Best on Netflix: Top 9 Thriller Movies

Laelia Yang March 01, 2021 | 19:53

As well I Care A Lot and Behind Her Eyes dominating the trending section of the streaming platform of Netflix, KnowInsiders here ranked the top 9 best thrillers on Netflix.

The Top 9 Thrillers on Netflix. Photo: pinterest

With people everywhere continuing to socially distance themselves, there's no better time to test the limits of your entertainment consumption. For the adventurous among us, that means cranking the tension up to its maximum with the best of the best in heart-wrenching thrillers.

1. Se7en (1995) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

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David Fincher’s psychological thriller Se7en is one of the best suspense movies on Netflix. Featuring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, this film sees a veteran cop partnered with a brash young detective as they attempt to track down an insatiable serial killer who murders his victims according to the seven deadly sins. A deeply disturbing performance from Kevin Spacey as the unhinged killer who believes he is doing God's work, elevates Se7en to a level few other films have been able to achieve. It’s disgusting, haunting, and completely unmissable. Not only is this film one of the best thrillers on Netflix, but it’s also one of the most unsettling. An ‘out of the box’ thriller if ever we’ve seen one, according to Manofmany.

Release date: 2 November 1995 (Australia)

Director: David Fincher

Screenplay: Andrew Kevin Walker

Box office: 327.3 million USD

2. The Hateful Eight (2016) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

Photo: netflix

Load up this post-Civil War Quentin Tarantino thriller. It's about two bounty hunters and a captive who encounter a group of questionable strangers while trying to find shelter from a Wyoming blizzard. There's gore and Samuel L. Jackson, so you know it's got to be worth the whopping three hours, PopSugar wrote.

Release date: 14 January 2016 (Australia)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Budget: $44–54 million

3. Good Time (2017) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

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From the geniuses behind Uncut Gems, Good Time is a panic-inducing nightmare that refuses to let up for any moment of its 101-minute runtime. Robert Pattinson stars as Connie, a criminal willing to do anything to get his vulnerable brother (co-director Benny Safdie) bailed out of a New York City jail. Heart-breaking and jaw-dropping, this character study will devastate you, Mashable SE Asia reported.

Initial release: 11 August 2017 (USA)

Directors: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie

Budget: 2 million USD

Box office: 4.1 million USD

4. Prisoners (2013) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

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An unassuming hit, Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 film Prisoners flew under the radar when it was first released. Years later, the psychological thriller is finally getting the praise it deserves, thanks to its arrival on Netflix. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman, the film focuses on the abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania and the subsequent search for their captor. The brutal thriller movie sees one father take things into his own hands in a destructive journey towards justice. With twists and turns at every stage, it’s hard to pin down who is really behind the crime, but that’s what a good thriller movie is all about.

Release date: 17 October 2013 (Australia)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cinematography: Roger Deakins

Budget: 46 million USD

5. Inception (2010) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

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Christopher Nolan's sci-fi masterpiece thrusts you into the world of dreams and leaves you so bewildered that it's difficult to wake up. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a corporate spy who steals secrets by inserting himself in others’ subconscious dream states, the film not only imagines this complex universe, it flips its structure, as DiCaprio’s man on the run is made to plan the perfect heist in order to leave behind his criminal life. Rather than stealing ideas, he’s got to implant one—that's inception, baby!—with his team of specialists, resulting in a surrealist, multilayered film, Thrillist cited.

Release date: 22 July 2010 (Australia)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Featured song: Non, je ne regrette rien

Screenplay: Christopher Nolan

*See also: Netflix in March 2021: Full List of Best Movies, TV Shows, New Titles Day by Day

6. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

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Starring everyone’s favorite Texan Matthew McConaughey, The Lincoln Lawyer is a sordid tale of crime, injustice, and mystery. The psychological thriller follows defense lawyer Mick Haller as he attempts to defend a wealthy realtor’s son who is accused of raping a prostitute. The case seems like a straightforward paycheck for the talented lawyer, however, when Fuller finds evidence that his client may be guilty, it throws his morals into question. Whether you are a McConaughey fan or not, you can’t deny The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the best thrillers on Netflix.

Initial release: 10 March 2011 (USA)

Director: Brad Furman

Film series: The Lincoln Lawyer

Box office: 87.1 million USD

7. Uncut Gems (2019) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

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What’s left to be said about the Safdie brothers nerve-shredding Uncut Gems? This tale gifted Adam Sandler the role of a lifetime that should have rightly landed him an Oscar. We’re nevertheless given a superb performance from the former jokester who plays Howie Ratner, a chatty New York City jeweler on the verge of scoring big. Of course, that’s always how it goes in the movies right?

The Safdies ramp up the tension through remarkably simple means. Howie balances a colossal gambling debt, with a missing rare Opal, along with a girlfriend, wife, and a bunch of debt collectors locked in his storefront. There’s no showy camerawork or discernable CG that contributes to the chaos, just good old-fashioned panic in Sandler’s stunning turn as the clock counts down on a frantic day, GamesRadar noted.

Initial release: 25 December 2019 (USA)

Directors: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie

Box office: 50 million USD

8. The Town (2010) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

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Ben Affleck follows up his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone with The Town. Far better than expected, the film harnesses Affleck’s fondness for his hometown to winning effect in this cracking adaptation of Chuck Hogan’s novel. The former Batman not only directs but stars as Doug MacRay, a lifelong thief who hails from a family of bank robbers.

His latest heist enlists three of his closest childhood pals, and all appears to go smoothly until his bosom buddy James (Jeremy Renner, who was Oscar-nominated for the role), makes the misstep of taking a bank teller hostage. This isn’t all about the action, though, as the movie dives into the character’s backstories, to flesh out their circumstances. It’s those touches that make this an affecting drama that just happens to be stuffed with top-notch setpieces crafted for maximum thrills.

Initial release: 17 September 2010 (USA)

Director: Ben Affleck

Budget: 37 million USD

Box office: 154 million USD

9. Nocturnal Animals (2016) - Top Thriller Movies on Netflix

Photo: straightfromamovie

Tom Ford is probably best known for dominating the fashion industry with his trademark style and sophistication, but in 2016, he lent his aesthetic and creative talent to the psychological thriller Nocturnal Animals. A genre-bending, non-linear story starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams, Nocturnal Animals is one of the most visceral films ever made. When Susan (Adams) receives a manuscript from her ex-husband Edward (Gyllenhaal), she finds herself immersed in the brutal story of love, murder and revenge. This incredibly well-crafted feature sees Gyllenhaal play a multitude of roles in an absolute acting masterclass that should have received far more praise than it did upon release. One of the most heartbreaking and best thrillers on Netflix.

Initial release: 14 October 2016 (United Kingdom)

Director: Tom Ford

Adapted from: Tony and Susan