The Best Cold War Movies
“What are the best movies about the Cold War?” We looked at 168 of the top Cold War films, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
The top 30 films, all appearing on 3 or more “Best Cold War” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 100+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.
Top 30 Cold War Movies
30 .) Funeral in Berlin (1965)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB 3
- Ranker
- Sabotage Times
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29 .) North by Northwest (1959)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
Advertising man Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a spy, triggering a deadly cross-country chase.
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28 .) Red Dawn (1984)
Lists It Appears On:
- Decider
- MRQE
- Ranker
It is the dawn of World War III. In mid-western America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces.
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27 .) Rocky IV (1985)
Lists It Appears On:
- Decider
- MRQE
- Ranker
After iron man Drago, a highly intimidating 6-foot-5, 261-pound Soviet athlete, kills Apollo Creed in an exhibition match, Rocky comes to the heart of Russia for 15 pile-driving boxing rounds of revenge.
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26 .) The Quiet American (2002)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- MRQE
- Ranker
A stylish political thriller where love and war collide in Southeast Asia. Set in early 1950s Vietnam, a young American becomes entangled in a dangerous love triangle when he falls for the beautiful mistress of a British journalist. As war is waged around them, these three only sink deeper into a world of drugs, passion, and betrayal where nothing is as it seems.
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25 .) The Russia House (1990)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 3
- Ranker
An expatriate British publisher unexpectedly finds himself working for British intelligence to investigate people in Russia.
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24 .) Watchmen (2009)
Lists It Appears On:
- MRQE
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so uncover a sinister plot that puts all of humanity in grave danger.
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23 .) Fail-Safe (1964)
Lists It Appears On:
- Business Insider
- IMDB 3
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring. Director Sidney Lumet gives an atmospheric vision of the future with a Cold War backdrop.
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22 .) Ice Station Zebra (1968)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- MRQE
- Ranker
- Wikipedia
A top-secret Soviet spy satellite — using stolen Western technology — malfunctions and then goes into a descent that lands it near an isolated Arctic research encampment called Ice Station Zebra, belonging to the British, which starts sending out distress signals before falling silent. The atomic submarine Tigerfish, commanded by Cmdr. James Ferraday (Rock Hudson), is dispatched to save them.
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21 .) No Way Out (1987)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- Military
- MRQE
- Ranker
Navy Lt. Tom Farrell meets a young woman, Susan Atwell , and they share a passionate fling. Farrell then finds out that his superior, Defense Secretary David Brice, is also romantically involved with Atwell. When the young woman turns up dead, Farrell is put in charge of the murder investigation. He begins to uncover shocking clues about the case, but when details of his encounter with Susan surface, he becomes a suspect as well.
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20 .) On the Beach (1959)
Lists It Appears On:
- Business Insider
- IMDB 3
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
In 1964, atomic war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere; one American submarine finds temporary safe haven in Australia, where life-as-usual covers growing despair. In denial about the loss of his wife and children in the holocaust, American Captain Towers meets careworn but gorgeous Moira Davidson, who begins to fall for him. The sub returns after reconnaissance a month (or less) before the end; will Towers and Moira find comfort with each other?
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19 .) The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
- IMDB 3
- Military
The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union.
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18 .) The Good Shepherd (2006)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
- Military
- MRQE
Edward Wilson, the only witness to his father’s suicide and member of the Skull and Bones Society while a student at Yale, is a morally upright young man who values honor and discretion, qualities that help him to be recruited for a career in the newly founded OSS. His dedication to his work does not come without a price though, leading him to sacrifice his ideals and eventually his family.
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17 .) The Iron Giant (1999)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB 2
- MRQE
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.
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16 .) The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966)
Lists It Appears On:
- MRQE
- MRQE
- Ranker
- Wikipedia
Without hostile intent, a Soviet sub runs aground off New England. Men are sent for a boat, but many villagers go into a tizzy, risking bloodshed.
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15 .) Torn Curtain (1966)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB 3
- Military
- MRQE
- Ranker
During the Cold War, an American scientist appears to defect to East Germany as part of a cloak and dagger mission to find the formula for a resin solution, but the plan goes awry when his fiancee, unaware of his motivation, follows him across the border.
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14 .) WarGames (1983)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB 2
- MRQE
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
High School student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) has a talent for hacking. But while trying to hack into a computer system to play unreleased video games, he unwittingly taps into the Defense Department’s war computer and initiates a confrontation of global proportions! Together with his girlfriend (Ally Sheedy) and a wizardly computer genius (John Wood), David must race against time to outwit his opponent…and prevent a nuclear Armageddon.
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13 .) Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Lists It Appears On:
- Business Insider
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
The true story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson’s covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets had some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
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12 .) Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB 2
- MRQE
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
The story of journalist, Edward R Murrow’s stand against Senator McCarthy’s anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
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11 .) The Lives of Others (2006)
Lists It Appears On:
- BBC America
- Decider
- IMDB 2
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
A tragic love story set in East Berlin with the backdrop of an undercover Stasi controlled culture. Stasi captain Wieler is ordered to follow author Dreyman and plunges deeper and deeper into his life until he reaches the threshold of doubting the system.
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10 .) The Third Man (1949)
Lists It Appears On:
- Decider
- IMDB 2
- MRQE
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
Set in postwar Vienna, Austria, “The Third Man” stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to find him dead. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a “third man” present at the time of Harry’s death, running into interference from British officer Maj. Calloway and falling head-over-heels for Harry’s grief-stricken lover, Anna.
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9 .) The Bedford Incident (1965)
Lists It Appears On:
- BBC America
- MRQE
- Ranker
- Sabotage Times
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
Richard Widmark plays a hardened cold-war warrior and captain of the American destroyer USS Bedford. Sidney Poitier is a reporter given permission to interview the captain during a routine patrol. Poitier gets more than he bargained for when the Bedford discovers a Soviet sub in the depths and the captain begins a relentless pursuit, pushing his crew, and the on-screen tension, to breaking point in this chilling cold-war tale of cat and mouse.
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8 .) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Lists It Appears On:
- Business Insider
- IMDB 2
- MRQE
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
An alien and a robot land on earth after World War II and tell mankind to be peaceful or face destruction. A classic science fiction film from Robert Wise with an exceptional message.
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7 .) The Ipcress File (1965)
Lists It Appears On:
- Cold War Studies
- IMDB
- IMDB 3
- Military
- MRQE
- Ranker
This espionage thriller represents a landmark in spy movies introducing the sly, dry intelligence agent Harry Palmer. The story, centers on Palmer’s investigation into British Intelligence security. He’s soon enmeshed in a world of double-dealing, kidnap and murder and finds a traitor is operating at the heart of the secret service. Will the mysterious ‘Ipcress File’ reveal who the traitor is?
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6 .) From Russia with Love (1963)
Lists It Appears On:
- Cold War Studies
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
- MRQE
- Ranker
- Readers Digest
- Taste Of Cinema
Agent 007 is back in the second installment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organization known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding device known as the Lektor, using the ravishing Tatiana to lure Bond into helping them. Bond willingly travels to meet Tatiana in Istanbul, where he must rely on his wits to escape with his life in a series of deadly encounters with the enemy
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5 .) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Lists It Appears On:
- BBC America
- Business Insider
- Decider
- IMDB 2
- MRQE
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room full of politicians, generals and a Russian diplomat all frantically try to stop the nuclear strike.
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4 .) The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Lists It Appears On:
- Business Insider
- IMDB
- IMDB 3
- MRQE
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
- Taste Of Cinema
- Wikipedia
A new Soviet nuclear missile sub (a Boomer) heading out on her maiden voyage that is being tracked by a Los Angeles class American submarine suddenly goes silent and “disappears”. This focuses the attention of both U.S. Intelligence and the U.S. Navy on the Russian Sub Commander . When it is determined that the silent Soviet Boomer may be headed for American coastal waters panic ensues. A CIA analyst, Jack Ryan, convinces the brass that the Boomer’s commander may intend something other than a nuclear first strike in mind. A perilous and tense cat-and-mouse game ensues.
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3 .) Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Lists It Appears On:
- BBC America
- Business Insider
- IMDB
- Military
- MRQE
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
- Readers Digest
In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet mole within his former colleagues at the heart of MI6.
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2 .) The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Lists It Appears On:
- BBC America
- Business Insider
- Cold War Studies
- IMDB 3
- MRQE
- One Room With A View
- Ranker
- Readers Digest
- Taste Of Cinema
Near the end of the Korean War, a platoon of U.S. soldiers is captured by communists and brainwashed. Following the war, the platoon is returned home, and Sergeant Raymond Shaw is lauded as a hero by the rest of his platoon. However, the platoon commander, Captain Bennett Marco, finds himself plagued by strange nightmares and, together with fellow soldier Allen Melvin, races to uncover a terrible plot.
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1 .) The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
Lists It Appears On:
- BBC America
- Business Insider
- Cold War Studies
- IMDB 3
- Military
- MRQE
- Ranker
- Readers Digest
- Sabotage Times
British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the cold war during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.
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The 100+ Additional Best Cold War Movies About The United States And Russia
| # | Movie | Lists |
| (Films Appear On 2 Lists Each) | ||
| 31 | Apocalypse Now (1979) | Ranker |
| MRQE | ||
| 32 | Breach (2007) |
BBC America
|
| IMDB | ||
| 33 | Crimson Tide | Ranker |
| Wikipedia | ||
| 34 | Full Metal Jacket (1987) | Ranker |
| IMDB 2 | ||
| 35 | Good Bye, Lenin! (2003) | Ranker |
|
One Room With A View
|
||
| 36 | Gorky Park (1983) | IMDB |
|
Taste Of Cinema
|
||
| 37 | Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) | MRQE |
|
Taste Of Cinema
|
||
| 38 | K-19: The Widowmaker | Wikipedia |
| Ranker | ||
| 39 | Miracle (2004) | Ranker |
| MRQE | ||
| 40 | Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) | MRQE |
| Decider | ||
| 41 | Seven days in May (1964) | Ranker |
|
Sabotage Times
|
||
| 42 | Spies Like Us (1985) | Ranker |
| MRQE | ||
| 43 | Spy Game (2001) |
BBC America
|
| IMDB | ||
| 44 | The Atomic Cafe (1982) | MRQE |
|
Taste Of Cinema
|
||
| 45 | The Day of the Jackal (1973) |
Sabotage Times
|
| IMDB | ||
| 46 | The Fourth Protocol (1987) | Ranker |
| IMDB 3 | ||
| 47 | The Kremlin Letter (1970) |
Readers Digest
|
| Military | ||
| 48 | The Odessa File (1974) | MRQE |
| IMDB | ||
| 49 | The Right Stuff (1983) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| IMDB 2 | ||
| 50 | Thirteen Days (2000) | Ranker |
| MRQE | ||
| 51 | Three Days of the Condor (1975) |
Sabotage Times
|
| IMDB | ||
| 52 | Top Gun (1986) | Ranker |
| MRQE | ||
| 53 | White Nights’ (1984) | Ranker |
| Decider | ||
| 54 | X-Men: First Class (2011) | Decider |
| MRQE | ||
| (Films Appear On 1 Lists Each) | ||
| 55 | A Gathering of Eagles (1963) | IMDB 3 |
| 56 | Allied (2016) | IMDB |
| 57 | Animal Farm |
Readers Digest
|
| 58 | Argo (2012) | IMDB |
| 59 | Assault on the Wayne | Wikipedia |
| 60 | Batman (1966 film) | Wikipedia |
| 61 | Big Miracle (2012) | MRQE |
| 62 | Black Book (2006) | IMDB |
| 63 | Blast from the Past (1999) | MRQE |
| 64 | Bridge of Spies |
BBC America
|
| 65 | Bridge of Spies (Steven Spielberg, 2015) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| 66 | Brotherhood of the Rose (1989– ) | IMDB |
| 67 | Buffalo Soldiers (2001) | MRQE |
| 68 | Callan (1974) |
Sabotage Times
|
| 69 | Carlos (2010) | IMDB |
| 70 | Casino Royale (2006) | IMDB |
| 71 | Che (2008, Stephen Soderbergh) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| 72 | Commander Hamilton (1998) | IMDB |
| 73 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (George Clooney, 2002) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| 74 | Conspirator, |
Cold War Studies
|
| 75 | Cutter’s Way (Ivan Passer, 1981) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| 76 | Danger Beneath the Sea | Wikipedia |
| 77 | Das Leben der Anderen (2006) | MRQE |
| 78 | Enigma (2001) | IMDB |
| 79 | Fantastic Voyage | Wikipedia |
| 80 | Farewell |
BBC America
|
| 81 | Female Agents (2008) | IMDB |
| 82 | Firefox | Ranker |
| 83 | French Connection II (1975) | IMDB |
| 84 | From the Earth to the Moon (1998) | IMDB 2 |
| 85 | Full Fathom Five (film) | Wikipedia |
| 86 | Going Under (1991 film) | Wikipedia |
| 87 | Guilty of Treason |
Cold War Studies
|
| 88 | Heartbreak Ridge (1986) | MRQE |
| 89 | Hell and High Water (1954 film) | Wikipedia |
| 90 | Hostile Waters (film) | Wikipedia |
| 91 | I Am Cuba (Mikhail Kalatzov, 1964) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| 92 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) | MRQE |
| 93 | Invasion U.S.A. (1985) | MRQE |
| 94 | Jet Pilot |
Readers Digest
|
| 95 | JFK’ (1991) | Decider |
| 96 | Kiss Me Deadly (1955) | MRQE |
| 97 | Les Espions |
Readers Digest
|
| 98 | Marathon Man (1976) | IMDB |
| 99 | Matinee (Joe Dante, 1993) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| 100 | Matinee’ (1993) | Decider |
| 101 | Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) | IMDB |
| 102 | Moscow on the Hudson’ (1984) | Decider |
| 103 | Munich (2005) | IMDB |
| 104 | Ninotchka |
Cold War Studies
|
| 105 | On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) | IMDB |
| 106 | Orion’s Belt (1985) | IMDB |
| 107 | Our Man in Havana (1959) | IMDB 3 |
| 108 | Phantom (2013 film) | Wikipedia |
| 109 | Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982) | IMDB 2 |
| 110 | Planet of the Apes (1968) | IMDB 2 |
| 111 | Platoon | Ranker |
| 112 | Puppet on a Chain (1971) |
Sabotage Times
|
| 113 | Rambo III (1988) | MRQE |
| 114 | Reds |
Cold War Studies
|
| 115 | Restless (2012 TV Movie) | IMDB |
| 116 | Ronin (1998) | IMDB |
| 117 | Salvador | Ranker |
| 118 | Shanghai (2010) | IMDB |
| 119 | Shooter (I) (2007) | IMDB |
| 120 | Shutter Island (2010) | MRQE |
| 121 | Silk Stockings |
Cold War Studies
|
| 122 | Smiley’s People (1982) | IMDB 3 |
| 123 | Sneakers (1992) | IMDB |
| 124 | Soldier of Fortune (1955) | IMDB 3 |
| 125 | Target (1985) | IMDB |
| 126 | Telefon (1977) | Military |
| 127 | The 49th Man (1953) | MRQE |
| 128 | The Americans (2013–2018) | IMDB |
| 129 | The Baader Meinhof Complex | Ranker |
| 130 | The Black Windmill (1974) | IMDB 3 |
| 131 | The Bourne Identity (1988– ) | IMDB |
| 132 | The Bourne Identity (2002) | IMDB |
| 133 | The Damned (1963) | MRQE |
| 134 | The Debt (I) (2010) | IMDB |
| 135 | The Deer Hunter | Ranker |
| 136 | The Devil’s Own (1997) | IMDB |
| 137 | The Double Man (1967) | Military |
| 138 | The Fifth Missile | Wikipedia |
| 139 | The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (Errol Morris, 2003) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| 140 | The French Connection (1971) | IMDB |
| 141 | The Ghost Writer (2010) | IMDB |
| 142 | The Heroes of Telemark (1965) | IMDB |
| 143 | The House on Carroll Street (1988) | IMDB |
| 144 | The Interpreter (2005) | IMDB |
| 145 | The Iron Petticoat, |
Cold War Studies
|
| 146 | The Kite Runner (2007) | IMDB 2 |
| 147 | The Mackintosh Man (1973) |
Sabotage Times
|
| 148 | The Man Who Saved the World |
Readers Digest
|
| 149 | The Missiles of October (1974 TV Movie) | IMDB 3 |
| 150 | The Mouse That Roared |
Business Insider
|
| 151 | The Night Manager (2016–2018) | IMDB |
| 152 | The November Man (2014) | IMDB |
| 153 | The Osterman Weekend (1983) | IMDB 3 |
| 154 | The Prize (1963) | IMDB 3 |
| 155 | The Red Menace |
Cold War Studies
|
| 156 | The Right Stuff |
Readers Digest
|
| 157 | The Spanish Prisoner (1997) | IMDB |
| 158 | The Spy Who Loved Me (film) | Wikipedia |
| 159 | The Tailor of Panama (2001) | IMDB |
| 160 | The Ugly American (1963) | MRQE |
| 161 | The War Game (1965, Peter Watkins) |
Taste Of Cinema
|
| 162 | Threads | Ranker |
| 163 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) | IMDB 3 |
| 164 | Topaz | Ranker |
| 165 | Trumbo (2015) | IMDB 2 |
| 166 | When Eight Bells Toll (1971) |
Sabotage Times
|
| 167 | Where Eagles Dare (1968) | IMDB |
| 168 | Z | Ranker |
15 Best Cold War Film Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| BBC America | 10 Must-Watch Cold War Films | Anglophenia | BBC America |
| Business Insider | The Ten Greatest Cold War Films – Business Insider |
| Cold War Studies | Cold War: Red Scare Movies |
| Decider | 10 Great Films About The Cold War | Decider |
| IMDB | Spy movies and the cold war – IMDb |
| IMDB 2 | Best Cold War Movies – IMDb |
| IMDB 3 | The 20 best films on cold war – IMDb |
| Military | 10 Great Cold War Spy Movies | Military.com |
| MRQE | MRQE Ranks: Best Cold War Movies |
| One Room With A View | Top 10 Cold War Movies – One Room With A View |
| Ranker | Best Cold War Movies | List of Famous Films About Cold War – Ranker |
| Readers Digest | 10 thrilling films about the Cold War – Reader’s Digest |
| Sabotage Times | The 10 Greatest Cold War Thrillers Of The ’60s And ’70s – Sabotage … |
| Taste Of Cinema | The 25 Best Movies About The Cold War « Taste of Cinema – Movie … |
| Wikipedia | Category:Cold War submarine films – Wikipedia |
