It sometimes seems like true cinematic thrillers have gone out of fashion lately. Perhaps the genre has been taken over by television and true-crime documentaries. Those are great, but sometimes you want a suspenseful, fictional story in two hours or less. Luckily, HBO Max has a ton of thrilling movies for you to watch or rewatch as many times as you want. The following entries represent just a small sampling of thrillers the streaming service currently has to offer.
Don't see what you're looking for? Check out our list of the best horror films or dramas on the platform or the best movies across all genres on HBO.
Editor's note: This article was updated in October 2023 to include Meg 2: The Trench.
The 25 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century (So Far)
From Fincher to Park Chan-wook, let's take a look a look at a killer two decades in thriller movies.Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
Runtime: 2 hr 3 min | Director: Olivia Wilde
Cast: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine, KiKi Layne, Gemma Chan
One of the most dramatic films of the year, both on and off screen, director Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling is a suspense-filled mystery about a utopian town that, in actuality, is anything but. Florence Pugh (Black Widow) continues her charm, captivating audiences as the perfect loving and doting housewife, Alice, who begins to unravel as she suspects that her world is not what it seems. Paired with Harry Styles (My Policeman), Pugh is exceptional as she holds the movie together – even in formidable scenes against Chris Pine (Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves). Don’t Worry Darling introduces a mountain of intrigue while offering an onslaught of thought-provoking questions. – Yael Tygiel
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
Runtime: 1 hr 56 min | Director: Ben Wheatley
Cast: Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Shuya Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis
A sequel to the hit sharksploitation movie The Meg, Meg 2: The Trench follows Jason Statham’s Jonas and Jing Wu’s Jiuming Zhang as they lead a research team down into the dark depths of the unexplored ocean, only to be met by fears bigger than they ever could have imagined and a battle for survival just as great. With the original throwing almighty action-sequences and terrifying visuals in abundance, Meg 2: The Trench turns the dial up even more, with impressive cinematography from Haris Zambarloukos that manages to capture the sheer terror of the ocean. A wild ride from start to finish, Meg 2: The Trench is the perfect indulgence movie for those who want thrills and spills without necessarily any nuance. A fact fans of the series relish, Meg 2: The Trench is unapologetically in-your-face. - Jake Hodges
Donnie Darko (2001)
Runtime: 1 hr 53 min | Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery | Director: Richard Kelly
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell
Donnie Darko is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller written and directed by Richard Kelly (The Box) about a troubled young man haunted by visions of a disturbing rabbit that tempts him into committing crimes in his sleep. Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler) plays the titular Donnie and gives a smashing performance as he navigates the strange occurrences happening around his town that start after he narrowly escapes a jet engine crashing into his room. This is a film that will require multiple viewings to appreciate all the subtle nuances and foreshadowing littered throughout while still leaving enough threads open to debate over with friends and family for decades.
Reality (2023)
Runtime: 1 hr 23 min | Genre: Drama | Director: Tina Satter
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton, Marchánt Davis
Director and playwright Tina Satter adapts her stage play Is This a Room, based on the real transcripts of an FBI investigation into leaked classified documents. At the center of the investigation is a young US Air Force member and NSA translator named Reality Winner, whose tense encounter with the FBI is masterfully captured by up-and-coming talent Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria). This docudrama is a wonderful showcase for Satter as her film directorial debut, and she couldn’t have picked a better lead in Sweeney, who is so real and grounded in this role it makes your heart race with every question she has to field, knowing a single misplaced word could mean the end for her.
Under the Skin (2013)
Runtime: 1 hr 38 min | Director: Jonathan Glazer
Cast: Scarlett Johansson
Directed by Jonathan Glazer, who co-wrote the script with Walter Campbell, Under the Skin is an enticing science-fiction thriller with a music video aesthetic that feels natural to the director’s previous experiences. The film stars Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) as an unknown entity who takes the form of a stunning young woman in order to lure isolated males into her web, trapping their lost souls in an otherworldly dimension. Blossoming from a mind-bending premise, Under the Skin is set against the backdrop of Scotland, revealing an unnerving exploration of humanity through a strangely sensual and undeniably suspenseful film. – Yael Tygiel
Gone Girl (2014)
Runtime: 2 hr 29 min | Director: David Fincher
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon
Gone Girl was written by Gillian Flynn, author of the novel on which the film is based, and directed by crime drama maestro David Fincher. Gone Girl stars Ben Affleck (Justice League) and Rosamund Pike (The Wheel of Time) as Nick and Amy, a seemingly happily married couple who project an idyllic union. When Amy disappears, Nick suddenly becomes the prime suspect. A psychological thriller, Gone Girl explores the police pressure, media frenzy, and societal influence that can tarnish a happy image through a deviously suspenseful plot. Earning critical acclaim and audience praise, Gone Girl is a tantalizing mystery wrapped in a smart plot and a clever visual style. – Yael Tygiel
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Runtime: 2 hr 34 min
Cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman
But of course. Pulp Fiction, the film that simultaneously shot Tarantino into “superstardom” status and spawned a slew of imitators that would be churned out of Hollywood for the next decade. To find the extent of Tarantino’s influence, look no further than the fact that non-linear storytelling is now not only common, it’s become a staple of high-end television. Tarantino found himself in a neck-and-neck battle with Forrest Gump all throughout awards season, and while he lost out on Best Director and Best Picture to Robert Zemeckis’ fable, he at least took home Best Original Screenplay. Oscars aside, though, Pulp Fiction is an enduring classic that has solidified its place in film history as an incredibly influential—and just cool—piece of work. – Adam Chitwood
Thoroughbreds (2017)
Runtime: 1 hr 32 min | Director: Cory Finley
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, Paul Sparks
From writer/director Cory Finley (Bad Education), Thoroughbreds stars Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy (The New Mutants) as Amanda and Lily, a couple of upper-class suburban teenage friends who scheme to solve their problems with solutions such as killing Lily’s stepdad (Paul Sparks). Thoroughbreds seamlessly weaves through planting mysterious puzzle pieces and slicing tension with uproarious dialogue, cleverly crafting an unexpected dark comedy. Cooke and Taylor-Joy harmonize delicately through the story, which allows support from Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) to enhance already brilliant scenes. Thoroughbreds is a stunning film marrying aspects of American Psycho, Heathers, and Mini’s First Time. – Yael Tygiel
Confidence (2003)
Runtime: 1 hr 37 min | Director: James Foley
Cast: Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia
When a con-man and his crew rip off the wrong guy, they scramble to pull off another con to pay back what they took. Confidence, starring Edward Burns, is a fast-paced, heist-filled crime drama star-packed with award-winning actors, including Dustin Hoffman (Hook) and Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven). Although littered with a roster of powerhouse actors, Confidence is built on a thrilling script by Doug Jung (The Cloverfield Paradox), whose words compliment the performances effortlessly. Confidence is a playful and suspenseful escapade oozing with tension and unpredictable twists. – Yael Tygiel
Ex Machina (2014)
Runtime: 1 hr 48 min | Director: Alex Garland
Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac
Written and directed by Alex Garland (Annihilation), Ex Machina is a fascinating and dark science-fiction thriller covering the intersection of isolation, obsession, and technology. Domhnall Gleeson (The Rise of Skywalker) plays Caleb, an engineer invited to partake in an exclusive opportunity to work with synthetic intelligence, where it turns out that nothing is as it seems. While the film features stellar performances from the incomparable Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight) and underrated Gleeson, the true breakout of Ex Machina is Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider), who embodies an android named Ava. Vikander is hypnotic in the role, solidifying the intrigue for audiences and allowing this fascinating film about intelligent people reflecting on the nature of humanity to flourish. – Yael Tygiel
A Most Violent Year (2014)
Runtime: 2 hr 5 min | Director: J.C. Chandor
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo
A Most Violent Year stars Oscar Isaac (X-Men: Apocalypse) and Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) as a loving couple driven by their ambitions to protect their family and business during a tumultuous and dangerous time in New York City history. Writer/director J.C. Chandor brings an incredible story to life, earning A Most Violent Year an abundance of award nominations for the actors involved. Isaac and Chastain steer the suspenseful crime drama with heart and determination through their riveting performances. – Yael Tygiel
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Runtime: 2 hr 30 min | Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette
A film that deserved far more praise when it first came out for just how well-constructed it all is, Nightmare Alley sees Guillermo del Toro create monsters that are not otherworldly but rather all too human. It follows a manipulative Bradley Cooper as Stanton Carlisle, a broken man who discovers he has the ability to con people through mentalism he picked up as part of a traveling circus. He is able to turn this into a strong career, though when he gets an offer for more money than he could ever imagine, he will risk it all. It is a story of greed that sees Cooper doing his very best work, drawing us deeper and deeper into the mentality of a man who wants it all. No matter the cost, the story shows how he becomes an agent of self-destruction for himself and others who are unlikely enough to get caught up in his wake. It is a remake of a classic of the same name that goes in its own direction, finding both striking visuals and devastating destruction in the excavation of its own depravity. - Chase Hutchinson
Old (2021)
Runtime: 1 hr 48 min | Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell
The movie that spawned a million memes that is still quite good in its own right, Old is horror auteur M. Night Shyamalan at his very best and most focused. It tells the terrifying tale of, you guessed it, a beach that makes you old. When an unexpected cast of characters finds themselves on said beach, they initially can’t believe that this is happening before soon discovering that there is seemingly no way to stop their impending demise. Children become teens then adults, and adults become elderly then die. It is all very grim and often gruesome, making for an unsettling experience that is finely tuned to create a maximum sense of suffocating fear. While there are some moments where it loses its nerve towards the end, the nightmarish journey is an undeniably unique one in how it occasionally becomes rather profound when you least expect it. It cuts deep, making for a film that is more than its meme presence. - Chase Hutchinson
Kimi (2022)
Runtime: 1 hr 29 min | Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Zoë Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Rita Wilson
Another film that proves Steven Soderbergh is one of the best to ever do it, Kimi is a masterful modern thriller set in Seattle that authentically captures the city as it follows Zoë Kravitz as a tech worker named Angela. In the course of her work, Angela discovers that there is a coverup that she will have to leave the safety of her apartment in order to uncover. What follows is a thoroughly tense experience that sees her having to flee through the nooks and crannies of the city while avoiding a whole host of pursuers who would want nothing more than to make sure she stays silent. Not only is Kravitz pitch-perfect in the role, but she also really embraces the kinetic energy of the film that keeps everything moving along smoothly. It all builds to one of the most satisfying and cathartic conclusions, making for one of the most thoroughly enjoyable cinematic rides you’ll find out there. — Chase Hutchinson
Memento (2000)
Runtime: 1 hr 53 min | Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
One of the earliest works from writer-director Christopher Nolan, Memento is a still incisive film about history and morality told through the unreliable perspective of a man experiencing short-term memory loss. The man is Leonard (Guy Pearce) and he has tattooed important information about the murder of his wife to his body so that he won’t forget it. It is a film whose narrative is intentionally fractured, showing two timelines of events happening alongside each other. One, in black-and-white, proceeds forward over the course of several phone calls. The other, in color, is shown in reverse order and ensures key revelations are shown gradually when you least expect them. It is a film that offers an early hint of Nolan’s fascination in both time and the mind’s perception of it, pulling back the curtain on one man’s psyche as he comes to terms with how he wants to lead what is left of his life. — Chase Hutchinson
American Psycho (2000)
Runtime: 1 hr 42 min | Director: Mary Harron
Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, Reese Witherspoon
It’s ironic that American Psycho was initially met with the criticism that it was promoting “toxic masculinity,” because that's exactly what Mary Harron was satirizing with her outrageous depiction of Wall Street bro culture. Christian Bale delivers one of the definitive performances of his career as Patrick Bateman, a role initially offered to Leonardo DiCaprio. Bateman is perhaps the next anti-hero since Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle, and Harron does a great job at making the film both brutally gory and repulsively funny. American Psycho also earns points for the iconic “It’s Hip To Be Square” sequence that dispatches with Jared Leto in a particularly amusing fashion. — Liam Gaughan
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Runtime: 1 hr 59 min | Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Matt Damon, Clive Owen, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles
The first installment in the iconic action franchise changed the face of the genre for good. As the Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises descended into more ludicrous storylines, Doug Liman’s gritty CIA thriller introduced a gritty intensity that action movies have been imitating ever since. Anyone who doubted that Matt Damon could be an action star had to eat their words. While Paul Greengrass took the series to new heights with the next two installments, The Bourne Identity holds up as a terrific origin story for one of the greatest screen heroes of the 21st Century. — Liam Gaughan
The Departed (2006)
Runtime: 2 hr 31 min | Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime drama The Departed is the film that finally won him the Best Director Oscar, but he was simply trying to have a good time. After serious epics like The Aviator and Gangs of New York, Scorsese admitted he opted to make a commercial film, choosing to remake the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs with an all-star cast. The result is a tremendously entertaining crime drama packed with stellar performances and led by one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best turns ever. The film not only won the Oscar for Best Director, but also Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. – Adam Chitwood
Blood Simple (1984)
Runtime: 1 hr 39 min | Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Frances McDormand, John Getz, Dan Hedaya, Samm-Art Williams, M. Emmet Walsh
Blood Simple was the world’s introduction to the Coen Brothers, and they come out the gate swinging. The film has all their hallmarks, already formed. Its characters are dumb, but likable folks who get in over their heads and run directly into disaster. Even this early on, the Coens display a great eye for detail and ear for dialog. The film is a pleasure just to listen to. And also, there is all that crazy Coen violence, which can be funny and horrifying at the same time. On top of all that, the film boasts a super early Frances McDormand performance as well.
Chinatown (1974)
Runtime: 2 hr 11 min | Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, John Huston
Chinatown remains one of cinema’s gold standard screenplays for a reason. It’s a detective story filled with twists that adhere to genre tropes but also twists that definitely challenge expectations. And at the center of it all, a classic Jack Nicholson performance at the top of his game. Like a lot of detective stories, Chinatown keeps adding layers to its story until it becomes hard to remember what thread you’re even following at the moment and yet it stays consistently entertaining throughout. If you want a really wild night, pair it up with Who Framed Roger Rabbit.