From shivers down your spine to a racing heart, prickling skin, and squirming insides, nothing can match the roller coaster of emotions that certain movies incite. If you’re up for such edge-of-the-seat fun, you’ll love this list of the best thriller movies on Netflix to watch.
I’ve included all the must-watch titles spanning varied genres, including horror, mystery, action, romance, and more. So grab some snacks (and some company) for comfort and tune in to these top thriller movies on Netflix.
1. Spiderhead (2022)
Genre: Sci-fi thriller
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett
Director: Joseph Kosinski
We’re quite habituated to seeing Chris Hemsworth in action avatars, whether it’s the Thor movies or his role in Extraction. However, Spiderhead brings a new direction to Chris Hemsworth’s acting abilities. Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett also deliver exceptional performances to make this sci-fi thriller one worth a try.
The movie is based on George Saunder’s story “Escape from Spiderhead”. This movie isn’t like any other prison thriller that you’ve watched. In the movie, instead of convicts serving life sentences in prison, they’re fed mind-altering experimental drugs to study their effects on the human body. Moreover, Chris Hemsworth is the tech billionaire and savant who heads this program.
Spill the sauce: Two inmates are experimented on with mind-altering drugs in an ultra-modern penitentiary. What follows is a thriller that will bend both genres and minds!
Jeff (Miles Teller) and Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett) are convicted and sent to the prison. While serving their sentences, their interactions with each other lead to a bond unseen before in convicts. This bond hampers with Steve Abnesti’s (Chris Hemsworth) experiments. What follows is a blend of psychological thriller and sci-fi blend that will keep you at the edge of your seats.
While the movie has received polarising reception based on its execution, nobody can deny the interesting story and stellar performances of the actors. Hemsworth receives special notice here, thanks to his portrayal of Steve Abnesti. If you’re in the mood to experiment with your binge and watch a thriller movie on Netflix, give Spiderhead a shot!
2. The Gray Man (2022)
Genre: Adventure thriller
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Dhanush
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
The Russo brothers have constantly entertained us with excellent movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other movies include Extraction and Cherry, which did quite well both critically and commercially. This time, the brothers delivered an adaptation of Mark Greaney’s novel, The Gray Man.
The film features an ensemble cast, featuring the likes of Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Wagner Moura, and Chris Evans. Gosling plays the leading role of Agent Six, who, in a mission collaborated with the CIA, has to kill certain targets. Six discovers he might be killing someone innocent.
Spill the sauce: When the rehabilitated Agent Six is sent on a mission in tandem with CIA's objectives, he discovers that his targets might be innocent. In a bid for redemption, he attempts to uncover the shady organizations darkest secrets. This triggers a worldwide manhunt for Agent Six, featuring the world's deadliest assassins. Will Agent Six be able to stop the organization's efforts and redeem himself?
The shock of the nature of his work drives him to uncover the deepest secrets of his organization. In the process, the organization sends in multiple assassins from all over the world to stop Agent Six’s efforts. The Gray Man is one of Netflix’s most expensive films and for good reasons. The movie features some excellent action and exotic locations to boot.
If you’re in the mood for watching a thriller with action and spy elements that make for a decent watch, The Gray Man should be on your list. While it often feels like such a huge ensemble cast could’ve been used better, the action and pacing of the movie deliver in spades!
3. Red Notice (2021)
Genre: Comedy thriller
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Here’s a star-studded and lighthearted Netflix action thriller that quickly broke into Netflix’s Top 10 Most Popular English Films of all time.
Spill the sauce: An Interpol agent reluctantly teams up with a renowned art thief to catch an even more notorious criminal. But is it even possible to hunt down the world's most wanted thief? Find out in this action-packed, edge-of-the-seat chase that's all thrills and feels.
Red Notice is like the love child of Indiana Jones and Mission Impossible! It’s full of little references to both these iconic franchises that will have fans smiling.
It’s just the lightweight art heist romp we need to escape the stresses of life right now. Thanks to the quirky, punchy dialog, it’s a treat to watch and will tickle your funny bone.
I appreciate how it is perfectly balanced between comedy and thrills. Each actor is ideal for their role and does not disappoint. It is one of the most expensive Netflix films and lives up to the hype despite lackluster reviews from critics. The end hints at a sequel, and I sure hope it happens.
4. The Guilty (2021)
Genre: Crime thriller
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough
Director: Antoine Fuqua
This one’s an American remake of an acclaimed 2018 Danish film of the same name. According to critics, it doesn’t match the merit of the original; but I think it’s still one of the best thriller movies on Netflix, especially if you haven’t seen the original Danish version.
Spill the sauce: Joe Baylor is a troubled police detective assigned to 911 call operator duty. He tries to save a distressed caller who’s kidnapped. But the day unfolds to be full of some harrowing revelations. Will Joe manage to rescue the woman on the phone?
The entire plot unfolds over a single day at the emergency call center. The high drama of the phone calls will keep you at the edge of your seat, and you’ll be vouching for Joe and the woman he’s trying to save.
The performances really drive this film, and there are a few surprise voice cameos over the phone that will leave you stunned.
Overall, director Antoine Fuqua does a remarkable job, and the sharp dialog keeps things engaging despite most of the scenes unfolding at the same location.
5. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
Genre: Action thriller
Cast: Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, Carla Gugino
Director: Navot Papushado
Gunpowder Milkshake is one of the latest thriller action movies on Netflix and boasts snazzy action sequences with strong female leads. It’s all about a young hit-woman abandoned by her mother as a teenager and raised by The Firm, a crime syndicate her mother once worked for.
Spill the sauce: When a high-risk hit goes wrong, Sam must reunite with her mother and a gang known as The Librarians to take down The Firm to protect the life of an innocent 8-year-old girl. Will this group representing three generations of women succeed against The Firm’s powerful henchmen?
Although it’s not particularly unique in its treatment, Gunpowder Milkshake is highly entertaining, full of wild action and jaw-dropping stunts. I especially loved the clever humor and sarcastic cynicism that makes it reminiscent of a comic book.
It’s detached from reality, but that’s what makes it a great watch for a fun night in. Ladies, gather your gal pals and tune in!
6. Night Teeth (2021)
Genre: Mystery thriller
Cast: Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Debby Ryan, Lucy Fry
Director: Adam Randall
This one’s for you, my fellow vampire fans! As the name suggests, Night Teeth is all about a night that leads to a pair of beautiful, powerful vampires baring their fangs and wreaking havoc.
Spill the sauce: College student Benny moonlights as a chauffeur to earn extra cash. But he soon regrets the choice when he’s taken captive by a pair of mysterious female passengers who lead him right into the middle of a war between vampires and the protectors of the human world. Will he make it out alive and save the City of Angels?
It’s got a sexy-yet-creepy vibe that highlights the world’s weirdness and oozes fun. I loved the dialog and suspense that has you chuckling one moment and squirming the next.
This movie is best viewed as a love letter of sorts to the vampire genre. It plays on the cliches and tropes that we’ve seen before, and that’s what makes it a good time for fans of the fangs!
7. Blood Red Sky (2021)
Genre: Thriller/Action
Cast: Peri Baumeiste, Dominic Purcell
Director: Peter Thorwarth
Brace yourself for some good old-fashioned gore, delirious surprises, and preposterously creepy moments that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Blood Red Sky is an action-horror spectacle about a plane hijacking that’s one of the best high-altitude (pun-intended) thrillers I’ve watched recently.
Spill the sauce: A terrorist group hijacks an overnight transatlantic flight. Among the passengers are a mysteriously ill woman and her son. What lengths will she go to to protect her young child?
I love how the plot begins defying exactions from the get-go and combines the supernatural with the relatable premise of familial bonds. It might lack the deeper psychological proddings that I enjoy in thrillers, but it’s full of the kind of havoc that makes such movies so much fun. I’ll certainly be thinking of it the next time I step on an airplane!
8. Security (2021)
Genre: Thriller/Drama
Cast: Marco D’Amore, Maya Sansa
Director: Peter Chelsom
Right from the opening scene of a seaside town accompanied by a voiceover, this movie has a haunting quality that gets more intense as the plot unfolds. It walks the tightrope between keeping you engaged and offering just the right balance of thrills and chills.
Spill the sauce: After the assault of a young woman, a security expert and his family gets entangled in an ugly web of secrets and lies in a picture-perfect Italian seaside town. Who will pay the price of security?
The protagonist, Roberto, is the man behind the extensive camera and alarm systems protecting most of the gated villas of the resort town of Forte del Marmi. This makes him privy to insider information that begins weighing on him and turns his life upside down.
Security might be a bit of a forgettable name, but the movie will stay with you. It’s stylishly directed and tightly woven to be an interesting study of how we harbor objective truths in a modern age of persistent surveillance.
9. Prime Time (2021)
Genre: Thriller/Drama
Cast: Bartosz Bielenia, Magdalena Poplawska, Andrzej Kłak
Director: Jakub Piatek
There’s nothing like an edgy hostage drama to keep my eyes glued to the screen! Prime Time sure delivers in this regard, albeit focusing on hints and subtleties than blatant in-your-face storytelling. This Polish thriller premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2021 and is a promising debut.
Spill the sauce: On New Year's Eve, 20-year-old Sebastian locks himself in a TV studio with his two hostages, a gun, and a message for the world. How will the tense standoff between Sebastian and the police unfold?
What makes this movie worth watching is the brilliant performances and mind-blowing plot that never judges the protagonist’s motives. It instead takes an exploratory lens to depict themes of visibility and control. Though the drama itself could have played out better, it raises some poignant questions.
10. The Woman in the Window (2021)
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Cast: Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman
Director: Joe Wright
If you’re looking for the best psychological thrillers on Netflix, The Woman in the Window deserves your attention. It’s about Anna Fox, a child psychologist who has agoraphobia and inadvertently gets involved in a criminal case.
Spill the sauce: Confined to her home due to her fear of being in places that are hard to escape, Anna obsessively observes the perfect family that are her new neighbors, which leads to her life turning upside down.
I was enthralled by how the protagonist depicts her instability through panicked trembles and manic cackles, yet with a muted wisdom underneath. Shocking secrets are revealed, and nothing is what it first seems in this movie based on A. J. Finn’s bestselling novel, and adapted for the screen by Tracy Letts,
11. I Am All Girls (2021)
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Cast: Erica Wessels, Hlubi Mboya
Director: Donovan Marsh
Here’s a South African mystery thriller film that’s dark, gritty, and emotionally draining yet a must-watch for everyone. A trigger warning is warranted as the story brilliantly shines a light on the horrors of human trafficking in a sensitive but gutting way.
It’s based on true events and is set in multiple timelines in South Africa during the apartheid and the present.
Spill the sauce: A relentless special crimes investigator finds common ground with a serial killer to take down the perpetrators of a powerful global child-trafficking ring. Will justice prevail, and is it enough?
I love this movie because it depicts women pursuing justice on their terms. This is a welcome departure from most revenge and vigilante movies, where men are the heroes doing all the heavy lifting.
The two characters at the tale’s heart are bound together in a powerful friendship that adds an extra special touch to the story. In addition, both follow journeys of their own that come to life, thanks to the moving performances by the lead actors.
Overall, if you’re wondering what is the best crime thriller on Netflix, this movie could be the answer. It does an exceptional job of portraying a delicate topic like the sex trafficking of young children with nuance and sensitivity. It’s intelligently woven and absorbing in every frame.
12. Oxygen (2021)
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Cast: Mélanie Laurent, Anne Hathaway
Director: Alexandre Aja
What an apt film for our literally suffocating pandemic times! This French survival thriller will make you feel claustrophobia and anxiety as you watch from the edge of your seat.
Spill the sauce: Liz Hansen wakes up from deep hypnosis in a cryogenic chamber reminiscent of a coffin. She can't remember how she got there, but it's vital she stay composed to piece together her fragmented memories. Will Liz make it out alive?
Our protagonist wakes up in a suffocating coffin-like enclosure without recollection of how she got there. The only hints she has are disorienting flashbacks of a hospital gurney and lab rats.
Her sole point of human contact is the AI voice of an operating system that keeps delivering distressing news of the dwindling oxygen supply in the chamber she’s trapped within. Not exactly helpful!
Director Alexandre Aja is an intelligent and effective storyteller known for the classic horror The Hills Have Eyes. In Oxygen, he skillfully demonstrates how it’s not always necessary to flood the screen with action and effects to create a gripping thriller.
13. Ferry (2021)
Genre: Crime thriller
Cast: Frank Lammers, Elise Schaap
Director: Cecilia Verheyden
This one’s a Dutch crime drama that’s fun and engaging in a way that violent gangster movies seldom are.
Spill the sauce: Dutch gangster Ferry is the right-hand man of his boss Brink. So when a rival gang murders Brink's son, Ferry is sent to seek revenge in Brabant, the beloved childhood home he had fled years before. But how will he handle the old family feuds that resurface and his charming neighbor Danielle?
It’s the origin story of Ferry Bouman, the drug lord character from the popular Belgian-Dutch crime series Undercover.
We follow his journey from a tough traumatic childhood in a trailer park to falling for pretty, feisty Danielle, the woman who makes him wonder if there’s more to life than the one he’s been leading.
Ferry might be riddled with gangster cliches, but there are just enough twists to keep you hooked. It doesn’t surprise but still manages to hold its own among good thriller movies on Netflix.
14. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2021)
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Fans of the famed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will especially enjoy this flick from the same director. It’s adapted from Iain Reid’s acclaimed novel of the same name and follows the story of a woman visiting her boyfriend’s parents on a secluded farm.
Spill the sauce: A young woman goes on a road trip with her new boyfriend to his parents' remote farm. The journey unfolds to make her question everything she thought she knew about him and herself. What does she really mean when she keeps repeating the ominous line, I'm thinking of ending things?
As a snowy day turns into a dangerous night, psychological horror unfolds, moving back and forth between reality and a dreamlike – or nightmarish – commentary on human connection.
The lead character is introduced as Lucy, but she takes on other names and identities as the narrative progresses. The labyrinthine surrealism can be a bit confusing to follow, but therein lies the film’s profound impact.
You’ll feel the mounting panic, and the story – or what you make of it – will keep playing in your mind long after the end credits have rolled.
15. Homunculus (2021)
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Cast:Ryo Narita, Gō Ayano, Anna Ishii, Yukino Kishii
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Japanese and Korean thrillers have some of the best storylines I have ever witnessed. Japanese thrillers are on the scientific side, keeping you engrossed over the possibilities of it happening in real life. And homunculus is no exception. Despite some extremely dark scenes, the film depicts what the human brain can achieve if used to its full potential.
Spill the sauce: A homeless amnesiac man wakes up to see disfigured brains, witnessing everyone's innermost trauma in a dysfunctional physical format and understanding their problems. What may seem like God's gift is, in reality, an outcome of a forbidden experiment by a medical intern. What will this homeless man do of his newfound power?
The lead actor does a stellar job embracing his power to help people heal their worst traumas. The visual effects add another dimension of uniqueness.
The twists will keep you glued, and the occasional moment of amusement will take you by surprise. But as you proceed towards the end, you will be pondering a lot of emotional aspects of your and your loved ones’ lives. Also, what happens to the lead actor? Tune in to the film to find out!
16. Deadly Illusions (2021)
Genre: Erotic Thriller Drama
Cast: Greer Grammer, Kristin Davis, Dermot Mulroney
Director: Anna Elizabeth James
An easy way to get a thriller movie to the top of the chartbusters is spicing it up with seduction and revenge. Well, the temperature goes higher if you have the leading lady from Sex and the City being the center of these sexual fantasies.
Spill the sauce: Mary is a thriller novelist who quits writing for good and happily lives with her husband and kids. Her publisher offers her a cheque of $2 Million as an advance and asks her to write a book again. After much trial and error, she hired a nanny to reduce her workload and increase her focus but ends up dreaming of sleeping with her.
The star cast has done complete justice to their roles; however, the story has many loopholes and is a blend of all the elements that make it too predictable and mainstream. The murder was unnecessary, the nanny is fake, and the writer fails to understand the difference between her dream and reality, expecting too much from a fake nanny.
However, it is a must-watch for all the Kristin Davis fans, for she has done quite a remarkable job as a thriller novelist, which helps her break the charming, delicate stereotype. The sensuality used doesn’t feel forced and is not vulgar. Indeed, one of the blockbuster thriller movies on Netflix.
17. Things Heard And Seen (2021)
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Cast: James Norton, Natalia Dyer, Amanda Seyfried.
Director: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Based on Elizabeth Brundage’s 2016 novel, All Things Cease To Appear, this Netflix film is undoubtedly here to give you The Shining chills.
An art enthusiast couple leading to a smaller town for a husband’s career leads to the wife interacting with ghosts in their house. Some people start acting weird, and every human soul feels an eerie presence in the house. The negativity gets so strong that the daughter refuses to sleep alone and insists on sleeping in the parent’s room.
Spill the sauce: A dream come true for the husband turns out to be the wife's biggest nightmare. The couple moves to upstate New York for the wife's new job, but the house they pick has an eerie feel to it. Strange smells and occasional sightings lead to the couple growing distant and having affairs until one of them is brutally murdered.
This movie will be a treat for the 90s kid, for it stars one of the mean girls (you know who it is!). Using a painting as a metaphor is a cinematic genius, and the subtle ghoulish presence makes it a classic horror film.
I really admire Natalia Dyler’s performance in the film too; you might remember her from Yes, God, Yes. This is one of the finest horror-thriller films that 2021 has received; consider watching it over the weekend.
18. Red Dot (2021)
Genre: Drama, horror, thriller
Cast: Nanna Blondell, Johannes Kuhnke, Anastasios Soulis
Director: Alain Darborg
Red Dot is a terrifying thriller that makes you question your sanctity for the protagonists. Written by Alain Darborg and Per Dickson, the movie tells the story of Nadja and David, a married couple. The sadistic hunt brings on the couple’s past, scarier than the killer chasing them.
Spill the sauce: Nadja and David take a hiking trip to spice up their monotonous married life. A romantic gateway to the snowy mountains should have been a passionate trip turned into a survival fest once the red dot appears.
Red Dot is one of the best horror-thriller movies on Netflix, particularly for fans of hard and fast survival stories. It’s high on adrenaline and d horrifically vicious – a tense, disturbing, and well-made movie.
19. Below Zero (2021)
Genre: Action Thriller
Cast: Javier Gutiérrez, Karra Elejalde, Luis Callejo
Director: Lluís Quílez
Below Zero is a Spanish film that’s one of the best suspense thriller movies on Netflix. The story revolves around Martin, a newly transferred police officer who drives the transport van over a chilly night. Six prisoners, an unknown assailant, and a lot of strength are what keep the movie pretty top-notch.
Spill the sauce: A police officer shifting deadly prisoners for the first time is left damned when the transport is interrupted at a lonely spot. There begins the officer's journey to fight with not one but six psychopaths and make sure no one escapes. Will he succeed?
The story development and characters’ evolution are on-point. The twists and turns in the plot will keep you on your toes and are on the entertaining side. It is not a dark film, but do not empathize with Martin too much, else you will end up pondering over it for days to come.
20. I Care A Lot (2020)
Genre: Thriller/Comedy
Cast: Rosamund Pike, Eiza González, Peter Dinklage
Director: J Blakeson
This comic thriller is based on Marla Grayson, a caretaker whose job is to care for lonely older people. Apparently, she is too good a caretaker, as she sells their properties and makes a living out of the commission money. And guess what, this lady is legally chosen to be their guardian!
Moreover, there couldn’t have been a better choice than Rosamund Pike for the character. Her flawless work in Gone Girl stands testimony to it. She keeps you hooked to the TV screen.
Spill the sauce: Enter Jennifer Peterson, a crazy obnoxious person who disrupts Marla's cash flow and her friends trouble the very core of her existence. Will she succeed over the rebellious psycho old lady?
This entertainer is the extremities of profanity. Although its core lies in its humor, the foul language, the vicious game plans, and no sense of morality make it one of the must-watch thriller movies on Netflix. Peter Dinklage is a delight to watch and will remind you of that loyal friend you always had in college.
21. A Fall From Grace (2020)
Genre: Psychological thriller
Cast: Mehcad Brooks, Crystal Fox, Cicely Tyson, Tyler Perry
Director: Tyler Perry
A whirlwind romance ends in tragedy. This Netflix thriller is about divorced, middle-aged Grace who falls for a younger man, Shannon, only to be indicted for his murder a few months later.
Spill the sauce: A woman named Grace is charged with murdering her husband and confesses to the crime. All she has to do is plead guilty in court, but things are not as easy as it looks. As public defender Jasmine digs into Grace’s case, she suspects a conspiracy at play. What's the real story?
I did find the story a tad predictable, but the powerful performances hold it up. My favorite part is Crystal Fox getting her moment in the spotlight and totally shining. It’s hard to believe this is her first lead performance.
Further, the romance, mystery, courtroom drama, and horror weaved into the story make this feel like multiple movies in one. What initially seems like a rather straightforward cautionary tale about the perils of trusting seductive strangers twists into a wild, violent and volatile thriller. It’s chilling, amusing, and enjoyable all at once.
22. Sky High (2020)
Director: Daniel Calparsoro
Genre: Action Thriller, Gangster
Cast: Miguel Herrán, Luis Tosar, Carolina Yuste, Patricia Vico
Netflix acquired global rights to the action thriller Spanish film Sky High and redirected it in 2020. What’s the movie about? Well, it’s about a small group of thieves that manages to stay ahead of the Madrid police always through its wit, talent, and skills.
Spill the sauce: The story revolves around Angel, charmed by Estrella, and works simultaneously to gain her love and gradually moving up in his criminal life. During this heist, he falls the target of a tireless police detective, which is when the content becomes interesting.
The first impression seems like a classic action thriller with glamour, drama, and action-packed performances. What sets it apart is the character buildup, cinematography, and gorgeous locations.
23. Rebecca (2020)
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Cast: Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas
Director: Ben Wheatley
Imagine getting married to the love of your life and competing with your husband’s ex-wife’s ghost? An estate that one can only dream of turns out to be one of the biggest nightmares of her life.
Spill the sauce: The unnamed narrator decides to marry the dazzling Mr. Winter but is at her wit's end to find a dead Mrs. Winter at her lover's paradise. Will she be able to live up to everyone's expectations and work her way around this unexpected problem?
With the classic 1940s style, the gorgeous house, the beautiful bride, and the ghost Rebecca’s scary presence through comb engravings, the thriller has a lot of exciting things to offer. Do not miss the added flavor of romance in the content.
24. The Call (2020)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Chung-Hyun Lee
Cast: Park Shin-Hye, Jong-seo Jun, Sung-ryung Kim
This one hits the sweet spot for lovers of serial killer flicks and twisted science fiction. Things are definitely not as they seem, and you won’t see the twists coming.
Spill the sauce: After her mother’s cancer diagnosis, Seo-Yeon returns to her hometown and moves into her childhood home. She soon starts getting strange calls from her younger self, asking for help and promising to bring her dead father back to life. What's really going on?
Seo-Yeon doesn’t share a good relationship with her mother as she blames her for her father’s death. You will instantly sympathize with her, but it’ll leave you reeling when the truth is revealed.
Things start pretty innocuously but soon twist into a captivating blend of sci-fi and slasher thrills. I appreciated how the plot takes time to establish Seo-Yeon’s world and her mental state. This allows the intrigue and tension to build up so that you’re left truly astonished by the end of it all.
25. Time To Hunt (2020)
Genre: Crime thriller
Cast: Woo-sik Choi, Lee Je-hoon, Park Hae Soo
Director: Yoon Sung-Hyun
Check out this Korean drama that’s a heady mix of sci-fi, crime, and horror heist. The plot revolves around people nearing their financial crisis; pretty relatable, eh?
Spill the sauce: A group of young people is planning a heist to escape a dystopian world. But they attract the attention of a vicious killer. How will they survive in a dystopian South Korea where poverty is taking over?
Premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, Time to Hunt particularly hits a nerve thanks to its setting in a world riddled with economic hardship. South Korean movies are known for their hard-hitting dystopian themes eerily close to reality, and Time to Hunt is no exception.
It embodies excellent craftsmanship with perfect acting, great cinematography, and of course, an intense adrenaline rush that’s expected of Korean cinema.
26. Extraction (2020)
Genre: Action Thriller
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Randeep Hooda, Golshifteh Farahani
Director: Sam Hargrave
A black market mercenary sets out on a journey to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned crime god. Will he manage to free the son amidst an already existing ruckus of weapon dealers, drug traffickers? What problems does he face while dealing with the impossible?
Spill the sauce: What may seem like a classic hit-and-chase goons movie from the 90s is much more than that. That Chris Hemsworth charm, the rivalry he has to witness, and a string of emotions displayed in Randeep Hooda’s character convey many hidden emotions. The cherry on the cake is the action sequences in the movie that keep you on the chair the whole time.
Named Tyler Rake, the superhero mercenary is our Thor himself. The action sequences scream entertainment, and the 116 minutes of run-time are just right. Every character has a back story of their own, which seals this flick’s place on the list of best thrillers to stream on Netflix.
27. His House (2020)
Genre: Mystery and Thriller, Horror
Cast: Sope Dirisu, Wunmi Mosaku, Matt Smith
Director: Remi Weekes
This is what you need to watch if you’re looking for a thriller-horror movie. It has got all the suspense and terrifying drama that picks in as the lights fade out. Bol Major and his wife Rial are in for a Halloween ride at their new house.
Spill the sauce: As the movie suggests, the story revolves around a haunted house, wherein ghosts and evil spirits lurk in the house. Bol and Rial Major are refugees from South Sudan who are sent by the authorities of the place to reside in a house in England. Boy, I bet you wouldn't want to go there for a million dollars!
The thrill that unfolds as evil spirits luringly scare the couple to death is what will keep you glued to your seats, asking for more. The audio quality is just insane as the mystifying ghost-voices seem to hover down your ears.
The reassuring character of Bol, even when things are going haywire, makes it seem as though he’s not the man who’d just get scared by some inanimate noises or creatures. That’s what makes it more interesting. The ghosts have to up their game, resulting in horrifying scenes that will haunt me for a while!
28. The Platform (2019)
Genre: Sci-fi thriller
Cast: Emilio Buale, Zorion Eguileor, Alexandra Masangkay
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Who doesn’t love dystopian sci-fi thriller movies? There’s a good chance that you may not have heard of The Platform. Of course, as a Spanish movie, it hasn’t been given much of a spotlight in the mainstream movie scene. However, now’s your chance to watch one of the best Netflix thriller movies of all time.
The Platform presents a unique concept. Essentially, people are trapped inside a monumental building with innumerable floors. Depending on the floor, the building residents either feast or have to face starvation. Moreover, the people living on the top floor are thriving, and the massive table holding the food is passed from one floor to another.
Spill the sauce: A dystopian society features an unusually tall building housing residents from different socio-economic backgrounds. However, the upper class thrive while playing with the lives of the less fortunate. Take a look at the horrors of social extremism in this mind-bending dystopian sci-fi thriller!
As expected, when the table gets to the lower floors, there’s almost no food left. This leads to in-fighting amongst the residents to acquire as much food as possible. Furthermore, the residents are reshuffled to different floors after being knocked out. This leads to unexpected twists that change the dynamics of each floor.
Additionally, the movie often flows between genres, making it almost impossible to categorize under a single banner. It also presents a rather dangerous and understandable look into how we’re moving forward as a society, albeit with some dramatic flair. Watch this movie for the mind-blowing concept!
29. Bird Box (2018)
Genre: Horror Thriller
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, Sarah Paulson
Director: Susanne Bier
Based on Josh Malerman’s novel, Bird Box is a uniquely horrific tale about a mysterious force decimating the world. If you see it, you die (the evil force, not the movie.)
Spill the sauce: A woman and her children embark to find a sanctuary from the evil that's ripping the world apart. But they must complete the journey blindfolded. Will they be able to find the hope and new beginning they seek?
Bird Box flashes back ad forth between two time periods, five years after the end of the world and the initial days when everything started collapsing. The brutal mass suicides playing out on screen will haunt you for weeks to come.
Sandra Bullock doesn’t miss a beat as the lead, and the story stays crisp, concise, and gripping. On a symbolic level, it’s an intense psychological thriller about how most people live metaphorically blindfolded and guarded against real emotions and true connection.
30. Apostle (2018)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Cast: Dan Steevens, Michael Sheen, Lucy Boynton
Director: Gareth Evans
Here’s a thriller that weaves a gripping story centered around unique Pagan-like mythology steeped in blood and sacrifice. Brace yourself for folk horror laced with brutality and bloodthirst.
Spill the sauce: Dan Stevens, who plays Thomas Richardson, comes back to his hometown to visit his sister, Jennifer. Things go for a toss when he finds out that she's been kidnapped by an insane religious cult headed by Prophet Malcolm. Will he be able to deliver his sister out of their hands?
Director Gareth Evans has done an excellent job putting Dan Stevens in the prominent role. The action star just kicks it in with his prodigious acting and heroic skills.
He becomes an instant favorite to do some badass kicking and rescue his sister from the hands of the enemy. You would also get drawn into the world of these religious insomniacs as they are far too entertaining with their craziness and immoral beliefs.
31. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Genre: Psychological thriller
Cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Chiara Aurelia
Director: Mike Flanagan
A weekend getaway and a sexual fantasy gone wrong result in one of the best psychological thrillers on Netflix. Gerald’s Game is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name.
Spill the sauce: On a trip to rekindle their romance, Jessie accidentally kills her husband during foreplay. He collapses on top of her while she's handcuffed to the bed in a remote location. As time ticks on, Jessie becomes delirious. How will she escape the horrors playing out both physically and mentally?
At one point in the movie, the protagonist Jessie talks to her dead husband’s spirit, discussing things she could have never discussed while he was alive. Meanwhile, a dog bites into the dead man’s body. If you’re a Stephen King fan, you know this is an expected level of gore from his tales.
It’s grotesque, but Mike Flanagan’s excellent direction makes you keep watching and sharing in the characters’ anguish. It showcases how your mind can be your worst enemy and is hands down one of the best thriller novel adaptations.
Which thriller movies are you binge-watching on Netflix?
That wraps up my list of the top thriller movies on Netflix, but I’d love to hear from you. So share your recommendations in the comments below! And in case you don’t have time for a full movie, you should check out the new Play Something shuffle button feature on Netflix that lets you watch fun short content from the top flicks.
You may like to read:
- How to find, download, and play Netflix games on iPhone
- Guide to cancel Netflix Subscription on iPhone and iPad
- How to Use Netflix “Play Something” Shuffle Feature
- How to sign out of Netflix on any device
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Anirban is a literature post-grad who delves in philosophy and postmodern novels when not writing on tech and gaming. His love for research is only trumped by his love for chai and heavy metal.
