Six geopolitical thrillers to watch this weekend

We live in a strange time. Forbidden to travel beyond our national borders for fear of infection and quarantine, we are nevertheless all too aware that we are connected to the wider world in all manner of ways. You might even call it chaos theory in action; a man eats a bat in a Chinese market, and a few months later we are all locked up in our homes, terrified to resume our daily lives.

It is this sense of paranoia and interconnectedness that some extremely able filmmakers have tapped into over the years, as their pictures have combined a globe-hopping sweep along with scenes of palm-sweating tension and mystery.

These films, ranging from conspiracy thrillers to Cold War dramas, are some of the most engaging and entertaining examples of the genre, and remain endlessly, compellingly rewatchable. And for some reason, no fewer than three of them feature the excellent Simon McBurney.

Argo

For some strange reason, Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning thriller did not even see him nominated for Best Director, although it was nominated for plenty of other awards.