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Steven Spielberg’s latest historical epic Bridge of Spies hits theaters this weekend, highlighting the infamously tense period of American history in which our country had a terse relationship with the Soviet Union. Spanning decades of competitive space exploration, international eavesdropping, and nuclear dick-measuring, the Cold War fueled a lot of paranoia on both sides of the Atlantic (in the high school that was world politics, imagine how awkward those tiny European countries felt sitting at the lunch table between mean girls like the USA and the USSR). While tensions between the East and West eased after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, the Cold War inspired plenty of cinematic responses to international relations — both during and after the uneasy time in our shared history. (The success of FX’s The Americans and Spielberg’s upcoming film proves that there’s no letting up anytime soon.) Here are ten films that commented upon the era, using the Cold War as a historical basis or as mood board fodder for artistic expression.

'The Third Man' (1949)

Orson Welles stars in Carol Reed’s classic Cold War mystery (written by novelist Graham Greene) about an American who travels to Vienna to visit his friend — only to discover that his friend has disappeared. In his pursuit for answers, the man discovers that his buddy might not be who he seemed. [Where to stream The Third Man]

'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' (1963)

Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy features Peter Sellers in three roles, one being President Merkin Muffley, who powwows with his advisors in order to prevent nuclear war with the Soviet Union after a mad general orders an air strike on the country. Sellers also plays the titular character, a wheelchair-bound former Nazi who offers his expertise on nuclear science. [Where to stream Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb]

'Moscow on the Hudson' (1984)

The Cold War undoubtedly heated up in the ’80s, with this Paul Mazursky-written and -directed comic drama serving as a good enough excuse for Robin Williams to boast a Russian accent. Williams plays Vladimir Ivanoff, a Soviet saxophonist who, on a trip to New York City, realizes how great freedom can be and immediately defects. [Where to stream Moscow on the Hudson]

'Red Dawn' (1984)

With the Soviets looming as our biggest enemy, why not come up with a movie that features a Soviet invasion of the heartland — one that leaves America under communist rule with pack of teenagers to act as its only saviors? Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Charlie Sheen, and Lea Thompson star in this action-adventure classic (which was remade in 2012, substituting North Koreans for Russians). [Where to stream Red Dawn]

'White Nights' (1984)

How did Taylor Hackford’s drama solve the Cold War crisis? THROUGH DANCE! Mikhail Baryshnikov stars as a Russian defector who, after his plane crashes in Siberia, is arrested and… forced to perform ballet in the Soviet Union? He’s paired with a tap-dancing American defector living in the country (played by Gregory Hines). They couldn’t be more different — but their love for the art form brings them together. The film also boasts an impressive supporting cast, including Helen Mirren and Isabella Rossellini. [Where to stream White Nights]

'Rocky IV' (1985)

rocky-iv-boxing — Photo courtesy Everett Collection

Who better to topple the Soviet regime’s spirit than the all-American hero Rocky Balboa? In the third sequel to his breakthrough film (which he wrote and directed), Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky goes up against Dolph Lundgren’s evil Ivan Drago, a Soviet boxer who fatally beat Apollo Creed in the ring. It’s up to Rocky to avenge his friend’s murder and stand up for America’s ideals. [Where to stream Rocky IV]

'Rambo: First Blood Part II' (1985)

Stallone pulled double duty in 1985 by playing another American avenger in another sequel, this time reprising his John Rambo character and returning to Vietnam to rescue American POWs. But once he arrives in the jungle, he discovers that Soviet forces are there training Vietnamese and is soon up against a brutal force of America’s enemies.[Where to stream Rambo: First Blood Part II]

'JFK' (1991)

jfk — Photo: Warner Bros.; Courtesy Everett Collection

Oliver Stone’s conspiracy theory-laden, Oscar-winning film about New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison’s relentless pursuit of the truth behind John F. Kennedy’s assassination suggests the whole thing was an inside job. Whether or not it’s true, JFK is a compelling film that looks back at the Cold War era and the increasing paranoia that infiltrated the American psyche. [Where to stream JFK]

'Matinee' (1993)

Joe Dante’s black comedy is a love-letter to classic ’60s B-movies starring John Goodman as a William Castle-style filmmaker, whose newest production Mant! (“Half man! Half ant!”) is set to premiere in Key West amid the growing concern over the Cuban Missile Crisis. [Where to stream Matinee]

'The Lives of Others' (2006)

This Oscar-winning German film follows the dark period of East Germany’s history. A Stasi captain spends his days and nights monitoring the private life of a German playwright, who is slowly becoming disillusioned with the communist regime. But in the course of spying on him and following his every move, the Stasi agent soon becomes obsessed with the playwright’s private life and work. [Where to stream The Lives of Others]

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