There are few genres that have defined the excitement, suspense, and drama of classic Hollywood entertainment quite as sufficiently as the thriller, with the genre's knack for heart-pounding stories and elusive, shocking twists dating back to Hollywood's golden age. This has rung true in more recent times, with modern classics like Gone Girl and Nightcrawler serving as instant classics of the genre with their dark and disturbing narrative, but there have been a great many brilliant thrillers that haven't received the widespread popularity they so thoroughly deserve.

With so many exceptional thrillers being made, it is not at all surprising that some of these films slipped through the cracks, even though many of them star some of the biggest actors of the modern era. Boasting impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores though, these films were far from duds and have solidified themselves as must-see pictures for any fan of thriller cinema.

15 'Enemy' (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%

Adam and Anthony staring at each other in Enemy.
Image via Entertainment One

An early success in the context of Denis Villeneuve's career, Enemy ran as a darkly captivating neo-noir psychological thriller that thrived off the back of a brilliant acting performance by Jake Gyllenhaal. Starring the actor in two lead roles, it follows a college professor who spots an extra in a film who looks exactly like him and becomes obsessed with tracking him down, but when he meets his dopplegänger he is confronted by their contrasting personalities which clash violently as the two men begin to interfere in each other's lives.

Like many of Villeneuve's films, Enemy offers an engrossing and enigmatic story as confounding as it was relentlessly intense and came to be defined by its refusal to settle for easy or safe conclusions. An anxiety trip that uses the eerily haunting presence of spiders as a motif, Enemy has become a modern cult classic.

Enemy
R

Release Date
February 6, 2014
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Cast
Jake Gyllenhaal , Mélanie Laurent , Sarah Gadon , Isabella Rossellini , Joshua Peace , Tim Post , Kedar Brown , Darryl Dinn
Runtime
91 Minutes

Watch on Kanopy

14 'Nocturnal Animals' (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%

nocturnal-animals-jake-gyllenhaal-social-feature
Image via Focus Features

Fans of Jake Gyllenhaal's Nightcrawler will find a new favorite in Nocturnal Animals. A "story inside a story," it follows Susan (Amy Adams), the manager of an upscale art gallery overseeing a new exhibition when she receives a novel manuscript from Edward (Gyllenhaal), her ex-husband whom she divorced 20 years prior who seeks approval on his work. She grows increasingly concerned as the novel - which makes up much of the second part of the film - centers on a family whose vacation turns violent.

Having written and directed the screenplay, fashion designer Tom Ford brings a stylish touch to this dark and cerebral thriller which lingers on revenge and romance with fascinating insights. With two different stories unfolding within the film, some viewers may find it difficult to discern which characters are a part of which narrative, but the star-studded cast of Nocturnal Animals presents a violent yet entrancing medley of human nature in all its horrifying savagery.

Nocturnal Animals
R

Release Date
December 9, 2016
Director
Tom Ford
Runtime
116 minutes

Rent on Apple TV

13 'The Place Beyond the Pines' (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

the-place-beyond-the-pines-ryan-gosling
Image via Focus Features

A story that is simultaneously about the relationship between father and son, and the idea that the sins of the father transition onto their kin, The Place Beyond the Pines has become a revered cult hit for its incredible ambition and weighty thematic focus. It follows a motorcycle stuntman who takes to robbing banks to provide for his young family, a decision which places him on a collision course with an ambitious young policeman looking to move up the ranks in a police department riddled with corruption.

Divided into three acts, The Place Beyond the Pines is a powerful analysis of how one's actions bring about unintended consequences, both in the immediate aftermath and over the course of many years. The movie's pacing is precise and meticulous, with the story unfolding over a runtime of 140 minutes and excelling off the back of strong performances to function as a gripping emotional thriller.

The Place Beyond the Pines
R

Release Date
March 14, 2013
Director
Derek Cianfrance
Runtime
140

Watch on Apple TV+

12 'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

I'm Thinking Of Ending Things
Image via Netflix

An acclaimed, Oscar-winning screenwriter defined by his emotionally complicated characters and his searing narrative dare, Charlie Kaufman has become a cult figure for his mind-boggling films which glisten with raw, contradicting ideals. His 2018 thriller I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a rare gem, following a young woman visiting her new boyfriend's parent's farmhouse where she begins to view her partner in a different light and starts learning things about herself as well, all the while a school janitor goes about his work.

Kaufman's film is a symbolic, twisting, and often frustrating viewing experience that seeks to challenge the philosophy of its viewers more so than an organized, linear narrative, but it still thrives as a compelling and surprisingly intense surrealist thriller grappling with the human condition. With both Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemmons superb in the starring roles as well, its exploration of the human psyche struck a chord with critics and is a great, cerebral watch for fans who want something to think about.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things
R

Release Date
August 28, 2020
Director
Charlie Kaufman
Runtime
134m

Watch on Netflix

11 'The Stanford Prison Experiment' (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%

Collage Maker-09-Feb-2023-02.29-PM
Image via IFC Films

Based on true events, The Stanford Prison Experiment brought a fascinating and alarming social experiment to the screen with mesmerizing results. It follows a professor at Stanford University who proposed a risky experiment in which 24 male students were selected to play the roles of guards and inmates in a fake prison environment, with the behavior of those involved changing with drastic effects as they become more entrenched in their roles. The experiment was scheduled to last for two weeks. It was cut in six days.

The fact that the film is based on true events truly enhances the viewing experience even as the premise begins to feel like it is from a more experimental, dystopian picture. Propped up by strong acting performances, an unwavering interest in human psychology, and an intensity that escalates superbly, The Stanford Prison Experiment is an outstanding psychological thriller that is worth watching even if viewers will only want to watch it once.

Watch on Tubi

10 'Wind River' (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

two law enforcement officers walking side by side in the snow
Image via The Weinstein Company

While a financial success with its box office total of $43.9 million, Wind River still underperformed given it was a sublime murder mystery propped up by two of the MCU's major stars, Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner. A timely crime movie, it focuses on the social issue of Indigenous women being kidnapped and sexually assaulted, a crime spree that goes severely unreported until a wildlife tracker and a new FBI operative work together to solve a murder on the reserve.

In Wind River, racial injustice towards Native American culture in the legal system is handled elegantly in the context of a gripping and intense suspense thriller. Audiences are drawn to Olsen and Renner's characters, in part because of their admirable goals, but also because of their palpable chemistry which made them work so well together in the Marvel films.

Wind River
R

A wildlife officer, who is haunted by a tragedy that happened because of him, teams up with an FBI agent in solving a murder of a young woman on a Wyoming Native American reservation and hopes to get redemption from his past regrets.

Release Date
August 18, 2017
Director
Taylor Sheridan
Cast
Kelsey Chow , Jeremy Renner , Julia Jones , Teo Briones , Apesanahkwat , Graham Greene
Runtime
107 minutes

Rent on Amazon

9 'You Were Never Really Here' (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

Joaquin Phoenix as Joe with blood splattered on his face and his hands up in surrender in 'You Were Never Really Here.'
Image via Amazon Studios

Unafraid of violence and conflict, Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) is a traumatized war veteran who gets by as a man who tracks down missing girls. However, when a job goes awry, Joe begins to experience nightmares as an elaborate conspiracy is exposed, a conspiracy which could bring about Joe's death or serve as his awakening which gives his lost soul some purpose in the world.

A triumph from writer and director Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here excelled in its gritty action sequences, but was even more enthralling as it dealt with Joe's trauma by revealing glimpses of his experiences with first-person perspectives in flashing increments. The lens Ramsay cast over her scarred protagonist also offered a refreshing insight relevant to contemporary debates about masculinity in the modern day and how it engages with social roles.

You Were Never Really Here
R

Release Date
November 8, 2017
Director
Lynne Ramsay
Cast
Joaquin Phoenix , Dante Pereira-Olson , Larry Canady , Vinicius Damasceno , Neo Randall , Judith Roberts
Runtime
95

Watch on Amazon Prime

8 'A Most Violent Year' (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Image via A24

A deliberately paced and slow movie imbued with no small amount of grit, A Most Violent Year saw director J. C. Chander deliver a complex picture with great poise and delicate precision. Set in 1980s New York, it centers on a fuel supplier who struggles to uphold his moral values when his family and his business become unlikely targets of the city's rampant corruption.

Fueled by commanding performances from Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, and an arresting, atmospheric display from Chander, A Most Violent Year realizes its grueling narrative with chilling results as it subverts the deceiving promise of the American dream. Despite its critical acclaim upon release, the film was a box office flop, making just $12 million against a budget of $20 million.

A Most Violent Year
R

Release Date
December 30, 2014
Director
J.C. Chandor
Runtime
125

Watch on Max

7 'Good Time' (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Connie in the back of the cop car at the end of Good Time.
Image via A24

A pivotal film in the context of Robert Pattinson's career resurgence, Good Time served as the second feature film from the Safdie Brothers, one which saw them break into Hollywood. It follows Connie Nikas (Pattinson), a manipulative petty criminal who, after his intellectually challenged brother is arrested in a robbery, sets his mind to acquiring enough money to pay his bail.

Connie's harrowing journey through the criminal underbelly of New York is presented as a relentlessly suspenseful trek defined by its desperation and grit. With surprisingly beautiful cinematography and an electrifying tempo, Good Time was an absorbing crime thriller that paved the way for the Safdie Brothers to go on and make Uncut Gems. This was a resounding success with its Netflix release, one which established the Safdies as an integral element of the genre's future.

Good Time
R

Release Date
August 11, 2017
Director
Ben Safdie , Joshua Safdie
Cast
Jennifer Jason Leigh , Robert Pattinson , Barkhad Abdi , Ben Safdie , Luke Eberl , Buddy Duress
Runtime
99

Watch on Netflix

6 'Widows' (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

The main cast of the movie Widows talking in a dilapidated space.
Image via 20th Century Fox

Not only an underrated crime thriller, but an overlooked achievement in the modern context of social value and cinema, Widows excelled as a gripping and commanding viewing experience that gave women prominent roles that were well-written and gritty. The film focuses on the four widows who are bound together by a debt stemming from the illicit actions of their late husbands, following them as they plan a heist that will allow them to pursue the lives they crave.

While it flaunted an ensemble cast containing some of Hollywood's biggest stars, it was the grounded realism of the performances of its four main leads - Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo - which gave the film its compelling core. With Steve McQueen's astute direction, Widows was able to delve into the messiness of life with its heroines to great effect.

Widows
R
Release Date
November 6, 2018
Director
Steve McQueen
Cast
Viola Davis , Liam Neeson , Jon Bernthal , Manuel Garcia-Rulfo , Coby Goss , Michelle Rodriguez
Runtime
128

Watch on Fubo

5 'Take Shelter' (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain as Curtis and Samantha having breakfast with daughter in Take Shelter
Image Via Sony Pictures Classics

Powered by brilliant performances from two-time Academy Award-nominee Michael Shannon and Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter excelled as a compelling psychological thriller surrounding a man's visions of the end of the world. Questioning everything around him as his mind becomes plagued by apocalyptic terror, Curtis (Shannon) begins building a shelter in his backyard as he exhibits paranoid behavior which places a strain on his relationship with his wife.

Exploring thought-provoking themes while delivering a stunning viewing experience of sheer dread, Take Shelter is a challenging watch to be sure, but a worthwhile one that displays Shannon in a career-best performance. While it was made on a measly budget, the film's box office intake of just $3.7 million saw it release as a costly movie, though it has become something of a cult hit over time due to its excellence as a thriller.

Take Shelter
R
Release Date
September 30, 2011
Director
Jeff Nichols
Cast
Michael Shannon , Jessica Chastain , Tova Stewart , Shea Whigham , Katy Mixon , Natasha Randall
Runtime
120

Rent on Amazon

4 'Captain Phillips' (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

With the trademark intensity director Paul Greengrass brings to many of his projects, Captain Phillips created a buzz in the year of its release, even being nominated for six Academy Awards, but it has since become a forgotten and largely overlooked gem as the years have passed by. With Tom Hanks in the starring role, it follows Richard Phillips, the captain of an American cargo ship that is hijacked by Somali pirates, documenting the peculiar interactions the two men share as they try to navigate the complex situation as amicably as possible.

With such an impressive Rotten Tomatoes rating, Captain Phillips was revered not only as a brilliant and re-watchable thriller, but as a film with an astute awareness of the rapidly changing world and the complex, nuanced landscape of a world entrenched in globalization. It also boasted a powerful performance from Hanks, and an equally compelling co-starring outing from Barkhad Abdi, who portrayed the leader of the pirates as a complicated and increasingly sympathetic figure.

Captain Phillips
PG-13

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Release Date
October 11, 2013
Director
Paul Greengrass
Cast
Tom Hanks , Barkhad Abdi , Barkhad Abdirahman , Catherine Keener , Faysal Ahmed , Mahat M. Ali , Michael Chernus , David Warshofsky
Runtime
134 Minutes

Watch on Amazon Prime

3 'First Reformed' (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Ethan Hawke stands alone amidst desolation in 'First Reformed'
Image via A24

Both powerful and devastating with its intense focus on modern values and environmental extremism, First Reformed was an immediately captivating thriller with plenty of ideas to explore. It focuses on the evolution of Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke), the minister of a small congregation who begins to develop existential dread when the husband of one of his regulars commits suicide.

With the deceased being an unstable environmental activist with apparent plans to enact terrorist attacks to garner attention for his cause, the Reverend is both disturbed and enthralled by the man’s conviction. Full of rage, First Reformed is a bleak and punishing thriller that takes aim at modern society without respite and serves as an example of Oscar-nominated screenwriter Paul Schrader at his absolute best in a standout turn from the storyteller as a director.

Watch on Kanopy

2 'Burning' (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Yoo Ah-in running in 'Burning'
Image via CJ Entertainment

Another terrific slow-burn of mounting suspense, Burning was a South Korean-Japanese picture from 2018 that excelled as a character-driven psychological thriller imbued with just enough oddities to be both fiercely intriguing and utterly bewildering. It follows an aspiring young author who forms a relationship with a girl who was a former classmate of his, only to be drawn into a bizarre and mysterious hobby when he is introduced to her friend Ben (Steven Yeun) who habitually burns down greenhouses.

While even with its peculiar premise, it sounds relatively harmless, Burning conjures up ingenious ways to build the tension to be a profound and quite perfect psychological thriller. Rich with a poetic atmosphere and imbued with fantastic performances all around, Burning has an uncanny ability to hook viewers in and keep them immersed right up until the disturbing South Korean-Japanese film's chilling conclusion.

Burning
R

Release Date
May 17, 2018
Director
Chang-dong Lee
Cast
Ah In Yoo , Steven Yeun , Jong-seo Jeon , Soo-Kyung Kim , Seung-ho Choi , Seong-kun Mun
Runtime
148 minutes

Watch on Netflix

1 'The Handmaiden' (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

The Handmaiden
Image via CJ Entertainment

Nothing short of a modern masterpiece, The Handmaiden runs as a stunning erotic, psychological thriller by Park Chan-wook. Loosely inspired by Welsh author Sarah Waters, the film follows an orphaned pickpocket as she is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but she becomes involved in a secret plot to defraud her employer, seeing her become involved with a con artist eager to get his hands on the heiress' wealth.

Elegant, confident, sexy, and outright provocative, The Handmaiden is a commanding and daring exposition of cinematic thrills from Park Chan-wook which cleverly blends eroticism and sex with dark humor to tell a brilliant story about class, power dynamics, and female liberation. It stands among the most underappreciated films of the 2010s from any genre, one which truly ought to have been seen by more people.

The Handmaiden
NR

Release Date
June 1, 2016
Director
Chan-wook Park
Cast
Min-hie Kim , Tae Ri Kim , Jung-woo Ha , Jin-woong Jo , Hae-suk Kim , So-ri Moon
Runtime
145

Watch on Amazon Prime

NEXT: The Best Thriller Movies of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb