Tom Clancy is known for being one of the most prolific action and suspense writers in history. For over forty years, Clancy has taken the novelist world by storm with over twenty stories filled with spies, secret organizations, and military combat. Clancy published his first novel in 1984, which was met with high acclaim for the story's suspenseful tone. In addition, Tom Clancy was famous for his unique dive into the secrets of world governments and the shady dealings that go on between countries' borders.
One of Tom Clancy's most popular and successful franchises to date is the stories that follow Jack Ryan. Jack Ryan is a recurring character in many of Tom Clancy's works and has made numerous appearances in theaters and on smaller screens. Jack Ryan is usually an agent working for the US government who must discover and spoil a sinister plan that could throw the entire world in jeopardy. There have been several releases with the Jack Ryan name that have been adapted into films, and these are the best of the best.
6 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit was an action and suspense film directed by Kenneth Branagh, known for his work on Murder on the Orient Express and the Marvel Cinematic film, Thor. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit starred Chris Pine as the fledgling CIA agent, fresh off of a recovery from an injury that nearly left him paralyzed.
Jack investigates a series of shady financial transactions for the CIA that uncovers a network of corruption and foreign espionage. He must race against the clock to find the head of the snake without losing his life in the process.
5 The Sum Of All Fears
Directed by Phil Robinson and released in 2002, The Sum of all Fears starred Morgan Freeman as director of the CIA and Ben Affleck as up-and-coming CIA analyst Jack Ryan, a specialist on various Russian affairs.
The tensions between the United States and Russia are on shaky ground and are made worse by a billionaire Nazi sympathizer, who seeks to take advantage of the chaos and use his wealth and reach to stage a nuclear event to spark another world war. Jack Ryan ends up cutting through a sea of lies and sleeper agents to uncover the truth and save the world from a disaster-level event in this nail-biting epic.
4 Clear And Present Danger
Phillip Noyce is a well-respected director who has had an extensive career with over fifteen films under his belt. Seen as a suspense specialist, Noyce has directed several films that deal with secret agents and shadow warfare between rival countries. Clear and Present Danger was the second film in a budding franchise that followed veteran agent Jack Ryan, this time played by Harrison Ford (known for Indiana Jones and Star Wars).
Upon receiving a high position in the NSA, Jack must depose a Colombian cartel who has been laundering millions of dollars through the US. What he doesn't know is that colleagues in his own organization have been complicit in these criminal activities, and he must root them out before they plant a knife in his back.
3 Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (Amazon)
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Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan is an action and suspense series that premiered on Amazon Prime as an original show in 2018. The series stars John Krasinski playing the famed Jack Ryan, who has been appointed to an undesirable post in the CIA thanks to past exploits.
The series dives into a new threat every season. Jack finds himself in the middle of intersectional corruption, toppling foreign governments, and all-out war. Carlton Cuse, known for his work on Lost and The Strain, has been the showrunner for the series since its debut and is largely responsible for the show's longevity.
2 Patriot Games
Patriot Games is the first film in a series where Philip Noyce first got to bring the Jack Ryan character to life on the big screen. Harrison Ford would play the Analyst in a much older and seasoned role, in which Ryan has retired and decided to teach instead.
However, agent life pulls Jack back into the action when he spoils a kidnapping staged by the IRA. After killing a high-ranking member in the process, the IRA make it their business to exact revenge on Jack, and he must fight for his life, and take on one of the most dangerous international gangs in the world single-handedly.
1 The Hunt For Red October
In the first-ever screen adaptation of Jack Ryan, director John McTiernan steps in to bring Tom Clancy's first story to life. McTiernan has had a phenomenal career, having created both Die Hard and its sequel, as well as the original Predator movie.
The Hunt for Red October takes place on a United States submarine called the USS Dallas. Jack Ryan, played by Alec Baldwin, must aid the ship's crew in discovering a stealth Russian submarine known as the Red October, helmed by renegade captain Marko Ramius, played by Sean Connery. Ramius has stolen the Red October and has decided to engage in a nuclear strike on the United States, and with the new stealth enhancements of the Sub, Jack Ryan must outthink the zealot before it is too late.