This is the fifth in a series of articles where we’ll be covering Cold War Films. Films About the Cold War involve the ‘Cold War’ period between the U.S. and Soviet Union from 1945 – 1991 and typically involve themes of Spies & Espionage, Double Agents, the CIA & KGB, the threat of Nuclear War & World War III and fears of Communism. Due to the 46-year period of the Cold War, many historical topics and events are also covered in this subgenre including the Korean War, the Soviet-Afghan War, the Berlin Wall, The Cuban Missile Crisis and other events involving direct or indirect U.S. and Soviet Union military or political confrontations. Though the Vietnam War also occurred during the Cold War and involved the U.S. and Soviet Union, due to the large number of films about Vietnam, we have an entirely separate subgenre dedicated specifically to Vietnam War Films.
This fifth article will cover the Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen from the 2010’s and you can check out additional articles by decade below. We are also going to include a Best Of subgenre article as a grand finale. There are so many great Cold War films over the last 70 years that we felt it best to break down some of the subgenre’s forgotten and lesser-known gems by decade before we give you the Best Of list which will likely feature many films you’ve already heard of or have seen.
- Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s
- Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s
- Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s
- Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen – 2000’s
- Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen – 2010’s
- Best Recent Cold War Films
- Best Cold War Films
- Funniest Cold War Comedies
Though the 2010’s had the most diverse number of themes of the subgenre, the Yugoslav War continued to be the most popular theme of the decade. Unlike previous decades, however, there were varying subthemes and perspectives in these Films About the Yugoslav War. The decade also contained a variety of films that covered various Cold War themes including the rise of female KGB assassins, the Space Race, the Korean War and Chinese Civil War, soviet defectors to the West and the always popular theme of spies and espionage during the Cold War.
The prior two decades had mainly dealt with military themes of the Yugoslav War and that continued with the Serbian and Russian perspective of the war in Balkan Line (2019). However, other films covered lesser known travesties of the war including Bosnian women forced into prostitution in As If I Am Not There (2010), the effect of ethnic war on romances between Serbians and Bosnians in In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011) and Serbians and Albanians in My Beautiful Country (2012), a family’s war-time secret exposed in Twice Born (2012) and a satire of peace workers operating in the war-torn country at the end of the conflict in A Perfect Day (2015).
Additional films about The Korean War surfaced during the decade with 71: Into the Fire (2010), The Front Line (2011), Operation Chromite (2016) and Battle of Jangsari (2019). And the Cold War’s impact on China and their civil war between the Communists and Nationalists were the background themes in films The Taking of Tiger Mountain (2014) and The Crossing (2014).
Soviet defections to the West, while covered in previous decades, became a more prominent theme of the subgenre in the 2010’s with Despite the Falling Snow (2016), Hostages (2017), The White Crow (2018) and Balloon (2018).
Different events and perspectives of the Space Race were also a popular theme during this period. Capsule (2015) covered Britain’s first manned mission into space during the Cold War. The first spacewalk at the height of the Cold War was the subject of the Russian film, The Spacewalker (2017). And First Man (2018) was a critically acclaimed film that followed the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong and his first steps on the moon in 1969.
And finally, like other decades, spies, assassins, and espionage during the Cold War continued to be one of the most popular and enduring themes of the subgenre. Films about Spies & Espionage during the Cold War from the 2010’s included Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Killer Elite (2011), Legacy (2013), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Bridge of Spies (2015) and Red Joan (2018). This theme also included the rise of female KGB, MI6 and CIA assassins during the Cold War with Salt (2010), The Debt (2010), Atomic Blonde (2017) and Anna (2019). Though it is not set during the Cold War itself, Red Sparrow (2018) also contained many similar themes of spy & espionage films and covers the Soviet Union’s use of sexpionage to perform honey traps or obtain kompromat on unsuspecting intelligence targets by female operatives.
Our complete list of Cold War Films features over 229+ films from 1951 – 2023. This collection features almost every film involving Spies & Espionage, The Korean War, The Berlin Wall and other historical events occurring during the Cold War period. If you don’t see a film in our collection, it might not be set during the Cold War or is likely in our lists of Films About Spies & Espionage, Conspiracy Thrillers, Historical Biopics and Historical Event Films. Also, if you’re just starting to get into films and themes about The Cold War, we have a previous list of The Top Films About the Cold War You Haven’t Seen which is an overview of some of the lesser-known films of the subgenre. For these lists, we’re going much more in depth into Cold War film subgenre so subscribe to our newsletter to get updated as we release subsequent lists of great Cold War films from subsequent decades.
Classic Cold War Films from the 2010’s: Carlos (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Pawn Sacrifice (2015), Bridge of Spies (2015), Trumbo (2015), All the Way (2016), The Post (2017), The Spacewalker (2017), Atomic Blonde (2017), The Death of Stalin (2017), The Shape of Water (2017), Cold War (2018), Balloon (2018), First Man (2018) and Anna (2019).
Cold War Films from the 2010’s that didn’t make our list: Formosa Betrayed (2010), The Debt (2010), The Front Line (2011), Killer Elite (2011), In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011), My Beautiful Country (2012), Twice Born (2012), Phantom (2013), Legacy (2013), Queen & Country (2014), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Capsule (2015), Despite the Falling Snow (2016), Hail, Caesar! (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Hostages (2017), 6 Days (2017), Red Joan (2018), The Balkan Line (2019) and Battle of Jangsari (2019).
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Here is our list of the Top Cold War Films You Haven’t Seen from the 2010’s:
Plot: After just moving to Sarajevo, a young woman is imprisoned in a Bosnian war camp.
KBZ’s Take: Of all the films about the Yugoslav War, this is likely the most difficult to watch. Not only is it about the tragic ethnic cleansing that happened during the war, but it also tells the story of women forced into prostitution.
The film follows Samira (Nataša Petrović) as her joy of teaching in a remote village turns to horror as she’s rounded up with other villagers. Petrović is amazing in this film by using facial emotions to communicate her growing hopelessness as her situation becomes increasingly bleak.
It’s not an easy film to watch, but one that should be seen to fully understand the horrors of the Yugoslav War.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#9
Carlos
Plot: The story of Venezuelan revolutionary, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, who founded a worldwide terrorist organization and raided the OPEC headquarters in 1975 before being caught by the French police.
KBZ’s Take: Carlos is essentially a Film About Terrorists as it documents the life of infamous Venezuelan terrorist, Ramírez Sánchez (aka Carlos the Jackal). Though the film doesn’t explore typical Cold War Film themes, it does feature Carlos’ ties during his reign of terror to the Soviet Union and East German Statsi.
The film is a three-part miniseries at over 320 minutes in length while a shorter theatrical version of 165 minutes is also available. We’ve linked the 165-minute version below as that’s the only version available via streaming.
Regardless of which version you watch, it’s a fascinating film with a star making turn by Edgar Ramirez as the man who terrorized the world in the 1970’s and 80’s.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: In August 1950, waiting for UN troops to arrive, the South Korean army assembled to protect Nakdong River. Only 71 student-soldiers are left behind to guard the city of Pohang. Now they are on a mission to defend the country from North Korean troops.
KBZ’s Take: As we noted in the beginning of this article, there were a few South Korean films about The Korean War including 71: Into the Fire (2010), The Front Line (2011), Operation Chromite (2016) and Battle of Jangsari (2019). 71: Into the Fire and The Front Line were the best films of the four and though we chose 71 for this slot, we would also recommend The Front Line as well.
71: Into the Fire is reminiscent of the best Hollywood war films including Saving Private Ryan (1998), Hamburger Hill (1987) and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016) which detailed smaller forces defending their position against an insurmountable enemy.
It’s one of the best war films of the decade with a thrilling and action-packed third act. Highly recommended for fans of this subgenre and fans of War Action Films.
Where to Stream / Buy: Apple TV
#7
Phantom
Plot: The haunted Captain of a Soviet submarine holds the fate of the world in his hands. Forced to leave his family behind, he is charged with leading a covert mission cloaked in mystery.
KBZ’s Take: Phantom is loosely based on the real-life sinking of the Soviet submarine K-129 in 1968. While the film does take some creative liberties with what likely transpired on the sub, it’s still one of the better films of the subgenre about the escalating nuclear deterrence theory of the U.S. and Soviets during the Cold War.
The film can be jarring at first as the Soviet crew is played by Americans with English dialogue, but once you get acclimated to that, you’ll be treated to some amazing performances from Ed Harris, David Duchovny and William Fichtner.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: During the height of the Cold War, two Russian astronauts prepare to step into the unknown during the first spacewalk.
KBZ’s Take: The Spacewalker is Russia’s version of Apollo 13 (1995) and it’s one of the Best Films About Space. The film, also known as The Age of Pioneers, details the first spacewalk by Alexei Leonov. But, like Apollo 13, the mission wasn’t without trouble and the film focuses on the suspenseful moments after the historic spacewalk.
If you enjoyed Apollo 13, Gravity (2013) and First Man (2018), we’re highly confident you will like this film as well. And we would also suggest checking out another Russian film, Salyut-7 (2017), which is about another Soviet mission in space that goes wrong.
Additional Lists: Best Films About Space #19
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#5
The Crossing
Plot: During the Chinese Revolution in 1949, three couples flee from China to an island of Taiwan.
KBZ’s Take: One of the key moments in history that’s not shown in many Cold War Films is the period right after World War II when the main competing ideologies of the Cold War – communism and democracy – were at war in China. The Crossing is one of the better films set during this time with an interesting exploration of the war’s impact on various individuals.
This is a John Woo film and does have some of his trademark action set pieces but is much more of an epic war drama. The film is in two parts with the first focused on the civil war and the second focused on the sinking of the Taiping in 1949.
Unfortunately, both films are not available to stream online but we will update the link below when it becomes available.
Where to Stream / Buy: N/A
Plot: An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.
KBZ’s Take: As we noted previously in this article, the 2010’s were the age of the female Cold War assassins. Atomic Blonde is one of the best of the bunch and reinvented the Cold War spy film with it’s 1980’s themed visuals and soundtrack.
If you ever wondered what John Wick (2014) would look like with an indestructible female assassin, set in 1980’s Berlin and just as ultraviolent, then look no further than this film. It’s one of the best and most action-packed films of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Somewhere in the Balkans, 1995. A team of aid workers must solve an apparently simple problem in an almost completely pacified territory that has been devastated by a cruel war, but some of the local inhabitants, the retreating combatants, the UN forces, many cows and an absurd bureaucracy will not cease to put obstacles in their way.
KBZ’s Take: In contrast to our #10 selection which is one of the most depressing films of the Yugoslav War, A Perfect Day is likely the most lighthearted of the subgenre. Centered around aid workers who have to deal with constant United Nations’ bureaucracy to clear a dead body from a town’s drinking well, the film is a satire of war and peacekeeping efforts.
Despite an all-star cast of Benicio del Toro, Tim Robbins and Olga Kurylenko, the film has flown under the radar as a lesser-known and seen film. However, like M*A*S*H (1970) and Buffalo Soldiers (2002), it highlights some of the absurd and darker moments of war in a very satirical tone.
Highly recommend film of the subgenre and for fans of Films that are Satires.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#2
Anna
Plot: Beneath Anna Poliatova’s striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world’s most feared government assassins.
KBZ’s Take: Anna was #1 in our Top Films About Assassins & Hitmen You Haven’t Seen list and would have been #1 for this list also if not for our current selection. How much you like (or will like) this film (we loved it!) will depend on how much you like Luc Besson films. This is trademark Besson with action and humor similar to his previous efforts including Léon: The Professional (1994) and Lucy (2004).
Where this film diverges from other “female assassins who kick ass and fully recover within an hour after getting beaten to a bloody pulp” films, is the sympathetic backstory to the assassin in training. Despite the best efforts of the KGB and CIA to control her, you end up rooting for the video game-like body count she piles up to get her way.
Additional Lists: Top Films About Assassins & Hitmen You Haven’t Seen #1, Top Films About the Cold War You Haven’t Seen #3
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#1
Balloon
Plot: Following the crossing of the inner German border by the families Strelzyk and Wetzel from the GDR to West Germany in the summer of 1979. Desperate to leave the GDR, they flee in a homemade hot-air balloon.
KBZ’s Take: Balloon is one of the best and most suspenseful films of the entire subgenre. Based on the unbelievable true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families and their attempts to escape East Berlin via hot-air balloon. If the story sounds familiar, it’s because a previous film starring John Hurt and Beau Bridges, called Night Crossing (1982), was about the same families and events.
While Night Crossing is a decent film adaptation of the event, it doesn’t hold up to the recent and much more suspenseful German film. Balloon grips you from its first moments and is a suspense-filled experience from beginning to end. It’s a film where you’re constantly on the edge of your seat whether its during the families dangerous escape attempts or the growing threat of being caught by an omniscient Statsi presence from their neighborhood to East Berlin itself.
The division of West Berlin and East Berlin (and the subsequent fall of the wall) is one of the most defining moments of the Cold War. Few films have adequately captured life in East Berlin and why so many people tried to escape it. But Balloon is one of those rare films where you get to know the families, their desperation and why they risk everything for a better life.
Balloon is one of those rare films that we not only highly recommend for fans of the subgenre, but for moviegoers in general. It’s that good of a film and one that you’ll be glad you’ve seen.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
