If you enjoyed Netflix's Unfamiliar these 5 spy thrillers should definitely be on your watchlist next

Unfamiliar is a tense series even at the very start. It is not based on spectacle or exaggerated twists, but gradually pulls viewers into a manipulated and disturbing world where there is not much trust and every choice has a cost.

The show employs silence, implication, and emotional restraint to create suspense in each episode and is deeply intended and quiet in its intensity. It is exactly that reserved style that makes Unfamiliar unique in the expanding Netflix thriller collection.

To many viewers, the question that arises out of the completion of Unfamiliar is what to watch next that would present the same level of intelligent, down-to-earth suspense. Strange since it does not make the spy work sensational but regular, intimate, and ethically contrived.

Should it be that restrained and realistic touch that appealed to you, other spy thrillers touch on the same themes of secrecy, institutional stress, and psychological stress.

5 spy thrillers that should definitely be on your watchlist next if you enjoyed Netflix's Unfamiliar

1. The Night Agent

The Night Agent is a spy thriller that satisfies the government by spying on a seldom-used emergency phone line within the white house by using an FBI agent, Peter Sutherland.

On an occasion when the phone suddenly rings, he finds himself in the middle of a plot that stretches into the very heart of the U.S government. The series is a blend of political suspense and intelligence missions, as well as investigative suspense.

Some of the viewers who enjoyed the way Unfamiliar treats the issue of institutional distrust can see similarities here. Both series underline the way the intelligence systems may be subverted within, and both are based on the information revealed over time instead of taking action.

The Night Agent similarly depicts espionage as being procedural and reactive, and the way that personal choices can bring about greater structural vulnerabilities.

Although The Night Agent is more preoccupied with the political environment, it shares similar themes of secrecy, shifting of allegiance, and the pressure that is put on people working within strong structures, which are major focal points that characterize Unfamiliar.

2. Bodyguard

Bodyguard is a show about a man named David Budd, who is an ex-war veteran and is on duty to defend a high-ranking British politician, whose opinions he dislikes. What started out as a protection assignment is slowly developing into an intricate political and security crisis, involving various agencies and different interests.

Similarly to Unfamiliar, Bodyguard is very much focused on psychological tension. The show addresses the collisions of personal trauma, professional responsibility, and political authority when it is under extreme pressure. The information is partial or misleading a lot of the time, forcing characters to constantly re-evaluate their beliefs, as well as the viewers.

The reserved walking and ethical vagueness of Bodyguard are quite similar to the tone of the story of Unfamiliar. Both television series do not imply obvious moral oppositions but rather dwell on the emotional and ethical tension of the individuals who have to maintain security in an unstable world.

3. The Recruit

The Recruit looks at spycraft in another perspective by targeting a new CIA attorney who gets into international spy missions. Instead of focusing solely on the field work, the series emphasizes legal and bureaucratic structures behind covert work.

The Recruit provides an understanding of the inner workings of intelligence agencies to viewers who are interested in the working reality of Unfamiliar. Although the tone is sometimes lighter, the series remains a discussion of secrets, intimidation, and political repercussions.

Unfamiliar and The Recruit also highlight how the intelligence activity goes beyond field agents. The consequences of the decisions taken in the offices and meeting rooms may be as far-reaching as those of undercover missions. Such a common emphasis on systems and not spectacle forms thematic continuity between the two shows.

4. Homeland

Homeland is based on the life of CIA agent Carrie Mathison, who tries to track the menace to national security, and she has to overcome work and personal challenges. The series is widened in several seasons to cover global intelligence missions and diplomatic wars.

What puts Homeland in line with Unfamiliar is that it is filled with uncertainty. Intelligence is not always definitive, and the characters have to do something with the incomplete or even conflicting information. The two stories are based on that instability, and it is one of the main sources of the tension.

Although Homeland is a much larger geopolitical movie than Unfamiliar, it has much in common in that it equally dedicates itself to the idea of depicting espionage as a taxing but ethically tricky one. Both shows emphasize the personal casualties over time of operating in a stressful intelligence setting.

5. Slow Horses

Slow Horses is the story of a team of MI5 agents who have been sent to Slough House following career-threatening errors. In spite of being sidelined, they often find themselves in major cases of national security that should be properly investigated. The theme of imperfect professionals in the series is rather similar to the tone of Unfamiliar.

Instead of portraying intelligence operatives in an idealized fashion, Slow Horses explores the influences of institutional failure, bureaucracy, and internal politics on outcomes.

Similar to Unfamiliar, the program is based on procedural growth as well as character interaction to create the suspense. The flow of information is slow, and the development is usually slowed down by the barriers of administration. Such a restrained treatment adds to realism and reflects the restrained rhythm that characterizes Unfamiliar.

After watching Unfamiliar, the audience can easily be left to consider the subjects of trust, loyalty, and invisible processes of power. Such a response is not accidental. Unfamiliar is designed in a way that leaves one thinking and not presenting easy answers, and the effects of this show will not be forgotten after the last episode.

To fans of espionage films and series that continue to be immersive and narrate compelling spy stories, the five shows can offer some diversity and consistency in the themes. Both of them view intelligence work from a different perspective: political, psychological, legal, or procedural, keeping the grounded tension that characterizes Unfamiliar.

The success of Spy thrillers is attributed to the fact that the novels maintain the intelligence of the audience. Unfamiliar does just that, and the above-mentioned shows are an extension of that same scrupulous and fact-based investigation of the concept of secrecy and power, without exaggeration, promotion, or hack-and-slash narratives.