Summary
Supposedly, rewatching thrillers means that some of the thrills will dissipate, but that doesn’t stop me from returning to my favorite crime and psychological dramas over and over again. There is a satisfaction in rewatching amovie that changes genres halfway throughand understanding how each twist works in the broader context of the story.It’s always fun to revisit the most thrilling moments of a movie to dissect the writing and acting,and what makes that thrill work.
Whether it be one of the most famous thrillers of all time or aforgotten thriller that is actually great,these movies are surprising the first time around, but in the best cases, reveal the elegant timing upon a second and third watch.I am particularly a huge fan ofunderrated psychological thrillers, which don’t have as many jump scares but engage with twisting narratives of the human psyche. Some scenes in my favorite thrillers are just so dramatic, pulled off by immeasurably talented actors, that they don’t need the novelty of a first watch to be entertaining.
10 Best Thrillers Of All Time To Watch Right Now
A great thriller has its audience constantly on the edge of their seat, trying to predict what happens next. These thrillers are the best of the best.
Now You See Me
Cast
Now You See Me follows an FBI agent and an Interpol detective as they pursue a group of talented illusionists. The magicians are known for orchestrating bank heists during their performances, where they astonish audiences by distributing stolen wealth, intertwining magical spectacle with high-stakes crime.
I think that most people who love theNow You See Memovies know that the logic is not always solid. It goes back and forth between explaining all the magic tricks and seemingly implying that some magic is real. However, the spectacle of it all is the point: The characters say that there is joy in not knowing how the trick works and believing in the magic for a moment. The other main theme is the Robin Hood storyline of undermining the corrupt upper class and redistributing wealth, which is also enjoyable.
CarryingNow You See Me’s glitz and performing delightful magic tricks is a strong cast,portraying characters who play into their individual strengths as actors. I think that this is one of Jesse Eisenberg’s best roles, while the rest of the cast is brilliant as well. The sheer enjoyment and glamorous thrills of this original movie (and its first sequel) are why I am still looking forward toNow You See Me 3, despite the franchise’s long hiatus that may have left some people doubting the third movie would ever happen.
Nightcrawler
Written and directed by Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler follows petty thief Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) after he learns of a potentially lucrative job opportunity selling footage of violent events to local media outlets. Lou becomes a “stringer” - a freelance journalist who captures and records footage for news stations - and finds that the profession sucks him into the most dangerous parts of Los Angeles. Drawn deeper into his dark obsession, Lou becomes increasingly fixated with violence and crime.
Nightcrawleris a movie that follows a terrible protagonist, whose exploits illustrate abusive workplace relationships and everything wrong with the news industry.Jake Gyllenhaal gives a disturbing performance as Louis Bloom,a con man making his foray into the world of independent, on-the-scene crime journalism. Riz Ahmed’s portrayal of Lou’s assistant is also noteworthy, going along with his boss’ increasingly dangerous ambitions because he desperately needs the cash. This movie led to Ahmed later nabbing some other big roles, including oneStar Warsmovie and one Oscar nomination.
Nightcrawleris a twisting psychological thriller that showcases the extremes people will go to for their careers. The viewer wants the satisfaction of seeing the main character punished in the end; there is an argument that they do get this, but it is not as certain as withDeathnoteorI Care a Lot.Nightcrawleris unsettling and doesn’t offer any kind of uplifting moral,but says a lot about the worst people that are out there in regular jobs, with some great performances along the way.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery follows Detective Benoit Blanc’s continuing detective work in Greece. When tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends to his private island, Benoit Blanc must step in to solve the case when one of them is killed.
I think that the firstKnives Outhas slightly more sophisticated writing, butGlass Onionis just a lot more fun. The thrills of the original are taken to the next level with the ostentatious setting and the luxurious items for the cast to destroy in the final act.Knives Outsubverted the whodunit formula, and in doing so, created its own formula that then also needed to be subverted.Audiences might have been able to figure out the killer inGlass Onionbased on the billingand found the“the answer was the obvious one”conclusion a little too easy.
More hints about Benoit Blanc’s personal life and a new roster of A-listers tie the whole thing together in one of my favorites to rewatch.
However,Glass Onionmakes up for it with great pacing and some interesting symbolism and commentaryon public figures’ conduct during lockdown. TheCOVID-19 setting madeGlass Onionbetter, and the meaning of everyone’s mask-wearing habits is a well-trodden discourse. Meanwhile, the characters named Helen and Cassandra are loaded with allusions in a movie that takes place in Greece. More hints about Benoit Blanc’s personal life and a new roster of A-listers tie the whole thing together in one of my favorites to rewatch.
Black Swan
In Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan, talented ballet dancer Nina Sayers struggles with her mental health while preparing for her performance in a production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Natalie Portman earned a Best Actress Oscar in the lead role, and the cast made up of Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder received high praise from critics and audiences.
Swan Lakeis a concept that will never cease to intrigue me,demonstrating a kind of harsh delicacy wrapped in one of the most hauntingly beautiful tunes ever. It is steeped in the potential for all kinds of horror, playing with tropes such as horror movies’ tendency to comment on expressions of sexuality to a classic evil twin scenario.Black Swandelivers on the story within a story plot: The implication of certain characters corresponding with the figures fromSwan Lakeis not too forced, and the psychedelic moments keep people guessing.
Black Swanis possibly the only character study for the cast ofSwan Lakewe will ever need. It is an exploration of Nina’s psychology, and how she feels threatened by women who know how to be imperfect in a way she can never achieve. She is stuck in a loop of her own mind and ambitions, where in order to be the perfect Black Swan, she needs to let go. The beautiful ballet costumes are also a plus; on stage and in rehearsal, they highlight what each character represents.
Gunpowder Milkshake
Gunpowder Milkshake is an action film that sees Karen Gillan as a woman following in her mother’s footsteps as an assassin. Abandoned at twelve years old, Sam has grown into a skilled assassin. However, after a job goes sideways after learning the truth about it, Sam decides to take up the vigilante route to save a kidnapped girl, resulting in an unexpected team-up with her estranged mother.
Gunpowder Milkshakeis by no means a masterpiece; it mishandles some of its feminist messaging and its action sequences go on for way too long. This is especially frustrating when some of that time could have been used to further develop the characters played by incomparable actresses. However, its imperfections draw me in when I think about what could have been changed to better serve the characters.Gunpowder Milkshaketells a wild, contained, and aesthetically interesting storyabout three generations of women banding together to protect each other.
The whole concept of the safe haven/weapons depot simply referred to as“the library”is fascinating. Notably, the weapons are always stored in hollowed-out copies of famous classics written by women. The moments that the biggest stars do get showcase personas that are a bit like their famous character archetypes but deviate from them, just slightly.Karen Gillan is always a good choice to lead an action movie,while Chloe Coleman also gives a strong performance as the kid the rest of the cast ends up having to protect.
12 Recent Movies That Came So Close To Being Masterpieces
These movies are cases where changes to the plot, characters, or tone would have turned it into a masterpiece.
Coraline
Based on Neil Gaiman’s novella, Coraline follows Coraline Jones, a lonely young girl who, after moving to a new house with her inattentive parents, discovers a portal to another, more sinister alternate reality behind one of the house’s many doors. Written and directed by Henry Selick, the film uses stop-motion animation and stars Dakota Fanning as Coraline.
Coralinemight not be what you think of when someone says“thriller.”However, its jump scares and the way the villain just does not give up are not just thrilling, but absolute nightmare fuel. Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman,Coralinetakes the basic“be careful what you wish for premise”from some fablesand the aesthetics ofThe Nightmare Before Christmas and dials both up to an 11.It nails both the way Coraline feels bored and neglected in her new home and the sheer horror of being lured into a seemingly better alternative.
Make no mistake:Coralineis beautiful, making the case for stop-motion in the modern day,even 15 years after its release. It’s an artistic achievement that is perfect for Halloween because it is genuinely scary but not overly graphic. I can mull over the implications of everything from the strange mouse-circus ringmaster to the obscure bits of advice offered by a black cat, bringing me back toCoralineonce again.
Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film directed by Bong Joon-ho. The narrative takes place aboard a perpetually moving train carrying the last remnants of humanity after a failed climate-change experiment freezes the planet. Chris Evans stars as Curtis, who leads a group of lower-class passengers in a rebellion against the oppressive elite at the front of the train. The film explores themes of class struggle and survival.
TheSnowpiercermovie is a perfect depiction of a privileged class justifying the wealth gap, in a harrowing futuristic setting that the audience will buy into, convinced that this could happen. Meanwhile,the movie features what I think is Chris Evans’ most psychologically complex performance— Captain America’s motivations and methods are pretty straightforward if you think about it. Evans is joined by some other great stars, like Octavia Spencer, Ed Harris, Tilda Swinton, and Song Kang-ho, each bringing something specific to the story that only they could accomplish.
Bong Joon-ho proved a few years later that he is a master at combining thrills with effective social commentary whenParasitetook home the Oscar for Best Picture. However,Snowpierceris also one of his masterpieces, showcasing everything one could want from a movie,from stellar production design to action to acting. The last is the most important aspect for me, as I will probably always go back toSnowpiercerto ruminate over the acting choices.
Ballerina
Ballerina is a 2023 action-thriller film by writer-director Lee Chung-hyun developed for Netflix. When former bodyguard Jang Ok-ju loses her best friend, she is thrust on a warpath of revenge when she discovers a final message from her. Now hot on the trail of a sex trafficker, Ok-ju and a recently rescued high-schooler to wipe out their foe’s entire operation.
Ballerinainvites a lot of obvious comparisons to other revenge thrillers in recent Hollywood history.Promising Young Womanis the first one that comes to mind, as they both follow a young woman avenging a dead friend who was sexually assaulted.These similarities are exactly why people need to watchBallerina,to study what it does differently. Namely, I was fascinated by its depiction of female comradery. It spends more time illustrating the relationship with the dead friend, characterized by a completely different color palette from the rest of the movie.
Meanwhile, in the present-day timeline, the heroine picks up another young woman to protect who manages to assist her in the final act.Ballerinashowcases a neon setting that is almost as violent as the plot and has plenty of impressive choreography. It is such an interesting movie to rewatch whenI am still working out the symbolism of what Min-hee is in Okju’s life.
I Care A Lot
I Care A Lot stars Rosamund Pike as Marla Grayson, a con artist who makes money by becoming a court-appointed guardian for elderly people she claims can’t take care of themselves, and then stealing their life’s savings. But things don’t go according to plan when she tries to do the same thing to a mother of a dangerous mob boss.
There is a lot to learn about the way selfish people think and the implications they cannot escape by exploiting others to build their fortunes fromI Care a Lot.Rosamund Pike can play a detestable main character like few of her contemporaries;she seems to be effortlessly elegant in every movie she is in and only needs to add in some corrupt motives for characters like Marla Grayson. Peter Dinklage is the perfect person to play Marla’s intellectual match inI Care a Lot, while Eiza González once again impresses with an understated performance as Marla’s partner.
I Care a Lot’s endingis a bit open-ended — but oh so satisfying, doing exactly what it needed to for the story and the character. Marla is an amazing character to watch at work, picking apart her determination to win and her ruthless methods. However, after a couple of hours of psychological thrills from seeing an outright villain take down one opponent after another,I Care a Lotbecomes a near-perfect movie because of its depiction of the consequences of what Marla has done.
10 Movies Where Every Character Is Actually Horrible
Viewers naturally want to support at least one character, but there are films where every single character is morally flawed.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a Netflix original movie that was released in September 2020. The story centers on a young woman who decides to visit her boyfriend’s parents' mysterious farm. But after arriving, she realizes he’s not the man she thought he was. I’m Thinking of Ending Things stars Jesse Plemmons and Jessie Buckley and is directed by Charlie Kaufman.
I’m Thinking of Ending Thingsis a thriller I watched relatively recently and could not look away fromas I tried to piece together the meaning of everything going on and being said. It will probably take 20 rewatches to completely make sense of it, but even the first time around, I could make out some core themes like the fear of aging and wasting one’s life — and for women in particular, wasting that life on relationships they were pressured into. Jesse Plemons is an amazing thriller actor, but Jessie Buckley is his match in this movie.
The thrillers I am inclined to rewatch are the ones that demand intense analysis, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a prime example of this.
Toni Colette and David Thewlis are creepy supporting stars, vividly illustrating the core plot of a girlfriend being uncomfortable meeting the parentsof the guy she is planning on breaking up with. Long-winded tangents in the conversation with some kernels of interesting discourse between the two leads drive home the point of time going by, while odd genre changes with musical and dance numbers are actually very effective. The thrillers I am inclined to rewatch are the ones that demand intense analysis, andI’m Thinking of Ending Thingsis a prime example of this.
