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45 Best Thriller Movies If You’re All About That Suspense
Thrillers that make you want to double check the front door is locked.
Thriller movies are reserved for the most fearless of movie fanatics.
Rather than the blood and gore of many horror films, thrillers are full of conflict, unexpected twists and tensions that have you on the edge of your seats. Better yet, the anxiety, terror and uncertainty inflicted on a viewer by thrillers can force them to question themselves, their close ones and even their own reality.
From the 2010 Oscar-winning film Black Swan to all new 2024 releases including Damsel, which sees Millie Bobby Brown star as a princess forced to defend herself against a fire-breathing dragon, and the biggest hits of 2023, like Saltburn, there's a range of plot lines to keep you hooked.
That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of the best thriller movies to watch that are sure to have you biting your nails throughout.
American Gangster (2007)
With a seriously starry cast, Ridley Scott-directed American Gangster is the nail-biting thriller that you need to add to your watch list. Starring Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the film tells the story of chauffeur Frank Lucas, played by Washington, who works for one of Harlem's most notorious gangsters. After his boss dies, Lucas graduates from driver to crime lord, something that puts him on the radar of policeman, Richie Roberts, played by Russell Crowe. Without giving any spoilers away, the rest of the story has to be seen to be believed.
The Guest (2014)
If you're looking for a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, The Guest is the one. The film tells the story of a soldier named David, played by Dan Stevens, who shows up at a family's house claiming to be their dead son's friend who fought with him in Afghanistan before his death. David is quickly welcomed into the Peterson's house, but suspicions rise for their teenage daughter Anna, played by Maika Monroe, who starts to get suspicious after a series of mysterious deaths rocks the family's sleepy town.
Emily The Criminal (2022)
In a performance that planted her firmly on the map in the eyes of many, The White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza dazzled audiences and critics alike with her performance in Emily The Criminal. The film follows Plaza, who plays the titular Emily Benetto, a woman trying to pay back her student debt but struggling to do so thanks to her criminal record obstructing her ability to get a job. The result is that Emily's has to resort to rather more uncouth measures to pay off her debt.
Miller's Girl (2024)
Jenna Ortega stars as Cairo Sweet, a young 18-year-old woman who schemes to have an affair with her much older teacher, Jonathan Miller (played by Martin Freeman) with the hopes of finally finding an interesting story for her university application.
Filled with tension, Miller's Girl examines the boundaries between student and teacher and the consequences of challenging power dynamics.
The Killer (2023)
Based on the French graphic novel series of the same name by Alexis ‘Matz’ Nolent, The Killer tells the story of an assassin, played by Michael Fassbender, who embarks on an international vendetta after a hit goes wrong. If that isn't reason enough to tune into the thriller, the film also stars Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton, so what're you waiting for?
Road House (2024)
A remake of the 1989 movie starring Patrick Swayze, things are not all as they seem in this action thriller which sees Jake Gyllenhaal play a UFC fighter named Dalton who ends working as a bouncer in an unusual rough-and-tumble roadhouse in Florida.
Saltburn (2023)
It's one of the most talked-about films of recent years, but if you still haven't seen Emerald Fennell's second film, Saltburn, which takes inspiration from Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, then mark it as one to watch – if not for that naked Sophie Ellis-Bextor soundtracked dance scene.
The film tells the story of Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) who befriends the beautiful, wealthy and aristocratic Felix Catton while studying at Oxford. When Catton invites Quick to his family's estate, deftly named Saltburn, things quickly start to unravel for Quick and the circle of people he's elbowed his way to the heart of.
Foe (2023)
Set in a near-future world that has been baked by a climate apocalypse, Hen (Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal) farm a secluded piece of land that has been in Junior's family for generations, but their quiet life is thrown into turmoil when an uninvited stranger shows up at their door with a startling proposal.
Fair Play (2023)
Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor stars in this moody thriller which follows the slow but sinister unravelling of a couple's relationship when Emily, played by Dynevor, receives an unexpected promotion at a hedge fund company instead of her boyfriend (Alden Ehrenreich).
The premise of the film spotlights themes of love, ambition, feminism and jealousy and the dynamics of power imbalances in modern day heterosexual relationships.
I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (2020)
Charlie Kaufman, the 2005 winner of the the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, is the brains behind one of Netflix’s most underrated thrillers.
Starring Jessie Buckley as Lucy, a young woman thinking about ending her relationship with her boyfriend Jake, played by Jesse Plemons, I’m Thinking Of Ending Things proves that nothing is ever really as it seems as the pair visit his parents on their secluded farm.
Before I Wake (2016)
When foster parents Mark and Jessie, played by Jacob Tremblay and Kate Bosworth respectively, welcome eight-year-old Cody into their home, they’re unsurprised to learn that he’s terrified to fall asleep. They assume it’s like any natural fear that a child has, until suddenly their dead biological son suddenly appears in their living room.
The couple quickly learns that both Cody’s dreams and his nightmares can become real — and so begins their journey to uncover the truth behind his unusual ability.
The Good Nurse (2022)
While battling a serious health condition, overstretched ICU nurse and mum Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) uncovers one of the most sinister serial killers of all time, Charles Cullen, in this unnerving mystery drama.
The film is based on the true story of Cullen, who, between the 1990s and 2000s, killed at least 29 people while being employed as a nurse, although authorities believe that number to be closer to 400.
While Loughren's new colleague (Cullen) appears selfless and a huge help to her at first, unexplained deaths lead the silent killer to his fate.
Fall (2022)
Courage and strength come at a cost when two adventure-seeking friends fight for survival from 2,000 feet high in this gripping tale, starring Shazam!'s Grace Fulton and Halloween's Virginia Gardner.
It depicts emotionally fragile rock climber Becky almost a year after a life-altering accident scarred her for life. She hesitantly decides to join her friend on a risky climbing mission to reach the top of the forsaken B67 TV tower in the middle of the Mojave desert.
But, when the duo's daring move doesn't go according to plan, their chances of coming down alive get slimmer by the minute.
The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
The Clovehitch Killer is inspired by the harrowing events caused by 'BTK Killer' Dennis Rader, who murdered 10 people between 1974 and 1991. The cases remained unsolved until 2005 when he unwittingly disclosed his identity to law enforcement.
In the movie, we see a teenager's perfect family - or so it would seem - ripped apart by the distressing reality of a serial killer lurking much too close to home.
Get Out (2017)
This thriller earned Jordan Peele an Oscar for 'Best Original Screenplay'. Tackling prevalent issues, it centres around interracial couple Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose Armitage (Girls' Allison Williams). They visit her upstate family home, where her loved ones are overly accommodating, before increasingly shocking and unsettling revelations set alarm bells ringing.
Scarface (1983)
Starring Oscar-winning Al Pacino, this classic follows a resilient Cuban-born criminal who acquires control of a drug cartel and surrenders to greed. The result? A life of compulsion, mania and cruelty, leading to menacing consequences.
The Occupant (2020)
This Spanish thriller sees an unemployed advertising executive stalking the new tenants of his former home, which he can no longer afford to live in. His motives towards the new occupants turn sinister, and he torments the family, after downsizing his family from luxury living to a small apartment.
Dressed To Kill (1980)
When a high-class prostitute accidentally witnesses a mysterious woman brutally murder a housewife, she finds herself in the midst of a very dangerous game – and the killer's new target. This New York City-based thriller is a distinctly Hitchcock-inspired classic that's filled with nail-biting suspense and some seriously stylish scenes to boot.
The Devil All The Time (2020)
Starring Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson, this thriller sees menacing characters come across a young man committed to protecting his loved ones in a small town post World War II. Corruption and turbulence are at the core of this film, taking its viewers on one hell of a bumpy ride.
The Voyeurs (2021)
A young couple (Sydney Sweeney and Justice Smith) become obsessed with the sex lives of their neighbours who live opposite to them. They constantly peer through their window and fixate themselves on the pair's love life, before a range of incidents lead to a dark outcome.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
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