Bridge of Spies (2015)
In the shadow of war, one man showed the world what we stood for.
Keywords
Bridge of Spies rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic
IMDb7.6/10· 343K votes
Rotten Tomatoes91%
Metacritic81%
TMDb7.24/10· 7K votesWith 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.6/10 on IMDb and 81/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.
About Bridge of Spies
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan, recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel, the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.
Cast of Bridge of Spies
Tom Hanks
as James B. Donovan
Mark Rylance
as Rudolf Abel
Amy Ryan
as Mary Donovan
Alan Alda
as Thomas Watters Jr.
Sebastian Koch
as Wolfgang Vogel
Austin Stowell
as Francis Gary Powers
Billy Magnussen
as Doug Forrester
Michael Simon Hall
as Reporter
Edward James Hyland
as Chief Justice Earl Warren
Stephen Kunken
as William Tompkins
Mike Houston
as Man in Courtroom
James Lorinz
as Gentleman on Subway #2
Bridge of Spies facts
- Budget
- $40M
- Box office
- $165.5M
Our take on Bridge of Spies
Steven Spielberg's 2015 Cold War drama follows New York lawyer James Donovan, drawn into the tense aftermath of the U-2 incident, in which the Soviet Union shoots down American pilot Francis Gary Powers and sentences him to prison. Recruited by a CIA operative, Donovan travels to Berlin to negotiate Powers' freedom through a prisoner exchange for Rudolf Abel, the convicted Soviet spy he had earlier defended in court. Deliberate and dialogue-driven, it's a thriller of nerve, principle and quiet negotiation rather than action. It suits viewers who value handsomely crafted historical drama, moral conviction under pressure, and the human weight of decisions made across enemy lines.
Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources
Audience opinions
What the audience liked
- •Historical thriller maintains tension through dialogue-driven narrative
- •Spielberg captures Cold War atmosphere with measured precision
- •Moral complexity around negotiation elevates spy genre formula
What the audience disliked
- •Deliberate pacing may feel slow for action-seeking viewers
- •Subdued tone lacks the cinematic spectacle some expect
Trailer
Where to watch Bridge of Spies(US)
View on JustWatch →Rent / Buy
Apple TV StoreAvailability may change. Data by JustWatch.
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