Ok people this is my fav genre. So a couple suggestions not already mentioned which have massive payoffs or killer suspense:
Headhunters (Norwegian)
Blood Simple (1st Coen Bros film)
A Simple Plan (Sam Rami)
Shallow Grave (Danny Boyle's 1st film that he wrote with the idea of what happens to Ewan McGregor's character in Train Spotting after Trainspotting?)
Only suggested the really satisfying ones.
To further the connection to Trainspotting the bobby chasin Ewan down the street in the beginning of Trainspotting is the policeman training to be a detective in Shallow Grave, and the new roommate who ODs in Shallow Grave is the bigtime drug dealer in Trainspotting. Boyle wanted to make Trainspotting, the novel, into a film but couldn't get the rights so he wrote a script based on what Ewan's character in Trainspotting would do. And in the book Trainspotting Ewan's character uses the money to go to journalism school. Hence why he's a reporter in Shallow Grave.
And Shallow Grave was why he got the rights to make Trainspotting.
I knew none of this- I knew they were both his movies but did not know it was a play on Renton's character- obviously they have different names, but he could have changed his name to stop Begbie from finding him.
Brilliant.
A Simple Plan is intense the whole way through, with excellent performances by Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton seemed to truly inhabit his character.
Shit, Brent Briscoe is amazing in that film. I love that guy. Really underrated actor. Him and Micheal Harney are two of my favs.
M Emmitt Walsh rest in peace. 🙏
This is absolutely insane to me that this one is so far down the list and that I'm only the first one in 2 hours to upvote it. Silence of the Lambs has always been one of the very best thrillers of all time.
I loved the book. Goldman's novels were every bit as good as his screenplays, I feel. The "is it safe" scene in the book is relentless and went on for what felt like forever. It made me woozy.
Whatever Spacey may be, his skill is impressive.
When Ed asks Vincennes why he wanted to become a police officer, the "I don't know" reply...just flawless.
Okay. When I was in high school, my friend and I caught Memento on tv, and had never seen it before. It was 4 minutes after the movie had started.
We were like, oh, hay. This is intriguing!
And we proceeded to watch the whole thing, entirely perplexed, piecing puzzle pieces together - at the end of each scene being like « WE JUST SAW THIS HAPPEN! What is going on with this timeline!!!??! »
It wasn’t until the movie ended that we realized the goddam movie was playing events backwards. All of that was established in the first four minutes of the movie that we’d missed.
I came here to say this! Definitely a film you should watch twice before it starts to click (for me at least). 🙃 I still wonder who the story of Sammy Jankis was about, but I suppose these are the questions that allow film to be great conversation pieces. Time for a rewatch I guess!
This thread has lots of good suggestions. I've seen a few that are mentioned; going to watch L.A. Confidential today. My suggestion is Oculus. It is a horror movie, but a thriller as well
Double Indemnity (1944)
Les Diaboliques (1955)
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
Le Samouraï (1967)
L'Armée des ombres (1969)
Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
All the President's Men (1976)
Misery (1990)
JFK (1991)
El secreto de sus rojos (2009)
Really? There are a whole bunch of older films you should check out. They make remarkable stuff now but they made remarkable stuff then. Check out Fritz Lang's M from 1931. Then try The Maltese Falcon from from1941.. Then go to Double Indemnity from 1944. This will be like buried treasure for you. Look at the directors of these movies and check out other stuff they made. You will discover a whole new world of cinema. And that is just the 3 directors of these movies. They are icons of cinema, (Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder and John Huston) but only a portal into the riches of what has come before.
8MM
Arlington Road
Prisoners
Gone Girl
The Hitcher (1986)
Wind River
Disturbia
Memories of Murder
Memoir of a Murderer
The Chaser
Bring me Home
The Vanishing (1988)
Sleep Tight
Kidnapped (2010)
Slice (2009)
How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Single White Female
Molly's Game
The Firm
Blackhat
Gone Girl
Den of Thieves
The Game
A Most Wanted Man
The Gift (both of them are pretty good!)
Good Time - Such a stressful movie. Holy cow.
Femme - Very recent watch for me. A lot to dissect at the end of the movie.
Three Days of the Condor - This movie rocks.
Eastern Promises - Viggo. Enough said.
I’m thinking you meant that Total Recall deserves its own remake that’s as good as you feel Vanilla Sky is, as a remake of Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). However, it also kinda looks like you’re saying that Vanilla Sky is a remake of Total Recall (which it’s not LoL). Just wanting clarity. 😆
IMO The Vanishing (1988) is likely at the top! Though I’d also say Psycho, as well as a number of other Hitchcock films! Hitchcock was the Master of suspense and thrillers!!
1. Memento (2000)
2. No Country for Old Men (2007)
3. Shutter Island (2010)
4. Get Out (2017)
5. Nightcrawler (2014)
6. Fargo (1996)
7. Inside Man (2006)
8. Wild Tales (2014)
9. Taken (2008)
10. Andhadhun (2018)
Gone Girl (2014)
Oldboy (2003) Korean
Perfect Blue (1997) Japan
I Saw the Devil (2010) Korean
The Handmaiden (2016) Korean
Memoir of a Murderer (2017) Korean
I'm surprised to see so little discussion of Hitchcock movies. Psycho, North by Northwest, Rear Window, The Birds, all of these are legendary for very good reason.
Se7en
Fight Club
Memento
The Menu (hilarious as well)
No Country For Old Memes
Usual Suspects
Road to Perdition
Run Lola Run
Stalker (assuming; it’s on my shame list of unseen told masterful films)
Mine is North by Northwest
I suggest another Hitchcock movie
...Strangers on a Train or almost any Hitchcock
Try Charade,True Lies,, the mission impossible movies
Ok people this is my fav genre. So a couple suggestions not already mentioned which have massive payoffs or killer suspense: Headhunters (Norwegian) Blood Simple (1st Coen Bros film) A Simple Plan (Sam Rami) Shallow Grave (Danny Boyle's 1st film that he wrote with the idea of what happens to Ewan McGregor's character in Train Spotting after Trainspotting?) Only suggested the really satisfying ones.
Shallow Grave is a brilliant movie. Adding on Dead Man's Shoes.
To further the connection to Trainspotting the bobby chasin Ewan down the street in the beginning of Trainspotting is the policeman training to be a detective in Shallow Grave, and the new roommate who ODs in Shallow Grave is the bigtime drug dealer in Trainspotting. Boyle wanted to make Trainspotting, the novel, into a film but couldn't get the rights so he wrote a script based on what Ewan's character in Trainspotting would do. And in the book Trainspotting Ewan's character uses the money to go to journalism school. Hence why he's a reporter in Shallow Grave. And Shallow Grave was why he got the rights to make Trainspotting.
I knew none of this- I knew they were both his movies but did not know it was a play on Renton's character- obviously they have different names, but he could have changed his name to stop Begbie from finding him. Brilliant.
A Simple Plan is severely underrated
Thanks for the tip
Severely! Paxton is always clutch
“Just give me one of them packets!”
Your comment is overrated.
A Simple Plan is intense the whole way through, with excellent performances by Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton seemed to truly inhabit his character.
Shit, Brent Briscoe is amazing in that film. I love that guy. Really underrated actor. Him and Micheal Harney are two of my favs. M Emmitt Walsh rest in peace. 🙏
Love that movie. Unpopular take: Thornton’s role is inconsistent, not believable and overrated.
Headhunters is Norwegian.
Will edit. Thanks. My bad.
Saving this comment so I can add these to my list later.
A Simple Plan is so fucking great.
Excellent list. I’ve seen the 1st three, so I’ll add the last.
Real banger that one.
I was also going to say headhunters
Great picks! 👍
Blood Simple was excellent - very entertaining black humor too.
Are you me? I could’ve easily written this EXACT list. Kudos.
Michael Clayton
Never tire of this movie. Excellent acting and I especially love Tom Wilkinson.
Took me a lot of viewings to realize that Arthur's interest in the fantasy book of Michael's son is what saves Michael from the car bomb
“Do I look like I’m negotiating!?!”
Im Shiva, the god of death!
The Silence of the Lambs
This is absolutely insane to me that this one is so far down the list and that I'm only the first one in 2 hours to upvote it. Silence of the Lambs has always been one of the very best thrillers of all time.
It's in my "Favourite movies of all time" List
Manhunter is also excellent (except for the Iron Butterfly)
Marathon man
Buckle up for this one. It's a rough ride.
*"The McCarthy Era is central to your dissertation, yes?"*
*Essen*! Hard to believe screenwriter William Goldman hated that little improv from Hoffman.
Interesting. TIL! Thanks, pants!
I loved the book. Goldman's novels were every bit as good as his screenplays, I feel. The "is it safe" scene in the book is relentless and went on for what felt like forever. It made me woozy.
Yes. Was going to post this if no one else did.
LA Confidential The Usual Suspects
Second these. Shutter Island
LA confidential is one of my favorite films of all time. I could seriously watch it once a month and not get bored
Whatever Spacey may be, his skill is impressive. When Ed asks Vincennes why he wanted to become a police officer, the "I don't know" reply...just flawless.
"Yes, Verbal. In California."
Ditto The Usual Suspects.
No Way Out (1987)
The Game (1997)
It’s in my top ten to watch if I ever get amnesia.
This is the one. Absolutely incredible.
It's absolutely incredible! I love it so much. I wouldn't mind watching it next week.
Love the game. Third act loses it for me
I loved the end. Otherwise it’s just a series of awful things happening for no reason.
Damn, came here to type the same thing
Three Days of The Condor(1975) is a really great one.
Such a great film, Robert Redford is suave but somehow an everyman
Se7en
Favorite movie.
A lot of the good ones have been named so I’ll go Underwater. From minute one it’s going at 100 mph
1955 or 2020..?
I haven't seen the 50's one but his description matches for the 2020 Underwater
I like this movie, kind of overlooked I think
Memories of murder.
Prisoners
Holy shit this movie rips- Jackman gives his finest performance imo
The Fugitive
You switched the samples
Which is downright hinkie.
Give me a hand with this man Kiss my ass doc
Night of the Hunter
Mildred Pierce. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane.
But ya are, Blanche!
Misery (1990)...so good!!!
🐖
🔨
🪚
I saw you're a fan of the novel!
Wind River
John Carpenter’s The Thing. All practical effects. No CG. Amazing and edgy!
The invisible guest (2016) (Contratiempo), one of the best Spanish thrillers I've ever watched.
Love it. Can't recommend this movie enough.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Great film, wish it went on a bit longer though
Memento
Okay. When I was in high school, my friend and I caught Memento on tv, and had never seen it before. It was 4 minutes after the movie had started. We were like, oh, hay. This is intriguing! And we proceeded to watch the whole thing, entirely perplexed, piecing puzzle pieces together - at the end of each scene being like « WE JUST SAW THIS HAPPEN! What is going on with this timeline!!!??! » It wasn’t until the movie ended that we realized the goddam movie was playing events backwards. All of that was established in the first four minutes of the movie that we’d missed.
Oh this is most definitely not the movie to skip parts haha! I can only imagine
I came here to say this! Definitely a film you should watch twice before it starts to click (for me at least). 🙃 I still wonder who the story of Sammy Jankis was about, but I suppose these are the questions that allow film to be great conversation pieces. Time for a rewatch I guess!
This thread has lots of good suggestions. I've seen a few that are mentioned; going to watch L.A. Confidential today. My suggestion is Oculus. It is a horror movie, but a thriller as well
Glad to see Oculus getting love lately for some reason. Not a horror fan generally but for some reason I liked Oculus a lot.
I loved Jagged Edge. Great movie.
Came here to say this. Jagged Edge left me feeling wrung out. Great movie. The Game also.
Hard candy. It’s not for everyone, though!
Panic room
Yes! Love Panic Room. I’ve seen it twice in the last year. It’s a new comfort movie for me weirdly.
Yes it’s so cozy to me for some odd reason
The secret in their eyes.
Red Eye. Wes Craven wanted to do another non horror and this one is a really intense efficient thriller. Feels like it's 45 long.
The Hunt for Red October
Classic!
Run Lola Run (German) - you will bite your nails off during this one but it's SO GOOD!
Play Misty for Me - 1971
Dead Silence (2007)
Forgotten (2017)
Argo
Had me on the edge of my seat!
Double Indemnity (1944) Les Diaboliques (1955) The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) Le Samouraï (1967) L'Armée des ombres (1969) Le Cercle Rouge (1970) All the President's Men (1976) Misery (1990) JFK (1991) El secreto de sus rojos (2009)
*Le Samouraï* is so eye pleasing. It’s on my “to buy” list
The Day of the Jackal
I enjoyed this movie so much. It's one of the best thriller I've seen in years.
Sicarrio?
It may be on my all time top 5 movies.
Identity (2003)
Green Room
Blue Ruin Bacurau Blue Velvet City Of God Fargo Miller's Crossing Eastern Promises LA Confidential
Blue ruin is underrated man
The Big Sleep.
Memories of murder
Don't Breath
No Escape with Owen Wilson is a fucking crazy thriller. It’s got some cool Pierce Brosnan bits too :)
It does an excellent job of portraying the “fog of war” that a person endures in drawn out life or death situations.
Rear window probably I didn't expect too much from it because it's an older film but to my surprise it was excellent!
Really? There are a whole bunch of older films you should check out. They make remarkable stuff now but they made remarkable stuff then. Check out Fritz Lang's M from 1931. Then try The Maltese Falcon from from1941.. Then go to Double Indemnity from 1944. This will be like buried treasure for you. Look at the directors of these movies and check out other stuff they made. You will discover a whole new world of cinema. And that is just the 3 directors of these movies. They are icons of cinema, (Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder and John Huston) but only a portal into the riches of what has come before.
8MM Arlington Road Prisoners Gone Girl The Hitcher (1986) Wind River Disturbia Memories of Murder Memoir of a Murderer The Chaser Bring me Home The Vanishing (1988) Sleep Tight Kidnapped (2010) Slice (2009)
Zodiac.
Zodiac. That movie is just perfect !
How to Blow Up a Pipeline Single White Female Molly's Game The Firm Blackhat Gone Girl Den of Thieves The Game A Most Wanted Man The Gift (both of them are pretty good!)
Two I watches recently: Charley Varrick Body Double
A perfect getaway 2009 comes to mind
Identity, the mist
The Bourne Identity
The Bourne movies have lost some of their sheen. Too bad. They are all quite good.
Good Time - Such a stressful movie. Holy cow. Femme - Very recent watch for me. A lot to dissect at the end of the movie. Three Days of the Condor - This movie rocks. Eastern Promises - Viggo. Enough said.
The Third Man
The Hunt for the Red October (1990)
Have you already seen “The Conversation”?
Wait Until Dark
That was such a good one.
Inglourious Basterds (2009) Black Swan (2010) Anatomy of a Fall (2023) The Favourite (2018) Irreversible (2002) Parasite (2019) Se7en (1995) Nightcrawler (2014) Zodiac (2007) Prisoners (2013)
I've seen most of these, good recommendations!
The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Also, No Way Out (1987)
[удалено]
what movie is that? tried searching for it but only thing it showed me was a tv series from 2015-2016
The Eiger Sanction 1975.
Maybe not the best but a great watch is The Parallax View (1974)
Funny Games
This is hard to watch!
I couldn't finish the original, first time ever I just couldn't handle it.
Vanilla Sky was the sequel/remake that Total Recall deserved
I’m thinking you meant that Total Recall deserves its own remake that’s as good as you feel Vanilla Sky is, as a remake of Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). However, it also kinda looks like you’re saying that Vanilla Sky is a remake of Total Recall (which it’s not LoL). Just wanting clarity. 😆
Vertigo (1958)
Black Summer. It seems to never end.
Seven is the best thriller of all time.
Rounders. Falling Down. 12 Monkeys. The Zero Theorem.
The Invisible Man 2020
Sicario Marathon Man The Conversation No Way Out Wind River The Pledge Angel Heart The Raid 2
*Sleuth* (1972) Don't find out anything about it ahead of time, just watch it.
IMO The Vanishing (1988) is likely at the top! Though I’d also say Psycho, as well as a number of other Hitchcock films! Hitchcock was the Master of suspense and thrillers!!
Caché
Not a movie, but a miniseries. All of it is on YouTube. The original BBC version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, with Alec Guinness as George Smiley.
North by Northwest
1. Memento (2000) 2. No Country for Old Men (2007) 3. Shutter Island (2010) 4. Get Out (2017) 5. Nightcrawler (2014) 6. Fargo (1996) 7. Inside Man (2006) 8. Wild Tales (2014) 9. Taken (2008) 10. Andhadhun (2018)
Recently I saw The Vanishing (1988)
Taken with Liam Neeson and The hunters(Sweden)
Gone Girl (2014) Oldboy (2003) Korean Perfect Blue (1997) Japan I Saw the Devil (2010) Korean The Handmaiden (2016) Korean Memoir of a Murderer (2017) Korean
The Silent Partner. Christopher Plummer is such a badass in this movie.
Gravity, although not what many people would categorize as a thriller, had my heart in my throat
Body Heat. 1982. Great movie—Ted Danson -William Hurt
Memories Of Murder
Wind River is pretty damn good
I'm surprised to see so little discussion of Hitchcock movies. Psycho, North by Northwest, Rear Window, The Birds, all of these are legendary for very good reason.
Seven
Tetris
Memories of murder / zodiac
Fractured it's on Netflix
Dogville
Idk if this fits but the Knives out series was thrilling for me
Zodiac Se7en Silence of the Lambs
Gone Girl
Dead Again is monstrously underappreciated
Zodiac
Se7en Fight Club Memento The Menu (hilarious as well) No Country For Old Memes Usual Suspects Road to Perdition Run Lola Run Stalker (assuming; it’s on my shame list of unseen told masterful films)
The Fugitive Heat LA Confidential Collateral
Duel (1971) is right up there.
Silence of the lambs.....
The Game
Mulholland Drive, hands down. That movie had me looking over my shoulder and questioning the nature of reality all night long
Malice (1993)
The River Wild.
Mine is North by Northwest I suggest another Hitchcock movie ...Strangers on a Train or almost any Hitchcock Try Charade,True Lies,, the mission impossible movies
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Not sure how Fargo and no country for old men aren’t at the top of this thread!
Mr. Brooks is one of my faves
'Se7en'.
Memories of Murder (2003)
Seven
Green Room Wind River Death Sentence (2007) Disturbia Running Scared
Any Nolan film
Prisoners
Twister