The Best Spy Movie In Years Just Hit Netflix

The year is 1964, and the spy-fiction craze has nearly reached its apex. From Mission: Impossible to I Spy, from The Avengers to Get Smart, various television shows are capitalizing on the hype, trying their best to bring freshness to what is increasingly becoming a saturated genre. But one show might have stood above the rest: “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” And while this series hadn’t been part of the cultural vernacular for years after its final episodes in 1968, feeling stale and old-school compared to modern flair like The Gray Man or the Kingsman franchise, or the modern money-making updates of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond, that espionage formula that worked so well in the 1960s gained new life thanks to director Guy Ritchie, who made his best and most underrated film in 2015, a modern, entertaining adaptation of that said TV show: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

There are so many movies on Netflix worth recommending that it’s hard to choose which ones to highlight. But the second I saw that Ritchie’s lovely, delectable, almost impossibly enjoyable film would be part of the streamer’s lineup, I knew I had to convince everybody I could to watch it. The film premiered today on Netflix, and I am here to personally recommend you make it your next movie night viewing. In fact, I’ve got four reasons for you to watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

4 Reasons To Watch ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’

1. A Visual Feast Of ‘60s Flair

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is based on the 1964 MGM television series of the same name, in which actors Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, playing the characters Napoleon Solo (an American) and Illya Kuryakin (a Russian), make up a two-man operation within the multi-national secret intelligence agency U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement). Adhering to the 1960s setting of the original series, Ritchie’s adaptation retains both the show’s wit and its style, with the latter serving as the most appealing aspect of the film—it’s pure eye candy, front to back.

Some critics accused the movie of “style over substance,” but who cares when the style is this astonishing: the period-appropriate fashion, with its stunning balance between the muted colors of sleek professional suits and the bright, flashy bursts of orange and yellow sprinkled throughout culture, harkens back to the days of classic Bond films and, more importantly, perfectly reflects the characters’ personalities; filmed across various exotic locales, from the dour streets of Berlin to the picturesque Italian coastline, with lavishly decorated rooms filled with mid-century modern furniture and décor crowding the indoor spaces, the set pieces are a pure delight, capturing the spirit of the period, engagingly immersing you in the action; and cinematographer John Mathieson painlessly brings all these lavish visual treats together, with lush, bright, conversational daytime scenes beautifully balancing the striking nighttime mystery of espionage, creating a living, breathing depiction of espionage life.

Simply put, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is doing so much work from an aesthetic standpoint that you could put the movie on mute and thoroughly enjoy it. But if you turned the volume back up, you’d realize there’s much more to the movie than its style—the substance is working in tandem.

2. Characters Dripping With Charm And Style

Only a capable cast of actors could pay proper homage to the legends of the television series, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. found the perfect representatives for each role. Henry Cavill as Solo, a former art thief turned CIA agent, is the pure embodiment of suave sophistication, with his gentlemanly behavior complemented by his sharp conversational wit and strategic approach to getting the job done. He certainly carries a classic Bond feel, with a touch of modern flair that eluded the Bond franchise for years, making Solo feel like both a capsule in time and unflappably contemporary, almost timeless.

While Armie Hammer as Kuryakin, a formidable KGB agent with a troubled past and a hilariously short temper, brings a perfect counterbalance to Cavill’s unwavering charm, with his rugged demeanor and intense focus dueling Solo’s brainy approach. Hammer brings complexity to what could have easily turned into a one-note character under other actors, using his tough exterior and womanly pursuits as a shield to an individual terrified of grappling with his personal demons.

And let us not forget the cast’s Oscar winner, Alicia Vikander, who, as Gaby Teller, never plays the damsel in distress archetype and instead becomes a crucial component of the team with her unique skills and agency. Vikander brings expected nuance to her performance, portraying Gaby as both capable and relatable, as playful and flirtatious as well as passionate and determined, navigating the character with a sort of grace that adds elegance to a two-man team consumed by professionalism and masculinity. These three actors create a perfect harmony that results in pulsating-through-the-screen chemistry between characters.

3. A Modern Take On Old-School Espionage

In a world where Bond dominates the cinematic spy realm, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. offers a refreshing twist on an age-old formula. More adventurous than “Sherlock” but less cartoonish than the Kingsman franchise, Ritchie’s take on espionage finds the perfect balance between vintage and contemporary, turning convention and routine into elegant, unadulterated spectacle.

On the base level, the film displays profound respect for the sensibilities of the original TV series, showcasing the sort of dedication and wit that decorated the source material. But then the film goes beyond expectations, as Ritchie successfully bridges the gap between the refined and the showy, speaking directly to modern viewers with his trademark use of rapid cuts that create a sense of urgency, of split-screen montages that gorgeously convey exposition and move the plot along, of eye-popping colors decorated amongst the mild hues for a picture that nods to the comic book-inspired aesthetics of the 1960s—the Ritchie formula never suited a movie so well. The dialogue also fills the space between modernity and tradition, bolstered by a script peppered with witty banter and sophisticated humor that is most beneficial to Cavill and Hammer’s entertaining back-and-forth, always brimming with clever repartee that showcases their contrasting personalities and deepens their constantly evolving partnership.

Perhaps the biggest shift away from tradition is the film’s presence of strong female characters, with Gaby serving not just as a love interest but an intelligent contributor who’s crucial to the mission, or with Victoria Vinciguerra (played with menacing delight by the always wonderful Elizabeth Debicki) bringing a ruthless antagonism to Solo and Kuryakin’s crime-ridden plight. Altogether, Ritchie craftily updates a rather tired algorithm, breathing new life into an adored genre that contemporary audiences will happily eat up.

4. Humor And Heart In Perfect Harmony

Perhaps the most modern aspect of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and what might ultimately keep you coming back to this movie, is the emotional experience it creates. Compared to the original series’ reliance upon tired TV tropes, such as situational comedy or visual gags that kept dark storylines shinier and more cheerful, there’s a lightheartedness to Ritchie’s film that never undercuts the compelling nature of the situation, of the emotionally complex relationships between characters.

The humor is, to be clear, top-notch, with Solo and Kuryakin filling what could become dead space or boring exposition in so many other movies with relentless sarcasm and playful insults, with the only consequence being that their long-winded conversations breeze by all too quickly. And there are plenty of humorous situations that adhere to the television series’ aesthetic, with one standout scene involving Solo taking a break to enjoy a picnic while a boat chase rages on in the background, showcasing just how effortlessly Ritchie updates worn-out old-school mechanisms. Subtle innuendos also abound—whether its Kuryakin’s hilarious flirtation with women or the undeniably homoerotic undertones of Solo and Kuryakin’s relationship, their pursuits constantly add richness to the film.

But all of those comedic moments are in service of something much deeper, more important: the film is filled with genuine emotion, with heartfelt connections that don’t come across as forced or stereotypical in the slightest. The evolving relationship between Solo and Kuryakin is the thread holding this movie’s flash and pizazz together. Their bond is continually tested and continually strengthened, moving from antagonism to mutual respect to unshakable camaraderie. Gaby only further illuminates this central relationship, bringing a sense of warmth and tenderness to two men terrified of vulnerability. The dynamic between those three leads, as well as their interactions with a memorable supporting cast of characters that includes Hugh Grant as Alexander Waverly, the head of the U.N.C.L.E. organization, is delightful movie magic. It’s the main reason to watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E.—one of the absolute best movies on Netflix right now—if you haven’t already.