Best Thriller Movies
These films are a good definition of pure suspense, excitement and tension. Most are psychological, mystery and crime thrillers.
I believe that this is the ultimate list about the greatest thriller flicks on the net, as all the other 'best thrillers' lists tend to have action and horror movies shoved in them.
I believe that this is the ultimate list about the greatest thriller flicks on the net, as all the other 'best thrillers' lists tend to have action and horror movies shoved in them.
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- DirectorDavid FincherStarsJodie FosterKristen StewartForest WhitakerA divorced woman and her diabetic daughter take refuge in their newly-purchased house's safe room when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsJames CaanKathy BatesRichard FarnsworthAfter a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.
- DirectorBill PaxtonStarsBill PaxtonMatthew McConaugheyPowers BootheA mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to destroy people who were in fact "demons."
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroNick NolteJessica LangeA convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsJohn CusackRay LiottaAmanda PeetStranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.
- DirectorBrad AndersonStarsChristian BaleJennifer Jason LeighAitana Sánchez-GijónAn industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year begins to doubt his own sanity.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
- DirectorGregory HoblitStarsRichard GereLaura LinneyEdward NortonAn altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
- DirectorDavid TwohyStarsMilla JovovichSteve ZahnTimothy OlyphantTwo pairs of lovers on a Hawaiian vacation discover that psychopaths are stalking and murdering tourists on the islands.
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaStarsMatt DamonGwyneth PaltrowJude LawIn late 1950s New York, a young underachiever named Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures.
- DirectorDavid R. EllisStarsKim BasingerChris EvansJason StathamA young man receives an emergency phone call on his cell phone from an older woman. The catch? The woman claims to have been kidnapped, and the kidnappers have targeted her husband and child next.
- DirectorPhillip NoyceStarsNicole KidmanSam NeillBilly ZaneAfter a tragedy, John Ingram and his wife Rae are spending some time isolated at sea, when they come across a stranger who has abandoned a sinking ship.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsMichael DouglasSharon StoneGeorge DzundzaA violent police detective investigates a brutal murder that might involve a manipulative and seductive novelist.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsViggo MortensenMaria BelloEd HarrisA mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsColin FarrellKiefer SutherlandForest WhitakerPublicist Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle. Unable to leave or receive outside help, Stuart's negotiation with the caller leads to a jaw-dropping climax.
- DirectorJohn DahlStarsSteve ZahnPaul WalkerLeelee SobieskiThree young people on a road trip from Colorado to New Jersey talk to a trucker on their CB radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychopathic killer.
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsNaomi WattsTim RothMichael PittTwo psychopathic young men take a family hostage in their cabin.
- DirectorDavid KoeppStarsJohnny DeppMaria BelloJohn TurturroA successful writer in the midst of a painful divorce is stalked at his remote lake house by a would-be scribe who accuses him of plagiarism.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsMeryl StreepKevin BaconDavid StrathairnRafting expert Gail takes on a pair of armed killers while navigating a spectacularly violent river.
- DirectorJonathan MostowStarsKurt RussellJ.T. WalshKathleen QuinlanA man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.
- DirectorRodrigo CortésStarsRyan ReynoldsJosé Luis García-PérezRobert PatersonPaul is a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsMel GibsonGary SiniseRene RussoMulti-millionaire Tom Mullen's son is kidnapped, but after initially agreeing to pay the ransom Mullen then decides to use the ransom money as a bounty.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsIsabella RosselliniKyle MacLachlanDennis HopperThe discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsCate BlanchettKatie HolmesKeanu ReevesA fortune teller with extrasensory perception is asked to help find a young woman who has mysteriously disappeared.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioEmily MortimerMark RuffaloTeddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.
- DirectorD.J. CarusoStarsShia LaBeoufDavid MorseCarrie-Anne MossWhen a teenager is placed under house arrest, he succumbs to despair and starts spying on his neighbors, hoping to spice up his life. This, however, leads him to witness a serial killer on the loose.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsNicolas CageGary SiniseJohn HeardA corrupt detective and a Navy Commander investigate an assassination and the disappearance of a beautiful stranger.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsTom HanksAudrey TautouJean RenoA murder inside the Louvre, and clues in Da Vinci paintings, lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years, which could shake the foundations of Christianity.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsTom CruiseJamie FoxxJada Pinkett SmithA cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsRachel McAdamsCillian MurphyBrian CoxA woman is kidnapped by a stranger on a routine flight. Threatened by the potential murder of her father, she is pulled into a plot to assist her captor in a political assassination.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsJohnny DeppChristopher WalkenCourtney ChaseAn unimpressive, everyday man is forced into a situation where he is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.
- DirectorMary HarronStarsChristian BaleJustin TherouxJosh LucasA wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.
- DirectorAdrian LyneStarsMichael DouglasGlenn CloseAnne ArcherA married man's one-night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.
- DirectorLiliana CavaniStarsJohn MalkovichDougray ScottLena HeadeyA dying family man in need of money is persuaded to assassinate a European crime boss.
- DirectorAndrew DavisStarsMichael DouglasGwyneth PaltrowViggo MortensenA wealthy Wall Street speculator discovers that his wife has a lover. He investigates him and uses the carrot and stick to make him murder his wife. Planned to detail, it seems like a perfect murder.
- DirectorJeff RenfroeStarsPeter KrauseKal NagaRichard SchiffAngry and depressed over losing his job, Terry Allen begins to suspect his new, Middle Eastern neighbor is at the center of a terrorist conspiracy. Obsessed about revealing the man's true identity, he takes matters into his own hands.
- DirectorDavid SladeStarsPatrick WilsonElliot PageSandra OhHayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks it's his lucky night. He's in for a surprise.
- DirectorJonathan KaplanStarsKurt RussellRay LiottaMadeleine StoweA burglar holds a knife to Karen's throat while her husband does nothing. The couple ends up befriending the cop that comes. The friendship ends when the cop beats up the culprit. Karen isn't ready to end it. Things get ugly with the cop.
- DirectorLee TamahoriStarsMorgan FreemanMichael WincottMonica PotterWhen a senator's daughter under Secret Service protection is kidnapped from a private school, detective Alex Cross investigates the case even though he's recovering from the loss of his partner.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsMichael CaineAngie DickinsonNancy AllenA mysterious blonde woman kills one of a psychiatrist's patients, and then goes after the high-class call girl who witnessed the murder.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsTom CruiseJeanne TripplehornGene HackmanA young lawyer joins a prestigious law firm only to discover that it has a sinister dark side.
- DirectorRobert SchwentkeStarsJodie FosterPeter SarsgaardSean BeanA bereaved woman and her daughter are flying home from Berlin to America. At 30,000 feet, the child vanishes, and nobody will admit she was ever on the plane.
- DirectorLuis MandokiStarsKevin BaconCharlize TheronCourtney LoveThe Jennings' fight for their daughters life after she is kidnapped by an experienced gang of thieves.
- DirectorJohn SchlesingerStarsSally FieldKiefer SutherlandEd HarrisWhen the courts fail to keep behind bars the man who raped and murdered her daughter, a woman seeks her own form of justice.
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsBridget FondaJennifer Jason LeighSteven WeberA woman advertising for a new roommate finds that something very strange is going on with the tenant who decides to move in.
- DirectorDavid R. EllisStarsSamuel L. JacksonJulianna MarguliesNathan PhillipsAn FBI agent takes on a plane full of deadly venomous snakes, deliberately released to kill a witness being flown from Honolulu to Los Angeles to testify against a mob boss.
- DirectorBruce A. EvansStarsKevin CostnerDemi MooreWilliam HurtA well-respected businessman is sometimes controlled by his murder and mayhem-loving alter ego.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsLiam NeesonDiane KrugerJanuary JonesWhen a man awakens from a coma only to discover that someone has taken on his identity, he teams up with a young woman to prove who he is.
- DirectorGary FlederStarsMorgan FreemanAshley JuddCary ElwesPolice hunting for a serial kidnapper are helped when a victim manages to escape for the first time.
- DirectorGary FlederStarsMichael DouglasSean BeanBrittany MurphyWhen the daughter of a psychiatrist is kidnapped, he's horrified to discover that the abductors' demand is that he break through to a post traumatic stress disorder suffering young woman who knows a secret...
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsMark WahlbergReese WitherspoonWilliam PetersenWhen Nicole met David; handsome, charming, affectionate, he was everything. It seemed perfect, but soon she sees that David has a darker side. And his adoration turns to obsession, their dream into a nightmare, and her love into fear.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsMichael CaineJude LawHarold PinterOn his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.
- DirectorJoseph RubenStarsMacaulay CulkinElijah WoodWendy CrewsonA young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and becomes friends with his cousin, a boy of the same age who shows increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior.
- DirectorSteven R. MonroeStarsKelly BrookDennis HopperHippolyte GirardotNine strangers, with no apparent connection between them are abducted: drugged, kidnapped and sealed in a house together.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsTerence StampSamantha EggarMona WashbourneA man kidnaps a woman and holds her hostage just for the pleasure of having her there.
- DirectorMark PellingtonStarsJeff BridgesTim RobbinsJoan CusackA man begins to suspect his neighbors are not what they appear to be and their secrets could be deadly.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsVal KilmerLL Cool JChristian SlaterA group of FBI trainees are taken to a remote island for simulation training. However, once there, they realize that they are being hunted by a serial killer, who might be someone amidst them.
- DirectorGregory HoblitStarsDennis QuaidJim CaviezelShawn DoyleAn accidental cross-time radio link connects father and son across 30 years. The son tries to save his father's life, but then must fix the consequences.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsEwan McGregorNaomi WattsRyan GoslingA psychiatrist attempts to prevent one of his patients from committing suicide while trying to maintain his own grip on reality.
- DirectorGregor JordanStarsSamuel L. JacksonCarrie-Anne MossMichael SheenFollows a black-ops interrogator and an F.B.I. agent who try to press a suspect terrorist into divulging the location of three nuclear weapons set to detonate in the U.S.
- DirectorMark RomanekStarsRobin WilliamsConnie NielsenMichael VartanA mentally unstable photo developer targets an upper middle-class family after his obsession with them becomes more sick and disturbing than any of them could imagine.
- DirectorJoseph RubenStarsJulia RobertsPatrick BerginKevin AndersonA young woman fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her nightmarish marriage, but discovers it is impossible to elude her controlling husband.
- DirectorD.J. CarusoStarsShia LaBeoufMichelle MonaghanRosario DawsonJerry and Rachel are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations, using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsAnnabella SciorraRebecca De MornayMatt McCoyAfter her sex offender husband gets caught in the act and kills himself, an embittered pregnant widow loses her child, and embarks on a mission of vengeance against one of her husband's victims and the woman's family.
- DirectorAlejandro AmenábarStarsEduardo NoriegaPenélope CruzChete LeraA very handsome man finds the love of his life, but he suffers an accident and needs to have his face rebuilt by surgery after it is severely disfigured.
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsSamuel L. JacksonKevin SpaceyDavid MorseIn a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages in a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth.
- DirectorFlorent-Emilio SiriStarsBruce WillisKevin PollakSerena Scott ThomasWhen a family is held hostage, former hostage negotiator Jeff Talley arrives at the scene. Talley's own family is kidnapped and Talley must decide which is more important: saving a family he doesn't even know or saving his own family.
- DirectorJames WatkinsStarsKelly ReillyMichael FassbenderTara EllisRefusing to let anything spoil their romantic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences.
- DirectorJohn MayburyStarsAdrien BrodyKeira KnightleyDaniel CraigA Gulf war veteran is wrongly sent to a mental institution for insane criminals, where he becomes the object of a doctor's experiments, and his life is completely affected by them.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsAnthony HopkinsJulianne MooreGary OldmanLiving in exile, Dr. Hannibal Lecter tries to reconnect with now disgraced F.B.I. Agent Clarice Starling, and finds himself a target for revenge from a powerful victim.
- DirectorNeil BurgerStarsBradley CooperAnna FrielAbbie CornishA mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.
- DirectorJohn McNaughtonStarsKevin BaconNeve CampbellMatt DillonA police detective uncovers a conspiracy behind a case involving a high-school guidance counselor when accusations of rape are made against him by two female students.
- DirectorHarold BeckerStarsJohn TravoltaNick LorenMatt O'LearyWhen Danny witnesses his stepfather Rick murder a man, Danny's father Frank has to protect his son from the greatest danger.
- DirectorFranck KhalfounStarsRachel NicholsWes BentleySimon ReynoldsA businesswoman is pursued by a psychopath after being locked in a parking garage on Christmas Eve.
- DirectorChristopher SmithStarsMelissa GeorgeJoshua McIvorJack TaylorFive friends set sail and their yacht is overturned by a strange and sudden storm. A mysterious ship arrives to rescue them, and what happens next cannot be explained.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsNicolas CageJoaquin PhoenixJames GandolfiniA private investigator is hired to discover if a "snuff film" is authentic or not.
- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsKevin KlineMary Elizabeth MastrantonioKevin SpaceyDuring a joint dinner at the restaurant, the neighbors offer to exchange wives for one night. It was a joke, but only at first.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsCraig WassonMelanie GriffithGregg HenryA young actor's obsession with spying on a beautiful woman who lives nearby leads to a baffling series of events with drastic consequences.
- DirectorPeter WebberStarsGaspard UllielRhys IfansGong LiAfter the death of his parents during World War II, young Hannibal Lecter moves in with his beautiful aunt and begins plotting revenge on the barbarians responsible for his sister's death.
- DirectorJonathan MossekStarsAndie MacDowellCary ElwesFrank WhaleyIn this psychological thriller full of shocking twists, what begins as an average day for Ethan (Elwes) takes a dangerous turn when he's kidnapped and held hostage in his New York apartment by three assailants.
- DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsAshley JuddTommy Lee JonesBruce GreenwoodA woman framed for her husband's murder suspects he is still alive; as she has already been tried for the crime, she can't be re-prosecuted if she finds and kills him.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsEwan McGregorPierce BrosnanOlivia WilliamsA ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.
- DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsJohn CusackMorgan FreemanJamie AndersonA father and his son attempt to bring in an assassin to the authorities, but his dangerous associates have other plans.
- DirectorIain SoftleyStarsKate HudsonPeter SarsgaardJoy BryantA hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.
- DirectorCosta-GavrasStarsJohn TravoltaDustin HoffmanAlan AldaA distraught man inadvertently takes a group of children hostage in a museum while a hungry, seasoned reporter tries to resurrect his career covering the story.
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsSandra BullockBen ChaplinRyan GoslingTwo gifted high school students execute a perfect murder - then become engaged in an intellectual contest with a seasoned homicide detective.
- DirectorDaniel SackheimStarsDiane LaneLeelee SobieskiStellan SkarsgårdAn orphaned teenager is taken in by a Malibu couple but discovers they aren't the caring friends they seemed to be.
- DirectorJoby HaroldStarsHayden ChristensenJessica AlbaTerrence HowardA wealthy young man undergoing heart transplant surgery discovers that the surgical team intend to murder him.
- DirectorSimon WestStarsJohn TravoltaMadeleine StoweJames CromwellWhen the daughter of a well-known and well-respected base commander is murdered, an undercover detective is summoned to look into the matter and finds a slew of cover-ups at West Point.
- DirectorMike BarkerStarsPierce BrosnanMaria BelloGerard ButlerA perfect family's dynamic is ruined by a kidnapper's brutally efficient plot.
- DirectorMichael CiminoStarsMickey RourkeAnthony HopkinsMimi RogersAn escaped con, on the run from the law, moves into a married couple's house and takes over their lives.
- DirectorJoel ViertelStarsKip PardueTara ReidMeredith BaxterA couple spend their honeymoon in a cabin on a small island in the middle of a forest lake. There's no power nor cellphone connection. He starts behaving strange, not letting her leave the island. She can't swim.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsNicolas CageNicole KidmanCam GigandetAs they're held for ransom, a husband and wife's predicament grows more dire amid the discovery of betrayal and deception.
- DirectorRobert M. YoungStarsFarrah FawcettJames RussoAlfre WoodardA woman takes revenge on the man who invades her home and tries to rape her.
- DirectorPieter Jan BruggeStarsRobert RedfordWillem DafoeHelen MirrenAs an executive is held captive by a former employee, it's up to his wife to deliver the ransom.
- DirectorAgnieszka Wojtowicz-VoslooStarsChristina RicciLiam NeesonJustin LongAfter a car accident, a young woman caught between life and death meets a funeral director who claims to have the gift of transitioning the dead into the afterlife.
- DirectorNick HammStarsThora BirchDesmond HarringtonDaniel BrocklebankFour teenagers at a British private school secretly uncover and explore the depths of a sealed underground hole created decades ago as a possible bomb shelter.
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsHalle BerryBruce WillisGiovanni RibisiA journalist goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her childhood friend's killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.
- DirectorDave MeyersStarsSean BeanSophia BushZachary KnightonA couple from college get caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a psychopathic hitchhiker and the police after witnessing a murder and being framed.