The Night Agent and the 9 best political thrillers on Netflix

As one of the biggest streamers around, it’s no surprise Netflix has scores of political shows to enjoy. Many are from other networks, while the streamer has a lot of original stories and scores from international countries. Some are pure spy thrillers, while others offer some intriguing political connections. It’s not just conspiracy stories, the series really delve into political drama amid the action. 

It can be hard to narrow down, yet for those wanting a thriller with a deep political bent, these 10 shows are more than worth binge-watching on Netflix!

The Night Agent

One of Netflix’s biggest recent hits, The Night Agent is an amazing thrill ride. Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) is an FBI agent given the lowly task of sitting by a phone in the basement of the White House that never rings. Until it does, and on the other end is Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), who just saw her aunt and uncle murdered. Protecting her from killers, Peter and Rose are soon involved in a conspiracy that could start a coup in the U.S.

The show moves at a frantic pace with the pair constantly on the move and unsure who they can trust. The action sequences are stellar, and the show delves more into the political side of things as they go on. With a second season coming, it’s a good time to hook onto this fantastic show. 

The Diplomat

This new ongoing series has a somewhat satirical look at politics yet some fun thrills as it develops. Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) is unexpectedly appointed the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain just as a conflict between British and Iranian ships could spark a war. Kate doesn’t know she’s being groomed to become the new Vice President while her husband (Rufus Sewell) tries to make his own diplomatic moves that cause messes.

The show has a dark comedy edge to it while retaining some good drama of Kate wanting to go home when everyone expects her to save the day. The Diplomat delves more into a conspiracy arc while Russell is a compelling lead handling this. The upcoming second season looks to be even better with Allison Janney as the VP so it’s time to check it out. 

The Recruit

Fans of The Night Agent would enjoy this series as well. Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo) is a CIA lawyer who’s assigned to handle an asset wanting to defect. It’s not long before he’s in over his head amid so many twists and turns, it’s hard to count. The show has a light sense of humor and great chemistry between Owen and the asset Max to move at a brisk pace. The season culminates in a stunning cliffhanger, and hopefully, season 2 finally gets underway to offer more fantastic thrills for viewers. 

Designated Survivor

Originally airing on ABC, this drama moved to Netflix for its third season to cut loose even more. Kiefer Sutherland plays Tom Kirkman, a low-level Cabinet official who’s the only person in the line of succession when an attack during the State of the Union takes out almost the entire government. Now, a man with zero political experience has to rebuild the country while special agent Hannah (Maggie Q) hunts down who’s responsible for this. 

The first season balances Kirkman’s new role with Hannah tracking the conspiracy that has numerous turns. Season 2 moves more into the politics with Kirkman handling a personal tragedy amid various crises, and Sutherland is in top form in the role. The three-season run is like a mix of The West Wing and 24 to shine more on Netflix. 

Bodyguard

Richard Madden earned a Golden Globe for his turn in this six-episode British series. He plays a former soldier turned cop who’s assigned to protect a Home Minister (Keeley Hawes) whose politics he despises. When an attempt is made on her life, Madden has to uncover the truth.

Madden has the action chops for the part and the series kicks into high gear in the second half after a bombing attempt. There are great political turns in the UK government handling the crisis, and Madden is trying to do the right thing against the political backlash. While a second season has been delayed, it’s a good watch for fans of political action thrillers. 

Secret City

This Aussie thriller stars Anna Torv of Fringe fame as a reporter whose simple investigation of a dead body slowly unravels a possible conspiracy involving Chinese spies in Australia. Torv is always fun to watch and does a fine job navigating this tricky role, with Aussie acting royalty Jacki Weaver chilling as the minister who will go to any lengths to bury the truth.

Season 1 ends with Torv facing a difficult challenge as season 2 involves a bombing for a new mystery. The political twists are more dangerous than the action as Torv alone makes this a fun show of Aussie action. 

Treason

This five-part thriller stars Charlie Cox (best known for Marvel's Daredevil) as Adam Lawrence, who becomes acting chief of MI6 when his boss is poisoned. His former love Kara (Olga Kurylenko) reveals she’s been secretly manipulating Adam into this position to get some information. Knowing he’ll be ruined if it gets out, Adam has to go along with Olga’s plans.

The show packs a lot into the low episode count with conflicts between MI6 and the CIA as Adam realizes Olga’s goals aren’t as sinister as she thinks and he can’t trust his own people. Cox is wonderful as the lead and the short run time makes it a good binge to go with Netflix’s other great thrillers. 

Ingobernable

This Mexican drama puts a spin on the classic formula of “wrongly accused figure on the run.” Emilia Urquiza (Kate del Castillo) is the First Lady of Mexico whose husband is dealing with a possible civil war, and the strain has led her to file for divorce. He attacks her and when she wakes up, she finds she’s being blamed for his murder. 

Now, the most famous woman in Mexico is being hunted by cops and the feds, trying to clear her name while suspecting she’s the patsy for a coup. The show is a fun thrill ride, with del Castillo standing out nicely as Emilia has to find her inner strength to unravel the truth. The two season run tells a great story with a few soap opera elements to keep you enthralled. 

The Spy

Sacha Baron Cohen is known for his goofy comedic roles like Borat. This limited series gives him a chance to show his dramatic skills in a fine way. He plays Eli Cohen, the real-life spy considered one of the finest agents in Mossad history. The main thrust of the series is Cohen managing to infiltrate the Syrian government in an intelligence coup for Israel.

Cohen tones it down nicely to play the part, and the fact it’s all based on real life events makes it more amazing. There’s classic bits of Cohen wrestling with his loyalty and his danger and Cohen’s performance helps shine in a story proving real life is stranger than fiction. 

Anatomy of a Scandal

Superstar producer David E. Kelly adapts the novel that boasts a wild political scandal tale. Rupert Friend is a top British minister, close ally to the PM and has all it takes to rise in politics. That is until it turns out he’s been having an affair with an aide (Naomi Scott), who then accuses him of assault. Sienna Miller is Friend’s wife while Michelle Dockery is the prosecutor of the case.

The series bounces around timelines to examine the affair and the impact it has on the political scene. There’s talk on who in the government will back, Friend or not, as Miller questions supporting her husband, too. The show is more tight on the case yet has some good political undertones to make for a fun watch.