Tension is to cinema as jelly is to peanut butter — or something like that. With movie-watching, the idea behind tension is that the writer-director does everything in their power to gradually create tension, and then release the audience from its clutches at all the right moments. One genre that deals almost exclusively in this is the thriller.
If your idea of a relaxing weekend is settling down to some Netflix, you’ll be pleased to know that the platform is home to hundreds of thriller films to keep you glued to the edge of your couch cushions. For your consideration, we’ve assembled this roundup to show you all of the best thrillers on Netflix that you can watch right now.
We’ve also rounded up the best thrillers on Amazon Prime Video and the best thrillers on Hulu if Netflix doesn’t have what you’re looking for.
Recently added to Netflix
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Sentinelle2021
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Rust Creek2019
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Army of Thieves2021
Coming Home in the Dark (2021) new
Genre
Thriller, Horror
Stars
Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell
Directed by
James Ashcroft
93m
The feature debut of James Ashcroft, Coming Home in the Dark stars Daniel Gillies and Matthias Luafutu as Mandrake and Tubs, a pair of hellbent maniacs who attach themselves to the doomed Hoaganraad family, a nuclear unit of four hoping to enjoy a weekend away from it all. As the family gets to know Mandrake more, they soon realize that his surface-level charisma is but a thin wall that holds back a much more sinister plan, a scheme he has been planning for nearly two decades. Powered by a devilish lead performance from Daniel Gillies, Coming Home in the Dark will feel familiar to anyone who was watched movies like Funny Games, but it’s a welcome entry to the constantly rotating sub-genre of domestic invasion thrillers.
Sentinelle (2021) new
Revenge-thrillers are a dime a dozen, so what makes Sentinelle any different than the rest? Well, for starters, it’s completely unrelenting. The plot follows Klara (Olga Kurylenko), a discharged soldier sent home after a harrowing close call during combat. The woman’s trauma is only compounded when she uncovers a web of crime that could lead to her sister’s death. Taking justice into her own hands, Klara utilizes her weapons training and intellect to hunt down the could-be killers. As mentioned, Sentinelle hits hard and fast, delivering a blazing action-thriller in less than 90 minutes.
Rust Creek (2019) new
Rust Creek stars Hermione Corfield as Sawyer Scott, an overworked college student who takes a job interview just before Thanksgiving. Deciding to ditch the highway in favor of a route with less holiday traffic, Sawyer gets turned around and ends up lost in the Appalachian forest. After she witnesses something no one was intended to see, a pair of brothers start tracking the woman through the bitter-cold woodlands. A shoestring effort with a tight story and impressive tone, Rust Creek is undeniable proof that you can achieve a lot with a little — referring specifically to the budget for a film.
Army of Thieves (2021) new
Serving as a prequel to Zack Synder’s adrenaline-pumping Army of the Dead, Army of Thieves was co-written by Matthias Schweighöfer and Synder and directed by Schweighöfer. Our story follows Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer), operating as Sebastian, a safecracking expert living in Potsam. When one of Sebastian’s safecracking instructional YouTube videos receives attention from a mysterious viewer, he journeys into the city where he is recruited to join an elite heist-team led by Gwendoline (Natalie Emmanuel). Together, the band of thieves concoct a plan to crack a series of impenetrable safes throughout Europe. A brilliant extension of the Army universe, Thieves stands on its own two legs, thanks to memorable performances and riveting set-pieces.
The Hateful Eight (2015) new
When a raging blizzard descends upon post-Civil War Wyoming, a stagecoach carrying a medley of hard-to-trust lawmen, bounty hunters, and criminals arrives at Minnie’s Haberdashery, a secluded outpost already host to its own set of mysterious lodgers. As the snow sets in, the forces of good and evil are placed into a pressure-cooker. Personalities clash and lives are challenged, all while hidden intentions of some of the inhabitants rise to the surface. A spiritual sequel to Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight is a close-knit siege thriller in the style of John Carpenter’s The Thing (a noted inspiration for the film).
The Guilty (2021)
LAPD officer Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) is working the night shift for 9-1-1 dispatch. Awaiting a court hearing for an initially-unknown incident that occurred months before, Joe receives a call from a woman claiming to be kidnapped. As Joe does everything in his power to help his abducted caller, it soon becomes clear that this singular call may have more to do with Joe and his past than he’s aware of. A fist-clenching thriller, one led by an extremely captivating lead performance from Gyllenhaal, The Guilty may not be as great as the original 2018 Danish film, but the talent onscreen and close-quarters cinematography is undeniably gripping.
Level Sixteen (2018)
In a dystopian school for young women, educators prepare their incumbents for adopted life outside the walls of the institution. Vivien (Katie Douglas) and Sophia (Celina Martin) are two friends living on level 16 of the facility — the final stage before release. But as their termination date draws near, it becomes clear to the girls that the militant establishment they’ve spent their entire lives in may have untimely plans for those residing in its cells. A mesmerizing blend of genre elements, with touches of Suspiria and The Stepford Wives sprinkled here and there, Level 16 is a sci-fi shocker that will keep you guessing, eventually unfurling into third-act chaos and madness.
Digital Trends streaming roundup
In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
Our story begins in 1988. Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook) is faced with a macabre investigation in Philadelphia — one where several victims all hemorrhage to death at the same time, with puncture wounds located on each of their heads. Following leads that inevitably result in an even deeper mystery, Lockhart’s investigation goes dormant until a series of copycat killings resurfaces nine years later. A great blend of mystery-meets-sci-fi, In the Shadow of the Moon may not land with all viewers, but as a made-for-Netflix caper, it’s an arresting genre-dive you won’t want to miss.
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
When art curator Susan Morrow receives the manuscript for her ex-husband’s latest novel entitled Nocturnal Animals, she begins reading the book. As Susan unpacks the novel, we watch the prose unfold onscreen. In the text, a teacher (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his family have a horrific run-in with a pack of miscreants on a deserted country road, leading the patriarch down a twisted path of revenge. The more Susan reads, the more she realizes how several events of the book echo significant moments from her past with Edward (also played by Gyllenhaal), her writerly ex. A tension-packed modern noir laced with incredible performances, Nocturnal Animals is one you don’t want to scroll past.
Creep (2014)
When shoestring videographer Aaron (Patrick Brice) accepts a paying gig from a mysterious new client, his visit to the man’s remote mountain residence soon devolves into a bizarre nightmare as Josef (Mark Duplass), the homeowner, claims to be making a video for his unborn child before he dies from a brain tumor. At least that’s what Josef wants Aaron to believe. The truth, as the viewer will come to discover, is far more sinister. Taking the found footage sub-genre to thrilling new places, Creep feels like a very small film, but one packed with suspense and misdirects as Josef’s intentions become increasingly murkier.
Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
In this rollicking action thriller, Karen Gillan stars as Sam, a high-octane assassin carrying out hits for an underground organization known as The Firm. Abandoned at a young age by her mother (Lena Headey), a fellow hitman, Sam’s estrangement has reinforced her cold-blooded tendencies. In the wake of a hit gone wrong, Sam is forced to re-examine her allegiance to the organization that provides her lifestyle and the life of an innocent 8-year-old girl (Chloe Coleman). An intense film from start to finish, Gunpowder Milkshake gives us an intriguing premise with excellent players and top-notch filmmaking.
The Vault (2021)
In The Vault, Freddie Highmore stars as Thom, a prolific engineer who happens upon some intoxicating intel. Learning of a hidden treasure trove located underneath The Bank of Spain, Thom and his group of allies concoct a master plan to break into the compound and make off with the riches while the rest of the country is distracted by Spain’s World Cup Final. Powered by energetic performances from its main ensemble and buttressed by some incredible set pieces and memorable locations, The Vault hits all the beats that a heist thriller should, making for an excellent watch.
Hold the Dark (2018)
In his follow-up to the ultra-violent Green Room, Jeremy Saulnier takes to the great wilds of Alaska for an adaptation of William Giraldi’s Hold the Dark. Starring Jeffrey Wright as wolf-tracker Russell Core, the animal expert is hired by Medora Slone (Riley Keough), a woman convinced that a pack of vicious wolves made off with her young son. As Russell begins his investigation, Medora’s spouse, Vernon (Alexander Skarsgård), arrives home from Iraq. Troubled by the horrors of frontline warfare, Vernon begins an all-out descent into madness as Russell begins to uncover more than he bargained for in the unrelenting tundra. Working with his biggest budget yet, indie stalwart Jeremy Saulnier delivers a grim reimagining of Giraldi’s already-macabre prose, complete with big action sequences and a touch of folkloric horror.
Snowpiercer (2013)
In a dystopian Ice Age future, the last members of humanity are stowed away on a never-ending train ride. Separated by class structures, the elitists are in the front cars and the rest of the passengers are segregated to the awful rear quarters. Chris Evans stars as Curtis, the leader of a revolt against the hierarchical heads of the globe-spanning super vessel. Pushing their way through the many train cars in an effort to overthrow the engineering compartment, Snowpiercer becomes an all-out fight for survival, featuring bloody set pieces and a nail-biting narrative.
Cop Car (2015)
Travis and Harrison (James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford) are two mischievous youths on the run. When the boys stumble upon a seemingly abandoned police vehicle, they hijack the vehicle for the afternoon. What they’re unaware of is that the notorious Sheriff Kretzer (Kevin Bacon) is the owner of the cruiser and he has more than one reason for trying to get his car back. Chief among them being the body he’s keeping in its trunk. While the film plugs along in a fairly minimalist fashion, there are plenty of surprises along the way to make for a more than elevated viewing experience. Kevin Bacon is particularly great as the wrong-side-of-the-law Kretzer — a terrorizing foe for the teenage boys.
Freaks (2019)
When Chloe (Lexy Kolker) dares to dream of the world outside the four walls of her home, the girl’s wishes are more than granted after discovering she possesses supernatural powers. She is one of thousands of gifted human beings known as Abnormals, a massive population of so-called freaks that the government is hunting. After learning that her mother, presumed dead, is an Abnormal herself and being held captive in a hidden prison, Chloe must tap into her extrasensory abilities to rescue her family and outsmart the hunters who want her dead. A film experienced through the eyes of its main character, the awestruck Chloe, Freaks blends thriller, horror, and sci-fi elements for a perplexing but addictive amalgamation of tropes old and new.
Good Time (2017)
After a botched bank robbery, the culprits, a pair of brothers known as Connie (Robert Pattinson) and Nick (Ben Safdie), attempt to flee the scene. Nick, stumbling, is picked up by police while Connie successfully escapes. With his brother now in jail, Connie must come up with $10,000 in bail money to free his sibling. But a series of events transpire that throw increasing complications Connie’s way as he does everything in his power to procure the funds. Kinetic and pulse-pounding, Good Time is a brilliant modern-day take on the invigorating energy of such New York epics as Taxi Driver and Bringing Out the Dead. Pattinson is especially mesmerizing as the wired and propulsive Connie, a tough-talking perp with a good heart buried beneath his crimes.
Green Zone (2010)
Based in part on journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s 2006 nonfiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City, Green Zone stars Matt Damon as U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, a man tasked with unearthing Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. As Miller discovers most of his intel to be false leads, a larger coverup begins to present itself. Building on the strengths of Matt Damon’s leading-man persona, Green Zone is an edge-of-your-seat thriller from a director who has made more than one cinematic contribution to the American post-9/11 zeitgeist (United 93 being the previous feature).
Mystic River (2003)
Perhaps one of director Clint Eastwood’s most macabre and moody films, Mystic River follows three friends: Ex-con Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), Massachusetts state trooper Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon), and disturbed blue-collar worker Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins). When a tragedy unfurls over Boston, one specifically connected to Jimmy, the grief-stricken mobster takes matters into his own hands. Melancholic, heavy, and featuring mighty performances from the entire ensemble, Mystic River will keep you guessing for the film’s entire runtime. And even when we get answers, there are plenty of loose ends for the characters to contend with.
The Call (2020)
In Chung-hyun Lee’s The Call, we follow two different timelines, with a telephone call linking both eras. Seo-Yeon (Shin-hye Park) spends her days in the present while Young-Sook (Jong-seo Jun) lurks in the past. One is a serial killer, the other the victim. A bizarre amalgam of sci-fi-meets-psychological-thriller, The Call scores high with us for its nail-biting narrative, moody tone, dedicated performances, and plenty of originality.
Red Dot (2021)
David (Anastasios Soulis) and Nadja (Nanna Blondell), a set of young newlyweds, lead a stressful life of work, school, and poor communication skills. When Nadja learns that she’s pregnant, she decides to save the news for an adventurous ski trip to Sweden’s far north with David. As the couple begins to lose themselves to nature’s bounty, a hidden assailant begins stalking David and Nadja. It’s a nightmarish fight for survival in the merciless winter wilderness, as the infamous red dot of a rifle-sight follows every move the married couple makes. An energy-packed survival thriller, Red Dot is effective in making us feel just as lost and drenched in paranoia as the film’s leading talents.
The Night Clerk (2020)
In The Night Clerk, Tye Sheridan stars as Bart Bromley, a reclusive hotel clerk who is on the autism spectrum. After witnessing a tragedy unfold through hidden cameras he placed in a guest room himself, Bart becomes a prime suspect in the police investigation of the incident. The plot only thickens when Bart’s boss transfers him to a second hotel where Bart forms a new connection with a woman named Andrea (Ana de Armas). As a friendship and subsequent romantic feelings blossom, it turns out the aforementioned tragedy may have more to do with Bart than even he knows. While the narrative ebbs and flows at its own pace, powerful lead performances from both Sheridan and de Armas make this a worthwhile entry for your next weekend.
I Care a Lot (2020)
Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is a daring and destructive Massachusetts con artist. Malicious in ways most of us could never be, Marla targets the elderly. Her modus operandi? A court-appointed legal ward, she and her lover, Fran (Eiza González), make their living by funneling the assets of their octogenarian clients via legal means. That is, until they cross paths with Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest), a wealthy senior with no living family — the perfect target for Marla and Fran. It just so happens that Jennifer comes with some not-so-forgiving mafia connections. What unravels is a vicious game of sharks versus sharks as the mob closes in on Marla’s daring exploits. Featuring a fantastic performance from Pike and a nail-biting script, I Care a Lot dares to be bold and does so more than effectively.
Shutter Island (2010)
It’s a windy and rainy Boston Harbor, circa 1954. When Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), two U.S. Marshals, are sent to investigate a patient’s disappearance at the notorious Ashecliffe Hospital on Shutter Island, a convoluted mystery unfolds. Facing off against the elements, the unwilling staff of the facility, and its deranged patients, Teddy begins to have painful migraines and flashbacks of his days in military combat. A neo-noir whirlwind, Shutter Island is lesser-known among Scorsese’s best, but certainly worthy of a weekend watch without the lights on.
The Occupant (2020)
In The Occupant, Javier Gutiérrez stars as Javier Muñoz, a high-ranking executive who falls on hard times. Forced into unemployment, the big earner watches as his luxurious penthouse home is put on the seller’s market. When new tenants move in, the psychologically troubled Javier becomes obsessed with the occupants and begins making himself known to them in unsavory ways. Gutiérrez is a standout in The Occupant, packaging corporate greed, intellect, and a touch of humanity into a chilling lead performance that truly steers the film.
Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
The art world is a strange one to live in, particularly when the tortured spirits of dead artists start wreaking havoc on the outside world. These are the cards we’re dealt with Dan Gilroy’s insanely odd Velvet Buzzsaw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Morf Vandewalt, an eccentric art critic that comes in contact with the possessed paintings of Vetril Dease (Alan Mandell). Death, dismemberment, and other macabre occurrences soon descend on the principal players, leaving us to wonder where the line is drawn between reality and fiction. Big, odd, and loaded with color, Velvet Buzzsaw is one you won’t forget.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Dr. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) is a cardiovascular surgeon who leads a Stepford-esque life. He has a beautiful wife, two beautiful children, and a spotless household. But one thing is out of place. Martin (Barry Keoghan), a fatherless teen who seems intent on inserting himself into the doctor’s life in increasingly frightening ways. Martin, it soon comes to pass, has truly menacing intentions.
It Comes at Night (2017)
It Comes at Night is a slow burn that is as creepy and unyielding as its name suggests. The film picks up in medias res, an untold time after a mysterious apocalypse has left the world with few survivors. Outdoors, an unspeakable horror exists, plaguing the entire planet. Two families are forced to share a home, caught in an uneasy alliance against the evil that lurks outside.
Piercing (2018)
Reed is a near-homicidal family man who needs an outlet for his inner rage. So, he decides on a prostitute. Not for sex. For murdering. What he didn’t expect was Jackie (Mia Wasikowska), a call girl just as cunning, sadistic, and merciless as Reed himself. When the two get together, Reed’s killer plan disintegrates before his eyes, and a wicked game of cat and mouse begins. Piercing is an adaptation of Ryū Murakami’s novel of the same name, source material that writer-director Nicholas Pesce pays great respect to. This vision is only furthered by the perfectly-cast Abbott and Wasikowska, two versatile actors who flourish as the wretched psychopaths of Piercing.
Calibre (2018)
When two lifelong friends, a businessman and his pal from boarding school, head out for a hunting weekend in the Scottish Highlands, things quickly turn ugly. The old friends find themselves unexpectedly panicked and dealing with dire situations they never thought they would face. The British thriller, originally released on Netflix, was described by Variety as an “intensely terrifying twist on Deliverance.”
The Guest (2014)
In The Guest, Dan Stevens is so charming as David Collins that we don’t want to believe that he’s got dark secrets that will threaten everyone else around him. As the Peterson family grieves over the loss of their son, Craig, in the Afghanistan War, David presents himself as a close friend of Craig who has just returned home. The Petersons welcome David into their lives, and he becomes a surrogate son for Spencer (Leland Orser) and Laura (Sheila Kelley), while acting as a big brother to Luke (Brendan Meyer). However, Anna (Maika Monroe) becomes suspicious about David’s story and she begins to investigate his past. But David doesn’t tolerate threats from anyone, and when his cover is blown, no one is safe from his reach.
Icarus (2017)
While exploring and experimenting with the idea of illegal doping in sports and how easy it is to use performance-enhancing drugs and evade detection, Bryan Fogel uncovers an international doping scandal. The documentary follows Fogel through his journey in amateur cycling and the explosive allegations by Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of the Russian anti-doping laboratory. Rodchenkov started out by simply helping Fogel with his experiment before eventually revealing alleged Olympic doping programs and his involvement with them. The movie earned Fogel an Academy Award for Best Documentary Film.
Uncut Gems (2019)
In Uncut Gems, Adam Sandler stars as a jeweler with a gambling addiction on the hunt for an expensive gem he bought to pay off mounting debts. Sandler was lauded for his performance, proving once again that he can do far more than play characters that provide silly humor and cheap laughs. Critics praised Sandler’s dramatic chops upon the film’s release, as well as the Safdie brothers, who have an undisputed knack for delivering stress-inducing films at every turn.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
For fans of the AMC series Breaking Bad, this flick is the epilogue they’ve been waiting for to address the unanswered question of what happened to Jesse Pinkman. For others who might not have seen Breaking Bad, it’s still a fabulous film about a young man on the run from a clearly sordid past. It wraps Pinkman’s story up with a nice little bow and delivers plenty of cameos and throwback references from the original series to make it a worthwhile watch for any fan who has been missing the show.
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