This is the sixth 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 sixth article will cover the Best Recent Cold War Films from 2020 – 2023 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
The early 2020’s saw a significant decrease in Cold War-themed films. Much of this decrease can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic and oversaturation of the subgenre in prior decades. However, the decade still saw some classic Cold War Films emerge during this early part of the decade with some evolved themes. The primary subgenre theme to emerge from 2020 – 2023 was an alternate viewpoint of the Korean War through Chinese produced films. Other themes included Films Based on Superheroes and Comic Books set during the Cold War period and Historical Biopics of prominent Cold War leaders and people.
Most Cold War Films about the Korean War have often been from the Western and U.S. viewpoint. However, multiple films released in the last three years from China focused on Chinese involvement and heroics during the war during pivotal events. The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was the focus of a fictionalized retelling of the pivotal battle between Chinese and United Nation’s forces in The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) and The Battle at Lake Changjin II (2022). Another film, Devotion (2022), involved elements of the The Battle of Chosin Reservoir but from the Western viewpoint. And Snipers (2022) was also a film from China that highlighted Chinese sniper Zhang Taofang’s heroics against American soldiers in the Korean War.
Superhero and Comic Books Films set during the Cold War were also prevalent in the early 2020’s with the Marvel Comics release of Black Widow (2021) and DC Comics release of Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). Though not a wide release and lesser-known was a DC animated film that featured one of the most unique Cold War themes of the subgenre. Superman: Red Son (2020) explored an alternate history where Superman was raised in the Soviet Union (and not in the U.S.) and his impact on major Cold War events.
And finally, historical biopics of this period focused on obscure people and events from the Cold War. The Courier (2020) was based on British businessman and eventual spy Greville Wynne’s dealings with his Soviet counterpart to defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Wasp Network (2020) highlighted various Cuban spies (known as the Cuban Five) who operated in the U.S. and were eventually charged with espionage. Henk Rogers was the focus of Tetris (2023) and his dealings with the Soviet Union to procure worldwide licensing rights to the popular Tetris game (created by Alexey Pajitnov). And Golda (2023) chronicled the life of Golda Meir, prime minister of Israel, during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973.
Our complete list of Cold War Films features over 259+ 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 2020 – 2023: The Courier (2020), Quo Vadis, Aida? (2021) and Tetris (2023).
Cold War Films from 2020 – 2023 that didn’t make our list: Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Being the Ricardos (2021), The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021), Image of Victory (2021), Firebird (2021), The Game (2022) and Red Agent (2023).
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Here is our list of the Best Recent Cold War Films from 2020 – 2023:
#10
Golda
Plot: Faced with the potential of Israel’s complete destruction, Prime Minister Golda Meir must navigate overwhelming odds, a skeptical cabinet and a complex relationship with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as millions of lives hang in the balance during the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
KBZ’s Take: If you enjoyed the Winston Churchill biopic, Darkest Hour (2017), Golda has a similar narrative and structure focused on the behind-the-scenes negotiations to end the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. While the film does have some suspenseful war sequences, it’s much more about Israel’s 4th Prime Minster and her leadership during one of the most significant events of the Cold War in the 1970’s.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#9
Wasp Network
Plot: Cuban spies infiltrate exile groups in Miami at great personal cost to stop anti-Castro terrorists in the early 1990s.
KBZ’s Take: Wasp Network is a spy film that you have to pay attention to, or you can easily get lost within its intricate, multi-layered story. It’s not a film you want to have playing in the background while focused on other things.
If you pay attention, you’ll be rewarded with one of the better films about a lesser-known event of the Cold War (and espionage within the U.S.) with some amazing performances from Penélope Cruz, Édgar Ramírez, Wagner Moura, Gael García Bernal and Ana de Armas. This is an A-list cast which elevates a standard script into one of the better Cold War spy thrillers of the last few years.
Where to Stream / Buy: Netflix
Plot: Instead of Kansas, the ship carrying baby Superman lands in the Ukraine. Superman is introduced to the world during the 1950s Cold War as a Soviet asset, causing panic in the United States.
KBZ’s Take: We don’t normally feature animated films on our lists, but for this subgenre, an exception has to be made for Superman: Red Son. Even if you are averse to animated films, this film explores events of the Cold War that would have turned out differently if a certain superhero was exposed to communism vs. democracy.
This is a film we highly recommended for fans of the this subgenre as well as fans of Alternate History films.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#7
Devotion
Plot: The inspirational true story of Jesse Brown, the first Black aviator in U.S. Navy history, and his enduring friendship with fellow fighter pilot Tom Hudner. Helping to turn the tide in the most brutal battle in the Korean War, their heroic sacrifices ultimately make them the Navy’s most celebrated wingmen.
KBZ’s Take: Equal parts Historical Biopic and War Films About Air Warfare, Devotion struggled to find an audience upon its release despite mostly favorable reviews. It’s a film that deserves a second look as it’s one of the better period films about The Korean War while also highlighting the budding relationship between Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors) and Tom Hudner (Glen Powell).
Though Powell also starred in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), this isn’t on the same level as Top Gun’s sequel. It’s much more of a character-driven film with great performances from Majors and Powell with a few thrilling and exciting aerial combat scenes.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#6
Sputnik
Plot: At the height of the Cold War, a Soviet spacecraft crash lands after a mission gone awry, leaving the commander as its only survivor. After a renowned Russian psychologist is brought in to evaluate the commander’s mental state, it becomes clear that something dangerous may have come back to Earth with him.
KBZ’s Take: This is one of the only horror films we have featured on our list of Cold War films to check out, and despite being a horror film, we feel fans of the Cold War Films subgenre will still enjoy it. Apart from being an above average horror film (with some surprisingly good scares and creature effects), it’s also focused on the inner workings of the Soviet Union as they struggle to understand what exactly was brought back with the cosmonauts.
The film does have some flaws such as pacing and a confusing subplot. And you’ll be able to spot popular horror influences on this film from the start, but we would advise you to keep watching as it eventually carves out its own horrific niche of Cold War-themed Horror from a Soviet perspective.
Additional Lists: Top Space Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #5
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#5
Snipers
Plot: The story of sharpshooter Zhang Taofang, a young army recruit who at age 22 sets a record during the Korean War by reportedly killing or wounding 214 American soldiers with 435 shots in just 32 days.
KBZ’s Take: In our introduction, we mentioned this film as one of a few Korean War-themed films from China with a Chinese perspective of the war. Unlike The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) which tends to remove any grey areas between heroes and villains and feels more like a propaganda film, Snipers takes an even-handed approach as it follows both the American and Chinese soldiers pitted against each other.
The film does have some exciting and tense moments as the snipers duel with each other, but it does a much better job of humanizing people on both sides of the conflict and the ultimate futility of war.
Where to Stream / Buy: N/A
Plot: Bosnia, July 1995. Aida is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has access to crucial information that she needs to interpret. What is at the horizon for her family and people – rescue or death? Which move should she take?
KBZ’s Take: This is a unique film from Bosnia about the Yugoslavian War which highlights the inner workings of the UN peacekeeping force which eventually leads to catastrophe. For younger viewers who did not grow up during the non-stop media coverage of the war, it’s a film that details how powerless the UN was at the height of the conflict.
It’s a difficult film to watch, but one that should be seen by fans of this subgenre and anyone who’s interested in lesser-known events of the war such as the Srebrenica massacre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#3
Black Widow
Plot: Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
KBZ’s Take: Of the two major Superhero films with Cold War themes released recently, we had to go with Black Widow here over the much more campier Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). While Wonder Woman is technically set during the Cold War period of 1984, Black Widow is set in 2016 but is a much better film that focuses on KGB-trained assassin Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson).
This is also a film with one of the best opening credit sequences of all-time that highlights a KGB child abduction and training program. Even if you’re not a fan of Marvel or Superhero films, the opening credits quickly show that this film is about much darker subject matter than your typical popcorn action film.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#2
Tetris
Plot: Henk Rogers discovers Tetris in 1988, and then risks everything by traveling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov to bring the game to the masses.
KBZ’s Take: This is the only film about gaming on our list but it’s a great one set mostly in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The film excels when it focuses on the inner workings of the Soviet Union, the government’s initial reluctance to work with the growing forces of capitalism and how Tetris (at the time) was state-owned despite being created solely by Alexey Pajitnov.
Like some biopics, there are elements in the film that are embellished to provide for a more thrilling and suspenseful narrative (especially a few scenes involving interactions within the Soviet Union). However, those scenes only add to the thrilling journey of Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) as he risks everything to bring Tetris to the world. Highly recommended biopic no fan of this subgenre or Techno Thrillers should miss.
Additional Lists: Best Tech Biopics #5
Where to Stream / Buy: Apple TV
#1
The Courier
Plot: Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
KBZ’s Take: Benedict Cumberbatch is quickly becoming the king of period-themed Historical Biopics with his roles as Richard III (2016), Alan Turing in The Imitation Game (2016) and Thomas Edison in The Current War (2017). Though he also had a role (as a fictional character) in one of the better Cold War spy films, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2013), it’s his performance in The Courier that makes it one of the best recent films of the subgenre.
Unlike more recent films of the subgenre, this is a film that squarely harkens back to an era of suspense-driven Cold War Spy films such as North by Northwest (1959), Enigma (1983) and The Falcon and the Snowman (1985). That the film is based on a true (and incredulous) event, makes it a film no fan of the subgenre should miss.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
