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In 2002, director Doug Liman, screenwriter Tony Gilroy and an up and coming Matt Damon teamed up to create one of the most influential spy thrillers of all time, The Bourne Identity. The film established Damon as an actor capable of moving around genres, while Gilroy and Liman created a balance between action and intrigue that spawned a host of sequels and copycats.
Based off the popular novels by Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity follows Damon’s Jason Bourne as he searches for clues to his past and attempts to figure out why the CIA is looking to kill him. Along the way, he meets and develops feelings for a young German woman, Marie (Franke Potente) who joins him in his journey to uncover the truth.
The film is known for its realistic action and fighting sequences, frantic camera work and the helping to usher in a new era of action stars. The Bourne Identity helped propel audience’s perception of Matt Damon and other dramatic actors who would follow in his footsteps, showing that dramatic actors are capable of flexing their acting chops and muscles in a variety of different film genres. For fans of the film looking to expand the scope of spy-action-thriller’s, here are ten movies like The Bourne Identity.
Casino Royale (2006)
There is no doubt that there is no Jason Bourne without James Bond, but there is also no Daniel Craig version of Bond, without Bourne. Martin Campbell‘s Casino Royale revitalized the film franchise thanks to its grittier look and more realistic action scenes. The spy thriller has all the facets of previous Bond films with the Bourne influence threaded throughout. One of the most understated connections is how grounded Craig’s Bond feels compared to previous incarnations of the character — something that ties directly to Matt Damon’s portrayal of Jason Bourne.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
By the time Charlize Theron took on the role of Lorraine Broughton in this graphic novel adaption of “The Coldest City” she had already established herself as an actress willing to explore a variety of film genres. However, Atomic Blonde burst opened the doors for her to be looked at as a serious action star, similar to Matt Damon’s turn as Jason Bourne. Despite being an Oscar winning actress, Theron would propel her career forward in the Fast & Furious franchise, as well as Netflix’s The Old Guard thanks to her portrayal of a secret intelligence spy working with a civilian (James McAavoy) to figure out what game her government is playing. An added feature to the film, is that like Damon, Theron does the majority of her own stunts.
Beirut (2018)
There are many integral people to the success of the Bourne franchise, but perhaps the most unheralded of those is screenwriter Tony Gilroy. The prolific screenwriter has created some of the most intense and intriguing stories to hit the big screen over the past 20 years. Gilroy wrote the all the Bourne films that Damon was involved in and was able to delicately balance the political intrigue of the film with its action sequences. This was the case with 2018’s Beirut (also known as The Negotiator) where Jon Hamm plays a U.S diplomat who must return to his former post to negotiate the life of his former friend. The film isn’t going to blow the viewer away with its action sequences, but Gilroy’s realistic script provides viewers with the other side of the Bourne films — the role governments play in the shadows, away from cameras and reporters.
Traitor (2008)
For fans of the spy aspects of the Bourne film, Traitor makes an excellent companion piece because it leans so heavily into what makes spy films so interesting. The film gives Don Cheadle‘s Samir Norne character room to maneuver through the world the movie has created. It’s deliberate pacing adds tension to the film and the audience’s perception of whether they can trust Norne. The film has everything fans of the spy genre will recognize, a straight laced FBI agent (Guy Pearce), an international conspiracy and an on the run Special Forces agent.
Salt (2010)
One aspect of The Bourne Identity that gets lost in the action and spy intrigue is the emotional weight of Damon’s performance. The idea that he is a serious actor taking on what might be looked at as a less serious role is important because his ability to connect to the character, acts as a window for the audience. This was very much the case with Angelina Jolie‘s Evelyn Salt who is accused of being a Russian spy and must outrun, outfight and outwit the CIA to prove her innocence. Salt is a movie that relies on Jolie’s stature as a star and bona fide acting ability to make us care about Salt’s fate in the espionage world. Jolie brings the same level of believability and vulnerability needed to the role as Damon does, so when she gets ahead of her chasers it is believable; but when she is in trouble the audience feels for her and can’t wait to find out how she will escape the situation.
Jack Reacher (2012)
The film adaptation of Lee Child‘s famed character wasn’t without its detractors because of the casting of Tom Cruise in the title role, but its role in the spy thriller genre is significant. While Damon’s Bourne is surprised by his ability to fight and be hyper aware of his surroundings, Cruise’s Reacher brings a confidence to the role that is needed when one man is battling the government. The film can sometimes be unrelentingly violent, especially the opening scene, but the way Reacher is able to piece together the clues left for him is believable and thrilling. While fans of the book may have been upset that Cruise didn’t have the physical stature to play the role, his physical confidence provides a degree of believability that is on par with Damon in Bourne.
Patriot Games (1992)
As is the case with the Bond films, the relationship between Jason Bourne and Jack Ryan is essential to truly understand how each film franchise has influenced the spy thriller genre. Harrison Ford is Jack Ryan in Philip Noyce‘s Patriot Games and brings the same every-man energy that Damon does to Bourne. Ford’s Ryan isn’t the physical threat that one would expect from a spy action film, but that is the point. The Jack Ryan character is able to outsmart and sometimes out-will the shadow government that is trying to bring him and his family down. The film is filled with talented and familiar actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Sean Bean and Anne Archer who help fill the screen with the authenticity needed from a movie in this genre.
Ronin (1998)
On of the beautiful things about a film like Ronin is the subtly it brings to the genre. Written by David Mamet and starring Robert De Niro and Jean Reno, the film focuses on establishing who the characters in this cat and mouse game are, allowing the intrigue to naturally build. When the web is fully revealed it pays off for the viewer on a deeper level because of their connection to the characters. Ronin also features one of the most dynamically filmed car chases you will see on screen that heavily influenced the famous car chase scene from The Bourne Identity. Moreover, the realism of the car chase scene comes across so well because it was in fact very real — with over 80 cars being destroyed throughout the film and a Formula 1 race car driver being brought in to stunt drive.
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
When it comes to spy thrillers there is nothing quite like the original, Sydney Pollack‘s Three Days of the Condor starring Robert Redford as CIA agent Joe Turner who is trying to figure out why all of his co-workers have been murdered. The film contains everything a fan of the genre would want, and it effectively establishes the spy tropes we are now so familiar with. Redford’s calming and assured presence takes over the film and his connection with Faye Dunaway‘s Kathy is very reminiscent of Bourne and Marie’s relationship. In fact, the connection between the original Bourne and this 70s classic goes far beyond being in the same genre. The paranoia presented in the film about the role of government may be looked at as a sign of its time, but the theme of government influence still resonates in 2022.
Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)
When we think of a classic spy thriller our minds don’t automatically jump to the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the Russo Brothers foray into comic book movies turned Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) from a man who would do anything for his country to a man on the run from it. Evans has always played Rogers as someone who is overly dedicated to the truth, which makes him the perfect avatar for this spy adventure story, where Rogers doesn’t know who to trust. Ironically, in a world where identities are concealed thanks to a costume, it is the people with no masks on that pose the biggest threat to Captain America. The action sequences avoid the over the top explosiveness that audiences would expect from a movie of this stature, the fighting remains on the ground — keeping the title character and the film as a whole exactly where it needs to be to keep the audience in suspense.
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