

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
Brace yourself for greatness.
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.
TMDB
7.1/10
355 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
View on IMDb
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- —
- Box office
- —
- Language
- English
- library
- spy
- cold war
- grocer
- iron curtain
- cynicism
- whiskey
- atheist
- tribunal
- black and white
- love affair
- double cross
Top billed cast

















Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Rent
Gallery







Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- Theatrical16 Dec 1965
United KingdomGB
- TheatricalPGLondon13 Jan 1966
BelgiumBE
- Theatrical1216 Dec 1965
FranceFR
- Theatrical9 Mar 1966
- TVà 23h20 sur Arte•tv14 Jul 2025
GermanyDE
- Theatrical168 Mar 1966
NetherlandsNL
- Physical12DVD9 Nov 2006
SwedenSE
- Theatrical1518 Apr 1966
Frequently asked questions
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold was released on 16 December 1965.
Audience reviews
3- J8/10
John Chard
10/4/2015
Frosty reception assured. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is directed by Martin Ritt and adapted to screenplay by Paul Dehn and Guy Trosper from the novel of the same name written by John le Carré. It stars Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Peter van Eyck, Sam Wanamaker, Rupert Davies and Cyril Cusack. Music is by Sol Kaplan and cinematography by Oswald Morris. Disillusioned spy Alex Leamas (Burton)…
- W6/10
Wuchak
3/3/2024
**_Talky, brooding B&W spy drama during the Cold War with Richard Burton_** In the early ’60s, an alcoholic British intelligence agent (Richard Burton) is sent behind the Iron Curtain to East Germany disguised as a defector, but intending to spread disinformation. Based on the 1963 novel by John le Carré, "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" (1965) is a realistic spy drama and NOT an action thriller in the mold…
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
9/5/2024
There's an authenticity about the performance from Richard Burton in this cold war thriller that, alongside some well paced direction from Martin Ritt really helps it hit home. His character ("Leamas") is assigned one final task, to deal with the duplicitous Peter van Eyck ("Mundt") who appears to be systematically removing the West's reliable sources of information. What follows is a far more psychological cat-and-m…
Member reviews
Sign in to rate and review. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign inMember comments
0Sign in to post a comment. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign in











