Life a little dull these days? Before you decide to take up spelunking or skydiving as a means of passing the time, may we suggest you save your money, time, and potentially your life, by watching an incredible Amazon Prime thriller instead?
Amazon Prime Video is home to nearly every genre of film you can find, and the platform’s collection of thrillers is bar-none some of the best you’ll find on the streaming landscape. As fans of the genre, we’ve put together this roundup of all the best thrillers on Amazon Prime right now, featuring Ron Howard’s latest directorial effort Thirteen Lives, the Chris Pine/Thandie Newton spy flick All the Old Knives, and Jonathan Demme’s terrifying classic, The Silence of the Lambs.
Amazon Prime may have a robust catalog, but it doesn’t have everything. Luckily, we’ve also curated roundups of the best thrillers on Netflix and the best thrillers on Hulu.
Added to Amazon Prime Video in November
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Labor Day2013
147m
Genre
Drama, Thriller
Stars
Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton
Directed by
Ron Howard
In director Ron Howard’s harrowing and emotional Thirteen Lives, is the real-life story of the Wild Boars, a Thai soccer team made up of twelve players and their coach. When the team ventures off into the Tham Luang cave, heavy rains flood the cavern, trapping them inside. After the parents of the boys alert authorities, a globalized rescue effort, comprised of professional divers and other emergency responders, must race against the clock to save the Wild Boars before it’s too late. Dialing in the dramatized strengths from other Howard-honed pictures like Apollo 13, there’s plenty at stake in Thirteen Lives, and the longtime auteur deftly tackles the many anxiety-inducing feats of one of the world’s most death-defying search-and-rescue efforts.
101m
Genre
Thriller, Action
Stars
Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Jonathan Pryce
Directed by
Janus Metz
Espionage thrillers make up a unique subset of the genre, and director Janus Metz’ All the Old Knives is a more than fitting contribution to the narrative traditions. Chris Pine and Thandie Newton star as Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison, CIA operatives and ex-lovers who are forced to work together to uncover a mole within the organization’s Vienna satellite location. As the duo closes in on the perpetrator, chemistry resurfaces and past demons arise, leading to some near-insurmountable obstacles that stand in the way of their mission. Pine and Newton are at the top of their game in this one, delivering a dynamic performance fueled by old haunts and new deceit.
119m
Genre
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stars
Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
Directed by
Jonathan Demme
When a serial killer operating under the moniker of “Buffalo Bill” (Ted Levine) kidnaps the daughter of a US senator, FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is tasked with interrogating the elusive and highly-intelligent Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), an incarcerated cannibal who may provide some critical perspective on how to track down Buffalo Bill before the senator’s daughter becomes his next victim. Based on the 1988 Thomas Harris novel of the same name, director Jonathan Demme’s cinematic adaptation is a nail-biter of a film, complete with powerful lead performances, an emotive score by Howard Shore, and a tense script that pays faithful homage to its incredible source material.
111m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith
Directed by
Jason Reitman
Based on the Joyce Maynard novel of the same name, Labor Day stars Josh Brolin as convict Frank Chambers, a man on the run who forces Henry (Gattlin Griffith), a 13-year-old boy, and his depressed mother, Adele (Kate Winslet), to take him in after encountering the pair at a grocery store. Hiding out in Adele’s home, both Henry and his mother begin to take a liking to the grizzled nomad. But when authorities start closing in, Frank’s tragic past threatens to tear everything apart. Featuring strong performances from the main players, Labor Day dips its toes into multiple genres but works best as a dramatic thriller where anything could wrong in seconds.
101m
Genre
Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Romance
Stars
Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella
Directed by
Andrew Jarecki
Are you familiar with HBO’s docuseries The Jinx about infamous real estate mogul-turned-murderer Robert Durst? Before Andrew Jarecki’s series, there was All Good Things, a fictional film inspired by the life and crimes of the late Durst. Starring Ryan Gosling as David Marks, the son of real estate tycoon Seymour Marks (Frank Langella), David is hesitant to enter the family business. But after meeting Katie (Kirsten Dunst), romance wins the day, and David’s life changes for the best. Eventually giving in to his father’s wishes to walk in his footsteps, a series of murders and Katie’s eventual disappearance have all fingers pointing towards David. But did he commit the crime? A well-acted sensationalizing of the Durst tragedy, All Good Things runs into a few narrative snags. Yet its depiction of its disturbed protagonist and the lives of the many he affected is enough to keep us glued to our screens.
115m
Genre
Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Stars
Daniel Radcliffe, Thomas Kretschmann, Alex Russell
Directed by
Greg McLean
A cinematic retelling of Yossi Ghinsberg’s 1981 foray into the Amazon jungle, director Greg McLean’s Jungle stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ghinsberg, an Israeli outdoorsman who travels to Bolivia. Taking up a local guide’s offer to venture into the heart of the jungle with a group of fellow adventurers, Ghinsberg’s fight-or-flight instincts are soon put to the test when the expedition goes completely haywire. A tantalizing survival thriller that leans on the desperation and resourcefulness of its core cast, with Radcliffe leading the charge. Jungle may not be the greatest “nature versus man” film, but it’s a gritty and captivating addition to the sub-genre nonetheless.
163m
Genre
Adventure, Action, Thriller
Stars
Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Rami Malek
Directed by
Cary Joji Fukunaga
This is the cinematic sendoff to actor Daniel Craig’s tenure as the ever-charismatic and highly skilled James Bond. No Time to Die finds the decorated ex-MI6 agent in peaceful retirement on the shores of Jamaica — at least until Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) of the CIA arrives. Bond agrees to one last daring mission, and the objective is to rescue a kidnapped scientist from enemy clutches. This is the kind of quest that Bond is certainly used to. But it turns out that this foe and his plans are more layered and far more devilish than anyone could imagine. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga delivers a well-executed swan song for Craig, bringing Bond’s arc as an intelligence operative to a solid close.
130m
Genre
Crime, Drama, Thriller, Action
Stars
Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins
Directed by
Christopher McQuarrie
Based on the 2005 Lee Child novel One Shot, Jack Reacher stars Tom Cruise as the film’s protagonist, an ex-military investigator who is called into service following a tragic set of homicides in Pittsburgh. The killer, a former US army sniper named James Barr (Joseph Sikora), is swiftly apprehended. During his interrogation, Barr says “get Jack Reacher.” When Reacher agrees to help authorities sort out Barr’s case, the cut-and-dry murder investigation quickly evolves into something far more diabolic. A powerful action-thriller with a fantastic lead performance from Cruise, Jack Reacher may not exactly be breaking molds when it comes to how it delivers its nail-biting suspense, but it’s near-perfectly executed filmmaking and a captivating watch from start to finish.
119m
Genre
Action, Crime, Thriller
Stars
Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Scott Eastwood
Directed by
Guy Ritchie
Wrath of Man is a towering action-thriller from the king of stylized punches, kicks, and gunshots, Guy Ritchie. A story told in four parts, the film stars Jason Statham as Patrick Hill, nicknamed “H,” the new armored truck guard for Fortico Security. During a robbery, Hill surprises his coworkers when he takes out all of the perpetrators with savage grace. As time goes on though, we discover that Fortico’s new hire comes bearing an unfathomable bit of baggage that calls for nothing but vengeance. Making use of non-linear storytelling, Wrath of Man sees Statham doing what he does best, and the same can certainly be said for Ritchie. The film is filled with fight scenes, explosions, and other iterations of all-out mayhem, and while it may not be particularly original in any way, it’s certainly good fun.
121m
Genre
Drama, Horror, Mystery
Stars
Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris
Directed by
Darren Aronofsky
Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem star in this Darren Aronofsky psychological thriller about a couple whose relationship is tested when uninvited guests suddenly arrive at their home. Mother (Lawrence) spends her days renovating the Victorian mansion she shares with her husband, and she’s happy to allow an unexpected stranger to stay in their home. But when his beleaguered wife and two children later arrive, making themselves right at home, Mother’s tranquil existence is soon thrown into turmoil.
109m
Genre
Action
Stars
Michael Keaton, Maggie Q, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by
Martin Campbell
As a child, Anna (Maggie Q) was rescued from certain death by legendary assassin Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) who raises her as any assassin would: To become the world’s most skilled contract killer. When Moody is murdered, Anna vows revenge against the enigmatic killer (Michael Keaton) whose attraction to her is beyond typical hunter and hunted. As their confrontation turns deadly, the many loose ends of Anna’s assassin life begin to unravel and then weave themselves tighter together.
130m
Genre
Adventure, Action, Thriller
Stars
Pierce Brosnan, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen
Directed by
Martin Campbell
Amazon usually has at least a few Bond movies available in the library, and GoldenEye headlines the current selection. Although perhaps better known for the classic video game, GoldenEye is nonetheless a great entry to the Bond universe for Pierce Brosnan and serves as the launch pad for a new modern era of Bond movies. In this edition, James Bond faces off against a rogue MI6 agent who controls a space weapon capable of global destruction.
119m
Genre
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stars
Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington, John Magaro
Directed by
Eytan Rockaway
Meyer Lansky (Harvey Keitel), a notorious crime lord, is on his last leg, a fact that the authorities are all too aware of. Hoping to track down Lansky’s hidden fortune, the Feds do everything in their power to make Lansky talk — and talk he does. In the vein of The Usual Suspects, the patriarchal puppet master begins weaving an intricate tale of his past, with specifics on how he rose to power. Keitel is perfectly cast as Lansky, delivering a tour-de-force performance that carries much of this true-crime thriller.
90m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman
Directed by
Derrick Borte
We’ve all had episodes of road rage that we’re not proud of, but typically these exchanges between drivers amount to nothing more than a few finger gestures and muffled profanities behind closed car doors. For Rachel (Caren Pistorious), a highway-bound single mother, a nightmare becomes a reality when, after beeping at a fellow driver (Russell Crowe), the man in question begins following her, leaving us, the viewers, to watch Rachel’s descent into the unnamed driver’s hellish revenge.
112m
Genre
Thriller, History, Drama
Stars
Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan
Directed by
Dominic Cooke
Based on a true story, The Courier stars Benedict Cumberbatch Greville Wynne, your run-of-the-mill British businessman who’s handed the seemingly impossible task of negotiating with a Soviet spy (Merab Ninidze) to defuse international tensions, a massive effort by the U.K.’s MI-6 to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis. A tactful and rewarding espionage thriller, The Courier finds Benedict Cumberbatch at the top of his powers, delivering yet another engrossing leading-man performance.
Digital Trends Streaming Roundup
97m
Genre
Horror, Thriller, Drama, Crime, Mystery
Stars
Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Colleen Dewhurst
Directed by
Fred Walton
Featuring one of the most terrifying openings of any horror/thriller to date, When a Stranger Calls stars Carol Kane as Jill Johnson, a babysitter who receives the shock of her life when a disturbed merchant seaman preys upon her and the children she’s sitting for. After she escapes his clutches, the perpetrator returns seven years later after breaking out of a psychiatric institution to continue stalking Jill and her new family. A well-rounded film with earnest performances and an edge-of-your-seat story, When a Stranger Calls may attempt a little too much storyline at times, but its greatest successes are had when the film focuses on the torment of Jill Johnson and her fight for survival.
90m
Genre
Thriller, War, Drama
Stars
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, Laith Nakli
Directed by
Doug Liman
The Wall is a very stripped-down thriller with only three major roles. In Iraq, military sniper Shane Matthews (John Cena) and his spotter, Sergeant Allen “Ize” Isaac (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), are assigned to make sure that a pipeline construction site is clear from enemy forces. Unfortunately, a feared sniper known as Juba (Laith Nakli) successfully draws them into a trap, and wounds both men. As the soldiers hide behind a crumbling wall, Juba uses the radio to learn more about them and to advance his larger plans. That’s because Juba has done this before, and his words are also weapons in his arsenal.
90m
Genre
Drama, Mystery, Comedy
Stars
Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Margo Martindale
Directed by
Danielle Krudy, Bridget Savage Cole
From writer-director duo Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, Blow the Man Down is a bleak seaside thriller with black comedy undertones. Siblings Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth Connolly (Morgan Saylor) aren’t on the greatest of terms after their mother’s funeral. Further complicating their sisterly struggle is a murder they must commit (in self-defense). Disposing of the body, the sisters are far from out of the woods when local law enforcement begins a search for the very man the duo pitched in the ocean. Add to that another body washing up on the shore, and Blow the Man Down sheds a layer to reveal a deeper underbelly of feminist power-playing and malicious intent. A film that builds an immersive tone and atmosphere from the get-go, Blow the Man Down is a whodunit that keeps you drawn in for its 90-minute runtime.
118m
Genre
Thriller, Drama
Stars
Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Morrison
Directed by
Scott Z. Burns
A star-studded cast, including Adam Driver, Annette Bening, and Jon Hamm, tackled this film’s deep-dive into the investigation of and controversy around torture used by the CIA following the terrorist attacks on September 11. Examining the full 6,700-page report by Daniel Jones of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the story is based, in part, on Katherine Eban’s Vanity Fair article “Rorschach and Awe.” Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2019, the Amazon Studios movie had a brief theatrical release then went straight to the streaming service.
145m
Genre
Thriller, Drama, Romance
Stars
Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo
Directed by
Park Chan-wook
Dubbed an erotic psychological thriller, this South Korean film, also known as Ah-ga-ssi, is inspired by the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, with a change in setting from the Victorian era to Korea during Japanese colonial rule. At the heart of the story is a con man with a sinister plot to seduce a Japanese heiress so he can have her committed and steal her money.
113m
Genre
Drama, Thriller
Stars
Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller
Directed by
Lynne Ramsay
Lionel Shriver’s psychological thriller, We Need to Talk About Kevin, was adapted for the screen by director Lynne Ramsay with Ezra Miller in the title role. Regardless, this movie belongs to Tilda Swinton, who plays Kevin’s mother, Eva. John C. Reilly also has a rare dramatic turn as Eva’s husband and Kevin’s father, Franklin. The story begins in the present, as Eva struggles to deal with the enormity of Kevin’s crime against society and herself. But as Eva examines her past, she begins to wonder what part she had to play in raising a monster under her own roof. Swinton’s performance is electric, and it carries the film all the way to its conclusion. However, Miller’s Kevin is the rare screen monster who is all too human with the evil he inflicts upon the world.
89m
Genre
Thriller, Drama
Stars
Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov
Directed by
Lynne Ramsay
Joaquin Phoenix is on point in Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here. The Oscar-winning actor plays Joe, a brutalizer-for-hire, with a specialty in rescuing trafficked girls. Suffering from suicidal thoughts and years of trauma from his childhood through his military career, Joe agrees to a new mission. It’s standard fare: Rescue a senator’s daughter and take down anyone that gets in the way. The only trouble is that those involved are part of a much deeper political conspiracy, and Joe lands right in the middle of the villains and their victims. You Were Never Really Here has teeth, and it bites — a lot. Those uneasy with gore may want to choose something else on this list. For those that can stomach Joe’s reign of hammer-blows, you’ll be rewarded with a brilliantly directed character study and a mesmerizing lead performance from our latest cinematic Joker.
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