The 24 Most Thrilling Thrillers

Thrillers are a complex genre of cinema that touches on all of man’s cherished fears. Mysterious stories, chilling incidents and a sea of suspense.

Thrillers are overflowing with those feelings that make people look at the world around them with suspicion, afraid of their own shadows and desires.

Bad Samaritan

• Rating IMDB – 6.50
• Genre: Horror, thriller, crime
• US production / 2017
• Worldwide box office: $4,623,836
• Director: Dean Devlin
• Starring: David Tennant, Robert Sheehan, Kerry Condon, Carlito Olivero, Jacqueline Byers, Tracy Heggins, Rob Nagle, Lorraine Bar, Jacob Resnikoff, David Meyers

The main characters work in a prestigious restaurant by day and steal from rich customers by night. Real professionals, who have pulled dozens of cases and never got caught.

But this time it is completely different – in the house of another client of the restaurant a girl is found chained and handcuffed.

The real name of the movie is “Bad Samaritan”.

In the apartment of the “monster” you can notice many paintings and pictures of horses. This alludes to the character’s first murder.

Us

• IMDB Rating – 6.50
• Genre: Horror, thriller, detective, comedy
• Made in USA, China, Japan / 2019
• Budget: $20,000,000
• World Box Office gross of: $255,184,580
• Directed by Jordan Peele
• Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elizabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Ewan Alex, Yahya Abdul-Matin II, Anna Diop, Kali Sheldon, Noel Sheldon

A happy family decides to spend a short vacation at the sea. Soon they encounter strange personalities in red jumpsuits, their faces covered by masks. Their rented house for the trip is instantly filled with an eerie silence.

Who are these people, why do they seek to kill the protagonists? A grim thriller with an interesting plot will surprise you with an extraordinary denouement.

Before filming began, director Jordan Peele ordered the entire cast to watch 11 horror movies to create maximum naturalistic emotion.

Gone Girl

• IMDB Rating – 8.10
• Genre: Thriller, drama, mystery
• US production / 2014
• Budget: $61,000,000
• Worldwide Box Office: $369,330,363
• Directed by David Fincher
• Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, David Clennon, Lisa Baynes, Missy Pyle

Nick had carefully prepared for the celebration of five years of married life. A beautiful atmosphere, a delicious dinner – a worthy gift for the woman to whom he had sworn his love.

But everything instantly collapsed, like cardboard sets in a play. Emmy disappeared without a trace.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

It is the first film ever to be shot in 6k resolution.

Bajocero

• IMDB Rating – 6.20
• Genre: Action, thriller, crime
• Production Spain / 2021
• Directed by Yuis Quiles
• Starring: Javier Gutiérrez, Carra Elejalde, Luis Callejo, Andrés Gertrudix, Isac Ferris, Edgar Vittorino, Miguel Helabert, Florin Opritescu, Alex Monner, Patrick Criado

The protagonist must perform one of the most dangerous missions of his career – escorting a bus that is crowded with horrible criminals. A wealth of experience in fighting crime allowed him to approach the job competently.

The situation seemed to be under control, but the bus is attacked by unknown assailants who intend to free the prisoners. The man has to enter into an unequal battle with the unknown killers.

Almost all the scenes were filmed in real-life conditions, with some of the actors getting frostbite.

The plot features a character nicknamed Gollum, which refers the viewer to the legendary “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Escape Room

• IMDB Rating – 6.40
• Genre: Action, thriller, crime
• Produced by USA, South Africa / 2019
• Budget: $9,000,000
• Global box office: $155,712,077
• Director Adam Robitel
• Starring: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine, Deborah Ann Wall, Nick Dodani, Yorick van Wageningen, Cornelius Jeaney Jr, Russell Kraus, Bart Fache

A movie about survival games and quests. A small group of different people agree to participate in a quest. They come to the appointed place, get acquainted and… the game begins. No hints or outside interference.

Gradually the main characters begin to realize that their lives are at stake. And with the further passage of the quest room puzzles become much more difficult. Will they be able to get out or will they die?

The box office receipts of the film exceeded the production budget by more than 15 times.

The original title of the film was “Labyrinth”, which much better reflects the essence of the plot.

The Commuter

• IMDB Rating – 6.30
• Genre: Action, thriller, detective
• Produced by USA, UK, France, China, Canada / 2018
• Budget: $30,000,000
• Worldwide gross of: $119,942,387
• Director Jaume Collet-Serra
• Starring: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Sam Neal, Elizabeth McGovern, Cillian Scott, Shazad Latif, Andy Nyman, Clara Lago

The main character did not think about the future. He would take the same train to work and the same train back home. Soon he was able to study almost all the people with whom he rode the train.

One day, among them, he notices a strange beautiful girl who behaves suspiciously. The man did not yet know that by talking to her, he would be signing up for a deadly game.

The main character lives in Tarrytown, which is a real city. However, all the stops that appear in the film are fictional.

This thriller with an interesting plot earned about $120 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $30 million.

10 Cloverfield Lane

• IMDB Rating – 7.20
• Genre: Thriller, drama, sci-fi
• Produced by USA / 2016
• Budget: $15,000,000
• Worldwide Box Office: $110,216,998
• Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
• Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Douglas M. Griffin, Suzanne Cryer, Bradley Cooper, Sumali Montano, Frank Mottek, Kayla Bechor

The main character wakes up in a small confined space. Panic and fear drive her to search for a way out. Soon she meets a man who tells her an incredible story.

The world has been destroyed by chemical weapons, and there is no way for a human to survive outside this bunker. The girl is lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Can these words be considered true?

The events of the movie “Cloverfield, 10” take place in the Monster universe.

Only one actress, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, applied for the role of Michelle.

Contratiempo

• IMDB Rating – 8.10
• Genre: Thriller, drama, crime, detective
• Production Spain / 2016
• Budget: €4,000,000
• World Box Office: $31,191,910
• Directed by Oriol Paolo
• Starring: Mario Casas, Ana Vachener, Jose Coronado, Barbara Lenny, Francesc Orella, Paco Tous, David Selvas, Iñigo Gastezi, San Elamos, Manel Duesso

Adrian Doria is in a terrible position. Very soon he will be on trial for the murder of a girl. He is convinced that he is being framed.

To avoid going to jail, he hires Virginia Goodman, the best lawyer who can handle any problem. Adrian did not yet know what discreet strings the reputable lawyer would be able to find in the case.

The real name of the film translates as “unforeseen predicament”.

Even without an advertising campaign, the film managed to earn $40 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of 4 million euros.

I Care a Lot

• IMDB Rating – 6.30
• Genre: Thriller, comedy, crime
• US production, UK / 2020
• World Box Office: $1,351,662
• Directed by J. Blakeson
• Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Isa Gonzalez, Dianne Wiest, Chris Messina, Isaiah Whitlock Jr.

Marla prefers to live by the laws of the jungle. Only those who are able to adapt to the changing conditions of existence survive. In order to live normally free, she manages to create a unique business.

She agrees to take on the custody of the elderly, and then to rewrite their real estate in her name. Who would have thought that the last old lady would have a horrible past, which would be reflected in Marla.

Actors Rosamund Pike and Chris Messina have met before on the set of two films in 2014 and in 2018.

Run

• IMDB Rating – 6.70
• Genre: Thriller, Drama, Detective
• US production, Canada / 2020
• World Box Office grossed: $5,183,481
• Directed by Anish Chaganty
• Starring: Sarah Paulson, Keira Allen, Sarah Sohn, Pat Healy, Eric Athawale, B.J. Harrison, Sharon Badger, Onali Ames, Joanne Rodriguez, Ernie Firth

Diane Sherman gives her own daughter her free time. She tries to protect her from external threats and forbids her to communicate with other people. She even decided not to send her to school, but to educate herself. Being locked up all her life, Chloe believed that life should only be like this. What would happen if the girl accidentally found out the truth?

The film was completely trashed by critics.

On a budget of $10 million, the interesting thriller with a gripping plot grossed only $6 million.

6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain

• IMDB Rating – 5.70
• Genre: Thriller, drama, biography, sports
• US production / 2017
• World Box Office: $1,135,531
• Directed by Scott Waugh
• Starring: Josh Hartnett, Mira Sorvino, Sarah Dumont, Cale Calley, Jason Cottle, Austin R. Grant, Nathan Stevens, Marty McSorely, Sean Piltz, Vashi Nedomanski

A good movie about survival in the cold. Eric Lemark is crazy about snowboarding. This wonderful sense of danger makes him smile. One day he decides to ignore the ski patrol’s warning of an impending storm and ride off the highest point all by himself.

The adrenaline in his blood made him feel alive. But nature is cruel and does not tolerate upstarts. The guy could not cope with the storm and finds himself far away from the resort. Will he manage to get out alive?

The film is based on true events in which Eric Lemark (real name) managed to survive more than 7 days away from civilization.

This is the first work of Tooley Productions film company.

Bad Times at the El Royale

• IMDB Rating – 7.10
• Genre: Thriller, drama, crime, detective
• Produced by USA / 2018
• Budget: $32,000,000
• Worldwide Box Office: $31,882,724
• Directed by Drew Goddard
• Starring: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Caylee Spaney, Lewis Pullman, Nick Offerman, Xavier Dolan, Shay Whigham

Certain circumstances force several strangers to temporarily visit the nearby Hotel El Royale near Lake Tahoe.

No randomness or dialogue, each trying to keep to his own personal space. But the situation changes in earnest when the dark secrets of each of the seven strangers begin to come out.

In order not to reveal the intrigue of the plot prematurely, Drew Goddard kept it in a single copy on his own tablet.

All the actors agreed to reduce their fees so that the director would have a chance to complete the film.

The Devil All the Time

• IMDB Rating – 7.10
• Genre: Thriller, drama, crime
• US production / 2020
• Director Antonio Campos
• Starring: Tom Holland, Donald Ray Pollock, Bill Skarsgard, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Sebastian Stan, Hayley Bennett, Eliza Scanlan, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson

Richard Russell recently returned from the fields of World War II to his hometown. He looks at the world very differently and prefers to make his own decisions.

One day he meets a nice girl, Sandy, in a small local cafe. He didn’t know yet that their life paths would closely intertwine and affect many of the town’s residents.

Robert Patinson, who embodied the image of Richard in the film, managed to master a specific southern accent, which was common in that region of the United States, on his own.

In order to give the characters significance, the actors had to wear special costumes that gave volume to their bodies.

Get Out

• IMDB Rating – 7.70
• Genre: Horror, thriller, detective
• Produced by USA, Japan / 2017
• Budget: $4 500 000
• World Box Office grosses: $255,407,969
• Directed by Jordan Peele
• Starring: Daniel Kaluya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Marcus Henderson, Betty Gabriel, Laquitt Stanfield, Stephen Root, Lil Rel Havery

Chris expected that getting to know his friend’s parents would be difficult and quite exhausting. The longer he stayed around these people, the more his inner voice screamed for danger.

All the people around him behave in a friendly and polite manner, which adds even more suspense and terror to the protagonist’s mind.

“Get Out” is called the best thriller that keeps the whole movie in suspense.

The film won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Informer

• IMDB Rating – 6.60
• Genre: Thriller, crime, action
• UK, USA, Canada / 2019
• Worldwide box office: $2,927,708
• Directed by Andrea Di Stefano
• Starring: Euel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Clive Owen, Common, Ana de Armas, Joanna Kaczynska, Edwin De La Renta, Sam Spruell, Aylam Orian, Karma Meyer

No one wants to end up in that horrible and disgusting prison. Not a single inmate has ever succeeded in escaping during its existence.

It is to this rotten place that the protagonist finds himself. But what are the reasons for this decision? It is not difficult to guess from the case file that he planned to become a prisoner in this very prison.

Many scenes were filmed in a real abandoned prison in Gloucester.

Luke Evans, John Brolin claimed the role of the main character.

El hoyo

• IMDB Rating – 7.00
• Genre: Sci-fi, thriller, drama
• Production Spain / 2019
• Worldwide box office receipts: $1,090,116
• Directed by Galder Gastelu-Urrutia
• Starring: Ivan Massage, Sorion Egileor, Antonia San Juan, Emilio Buale, Alexandra Masangkei, Zihara Llana, Mario Pardo, Algis Arlauskas, Chubio Fernandez, Eric Goode

Because of his desperate situation, Goren agrees to participate in a strange experiment on humans. There is terrible pain and complete darkness before his eyes. The next thing he sees before him is a simple room, with a hole in one of the walls and 48 written over it.

What kind of experiment is this? As he looks outside the room, he sees many one-volume levels of similarly confused people. What is the essence of the experiment?

The computer-generated structure is 2022 meters high.

The film is a free interpretation of hell from the works of Dante.

I See You

• IMDB Rating – 6.80
• Genre: Thriller, crime, detective, drama
• US production / 2019
• Worldwide Box Office: $1,194,369
• Directed by Adam Randall
• Starring: Helen Hunt, John Tenney, Judah Lewis, Owen Teague, Libe Barer, Gregory Alan Williams, Allison King, Erika Alexander, Jennifer Grace, Adam Kern

Greg Harper must deal with the disappearance of a ten-year-old child as quickly as possible. Many are afraid to go out, because similar cases have happened before.

The protagonist had no idea that the mortal danger will threaten his family, which is already on the verge of collapse.

If translated verbatim, the title of the film would be “I See You.”

The story follows all the features of the classic Scandinavian detective.

The Hunt

• IMDB Rating – 6.60
• Genre: Action, comedy, thriller
• Produced by USA, Japan / 2019
• Budget: $14,000,000
• Worldwide Box Office: $8,621,288
• Director Craig Zobel
• Starring: Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Ike Barinholtz, Wayne Duvall, Ethan Sapley, Emma Roberts, Christopher Berry, Sturgill Simpson, Kate Knowlin, Amy Madigan

A small group of people suddenly finds themselves in the woods. Nearby is a small box of weapons. One of the guys recalls a strange conversation in one of the social networking chats about a strange organization that organizes a real manhunt.

Could it be that they became participants in such an inhuman show. It remains to be understood – are they hunters or prey?

The opening scene is accompanied by Gustav Miler’s Sixth Symphony.

The film’s premiere was postponed several times due to the global pandemic COVID-19.

The Departed

• IMDB Rating – 8.50
• Genre: Thriller, drama, crime
• US production, Hong Kong / 2006
• Budget: $90,000,000
• World Box Office Revenue: $291,465,034
• Directed by Martin Scorsese
• Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winston, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Corrigan

Both main characters play the role of traitor perfectly. One leaks all information about the work of the police mafia, and the other passes on secret data about organized crime to law enforcement agencies.

Naturally, this will not last forever. But which of them can win in an equal duel?

The film won four Oscars, including a major nomination for Best Picture.

The American swear word “fuck” is said 237 times in the film.

Fight Club

• IMDB Rating – 8.80
• Genre: Thriller, drama, crime
• Production USA, Germany / 1999
• Budget: $63,000,000
• World Box Office: $100,853,753
• Directed by David Fincher
• Starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Mit Loaf, Zack Grenier, Holt McCallany, Jared Leto, Aion Bailey, Richmond Arquette, David Andrews

It’s a great movie with a meaning. The main character has completely lost interest in life. He doesn’t care about anything, he’s not interested in anything. But that all changes when he meets Tyler Durden. An active and charismatic man who sells soap.

Together they decide to set up a special place where they can release all their animal instincts, to show the nature of a violent maniac. It is possible that such “entertainment” will return the main character’s will to freedom.

The film ranks at the top of the most exciting thrillers.

In the film, the main character has no name; all movie portals refer to him as the narrator.

The twist of the movie “Fight Club” (Tyler’s mystery) is on the list of the most incredible, unexpected repeats in the history of cinema.

Oldeuboi

• IMDB Rating – 8.40
• Genre: Thriller, Detective, Drama, Action, Crime
• Produced by South Korea / 2003
• Budget: $3,000,000
• World Box Office: $14,980,005
• Director Park Chang-uk
• Starring: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-hae, Kang Hye-jong, Kim Byung-ok, Oh Dal-soo, Ji-Dae-han, Lee Seung-jin, Yoon Jin-so, Lee Dae-yeon, Oh Gwan-ok

Unidentified men kidnap Oh Dae-su and take him to an unknown location. He soon finds himself in a small room with no doors or windows. The protagonist doesn’t know what to do. For fifteen long years he has been alone, in that nasty room.

But the time for revenge has come. Oh Dae-su arms himself with a common hammer and begins a bloody massacre of those who ruined his life. He doesn’t care about anything, not even his reasons for doing so.

A Simple Favor

• IMDB Rating – 6.70
• Genre: Thriller, comedy, crime, detective
• Produced by USA, Canada / 2018
• Budget: $20,000,000
• World Box Office: $97,644,617
• Director Paul Fig
• Starring: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Ian Ho, Joshua Satine, Dustin Milligan, Rupert Friend, Linda Cardellini, Gene Smart

Stephanie didn’t expect her friend to suddenly disappear. She must find out the reasons for the disappearance, because now the mortal danger hangs over her family as well.

The only person who could help her was Sean, the husband of the missing girl. She could not believe that by granting her friend’s last request she had signed her own death sentence.

The movie is based on the novel of the same name.

Blake Lively flatly refused to be filmed naked, for which reason it was decided to use the services of a stand-in in the forest scene.

Memento

• IMDB Rating – 8.40
• Genre: Thriller, Detective, Drama, Crime
• Produced by USA / 2000
• Budget: $9,000,000
• Worldwide Box Office: $39,723,096
• Director Christopher Nolan
• Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantogliano, Mark Boone Junior, Russ Fega, George Fox, Steven Tobolowsky, Harriet Sansom Harris, Thomas Lennon, Callum Keith Rennie

Leonard Shelby is desperate to find the killer of the woman he loves. He has a beautiful car, a lot of money, but never stays in one place for more than a day.

The main character suffers from a very rare kind of amnesia, which makes him forget everything that happened 15 minutes ago. So how does one go about looking for a murderer with a problem like that?

The film was shot in its entirety in 25 days.

There is a DVD version of the film with the correct chronological sequence.

Se7en

William Somerset is seven days away from retirement. He anticipates a quiet, carefree life and peace of mind. He could not believe that on that dreadful Monday an inexperienced young partner and a gruesome murder would be dumped on him.

Years of experience have determined to the protagonist that this is far from the last murder. Will the protagonist be able to solve this case?

There are still different opinions among viewers as to what was really in the box. Which the main character opened at the end of the film.

John Doe, the author of Seven, created the work specifically for the film.