If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you end your story.
Orson Welles
Mr Welles should know a thing or two about making thrillers; his speciality was of the noir genre. His cynical stories often revolved around some crime, its motivation and aftermath. Orson Welle's work symbolises the thriller genre, in general.
The best films of the past five years are thrillers. They come in many flavours: erotic, conspiracy, horror, and legal thrillers, among them. Suspense is the key element of all thriller sub-genres. In this article, we examine four dominant types of suspense films.
Thriller Genres to Study:
- action thrillers
- romantic thrillers
- crime thrillers
- psychological thrillers
🤯Top Psychological Thriller Movies
As mentioned in this article's introduction, the past five years saw a long list of thriller films on our screens. These types of films have been cinema staples since the dawn of filmmaking. Such a bounty makes it hard to choose the top - or the best, of them.
Thus, the selection of best thriller movies this article presents is subjective, based only in part on audience ratings and enduring legacy. Personal preference plays a role, too. This writer confesses that the best Sci-fi films are more likely to get my money. However, psychological thrillers run a very close second in my 'favourite genre' category.
The Woman in the Window - 2021
An agoraphobic child psychologist looks at her world through her window. She develops an unhealthy obsession over one family. The fixation intensifies once she meets one of the members.
A series of ominous events follows, which compel our heroine to contemplate ending her life. Many dramatic turns later, she finds the courage to leave her home and start a new life.
💻Where to watch: Netflix, Prime
🍅Netflix Rotten Tomatoes: 25%
🍿Audience rating: 5.7/10
This film reminds us of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock thriller Rear Window, starring Jimmy Stewart. However, it bears no resemblance to a 1944 film of the same name, which Fritz Lange directed. This 2021 offering likely failed to land because we too were confined to our homes when the studio released it.
Saltburn - 2023
An Oxford student weaves a tale of sorrow to gain traction with his classmates. One pities him and welcomes him into his family.
Now, with access to high society, the student sets about claiming the family's wealth and prestige for himself.
💻Where to watch: Prime
🍅Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
🍿Audience rating: 7.5/10
This film recalls one of the best thriller movies from 1999: The Talented Mr Ripley. Both films revolve around a person who doesn't mind lying or doing away with others to achieve their ends. We note that audiences prefer Saltburn to Mr Ripley.
More Psychological Best Thrillers for Your Watchlist
| 🏆Film Title | 📆Year | 🎬Director | 🤼Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split | 2016 | M. Night Shyamalan | James McAvoy Anya Taylor-Joy Betty Buckley |
| Get Out | 2017 | Jordan Peele | Daniel Kaluuya Allison Williams Bradley Whitford |
| The Devil All the Time | 2020 | Antonio Campos | Tom Holland Bill Skarsgård Riley Keough |
| The Occupant | 2020 | David Pastor Àlex Pastor | Javier Gutiérrez Mario Casas Bruna Cusí |
| Run | 2020 | Aneesh Chaganty | Sarah Paulson Kiera Allen Pat Healy |
🪓The Best Crime Thriller Movies
In the United States (US), the lack of social safety programs makes good crime thriller fodder. This section highlights two examples of consequences resulting from that.
Unfortunately for British viewers, one of them hits very close to home. Unlike this one, the best British films of all time do their best to be more sensitive about the real-life tragedies they depict.
The Good Nurse - 2022
An intensive care nurse has a secret weighing her down. She finally has someone to unburden herself to, but her confidant proves to be less than trustworthy. When patients suddenly start dying on their watch, law enforcement becomes suspicious. The whole scheme unravels, remarkable in its banality.
💻Where to watch: Netflix
🍅Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
🍿Audience rating: 6.8/10
One of the UK's most lethal paediatric nurses was about to go on trial when studios released this film. Eerie similarities, such as injecting insulin and the lack of concrete motive, make this movie a mockery of the real tragedy. Fortunately, this film's fictitious nurse didn't target children.
Zodiac - 2007
In the late-60s, the US lived in terror of a mysterious, taunting killer. Crime fighters had no leads; they couldn't crack the killer's code. Wild theories emerged and people called in tips for the police to investigate. One reporter becomes obsessed with the case, sacrificing everything - including personal safety, to track him down.
💻Where to watch: Prime, Apple TV
🍅Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
🍿Audience rating: 8.5/10
The Zodiac killer is one of the US's - and crime lore's, most enduring mysteries. This story, though fictitious, receives praise for its accuracy. Leading actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo nailed their roles; one obsessed and the other frustrated.
More Crime Thrillers to Shock You
| 🏆Film Title | 📆Year | 🎬Director | 🤼Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarface | 1983 | Brian De Palma | Al Pacino Steven Bauer Michelle Pfeiffer |
| The Silence of the Lambs | 1991 | Jonathan Demme | Jodie Foster Anthony Hopkins Scott Glenn |
| Layer Cake | 2004 | Matthew Vaughn | Daniel Craig Colm Meaney Kenneth Cranham |
| The Guest | 2014 | Adam Wingard | Dan Stevens Maika Monroe Leland Orser |
| The Guilty | 2021 | Antoine Fuqua | Jake Gyllenhaal Christina Vidal Mitchell Ethan Hawke |
💝The Top Romantic Thriller Movies
Moviegoers typically look for romance paired with comedy when they crave bittersweet fare. Indeed, some of the best comedy films of all time are romantic comedies (romcoms). Still, romantic thrillers make for some of the best thriller movies in history, as these examples prove.
Casablanca - 1942
Paris was a dangerous place during the Second World War. Competing factions converge on the Café Americain, where deals get made while Sam plays the piano.
One day, a heartbreaker strolls in and requests a song, which sets a dramatic series of actions in motion.
💻Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon, Apple TV, BFI Player
🍅Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
🍿Audience rating: 8.5/10
Casablanca remains the standard for this sub-genre of best thrillers - and for filmmaking. Love or hate black-and-white films, this one is a must-see that delivers the complete cinematic experience.
Mr and Mrs Smith - 2005
A childless couple lives in a large, well-appointed home. They enjoy lavish meals and discuss banalities, including what they did at work.
All is not as things seem in the Smith household, as we - and the Smiths, soon discover. From there, non-stop action keeps viewers glued to their seat. Not the least because Mr and Mrs Smith discover genuine love, and their common enemy.
💻Where to watch: Stan, Disney Plus
🍅Rotten Tomatoes: 60%
🍿Audience rating: 8.5/10
A close look reveals plenty wrong with this film, including plagiarism accusations and insulting an entire country. Still, the lead actors' chemistry, and the obvious fun they have working together, make it a great watch.
More Romantic Thrillers to Enjoy
| 🏆Film Title | 📆Year | 🎬Director | 🤼Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertigo | 1958 | Alfred Hitchcock | James Stewart Kim Novak Barbara Bel Geddes |
| Romancing the Stone | 1984 | Robert Zemeckis | Michael Douglas Kathleen Turner Danny DeVito |
| Safe Haven | 2013 | Lasse Hallström | Josh Duhamel Julianne Hough Cobie Smulders |
| Road Games | 2015 | Abner Pastoll | Andrew Simpson Joséphine de La Baume Frédéric Pierrot |
| Gentleman | 2016 | Mohan Krishna Indraganti | Nani Surbhi Nivetha Thomas |
🧗🏻♂️The Best Action Thriller Movies
When one thinks about top thriller movies, this sub-genre is on their mind. The Bond and Mission Impossible franchises rate high on the list, along with an Australian franchise you'll read about shortly. However, our next cinema fact might surprise you.
Anime fans know that their favourite genre delivers the most exciting action thrillers. Indeed, some of the best animated films are thrillers. Summer Time Rendering (2022) and Perfect Blue (1997) stand out as fine examples of such. But that's a topic for another article; here, we focus on live-action films.
Mad Max - 1979
Anarchy descends on Australia due to oil and other shortages. Violent street gangs do what they must to secure their fuel supply. Meanwhile, a jaded police officer wants to quit the dwindling force to save his sanity. When the gang murders his son, he embarks on a raving revenge tour.
💻Where to watch: Sky Go, Now TV Cinema
🍅Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
🍿Audience rating: 6.8/10
Upon its release, critics panned this film for its graphic violence and lack of redeeming storyline. Still, this original offering birthed a franchise - whose newer releases fare much better. If paranoid dystopia is what it takes to introduce Australian cinema to the world, so be it.
Léon, The Professional - 1994
A hitman lives a quiet life in an apartment block. Just down the hall, an abusive family with a drug-addicted father 'works' with a corrupt federal agent. The child, seeking some sort of peace and stability, falls in with the contract killer, ultimately getting involved in his work. Their relationship grows on a foundation of honesty and mutual respect.
💻Where to watch: Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube, Sky Store
🍅Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
🍿Audience rating: 8.5/10
It's a strange world when a contract killer is more ethical and compassionate than law keepers and parents. One can hardly blame Mathilda for gravitating towards the more consistent adult in her life. The murderous dance they engage in leaves viewers questioning their bases for ethical reasoning.
Bonus Action Thriller Title: Midnight Runners - 2017
Since Parasite and Squid Game, moviegoers have woken up to the wonders of Korean cinema. Thus, we must include this gem - one of many from the K-Drama catalogue. We've placed it on our list of best films ever, for its non-stop action as much as for its comedic moments.
A couple of police trainees take a night off from the academy, hoping to meet girls and find some action. Before they hit the first club, they witness a kidnapping, and it's all running, from there.
💻Where to watch: Kocowa, Ratuken Viki, Fandor, AsianCrush
🍅Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
🍿Audience rating: 7.3/10
At times hilarious and others, deadly serious, Runners keeps the action pumping all night. The director weaves the bromance in with skill; the leads' chemistry makes it easy to do. Park Seo-joon fans will thrill to see him at his peak, delivering physical prowess and humour in equal parts.
More Action Thrillers to Keep You in Suspense
| 🏆Film Title | 📆Year | 🎬Director | 🤼Cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter the Dragon | 1973 | Robert Clouse | Bruce Lee John Saxon Ahna Capri |
| Kiss of the Dragon | 2001 | Chris Nahon | Jet Li Bridget Fonda Tchéky Karyo |
| Salt | 2010 | Phillip Noyce | Angelina Jolie Liev Schreiber Chiwetel Ejiofor |
| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | 2011 | David Fincher | Daniel Craig Rooney Mara Christopher Plummer |
| The Killer | 2023 | David Fincher | Michael Fassbender Arliss Howard Charles Parnell |
Which is your top thriller genre?
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