two strong performances from Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn.
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“Spy Game” (2001)
Universal
“Spy Game” is not the first film you think of when you think of Tony Scott. In fact, it’s not the only Scott film on this list, and we didn’t even include “Crimson Tide” (one submarine film was enough). Set in 1991, this film is more about “What global powers will seize their piece of the pie?” in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and that includes Russia. Robert Redford and Brad Pitt star together. Maybe we should have led with that to sell the movie?
8 of 18
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008)
Paramount
The initial reaction to “Crystal Skull” was too harsh. The reappraisal of “Crystal Skull” as a really good movie oversells it. From the first time we saw it, nuked fridge and all, we found the fourth Indiana Jones movie to be pretty good, sloppy but fun. That remains the case. It’s also a chance to see Indy battle with baddies who aren’t Nazis. Even “Dial of Destiny” went back down the Nazi route.
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“Top Gun” (1986)
Paramount
See, more Tony Scott! Now this one, this is the Scott film most people think about. It’s kind of dumb, but nobody cared then or now. “Top Gun” is a quintessential ‘80s action film. Sure, the baddies that the “Top Gun” pilots are fighting are kept fairly nebulous, but “Top Gun” still reads as a quintessential Cold War action film.
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“Dr. Strangelove” (1964)
Columbia
Stanley Kubrick’s nuclear war satire is dark and pointed, but also, crucially, very funny. The comedy works really well, led by Peter Sellers in a triple role, including as the titular Dr. Strangelove. One of the top films of the ‘60s.
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“Fail Safe” (1964)
Columbia
The same year that “Dr. Strangelove” came out, another movie about the possibility of an accidental nuclear strike was released. It’s almost like people of the era were living with a persistent fear of nuclear annihilation. “Fail Safe,” though, is decidedly not a comedy. It’s the straightforward thriller version of that story, but it does not lack for quality.
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“Hail, Caesar!” (2016)
Universal
There’s a lot going on in “Hail, Caesar,” the Coen Brothers’ Old Hollywood comedy. One of the things that fixer Eddie Mannix has to deal with is the kidnapping of his studio’s biggest star, Baird Whitlock. It turns out Communist screenwriters, and a secret Soviet defector in the midst of the studio, are responsible.
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“The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” (1966)
United Artists
A Soviet sub accidentally runs aground on a sparsely populated island off the coast of New England. Trying to avoid an international incident that will make them look silly, the Soviet crew, led by Alan Arkin in his first leading role, tries to get back into the water without causing a scene. Carl Reiner is one of the stars, so as you may imagine it’s a pretty silly comedy, but actually was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
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“Red Dawn” (1984)
MGM
Famously, “Red Dawn” was the first film to be released with the new PG-13 rating (though “The Flamingo Kid” was the first to be slapped with that rating). War-loving Hollywood weirdo John Milius wrote and directed this film about some scrappy American kids who fight back when the Soviets invade their hometown and kick off World War III. Wolverines!
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“Charlie Wilson’s War” (2007)
Universal
Directed by Mike Nichols (in his final film) and written by Aaron Sorkin, “Charlie Wilson’s War” is based on a true story. Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman lead the way in this film about a congressman and a CIA operative who seek to fight the Soviet Union by supporting the Afghan mujahideen in their war against the USSR. They succeeded and, um, maybe paved the way for the Taliban? Oops.
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“Tetris” (2023)
Apple Studios
Unlike “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Tetris” is not trying to turn the game into a film. To be fair, doing that would be even bolder than the “Battleship” movie. No, instead this historical, weirdly, semi-thriller is about the attempts to patent and license “Tetris,” which was created in Russia by a Soviet programmer, during the Cold War. Surprisingly, an interesting story.
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“The Right Stuff” (1983)
Warner Bros.
The day Sputnik hit orbit, the Space Race was on. No proxy for war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was more fraught, and more obvious, than the Space Race. “The Right Stuff,” in great detail and with a killer cast, tells the story of the test pilots who would vie to become the first American astronauts.
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“Goldeneye” (1995)
MGM
The James Bond films are iconic. However, Bond is, of course, a British spy. Also, the Soviet Union and/or Russia don’t play the villainous role as much as you may think. The one instance where “America versus Russia” comes through in a Bond film is in “Goldeneye,” the initial foray for Pierce Brosnan. The villainous Alec Trevelyan is Russian, and he is joined by Russia’s Minister of Defence in his plan. Meanwhile, Bond has Jack Wade and the CIA on his side. The movie even ends with the CIA showing up to help escort Bond (and Bond girl Natalya) to an American base.
Chris Morgan is a sports and pop culture writer and the author of the booksThe Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000andThe Ash Heap of History. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisXMorgan.
