The thriller is one of the most popular and long-lived movie genres, going back to the early days of the medium and still very much kicking today. The best of them combine gripping plots, unforgettable characters, and stylish direction to delve into the darkest corners of human nature. If they pull off this balancing act, they can be simultaneously unsettling, insightful, and highly entertaining. With this in mind, this list considers some of the thrillers that cinephiles just have to see.
These movies encompass a range of subgenres, from psychological to crime thrillers, noir-inspired mysteries to unsettling tales of obsession. Whether unraveling a conspiracy, following a twisted path of clues, or narrowly escaping a deadly pursuer, these movies are designed to pull viewers into their world and test the limits of their nerves.
10 ‘North by Northwest’ (1959)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
“Now, you listen to me. I’m an advertising man, not a red herring.” North by Northwest is a whirlwind of mistaken identity, espionage, and suspense, following Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), a New York advertising executive who is mistaken for a spy. Targeted by sinister forces led by the villainous Phillip Vandamm (James Mason), Thornhill embarks on a cross-country escape involving high-stakes chases and hidden identities. What follows is one of Alfred Hitchcock‘s most entertaining stories – and one which has aged remarkably well.
Sure, some scenes strain credulity, but that’s part of the fun. The Master of Suspense shoots every scene with skill, serving up sweeping visuals, clever twists, and an ever-present sense of danger. The most impressive of all is the famous crop duster sequence, which quickly became iconic. The film resonated with its compelling performances, juicy plot, and cheeky symbolism (straining the boundaries of the Hayes Code). In the process, it created a blueprint that would be emulated by countless action thrillers and espionage movies, including the Bond films.
A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.
- Cast
- Cary Grant , Eva Marie Saint , James Mason , Jessie Royce Landis , Leo G. Carroll , Josephine Hutchinson
- Runtime
- 136 minutes
- Writers
- Ernest Lehman
9 ‘Chinatown’ (1974)
Directed by Roman Polanski
“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” Jack Nicholson leads this neo-noir mystery as J.J. “Jake” Gittes, a private detective specializing in sordid cases of infidelity. When he’s hired to follow Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling), a prominent city official in Los Angeles, Gittes uncovers a tangled conspiracy involving water rights, corruption, and family secrets. From here, the film morphs into a broader study of power, cynicism, and moral decay.
Although set in the 1930s, Chinatown works as a commentary on the malaise and disillusionment of Watergate-era America. Aside from the themes, the movie is simply entertaining, with a suspenseful atmosphere and ever-ratcheting tension. Robert Towne’s Oscar-winning screenplay is sharp and memorable, handing the stars many quotable liens. The period recreation is also terrific, down to the costumes, homes, and classic cars. The stylish direction provides the perfect framework for the stellar performances by Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. John Hillerman is also great in his menacing supporting role.
Originally released in 1974, Chinatown is an American neo-noir mystery movie starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Its story was inspired by the California water wars, a series of conflicts between the city of Los Angeles and the people of Owen’s Valley around the beginning of the twentieth century. The movie received 11 Academy Award nominations in total, with Robert Towne winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
- Runtime
- 130 minutes
- Writers
- Robert Towne , Roman Polanski
8 ‘The Third Man’ (1949)
Directed by Carol Reed
“In Switzerland, they had brotherly love… and they produced the cuckoo clock.” The Third Man follows American writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) as he arrives in post-war Vienna to visit his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to find that Lime has died under mysterious circumstances. Holly soon uncovers a web of deceit and black-market dealings, eventually discovering that Lime is very much alive—and deeply involved in a sinister scheme. The events that follow test his loyalty to his friend, as well as his survival skills.
The movie is well-constructed on every level, from the intelligent script by journalist and novelist Graham Greene to the central performances and Anton Karas’s stirring string score. Welles, in particular, shines as Lame, playing the character with the perfect mix of charm and malevolence. In addition to being an engaging mystery, The Third Man serves as a vivid depiction of Europe in the shadow of World War II. Robert Krasker‘s cinematography turns Vienna into an otherworldly and unsettling place.
Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.
- Cast
- Orson Welles , Joseph Cotten , Alida Valli , Trevor Howard , Paul Hörbiger
- Runtime
- 93 Minutes
7 ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)
Directed by Jonathan Demme
“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” Perhaps the defining serial killer movie, The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), as she is drawn into the mind of a serial killer to catch another. To solve the case, Clarice must interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic murderer. The relationship between these two figures drives the tension, with Lecter’s chilling intellect and charisma making him as much an enigma as the case Clarice is trying to solve.
The Silence of the Lambs was a sleeper hit on release, sweeping that year’s Oscars, and it remains coldly effective today. The lynchpin of the film is the towering performance by Hopkins, easily ranking among cinema’s all-time finest villains. He’s complemented by Jonathan Demme‘s taut, confident direction and a killer score by the legendary Howard Shore.
The Silence of the Lambs
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
- Runtime
- 118 Minutes
- Writers
- Thomas Harris , Ted Tally
6 ‘The 39 Steps’ (1935)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
“There’s a man who’s going to be killed if we don’t do something!” In The 39 Steps, a seemingly ordinary man named Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) becomes a fugitive after being wrongly accused of murder. As he flees, he uncovers a plot involving espionage and national security, centered around a shadowy organization known as the 39 Steps. With a determined secret agent hot on his trail, Hannay embarks on a desperate mission to clear his name and thwart a deadly conspiracy.
Many of Hitchcock’s signature elements are present here, like a wrongly accused protagonist, a MacGuffin, an icy female lead, and a cameo by the director. There’s also the intricate plotting, abundant betrayal, and awkward yet humorous interactions between the fugitive and his captor. While some aspects of the movie are understandably dated, it’s still enjoyable and is way above most 1930s thrillers. Indeed, The 39 Steps contains flashes of the grander Hitchcock masterpieces that would follow.
The 39 Steps
- Cast
- Robert Donat , John Laurie
- Runtime
- 86 minutes
- Writers
- Charles Bennett , Ian Hay
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5 ‘Zodiac’ (2007)
Directed by David Fincher
“I need to know who he is. I need to stand there. I need to look him in the eye.” Zodiac chronicles the real-life investigation into the Zodiac Killer, who terrorized San Francisco in the 1960s and 70s. At the center of the story are three men obsessed with finding the elusive killer: journalist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), detective Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), and reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.). The case drags on without resolution, causing their lives to unravel, consumed by the mystery.
David Fincher’s meticulous direction and slow-burn pacing allow the tension to build naturally. The result is a compelling blend of journalism, police procedural, and serial killer story. Much of the movie’s intensity comes from the fact that Fincher himself was obsessed with the Zodiac Killer case. He has described the Zodiac as “the ultimate boogeyman.” The runtime might be a little too long, but there’s no denying the potency of Zodiac‘s storytelling and message.
Between 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.
- Runtime
- 157 minutes
- Writers
- James Vanderbilt , Robert Graysmith
4 ‘The Conversation’ (1974)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
“He’d kill us if he got the chance.” While The Godfather and Apocalypse Now get most of the attention, Francis Ford Coppola‘s other ’70s movie is also fantastic. The Conversation centers on surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), who becomes entangled in a moral dilemma when he overhears a conversation that suggests an impending murder. Caul is meticulous and guarded, yet the more he listens to the recording, the more he’s haunted by his ethical responsibility.
This is a tense, introspective thriller, with a lot to say about the growing significance of technology and the erosion of privacy. Its ideas are only more relevant now. Hackman rises to the occasion with one of his most restrained and compelling performances. The Conversation stands out from the rest of Coppola’s work from this era by being the only one he wrought himself without adapting an existing work. For this reason, it’s one of his most personal projects.
The Conversation
A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.
- Cast
- Gene Hackman , John Cazale , Allen Garfield , Frederic Forrest , Cindy Williams , Michael Higgins
- Runtime
- 113 minutes
- Writers
- Francis Ford Coppola
3 ‘Memento’ (2000)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
“I have to believe in a world outside my own mind.” Few thrillers are as intricate or ingeniously constructed as this early-career gem from Christopher Nolan. Memento tells the story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man suffering from short-term memory loss as he tries to find his wife’s killer. Using a series of Polaroid photos and tattoos to track his investigation, Leonard unravels the mystery of his wife’s murder in reverse, piecing together his life as he uncovers shocking truths about his past and his role in the crime.
The film’s unique narrative structure immerses viewers in Leonard’s fragmented experience, creating a tense, disorienting journey. There’s also a parallel structure of black-and-white flashbacks that progress forward, alongside a distinct story that Leonard narrates to shed light on his condition. Pearce’s committed performance and Dody Dorn‘s clever editing turn this thriller into a smart statement on memory and self-deception.
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife’s murderer.
2 ‘Les Diaboliques’ (1955)
Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
“There is no greater love than between a wife and her husband’s mistress.” Les Diaboliques (aka The Devils or simply Diabolique) revolves around Christina and Nicole, two women who conspire to kill Christina’s cruel husband, Michel. After poisoning him and dumping his body, they anxiously wait for it to be discovered, only for it to mysteriously vanish. Christina’s guilt and fear intensify, and she begins to suspect that Michel may still be alive.
This is the masterwork by Henri-Georges Clouzot, sometimes described as “the French Hitchcock”. The director creates an atmosphere of dread, using shadows and misdirection to keep the viewer guessing until the final moments. Although it opened to mixed reviews, Les Diaboliques has since been canonized as a thriller classic. It was deeply influential, with countless movies borrowing its ideas and style. Even Hitchcock himself took a few notes. While most thrillers from the 1950s feel completely dated now, this one still hits hard.
Set in a boarding school, a psychological thriller unfolds as two women, the wife and mistress of the school’s tyrannical principal, plot to murder him. Their plan, executed under the cover of darkness, spirals into chaos when his body mysteriously vanishes, leading to a tense and eerie investigation.
- Cast
- Véra Clouzot , Simone Signoret , Paul Meurisse , Charles Vanel , Jean Brochard
- Runtime
- 117 Minutes
- Writers
- Henri-Georges Clouzot , Jérôme Géronimi
1 ‘Psycho’ (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
“We all go a little mad sometimes.” No list of essential thrillers would be complete without Psycho, the genre’s Citizen Kane. The plot begins with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a woman who impulsively steals a large sum of money and goes on the run, only to end up at the ominous Bates Motel. There, she meets Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), the seemingly mild-mannered motel owner whose close relationship with his mother hides darker secrets. Marion’s fate takes a shocking turn, setting off a terrifying chain of events.
Psycho broke new ground in several respects, particularly in its more explicit portrayal of sexual perversion, and horrifying acts. It was also innovative visually, with Hitchcock employing film noir-inspired lighting, distorted depth perception, intrusive close-ups, quick cuts to suggest nudity, and hints of blood implying extreme violence. The story is similarly creative, famously killing off the apparent main character early on. For all these reasons and more, Psycho represents the pinnacle of the genre.
A psychological horror film retelling the story of Marion Crane, who steals a significant amount of money and seeks refuge at the remote Bates Motel. The motel is run by the enigmatic Norman Bates, whose peculiar behavior hints at deeper, more sinister secrets. As Marion becomes entangled in the unsettling environment of the motel, she faces terrifying revelations that lead to a shocking conclusion. This remake stays true to the original’s plot while updating the setting and style for a modern audience.
- Runtime
- 105 Minutes
- Writers
- Joseph Stefano , Robert Bloch
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