Top 10 Best Thriller Movies of All Time You Must Watch

Psithurism [email protected] March 21, 2024 | 23:00

Here is a list of the greatest thriller films ever made that are sure to make your heart race! Check through to see if Knowinsiders' list includes your favorite thriller.

Contents
10. Parasite 9. Get Out 8. Drive 7. North by Northwest 6. The Night of the Hunter 5. Dark Water 4. Vertigo 3. The Revenant 2. Rear Window 1. Psycho

You've come to the correct place if you want to add some suspense to your day. Thriller films are that unique kind of movie that we all secretly adore, whether you're peeking through your fingers or sitting on the edge of your seat.

Watch your way through this list that we've put together if you enjoy movies that keep you watching until the very end. See ten of the greatest thriller films ever made by scrolling down!

TOP 10 best thriller movies of all time. Photo: Home Blogger

10. Parasite

Photo: Medium

With roles in movies such as Snowpiercer, The Host, and Memories of Murder, Bong Joon-ho had already established a reputation for himself. With Parasite, he broke through into the public eye like never before, narrating a timeless story of impoverished people mixing with the rich, with deadly results.

Even though Parasite includes dark humor, it frequently devolves into serious themes, particularly as the impoverished Kim family becomes more deeply involved in the affluent Parks' lives. And as secrets come to light, by the time the movie reaches its climactic act, the tension has reached an intolerable level. Because of all of this, it became the first movie that wasn't in English to win the Best Picture Oscar.

9. Get Out

Photo: Vox

Some may have been surprised that Jordan Peele, half of the comedy duo Key & Peele, would be directing a horror thriller about racism. However, he demonstrated with Get Out how powerful that idea can be with the correct amount of attention to detail and execution.

Daniel Kaluuya portrays Chris, an African-American man in a relationship with a seemingly innocent Caucasian woman. He begins to suspect something is wrong when she extends an invitation for him to meet her parents. In the last act, things get out of hand and one of the most moving critiques of modern racial issues arises. A unique and novel form of entertainment: a thriller with a message.

8. Drive

Photo: Teaser Trailer

In the film, Ryan Gosling plays a stunt driver for both robbers and movie productions. He develops feelings for a young mother named Irene (Carey Mulligan), whose husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) soon causes problems for the driver.

This movie, which features one of the bloodiest bathroom killing scenes we've ever seen on screen, has a soundtrack as excellent as its actors, story, and cinematography.

7. North by Northwest

Photo: Them0vieblog

In Hitchcock's "North by Northwest," an identity crisis leads a New York advertising executive on a perilous journey as he fights for survival while being pursued by foreign spies. The film introduced contemporary ideas to the thriller genre, showcasing some of the most iconic set pieces from Hollywood's golden era and a masterful score by Bernard Herrmann.

In this iconic crime thriller, Cary Grant, at the height of his career, teams up with Hitchcock, at the height of his, all while donning one of the greatest suits in movie history. A (real) spy mistakes a New York advertising executive for a government agent, and the two combine to create an unforgettable action sequence (the crop duster scene is among the most influential in film history) and a thriller that many have imitated but few have surpassed.

6. The Night of the Hunter

Photo: Ascmag

One of the creepiest antagonists in film is Robert Mitchum's eminently sinister black minister Harry Powell, a drifter from West Virginia who marries for money only to murder his spouses. He learns of a $10,000 bank heist haul, but the thief refuses to give it to him. The deceased man's children are the only ones who know about his passing. In the end, he decides to strike again and find that money while courting their mother and winning the town's approval.

Originally referred to as "a diabolical shit," director Charles Laughton found Mitchum's transition between the serene, devout, endearing pastor and the crazed, brimstone-spitting misogynist who would gladly kill some children for a few pounds to be truly captivating. The Night of the Hunter is a masterfully shot film that nods to German Expressionism and the silent film era while exploring themes of sin, redemption, desire, and greed. It feels timeless because it doesn't resemble many other movies from the era in terms of appearance or atmosphere.

5. Dark Water

Photo: Rogerebert

When do mysteries get even more exciting? When they're grounded in actual occurrences... In this compelling film reminiscent of Erin Brockovich, Dark Waters tells the true story of a lawyer's quest to bring DuPont, a manufacturer of pots, pans, and other household appliances, to justice. It is based on an intriguing article from the New York Times.

You won't believe you haven't heard of this story until now, as it sheds light on the disastrous effects that a company's chemical waste into the grounds and water had on a community in West Virginia.

4. Vertigo

Photo: Sinakasra Artstation

Vertigo is another of Hitchcock's films in which a man is pitted against forces outside of his control. Simply put, he's being held captive by his own thoughts in this instance. John "Scottie" Ferguson, the traumatized detective played by James Stewart, is sent to find a friend's wife who is in danger, but she disappears, leaving him to chase shadows and wonder if he is crazy.

The action spirals and recurs, with each turn changing the surface beneath the viewer's feet as the disorienting camerawork depicts Scottie's fear and derangement. The Master's masterpiece was voted the greatest movie of all time in a 2012 critics' poll by Sight and Sound.

3. The Revenant

Photo: Moviesandmeaning

You can practically feel your heart beating in time with the movie thanks to the acting, setting, and soundtrack, which consists of steady, building drumming throughout the entire picture. When it comes to this 2015 movie, which finally saw Leonardo Dicaprio win a Best Actor Oscar, suspense is an understatement.

2. Rear Window

Photo: Mentalfloss

Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," which tells the tale of a wheelchair-bound photographer who believes his neighbor is a murderer, comes in first place. The film continues to be a mainstay of the thriller subgenre, deftly examining themes of uncertainty and paranoia. In the meantime, a few of the movie's scenes drew inspiration from actual murder cases.

With a broken leg, photojournalist L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) is compelled to stay at home and uses binoculars to observe what's going on around his apartment. Alfred Hitchcock masterfully directs this lockdown story. But it's possible that his suspicions—that neighbor Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) killed his controlling wife—are accurate. This dramatic and suspenseful movie reminds us all to be on the lookout and understand that voyeurism isn't always harmless entertainment.

1. Psycho

Photo: Youtube

Psycho, one of the greatest thrillers ever made, has broken the most boundaries and had the biggest influence on popular culture overall as well as on film. One of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest hits, the movie stars Janet Leigh as a wanted woman who spends the night at the Bates Motel. A sequence of events take place that culminate in an absolutely terrifying discovery.

The movie is a gripping thriller on its own, but its significance cannot be overstated. Even after it was first released several decades ago, Psycho's iconic musical score by Bernard Herrmann and Anthony Perkins's legendary performance still frighten and shock audiences everywhere.