Netflix's new spy movie Back in Action is an exciting comedy with fast-paced scenes that will keep audiences at the edge of their seats. Back in Action's cast is led by Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as Emily and Matt, two spies turned parents who are forced to go back to their old profession 15 years after retiring. The movie centers on the couple and their children as they are forced to reclaim a weapon that nearly got them killed 15 years ago and is now creating trouble again.

While Back in Action's reviews have only given the movie a moderate rating, it is an undeniably fun watch. Diaz and Foxx lead Back In Action's cast as parents trying to balance their responsibilities with their former lifestyle. What's more, Back in Action marks Cameron Diaz's return to acting after she retired a decade ago. Cameron Diaz retired from acting to follow her other ions, but with Back in Action and several other films lined up, she has certainly returned with a splash. Luckily, after watching the entertaining spy movie, there are several great follow-ups, including some featuring the stars themselves.

10 The Spy Next Door (2010)

The Jackie Chan Spy Comedy Is Perfect For Families

The Spy Next Door is a great movie for fans of Back in Action who most enjoyed the family-centered aspects of the film. The Spy Next Door stars Jackie Chan in the lead role of Bob Ho, an undercover spy tasked with babysitting his girlfriend's three children. After his enemies discover his location, Bob along with the kids must fight to protect themselves, learning some important lessons about family along the way, and leading to a happy ending.

Though The Spy Next Door was not reviewed well by some critics, it is certainly an entertaining watch thanks to Jackie Chan's reliability as an action star and the film's consistent humor. While Back in Action may feature some language that is inappropriate for very young audiences, The Spy Next Door is a family action movie that does work well for younger kids. This makes it perfect for the family movie night that Diaz's character Emily so desires to have with her daughter in Back in Action.

9 Day Shift (2022)

Jamie Foxx Has Another Secret Identity

Day Shift gives Jamie Foxx another secret identity, but this movie has a twist: he is a vampire hunter rather than a spy. While Bud's (Foxx) family thinks that he is a pool cleaner, he secretly works for a union that kills vampires, preventing them from taking over the world. As Bud hunts vampires with the help of a supervisor, the pair comes to realize that Bud's family is in even more danger than he previously thought after they are abducted by a vampire named Audrey, leading Foxx's character to do everything he can to get to them in time.

Along with Jamie Foxx in the leading role, Day Shift features several well known cast , including Dave Franco, Meagan Good, and Snoop Dogg. With such a great cast and unique plot, it is unsurprising that the film works so well as a horror comedy. The Netflix movie is rated R, so while it might not be best for kids, it is a great follow-up to Back in Action for fans of Jamie Foxx and off-beat undercover comedies.

8 Spy (2015)

A Great Spy Comedy For Adults

Paul Feig's 2015 movie Spy is one of the best comedy roles of Melissa McCarthy's career and was a massive success at the time of its release. The movie holds a very impressive 95% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes to match its box office success. Spy was also nominated for multiple awards, including two notable nominations at the Golden Globes. Spy is well worth a watch for any fans of adult action comedies, especially given its masterful performances and direction.

The comedy film follows McCarthy's Susan Cooper McCarthy, a desk agent for the CIA who enters the field after believing that her field agent partner (played by Jude Law) has been killed. Susan soon becomes entangled in a case that is far beyond her skill set, leading to lots of laughs for audiences, but surprising success for Susan. The film features a few unexpected twists and additions to the traditional spy movie, making it feel fresh compared to many of its genre companions.

7 Spies Like Us (1985)

Spies Like Us Is A Classic Spy Comedy With Well-Known Actors

The 1985 comedy movie Spies Like Us stars comedy legends Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd in its leading roles as desk agents for the US government, Emmett and Austin. The pair are sent out as decoys while other agents are handling the actual mission of stealing a nuclear missile from the Soviet Union. However, when one of the real agents is killed, Chase and Aykroyd's characters take up the mantle. The movie leans into the chaos of the two characters and their inexperience, creating funny moments throughout.

Many of the current genre conventions, stereotypical characters, and sometimes even the plots of specific movies bear a striking similarity to the 1985 spy film.

Spies Like Us can be seen as the predecessor to many modern spy comedies. Many of the current genre conventions, stereotypical characters, and sometimes even the plots of specific movies bear a striking similarity to the 1985 spy film. While Spies Like Us garnered mixed reviews from critics due to some feeling the screenplay was lackluster at times, its stars delivered the type of memorable performances that they are known for. While Back in Action features more emphasis on Matt and Emily's family dynamics, their unexpected return to espionage is similar to Emmett and Austin's surprising success in the profession.

6 Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt Team Up As A Couple of Spies

While Matt and Emily in Back in Action are hiding their identities from their children and the world, Mr. and Mrs. Smith are hiding their secret identities from each other. Mr. & Mrs. Smith stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as a married couple who are unknowingly both spies and working for different agencies. After a mission seemingly goes wrong, the two are given orders to assassinate each other, but their dedication to their marriage makes that more difficult than initially expected, leading to them finally acknowledging their true feelings for each other in Mr. & Mrs. Smith's ending.

Like Back in Action, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is currently streaming on Netflix.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a massive box office success at the time of its release, opening at number one and grossing over $50.3 million in its opening weekend alone (via Box Office Mojo). Beyond its initial success, due to its availability on various streaming services, Mr. & Mrs. Smith has remained popular and even found new audiences. The film even inspired a new TV series of the same name. The amazing chemistry between Jolie and Pitt in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and the non-stop action make it one of the best-loved spy movies of the 2000s.

5 Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

Kingsman: The Secret Service Perfectly Balances Action And Comedy

Kingsman: The Secret Service is the perfect paring with Back in Action for audience who like the latter's action and comedy, but want something a little more adult and intense. Kingsman: The Secret Service is not particularly dark or gory, but its language and humor is not fully appropriate for younger audiences either, making it best for adult fans of Back in Action. The film follows Eggsy, played by Carry-On and Rocketman star Taron Egerton, who becomes a spy for the British government and works to take down a terrorist hoping to kill a large percent of the world's population.

Kingsman is a really fun watch, with Taron Egerton proving himself a talented leading man. Upon its 2015 release, the film was met with a largely positive critical response and box office success. What is even better is that Kingsman: The Secret Service also has a 2017 sequel and a 2021 prequel for fans who want even more Kingsman content. The Kingsman series is a great choice for a spy comedy movie marathon, and the first movie especially is a great example of an action movie that mixes talented performances and humor.

4 Knight and Day (2010)

Cameron Diaz And Tom Cruise Are Great Together In Knight And Day

The 2010 movie Knight and Day saw Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz team up for a high-octane adventure. In contrast to her Back in Action character, who is all too ready to return to her former career as a spy, Knight and Day cast Cameron Diaz as June, a mechanic who is reluctantly into the world of espionage by Cruise's character, Roy. The film marked their second collaboration, and it was directed by James Mangold, who is currently gaining a lot of attention as the director behind A Complete Unknown, proving that the entire Knight and Day team is incredibly talented.

The movie is far better than its mediocre critical reviews suggest due to the charismatic performances of its leads and fast-paced plot, which certainly make it worthwhile for action fans.

In both Back in Action and Knight and Day, Cameron Diaz brings her usual lovable charm and good humor and applies her skills as an action star. While June is at first reluctant to work with Roy, she eventually gets invested in clearing his name and continuing the adventure with him. Overall, the movie is far better than its mediocre critical reviews suggest due to the charismatic performances of its leads and fast-paced plot, which certainly make it worthwhile for action fans.

3 Spy Kids (2001)

The 2000s Kids Movie Sees The Children The Family Business

While Robert Rodriguez may be best known for his gritty action movies, his foray into children's movies was just as successful in 2001 with the release of Spy Kids. Since its premiere, Spy Kids has grossed $147.9 million on a budget of $35 million (via Box Office Mojo) and it has maintained a 92% Rotten Tomatoes critics score. To this day, Spy Kids remains one of the most iconic kid's movies of the 2000s due to its incredibly creative and unusual story, great cast, and impressive direction.

Back in Action focuses on the stories of Matt and Emily rather than their children, but Spy Kids centers on the stories of the kids. After finding out that their parents are spies, much as Emily and Matt's children do, Juni and Carmen take matters into their own hands and become spies as well. When their parents are captured, Carmen and Juni travel to the villain's island to find their parents and stop their former spy enemy from taking over the world. Following the success of the first movie, Rodriguez has made several Spy Kids sequels to enjoy as well.

2 Charlie's Angels (2000)

Cameron Diaz Is Well-Known For Her Role In The Popular Action Comedy

Charlie's Angels is the quintessential example of what Cameron Diaz can do in an action comedy movie. The 2000 film remains one of the star's most popular performances to this day, despite its lackluster reviews. While many critics decried the silly nature of the movie, its implausibility is actually part of what makes it so enjoyable to watch. Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, and Drew Barrymore are very entertaining, and their characters are depicted as being good at their jobs despite the ittedly silly action sequences.

While the stakes for the three leading women never truly seem that high, their iconic agency, outfits, and fighting styles make Charlie's Angels the perfect watch to get a glimpse of a precursor to Diaz's role in Back in Action.

While Charlie's Angels may not be the perfect choice for viewers who want a very serious and life-like spy movie, it is very fun and shows how charming Cameron Diaz can be as an actor. The three angels are tasked with recovering a supposedly kidnapped CEO but when the tables are turned, they are still able to come out on top. While the stakes for the three leading women never truly seem that high, their iconic agency, outfits, and fighting styles make Charlie's Angels the perfect watch to get a glimpse of a precursor to Diaz's role in Back in Action.

1 Mission: Impossible (1996)

A Necessary Watch For Any Fan Of Spy Movies

If there is one movie that has come to define the spy action movie genre in the 21st century, it is Mission: Impossible. While the original movie was released in 1996, six sequels have been released since then and the eighth Mission: Impossible movie is set to be released in May 2025, making it one of the most successful franchises of all time. Tom Cruise's portrayal of Ethan Hunt, and his insistence on doing many of the stunts himself, has become iconic through the years, cementing his legacy as one of the best action stars of all time.

Mission: Impossible follows IMF agent Ethan Hunt as he attempts to clear his name after he was set up for the murder of several other agents. While on the run from his former agency and external enemies, Hunt builds a team of trusted agents and performs some daring stunts. Brian De Palma's exceptional direction along with the performances of the film's stars make Mission: Impossible a necessary watch for all fans of action and spy movies and the perfect follow-up to Netflix's Back in Action.

Sources: Box Office Mojo & Box Office Mojo