Best tv shows like Secret State
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A four-part conspiracy theory drama inspired by Chris Mullen's novel "A Very British Coup". When a devastating industrial accident results in deaths and raises safety questions about the US petrochemical company involved, PM Tom Dawkins becomes aware of an establishment cover up.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, clever, realistic, political, political thriller, political drama
Best tv shows and movies like Secret State (2012):
Similar in 88%
State Affairs (2009)
Plot Summary:
A plane explodes above the Gulf of Guinea. An escort girl is murdered in a Parisian park. Thousands of miles separate these two events, and yet Nora Chahyd, believes there's a connection between them, much to his superiors chagrin. As Nora investigates, getting dangerously close to the powers that be, the murders and betrayals accumulate, and signs point to a state affair at the heart of it all.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 656
Genere: Mystery, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: political thriller, serious, suspenseful, rough, realistic, clever, cynical
Similar in 78%
Without You (2011)
Plot Summary:
Ellie's beloved husband is killed in a car accident. A woman was in the car with him and killed too. Who was she? Was he having an affair? Was it an accident?.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 639
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, emotional, detective, realistic
Similar in 87%
The Galíndez File (2003)
Plot Summary:
On March 12, 1956, Basque Nationalist Jesús de Galíndez Suarez disappears from his apartment in New York, never heard from again. He had been working with the FBI and was about to publish a book critical of Dominican strongman, Trujillo. In 1988, a graduate student, Muriel Colber, wants to make Galíndez the subject of her dissertation. She's in Spain doing research; finding little, she goes to Santo Domingo. At every turn, the CIA, in the person of agent Robards, tries to thwart her; and, at each turn, as she considers abandoning the project, someone offers new information, often contradictory. She wants the truth behind the Galíndez mystery; will she find it?.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 558
Genere: Drama
Country: Spain, UK, Italy, Portugal, Cuba, France
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: tense, thought provoking, captivating, suspenseful, mind bending, serious, realistic
Similar in 86%
The Only Witness (2002)
Plot Summary:
After witnessing a brutal murder, a little girl is quickly surrounded by a group of law-enforcement professionals and a psychologist.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 283
Genere: Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, independent film, bleak
Similar in 86%
Edge of Darkness (1985)
Plot Summary:
The mysterious murder of an environmental activist leads her straight-laced father, an Inspector of the local police force, through a haunting revelation of the murkiness of the British Nuclear Policy of the eighties.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 307 min
Plot tags: detective, political, political thriller, cult classic, tense, mind bending, bleak, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 80%
Spin (2012)
Plot Summary:
The President of the French Republic, visiting Saint-Etienne in the Loire, in a striking plant dies, victim of a bomb attack. The political world is agitated: early presidential elections to be held within the next thirty-five days. There is no doubt that Philip Deleuvre, the prime minister, will run for the Elysee. But what few people know is that the leader of the government knows more things he claimed. This state causes lie back to business Kapita Simon, a former communications adviser (spin doctor) of the late president. Anxious to preserve the honor of his deceased friend and some form of political ethics, the man of the shadows has now set a goal: to find a candidate who will be able to beat Deleuvre.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 790
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 52 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, captivating, realistic, political, clever, suspenseful, political drama
Similar in 88%
American Odyssey (2015)
Plot Summary:
In this "Traffic"-like action drama, an international conspiracy explodes when three strangers' lives unexpectedly collide - a female soldier, a corporate lawyer and a political activist.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 89%
Blue Eyes (2014)
Plot Summary:
High adrenaline Swedish political thriller from the creative talent behind Humans – An extreme right-wing party is heading towards its best election result when the chief of staff at the Justice Department disappears without a trace. Racism, immigration and nationalism are explored in this series praised by New York Times.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Sweden
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, realistic, serious, suspenseful, political, detective, crime drama
Similar in 79%
XIII: The Series (2011)
Plot Summary:
After a plot to kill the president of the USA an agent with lost memories tries to recover his life and memories. Others use him to cover up some dirty business involving high ranking officials from the CIA and the White House.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada, France
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: serious, exciting, suspenseful, realistic, tense, fast
Similar in 85%
The State Within (2006)
Plot Summary:
Ambassador to Washington is the pinnacle of success in the Foreign Office and the position is offered to only the brightest and the best. But Ambassador Mark Brydon finds his skills tested to the limits when, following a major diplomatic incident, he is thrust into a web of tangled relationships and conflicting interests. In a world of high stakes, where manipulation of information means ultimate power, the question is: who can he trust?.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: UK
Duration: 360 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, political, tense, political thriller
Similar in 86%
Archangel (2005)
Plot Summary:
Set in contemporary Moscow and the frozen northern town of Archangel, the drama revisits the stark landscape of Communist Russia and takes place over four days in the life of academic Fluke Kelso. His fateful meeting with a former Stalinist bodyguard leads to the uncovering of one of the world's most dangerous and best kept secrets. He is led unwittingly through murder and intrigue towards his own personal "Holy Grail" - Joseph Stalin's secret legacy - a legacy that could change the face of Russian history forever.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, epic, political, sensual, gloomy
Similar in 85%
Manuscripts Don't Burn (2013)
Plot Summary:
Khosrow and Morteza set out on a mission to kill someone. The assassination ought to be arranged as a suicide. At the last minute however, they are obliged to change their initial plans….
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: Iran
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: realistic, suspenseful, tense, rough, serious, political, controversial
Similar in 81%
Able Danger (2008)
Plot Summary:
Tom Flynn, the idealist owner of a left-leaning radical café/bookstore and the quixotic publisher of a hard hitting 911 conspiracy expose, finds himself entangled with a mysterious Eastern European beauty, Kasia, who is on the run from strong hand of a global 911 cover up. In this contemporary take on film noir. When Tom is implicated in the murder of his friend and employee, he is forced to unravel Kasia's complex web of lies. As it turns out, Kasia possesses the smoking gun that proves the identities and methods of the real architects of 911, and Tom Flynn is willing to die to expose the truth. Written by Dave Herman.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 129
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: neo noir, serious, realistic, suspenseful, black and white, independent film, political thriller
Similar in 89%
Closed Circuit (2013)
Plot Summary:
A terrorist attack in London results in the capture of suspect Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto). The attorney general appoints Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall) as special advocate on Erdogan's legal team. On the eve of the trial, Erdogan's lawyer dies, and a new defense attorney, Martin Rose (Eric Bana), steps in. Martin and Claudia are former lovers, a fact which must remain hidden. As Martin assembles his case, he uncovers a sinister conspiracy, placing him and Claudia in danger.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: suspense, tense, serious, suspenseful, political, realistic, clever, exciting, surprise ending, bad ending
Similar in 90%
House of Cards (1990)
Plot Summary:
Francis Urquhart is the chief whip of the Conservative party. When Margaret Thatcher resigns as leader, he remains neutral and after a general election where the conservatives are returned with a reduced majority, he fully expects the new Prime Minister, Henry Collingridge, to give him his just reward: a senior Cabinet post. When he's informed that he is to stay in his current position, he devises a plot to unseat Collingridge and ensure his own election as party leader which would make his Prime Minister.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 226 min
Plot tags: tense, witty, political, realistic, clever, serious, political thriller, biting, educational, intelligent
Similar in 78%
The Politician's Husband (2013)
Plot Summary:
Aiden Hoynes is a senior cabinet minister who has always put his career before family, with the support of Freya, his devoted wife and mother to their two young children. But when Freya's own political career takes off and threatens to overshadow his, Aiden's life is thrown into chaos. As his political career comes to a standstill, and with his marriage turned upset down, Aiden takes increasing risks in his quest for power.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, tense, serious, political, psychological, clever, talky
Similar in 79%
The Final Cut (1995)
Plot Summary:
Approaching his 65th birthday, Prime Minister Frances Urquhart begins to see the end of his career. Not that he has the intention of resigning anytime soon. He does however hope to establish a legacy, one for the history books and one to provide his pension. Urquhart, the master manipulator, may be losing his touch however. His Foreign Secretary, Tom Makepeace, not only resigns but crosses the floor to sit in the opposition benches in order to attack the government. As his grip on power begins to wane, Urquhart goes to ever greater lengths to retain his authority.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 206 min
Plot tags: political thriller, political, clever, serious, realistic, witty, cynical, biting, suspense
Similar in 76%
To Play the King (1993)
Plot Summary:
Francis Urquhart, unscrupulous but cunning Conservative politician, managed to become the British prime minister and crush all significant opposition. But his survival on the top is threatened by a liberal monarch and some skeletons in the closet.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 218 min
Plot tags: political, political thriller, tense, clever, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, witty, cynical
Similar in 90%
State of Play (2003)
Plot Summary:
A thriller set in London, in which a politician's life becomes increasingly complex as his research assistant is found dead on the London Underground and, in a seemingly unrelated incident, a teenage pickpocket is shot dead.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 312 min
Plot tags: political thriller, political, realistic, tense, suspense, atmospheric, talky, serious, clever, twist ending
Similar in 89%
Proof (2004)
Plot Summary:
The discovery of a connection between a small-time thief's murder and the death of a crooked accountant, peeks the interest of investigative reporter Terry Corcoran. Further digging leads him into a sordid scandal involving human trafficking, high finance and high stakes politics in this explosive Irish television series.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 209
Genere: Drama
Country: Ireland, Denmark
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, exciting, tense, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, detective
Similar in 76%
The Code (2014)
Plot Summary:
The Code is a drama series which tells tells the story of two brothers who discover some information that those at the highest levels of political power are determined to keep secret.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Australia
Duration: 54 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, bleak, detective
Similar in 84%
Hidden (2011)
Plot Summary:
When a mysterious lawyer Gina Hawkes turns up asking Harry to find a missing alibi witness for her client he agrees to take on the job but is unwittingly drawn into investigating the death of his brother 20 years ago. Harry quickly finds himself caught up in a much bigger and more complex conspiracy that reaches deep into the heart of the British political system.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 57 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, suspense, clever, serious, stylized
Similar in 86%
The Shadow Line (2011)
Plot Summary:
A noir thriller with diverse individuals whose worlds become interwoven after the murder of drug baron Harvey Wratten. From the cop with a bullet in his brain, whose amnesia leaves him doubtful of his own moral compass; to the drug-lord driven by a profound personal tragedy, risking it all on one last deal; to the brilliantly lethal puppet-master who gradually emerges from the shadows to bring the story to its shocking climax The Shadow Line explores the morality of these characters as they negotiate the repercussions of Wratten's death and attempt to navigate the fine line between right and wrong. As the thread around Wratten's operation begins to unravel, the web of intrigue becomes more complex and the question of which side of the line they stand on becomes increasingly blurred. An intelligent and gripping conspiracy thriller that delves to the heart of human morality, The Shadow Line will have audiences enthralled over six taut and thrilling episodes. Faced with similar dilemmas, on which side of the line would you stand?.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, atmospheric, detective, rough, suspenseful, stylized, tense, captivating, realistic, crime drama
Similar in 77%
State of Play (2009)
Plot Summary:
Handsome, unflappable U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins is the future of his political party: an honorable appointee who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defense spending. All eyes are upon the rising star to be his party's contender for the upcoming presidential race. Until his research assistant/mistress is brutally murdered and buried secrets come tumbling out.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 158000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, France
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: suspense, political thriller, clever, political, tense, suspenseful, detective, exciting, tricky, psychological
Similar in 76%
The Constant Gardener (2005)
Plot Summary:
Justin Quayle is a low-level British diplomat who has always gone about his work very quietly, not causing any problems. But after his radical wife Tessa is killed he becomes determined to find out why, thrusting himself into the middle of a very dangerous conspiracy.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 147000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK, Germany, Kenya, France, USA, Switzerland
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: political thriller, suspenseful, tense, political, suspense, thought provoking, heartbreaking, depressing, captivating, psychological
Similar in 87%
Rubicon (2010)
Plot Summary:
Rubicon is an American television series that centers on an intelligence analyst at a national think tank in New York City called the American Policy Institute, who discovers that he may be working with members of a secret society that manipulates world events on a grand scale.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, atmospheric, suspenseful, political, cliffhanger, mysterious, dramatic, intelligent, spooky
Similar in 79%
Smiley's People (1982)
Plot Summary:
Called out of retirement to settle the affairs of a friend, Smiley finds his old organization, the Circus, so overwhelmed by political considerations that it doesn't want to know what happened. He begins to follow up the clues of his friends past days, discovering that the clues lead to a high person in the Russian Secret service, and a secret important enough to kill for. Smiley continues to put together the pieces a step ahead or a step behind the Russian killers.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, psychological, tense, road movie, atmospheric, sexy, thought provoking, clever
Similar in 90%
The Game (2014)
Plot Summary:
London 1972. When a defecting KGB officer, Arkady Malinov, reveals Operation Glass, a devastating Soviet plot that could change the course of the Cold War, Daddy, the head of MI5, assembles a secret team to investigate. As the Soviets awaken a list of sleeper agents all over Britain, Daddy's team must move swiftly to gain information about the plot.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 59 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, suspenseful, tense, clever, serious, captivating, realistic, stylized, period drama
Similar in 83%
Page Eight (2011)
Plot Summary:
Page Eight is lovingly turned, with elegant writing, a flawless cast and a heartfelt message from writer/director David Hare about the danger zone where spies and politicians meet. The tension builds gently as we follow the fortunes of Johnny Worricker, a jazz-loving charmer who works high up at MI5 as an intelligence analyst. It’s a part made for Bill Nighy and he purrs out bon mots with a weary panache that women 20 years younger find irresistible. One such is his neighbour, Nancy Pierpan (Rachel Weisz), in a Battersea mansion block. The question for Johnny is whether her interest in him is genuine or hides something darker. As his boss (Michael Gambon) puts it: “Distrust is a terrible habit.” Questions of trust, honour and friendship rumble through the play. The characters exchange oblique repartee as a plot about a damning dossier unwinds. It’s not to be missed.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: political thriller, tense, serious, realistic, political, captivating, psychological, exciting, sincere, suspense
Similar in 89%
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)
Plot Summary:
In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 290 min
Plot tags: clever, talky, serious, political thriller, realistic, suspenseful, contemplative, tense, atmospheric, thought provoking