TAGGED AS: Action, Apple TV+, Film, movie, Rom-Com, television, TV
If you enjoyed the new movie Ghosted, here are five more titles like it that’ll help you disappear into your next few binge sessions.
The new Apple TV+ movie starring Chris Evans and Ana De Armas is the action-romance flick we didn’t know we needed this spring — perfect for date nights with a secret friend or as a solo agent.
But that’s just one night, so here’s a list of stuff to watch that packs plenty of sexy spy action and so much more.
92%
Reacher: Season 1
(2022)
(Prime Video)
This Prime Video show is based on the popular book series and made a huge splash when it debuted in 2022, becoming the first Amazon production to be the “most streamed series” for its first week, according to the Nielsen streaming rankings.
Alan Ritchson stars — and brings the bulk — in this drama that delivers the kind of action Ghosted fans are no doubt craving more of. And the Certified Fresh first season has Tomatometer and audience scores in the 90s, with critics saying that “fans of the novels will find plenty to love about this faithful adaptation.”
A second season has been ordered, but in the meantime you can watch the first season in under eight hours.
Where to Watch: by subscription on Prime Video | buy on Vudu, Apple TV
79%
Atomic Blonde
(2017)
(Focus Features)
The film stars Charlize Theron and is based on a 2012 graphic novel called The Coldest City. It was directed by David Leitch in his feature debut, and centers around a spy trying to track down a list of double agents on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
It performed well at the box office along with critics loving it, with many comparing it to the John Wick films. Probably because director Leitch worked on the first movie, while Charlize and John Wick franchise star Keanu Reeves did a little sparring together while she prepped for this and he was gearing up for Wick No. 2.
Talks of a second Atomic Blonde movie coming to Netflix have been reported, which you’ll be even more excited about after you spend a couple hours watching this first one.
Where to Watch: rent/buy on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV
84%
The Bourne Identity
(2002)
(Universal Pictures)
Budding action star at the time Matt Damon is in the driver’s seat for this thriller, as a guy who is rescued from the ocean with no recollection of who he is but does have a bunch of killer, uh, killing skills.
This one is based on the 1980 novel of the same name — sensing a theme with this list? — and was a Certified Fresh hit with critics, who praised it for “expertly blending genre formula with bursts of unexpected wit.”
The Bourne Identity performed well enough at the box office to launch a franchise, with four more films coming over the next 20 years: The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy, and Jason Bourne. Watching all five films will take about 10 hours with The Bourne Identity alone clocking in at just under 2 hours.
Where to Watch: by subscription on HBO Max, Netflix | buy on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV
98%
Slow Horses
(Apple TV+)
Flying in as our under-the-radar pick — for anyone without Apple TV+ anyway — is the series Slow Horses. This spy thriller stars the Gary Oldman as a skilled yet obnoxious and often drunk leader of a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents.
And, in keeping with our secret theme, this show is also based on a series of novels.
Slow Horses already has two Certified Fresh seasons under its saddle, including season 2 Certified Fresh at 100% on the Tomatometer. Along with praising Oldman’s performance, critics credit the series with “refreshing the espionage genre.”
Two more seasons are galloping our way eventually, but for now you can watch the first two seasons in about eight and a half hours.
Where to Watch: by subscription on Apple TV+
95%
Spy
(2015)
(20th Century Fox)
This action-comedy was written and directed by Paul Feig and stars his frequent collaborator Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat) as an unorthodox secret agent trying to track down a stolen nuclear device. She’s backed by a stacked cast that includes the likes of Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, and Jude Law, to name a few.
The Certified Fresh Spy did well at the box office and even picked up a couple of Golden Globe nominations. Critics enjoyed the almost two-hour film, saying “Spy offers further proof that Melissa McCarthy and writer-director Paul Feig bring out the best in one another and delivers scores of belly laughs along the way.”
Where to Watch: Rent/buy on Vudu, Prime Video | buy on Apple TV
Ghosted (2023) is now streaming on Apple TV+.
