Last updated March 2024
Looking for some Best Thriller Movies? Check out our handpicked collection of 30 must-see Best Thriller Movies you can dive into immediately. Highly acclaimed by both IMDB and our discerning community of users, these Best Thriller Movies earn top marks across the board. Help others separate the wheat from the chaff by voting on the Best Thriller Movies you enjoy most. Your contributions make a real difference!
The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992)
Plot Summary:
The multigenerational saga of the rise and fall of the Corleone crime family
Duration: 583 min
IMDB Rating: 9.3/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: crime boss, cosa nostra, sicilian mafia, mafia, mobster, gangsta, horse, mob hit, boys' choir, christmas, village, revenge, attorney, teacher, wedding, escape, violence, pregnancy, hitman, fishing, party, female nudity, fbi, betrayal, murder
The Dark Knight (2008)
Plot Summary:
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker
Duration: 152 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 28000000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: superhero, batman, heroes, secret identity, tragic hero, psychopath, moral dilemma, corruption, organized crime, villain, comic book, joker, double life, good versus evil, vigilante, rivalry, clown, gotham city, revenge, evil clown, insanity, dark hero, super villain, psychological manipulation, billionaire
The Message (1976)
Plot Summary:
The story of prophet "Muhammad" and the delivery of the message of God "Allah"
Duration: 207 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Plot tags: camel, arabic history, prophet, muslim, islam, muslim woman, medieval, religion, ancient, arab, horse, historical event, historical character, dancing, travel, spy, combat, revenge, women, army, desert, hunter, water, death, torture
The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (2011)
Plot Summary:
A disfigured musical genius, hidden away in the Paris Opera House, terrorises the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protégée whom he trains and loves. The 25th anniversary of the first public performance of Phantom of the Opera was celebrated with a grand performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London
Duration: 137 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama, Musical, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: unfulfilled love, theater, obsession, disfigurement, destructive relationship, opera singer, musician, singer, love and romance, tragic hero, couples, tragic love, danger, lifestyle, musician's life, woman in danger, performer's life, dancing, live performance, stage musical, love triangle, opera, phantom of the opera, kidnapping, backstage
The Ornate Lock (1993)
Plot Summary:
A young couple, Ganga and Nakulan, arrives at the ancestral home called Madampalli of the latter. Hailing from a family that follows tradition and superstitions, Nakulan's uncle Thampi objects to the couple's idea of moving into the allegedly haunted mansion, which Nakulan ignores. The couple moves in anyway following which seemingly supernatural events begin to happen
Duration: 169 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Comedy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: room, murder, ghost, investigation, psychiatrist, dancer, murder mystery, who done it, vengeful ghost, locked room, myth, palace, village, exorcism, cat, castle, jealousy, mansion, mental illness, fear, anger, vengeance, haunted house, husband wife relationship, decapitation
Inception (2010)
Plot Summary:
Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious
Duration: 148 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 25000000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: dream, virtual reality, memory, alternate reality, twists and turns, imagination, subconscious, philosophy, existentialism, fictional reality, heist, architecture, mind control, lucid dream, puzzle, teamwork, parallel world, fantasy world, kidnapping, trippy, sleeping, time, psychological manipulation, manipulation, redemption
The Legend Of Maula Jatt (2022)
Plot Summary:
Maula Jatt 2 is an upcoming Pakistani action drama film directed and written by Bilal Lashari, co-produced by Faisal Rafi and Bilal Lashari under production banner of Crew Motion Pictures. It is a sequel to 1979 cult-classic Maula Jatt. The revealed cast includes Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi playing the lead roles along with Mahira Khan, Adnan Jaffar, Shamoon Abbasi and Humaima Malik
Duration: 153 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Drama, Fantasy, History, Thriller
Country: Pakistan
Plot tags: heroes, gang, murder, gangster, violence, death, battles, brutality, chase, vengeance, rivalry, society, danger, criminal underworld, gang war, criminal's revenge, martial arts, punjabi, deadly, crimes
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2006)
Plot Summary:
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is a complete edit of the two-part martial arts action films Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2. The film was originally scheduled to be released as one part. However, due to the film's over 4 hour running time, it was split into two parts
Duration: 247 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: revenge, sword, girl fight, wedding, martial arts, violence, brutality, twists and turns, death, murder, justice, fight scenes, serial killer, dark humor, betrayal, heroine, pregnant bride, kung fu, gang, assassin, tough guy, femme fatale, gore, badass female lead, katana
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Plot Summary:
FBI trainee, Clarice Starling ventures into a maximum-security asylum to pick the diseased brain of Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist turned homicidal cannibal. Starling needs clues to help her capture a serial killer. But her Faustian relationship with Lecter soon leads to his escape, and now two deranged killers are on the loose
Duration: 118 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 15000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, psychopath, investigation, murder, psychology, cannibalism, kidnapping, maniac, murder investigation, cannibal, mind game, brutality, twists and turns, fbi, bad guy wins, killings, strong female lead, psycho killer, psychiatrist, psychologist, female protagonist, profiler, female agent, disturbed individual, sadistic killer
Se7en (1995)
Plot Summary:
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Sommerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 18000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, investigation, twists and turns, psychopath, police, psychology, mind game, macabre, insanity, murder, police investigation, maniac, killings, sin, plot twist, powerful ending, psycho, police detective, murder investigation, serial murder, riddles and clues, violence, killing spree, master criminal, murder mystery
The Prestige (2006)
Plot Summary:
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: twists and turns, obsession, plot twist, magic, rivalry, uninhibited rivalry, magician, secret, magic trick, illusionist, illusion, deception, secrets, revenge, great ending, nikola tesla, stage magic, teleportation, magical, partner, peril, twins, murder, vengeance, suicide
Parasite (2019)
Plot Summary:
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 910000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Plot tags: poverty, wealthy family, working class, social satire, class differences, wealth, basement, plot twist, scam, tutor, poor family, unemployment, rich snob, driver, housekeeper, scheme, fraud, house, maid, murder, rain, class struggle, morse code, allergy, home invasion
The Departed (2006)
Plot Summary:
To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them
Duration: 151 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Hong Kong
Plot tags: mafia, police, organized crime, mole, mobster, undercover cop, twists and turns, violence, undercover, gunfight, corruption, working undercover, gangster, mind game, cop, police corruption, forensics, law enforcement, plot twist, police investigation, espionage, irish mob, undercover police officer, spy, dialogue
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Plot Summary:
Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess
Duration: 106 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany
Plot tags: twists and turns, plot twist, heist, master criminal, organized crime, criminal, manipulation, caper, gangster, great ending, interrogation, whodunit, investigation, dishonesty, mafia, conspiracy, murder mystery, underworld, mind game, puzzle, boat, psychopath, corruption, mysterious character, criminal heroes
Woman in the Dunes (1964)
Plot Summary:
An entomologist suffers extreme psychological and sexual torture after being taken captive by the residents of a poor seaside village
Duration: 147 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: existentialism, surrealism, trapped, desert, love affair, isolation, insect, sun, metaphor, samurai, obsession, beautiful scenery, solitude, trap, mental disorder, philosophy, spirituality, landscape, captivity, love and romance, logic, sex, survival, time travel, swing
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Plot Summary:
Leon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Leon's footsteps
Duration: 110 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 12000000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Plot tags: hitman, mentor, organized crime, friendship, revenge, loneliness, sniper, murder, loner, killings, redemption, life philosophy, corruption, shooting, dark hero, gunfight, assassin, killer child, fight scenes, nymphet, orphan, police corruption, lone wolves, mafia, older man younger woman relationship
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Plot Summary:
Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and the villainous Bane, a new terrorist leader who overwhelms Gotham's finest. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy
Duration: 164 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 18000000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: superhero, batman, heroes, good versus evil, secret identity, double life, chaos and mayhem, terrorism, villainess, motorcycle, self sacrifice, terrorist plot, revenge, anger, comic book, plot twist, criminal underworld, disguise, femme fatale, twists and turns, captain, hallucination, bravery, waterfall, motorcycle chase
Joker (2019)
Plot Summary:
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure
Duration: 122 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Plot tags: mental illness, villain, mental disorder, psycho, loneliness, psychopath, comedian, psychological trauma, insanity, character change, social problems, social decay, mental patient, bad attitude, evil clown, clown, evil, sociopath, serial killer, revenge, rage, loner, murder, fighting the system, stand up comedian
Drishyam 2 (2021)
Plot Summary:
7 years after the events of Drishyam, the family lives with the trauma from that fateful night. A gripping tale of an investigation and a family threatened by it. Will Georgekutty be able to protect his family this time?
Duration: 152 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: investigation, dysfunctional family, family secret, family relations, neighbor, father daughter relationship, husband wife relationship, neighbor neighbor relationship, fish out of water, criminal, life is a bitch, social problems, relationship problems, family problems, secret, money problems, marital problem, plot twist, perfect crime, police, funeral, interrogation, witness, skeleton, casting
Aliens (1986)
Plot Summary:
When Ripley's lifepod is found by a salvage crew over 50 years later, she finds that terra-formers are on the very planet they found the alien species. When the company sends a family of colonists out to investigate her story, all contact is lost with the planet and colonists. They enlist Ripley and the colonial marines to return and search for answers
Duration: 137 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 750000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: alien, space travel, strong female character, survival, outer space, female warrior, space, space and aliens, creature, human versus alien, monster, deadly creature, alien invasion, evil alien, spacecraft, spaceship, female hero, female protagonist, space colony, soldier, trapped, heroine, mysterious planet, strong female lead, alien monster
High and Low (1963)
Plot Summary:
An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom
Duration: 143 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 51000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: police, ransom, samurai, tragedy, secrets, visceral, character study, psychopath, mistaken identity, chauffeur, missing person, rescue, class differences, child kidnapping, chase, law enforcement, disorder, dishonesty, investigation, police investigation, kidnapping, drug addiction, police officer, sacrifice, police procedural
Memento (2000)
Plot Summary:
Suffering short-term memory loss after a head injury, Leonard Shelby embarks on a grim quest to find the lowlife who murdered his wife in this gritty, complex thriller that packs more knots than a hangman's noose. To carry out his plan, Shelby snaps Polaroids of people and places, jotting down contextual notes on the backs of photos to aid in his search and jog his memory. He even tattoos his own body in a desperate bid to remember
Duration: 113 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 13000000
Genere: Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: memory loss, amnesia, plot twist, vengeance, twists and turns, memory, murder, revenge, psychology, paranoia, whodunit, haunted by the past, investigation, trippy, photograph, uncover truth, hidden truth, life is a bitch, murder mystery, identity, insanity, existentialism, great ending, mental disorder, life changing
Oldboy (2003)
Plot Summary:
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate businessman seeks revenge on his captors
Duration: 120 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 619000
Genere: Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Plot tags: revenge, incest, vengeance, older man younger woman relationship, psychopath, plot twist, hypnosis, mind game, psychological torture, kidnapping, confined, torture, loneliness, great ending, brother sister relationship, imprisonment, brother sister incest, sin, captive, father daughter incest, notebook, incestuous relationship, violence, humiliation, mysterious villain
Thani Oruvan (2015)
Plot Summary:
An idealistic cop and an ambitious scientist-businessman indulge in a high-stake battle of wits
Duration: 160 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: police officer, good versus evil, police, revenge, heroes, violence, scientist, death, murder, crime boss, brutality, chase, vengeance, rivalry, society, mob boss, gang war, mad scientist, arch villain, crime family, criminal heroes, gangster, genius, secret service, cop
Come and See (1985)
Plot Summary:
The invasion of a village in Byelorussia by German forces sends young Florya into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against his family's wishes. There he meets a girl, Glasha, who accompanies him back to his village. On returning home, Florya finds his family and fellow peasants massacred. His continued survival amidst the brutal debris of war becomes increasingly nightmarish, a battle between despair and hope
Duration: 142 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 92000
Genere: Drama, Thriller, War
Country: Soviet Union
Plot tags: world war two, genocide, war crime, against humanity, brutality, holocaust, atrocity, occupation, anti war, war, military, children in wartime, teenage girl, massacre, war violence, nazi, mass murder, german occupation, murder, execution, coming of age, fascism, surrealism, nazi occupation, nazism
The Lives of Others (2006)
Plot Summary:
A tragic love story set in East Berlin with the backdrop of an undercover Stasi controlled culture. Stasi captain Wieler is ordered to follow author Dreyman and plunges deeper and deeper into his life until he reaches the threshold of doubting the system
Duration: 137 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 405000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Germany, France
Plot tags: surveillance, cold war, berlin wall, spy, stasi, communism, iron curtain, secrets, loneliness, voyeurism, interrogation, politics, suicide, secret police, life philosophy, murder, corruption, espionage, paranoia, conspiracy, propaganda, fighting the system, writers, tragedy, moral dilemma
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Plot Summary:
A botched robbery indicates a police informant, and the pressure mounts in the aftermath at a warehouse. Crime begets violence as the survivors -- veteran Mr. White, newcomer Mr. Orange, psychopathic parolee Mr. Blonde, bickering weasel Mr. Pink and Nice Guy Eddie -- unravel
Duration: 99 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: heist, crime gone awry, robbery, gangster, gang, undercover cop, psychopath, dark hero, organized crime, violent, perfect crime, dialogue, thief, heist gone wrong, mexican standoff, swearing, caper, gory, murder, violence spree, violence, machismo, badass, mafia, betrayal
Super Deluxe (2019)
Plot Summary:
An unfaithful newly-wed wife, an estranged father, a priest and an angry son suddenly find themselves in the most unexpected predicaments, each poised to experience their destiny, all on one fateful day
Duration: 176 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: cheating wife, estranged father, lgbt, priest, multiple storylines, family problems, social problems, relationship problems, husband wife relationship, satire, lifestyle, affair, disposing of a dead body, stranded, social satire, marital problem, father son estrangement, lgbtq, lgbtqi, innovation, transgender, housewife, transsexual, tamil, bollywood
Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya (2019)
Plot Summary:
Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya is a brilliant, underrated detective from Nellore who runs an agency called FBI which sees no business. He gets more than what he asked for when a case happens to fall right into his lap out of nowhere
Duration: 148 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: murder, murder mystery, detective agency, murderer, murder investigation, private detective, heroes, investigation, violence, youth, death, investigator, graphic violence, chase, rivalry, society, who done it, interrogation, corpse, weirdo, homicide detective, evidence, testimony, police detective, suspicion
Jana Gana Mana (2022)
Plot Summary:
Ramanagara wakes up to a series of events that shocks the entire Nation. In this crisis, two individuals with two different perspectives on law and justice intervene to define the truth
Duration: 162 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: investigation, protest, murder, criminal, justice, professor, college student, courtroom, intrigue, bandit, fight, murderer, murder investigation, crime investigation, fighting the system, homicide detective, crime solving, uncover truth, police, student, college, journalist, court, shooting, newspaper