Action movies are only as good as their protagonist and the secret agency behind them. Here are the great secret agencies in movies.
Action movies have long used a series of tropes and ideas, such as secret agencies, that help entice viewers, especially for big franchises. Ranging from agents of espionage to supernatural cops, these task forces carry out a range of functions necessary to defend the country and planet. Often seen with an array of gadgets and known for unique villains, these agencies represent some of cinema’s most powerful entities.
Secret agencies add an element of mystery and secrecy to the action/thriller genre and can be a way to bend genres or explore past eras of history. Many of these agencies are shrouded in history, and some are tasked with dealing with threats too great for any real-life agency to handle. Though the movies that feature these organizations aren’t always the best, the ideas behind the teams help them stand out.
10. The RIPD Keep Tabs On The Dead
The Rest In Peace Department, better known simply as RIPD, is the subject of the 2013 movie of the same name. The movie itself follows Nick, a corrupt Boston cop who, after telling his partner he is ready to go straight, is betrayed and murdered. Upon his death, Nick is assigned to the RIPD in the afterlife, based on his experience as a cop.
The RIPD is responsible for investigating paranormal crimes of the undead, and safeguarding the world of the living from mystical threats. As undead spirits, the agents can assume the identities of other people, which allows them to walk among the living in pursuit of the malevolent dead. The movie itself wasn’t well-received, but the idea was solid.
9. Treadstone Created Jason Bourne
The Bourne movies follow their titular hero, an amnesiac elite assassin who decides to take down the entity that created him, Treadstone. A secret program buried within the CIA, Treadstone researched ways to create the ultimate assassin, subjecting volunteers to extreme measures.
Treadstone worked well as the franchise’s key villainous organization, with Alexander Conklin leading the elite band of assassins. As Bourne continued his fight for survival, the task force dispatched a long line of professional operatives to bring him in, all of whom posed a real threat to the rogue fugitive.
8. UNCLE Played A Key Role In The Cold War
The Man From UNCLE follows the alliance between a CIA spy, Napoleon Solo, and a KGB agent, Illya Kuryakin, in their mission to prevent Nazi sympathizers from acquiring a nuclear bomb. As the two navigate their Cold War differences, their competing methods of investigation and interrogation come to the surface, creating tensions.
Set in 1963, The Man From UNCLE is a fun “buddy cop” style movie that serves as an origin story for its titular agency, the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. This organization tackles a variety of Cold War threats, with assistance from a range of nations to save the world from villainous organizations.
7. The Statesmen Are The Kingsman’s American Cousins
Kingsman: The Golden Circle continues the story of Eggsy’s service to the Kingsman as the world was held hostage by a drug dealer, who poisoned her drug supply in a bid to legalize her business. With millions left paralyzed by their drugs, Eggsy sets off for the United States, where he meets the Statesmen — who have a recovering but amnesiac Harry Hart in their care.
The Statesmen are a modern-day cowboy operation, who are a more bombastic counterpart to their British cousins. With gadgets that include electrified lassos and life-saving technology that can even repair damaged brains, the organization features a rustic aesthetic and Wild West methods.
6. The BPRD Assist Hellboy In Facing The Supernatural
The world of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy documents the adventures and missions of the demon superhero against the dark supernatural underworld. From the moment the character was first taken in by humanity, Hellboy was aided by the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). The agency serves as both an official government task force and a home for outcast paranormal heroes, such as Abe Sapien and Ben Daimio.
The BPRD is made up of some of the most powerful beings in the MignolaVerse, ranging from the pyrokinetic Liz Shermer to Johann Krauss’ ability to possess machinery through his ectoplasmic form. From their collection of powerful mystical artifacts to their possession of magical texts, the BPRD is a force to be reckoned with by the forces of darkness.
5. SHIELD Assembled The Avengers
Formed as a defense against super-powered beings, SHIELD consisted of a variety of elite operatives and super-powered beings committed to taking on powerful threats. Armed with their iconic helicarrier and led by Nick Fury, the agency worked with the Avengers and later saw Steve Rogers join to help with high-risk missions.
Under the direction of people like Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, and Captain America, SHIELD played a vital role in the MCU but was infiltrated by HYDRA. Though remnants of the agency do still exist in the franchise, it has largely gone defunct, especially since its technology almost became the tool of oppression.
4. Tenet Can Alter Time Through Use Of Entropy
Tenet follows a nameless hero, the Protagonist, who works with a secret program within the CIA, Tenet, that can effectively travel back in time by harnessing inverted entropy. The Protagonist teams up with his handler, Neil, to bring down an international arms dealer intent on instigating a nuclear war.
Tenet’s titular organization has an impressive array of resources, from elite, well-trained soldiers to its time-travel-like abilities. The secret agency’s inverted entropy technology gives them a unique ability to prevent threats from arising before they happen, giving them an edge over their enemies.
3. The Men in Black Protect Earth From Alien Threats
Beginning as a comic book, the Men in Black franchise found fame through its buddy-cop dynamic between the young and rash J (Will Smith) and the seasoned and straight-laced K (Tommy Lee Jones). The first movie begins when J is tapped to be the latest Men in Black agent following an encounter with an alien criminal. As he adjusts to the revelation of life in the universe, J joins K to save the world from a newly arrived insectoid creature.
The Men in Black have long safeguarded Earth from extraterrestrial threats since the 1947 Roswell Crash. Their duties include chasing down alien fugitives on Earth, supplying Earth with planetary defenses, and processing and documentation of aliens seeking to live as humans. The agency has a vast arsenal of alien technology and weapons, all of which make them a nightmare for dangerous beings from other worlds.
2. The Kingsman Agency Are James Bond On Steroids
Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of Eggsy, a former Royal Marine recruit who, after becoming a local hellraiser, is recruited by a secret organization to become an operative. With his first foe being the billionaire tech mogul, Valentine, Eggsy proved himself the best of the younger generation of Kingsman candidates.
The Kingsman was founded when the wealth of British aristocrats was pooled after the First World War, creating an elite agency that worked for the sole purpose of defending the nation and world. Armed with a variety of specialized gadgets, such as bulletproof umbrellas and exploding lighters, the agency is unrivaled in its world.
1. The Impossible Mission Force Has Earned Its Name
Mission: Impossible focuses on a small, elite team of government operatives known as the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). Led by Ethan Hunt, the specialized task force takes on missions that, as the team name suggests, would be impossible for anyone else. Ranging from preventing the acquisition of nuclear weapons to the weaponization of AI, the team has saved the world within seconds of destruction.
The Impossible Mission Force has gone up against rogue nations, international arms dealers, religious zealots, and their governments. Hunt and his team have faced death regularly, and their loyalty to one another is unparalleled. Aided by high-tech gadgets like realistic face masks and camera contact lenses, the team’s accomplishments are unparalleled.
