SERIES 

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Killing Eve (2018-2022)

You’ll likely want to stream all five seasons of Killing Eve to appreciate the twists behind the intricate plot lines and fascinating personal relationship that develops between two fierce, equally obsessed women - Eve (Sandra Oh), a sassy security services operative desperate to break out of her desk-bound job, and chic, psychopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). (Hulu Plus, Google Play, Apple TV, Prime Video, and Vudu.)

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HANNA (2019-2021)

HANNA follows an extraordinary, genetically-enhanced girl raised in the forest and trained as a living weapon by ex-CIA officer Erik Heller (Joel Kinnaman). She evades an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is. The series followed the 2011 movie of the same name. When Hanna Meets Sophie, their lives change forever but things really ratchet up with the introduction of Jules Allen (Gianna Kiehl), a rebellious Utrax trainee. (Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, Prime Video)

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London Spy (2015)

London Spy is the story of two young men: Danny (007’s 'Q', Ben Whishaw) falls in love with Alex (Edward Holcroft) but their seemingly perfect relationship takes a different path. Alex disappears and Danny finds his body. It transpires that Alex worked for the Secret Intelligence Service whereas Danny is from a world of clubbing and excess. Despite his lack of training, Danny decides to discover the truth about Alex's death. (Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play)
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La Femme Nikita (1997-2001)‍

The original French movie from 1990 has inspired many copy-cats and remakes, including the award-winning TV series of the same name that ran from ‘97 to 2001 starring Peta Wilson. Nikita, a street-smart assassin, finds herself in trouble but when she goes undercover in prison things take a surprising turn. (Apple TV, Prime Video)
‍A new style of spy movie and series is emerging, one that seamlessly incorporate LGBTQ+ characters who are already comfortable living in a world of secrets. Here are 15 of our top recommendations. (Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play)
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Quantico (2015-2018)

Named after the FBI training center in Virginia, Quantico follows the young FBI recruits training in Virginia. All are hiding a secret and one of them is suspected of being a sleeper terrorist. MI6 officer Harry Doyle (Russell Tovey) joins as part of an exchange program between the Secret Intelligence Service and later trains as a CIA recruit at the Farm. (Apple TV, Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Disney+)
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MOVIES 

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Ungentle (2022) 

Fans of Ben Whishaw (and who isn't?) will also want to check out Ungentle. Huw Lemmey's film short examines the connection between British espionage and male homosexuality, highlighting overlaps in their skill sets during mid-20th-century Britain. The film is narrated by a fictional, composite spy figure with narration by Ben Whishaw. (Mubi) 

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Skyfall (2012)

“There’s a first time for everything,” Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) sighs. “What makes you think this is my first time?” Bond (Daniel Craig) replies without missing a beat. Bond movies are often racy but Skyfall adds a twist. In the documentary Becoming James Bond, producer Barbara Broccoli revealed that the Hollywood studio wanted the exchange cut from the movie but she stood firm. "I remember we were told to cut that line by the studio," Broccoli said in the documentary. "We said, 'No, no, no.' We resisted." (YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play)

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North by Northwest (1959) 

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller features Cary Grant as a New York City ad executive who is mistaken for a government spook by foreign spies and goes on the run. Martin Landau (far right) said in 2012 that he decided to play his role as a gay henchman, a daring choice for the 1950s. “It was quite a big risk in cinema at the time. My logic was simply that he wanted to get rid of Eva Marie Saint with such a vengeance, so it made sense for him to be in love with his boss, Vandamm, played by James Mason. Every one of my friends thought I was crazy, but Hitchcock liked it. A good director makes a playground and allows you to play.” (YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, Rakuten, Microsoft, Sky Store, Chili)

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Strawberry and Chocolate / Fresa y Chocolate (1993)

Strawberry and Chocolate unfolds in Havana in 1979 when David (Vladimir Cruz) meets Diego (Jorge Perugorría), a gay artist unhappy with the Castro regime's attitude toward the LGBTQ+ community. A friendship develops but David's homophobic classmate, Miguel, plans to use David to spy on Diego as the artist is seen as dangerous to the Communist cause. (Prime Video)
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The Imitation Game (2014) 

Benedict Cumberbatch received nominations at all of the major awards ceremonies for The Imitation Game - including an Oscar nod - for his incredible portrayal of British codebreaker Alan Turing - the mathematician who helped end WWII by cracking the German enigma code but committed suicide when caught up in the UK’s laws against homosexuality. Cumberbatch is simply brilliant in this star-studded ensemble cast. (Netflix, Apple TV, Curzon, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube)

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A Spy Movie (2021) ‍

If you are looking for light entertainment, A Spy Movie will tickle your fancy. This action/comedy/parody involves a failed mission in the Arctic and a team of spies who must team up to stop a deadly plot orchestrated by Evelina, an international assassin. A Spy Movie stars Stephanie Koenig, the actress and producer behind The Flight Attendant (2020), The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo (2016), and Stupid Idiots. (YouTube, Mubi)

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D.E.B.S. (2004)

D.E.B.S. was a box office bomb that became a cult film classic. It follows the relationship between spy-in-training Amy Bradshaw and supervillain Lucy Diamond when a group of schoolgirls is hired by a secret US government agency to become members of an elite national defense group called D.E.B.S. Think of it as a send-up of Charlie’s Angels rather than a dramatic masterpiece and you will not be disappointed. (Apple TV, Vudu, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube) 

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Atomic Blonde (2017) 

No-nonsense spy Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) dispenses with the typical boy-meets-girl plot line and instead has an affair with a female agent (Sofia Boutella) in Atomic Blonde. “I just loved it,” Theron told Variety. “Finding Sofia, that was a slam dunk. There’s something about her that’s so broken and vulnerable. It works.” (YouTube, Google Play, Prime Video, Apple TV Sky Store, Rakuten TV)

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Cumberbatch is back as Peter Guillam, a British spy who appears to be at ease with himself and Smiley (Gary Oldman) but masks a troubling secret. “He’s got a great blonde bob and a fantastic Citroen DS car and these fantastic beautiful clothes, and it’s all going swimmingly, but that’s part of his personal armor that slowly, slowly gets stripped away,” Cumberbatch said. “You learn that an awful lot of it is a front for him, and there’s a crisis both in his heart and his home life.” Unmissable. (Apple TV, Curzon, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube)

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The Crying Game (1992)‍

An Irish Republican Army member, Fergus (Stephen Rea), bonds with a kidnapped British soldier in his custody (Forest Whitaker). Jody makes Fergus promise he'll visit his girlfriend, Dil (Jaye Davidson), in London, and when Fergus flees to the city, he seeks her out. Irish director Neil Jordan's compelling film The Crying Game is a breathtaking political thriller and a love story. (Apple TV, Chili, Prime Video)