40 Psychological Thrillers That’ll Make Your Heart Race
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A good psychological thriller gets under your skin like a splinter, sticking with you long after the credits roll. The genre is wide-reaching, often intermingling with drama, horror, science fiction, and action, but always filled with nail-biting tension and, typically, an “I did not see that coming” twist.
Here are some of the best psychological thriller movies.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Of the three films that have won the “big five” Oscars, The Silence of the Lambs is the one with the biggest mystery, the highest body count, and the unforgettable climatic face-off (wink, wink). Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is an FBI cadet brought in to help catch a serial killer. But to do so, she must tap into the mind of convicted cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). It’s dark. It’s twisted. It’s delicious.
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Gone Girl (2014)
Based on Gillian Flynn’s bestseller, Gone Girl stars Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne, a man whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing. It’s soon clear that he’s the number one suspect…until he uncovers evidence that Amy is less of a damsel in distress and more of a secret mastermind. For another one of Flynn’s dark tales, stream HBO’s limited series Sharp Objects.
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Shutter Island (2010)
Shutter Island has everything a brilliant psychological thriller needs: a 1950s insane asylum, a missing person, and Hollywood power couple Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. The mystery begins when U.S. marshals Teddy (DiCaprio) and Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) arrive on the gloomy Shutter Island to search for a patient who disappeared.
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Rear Window (1954)
Alfred Hitchcock is the master of building suspense and dread, and he’s at his best in Rear Window. The film is told entirely from the point of view of a photographer (James Stewart) who’s left in a wheelchair after an accident. To pass the time, he watches his neighbors—and starts to believe one of them is a murderer. Is he onto something, or is it all in his head like his girlfriend (the one and only Grace Kelly) believes?
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Get Out (2017)
For fans of Jordan Peele, his directorial debut is much, much different from his comedy sketch show Key & Peele. And while Get Out still has moments of big laughs, it’s an unnerving, sinister story about race. The smart writing is brought to life by Daniel Kaluuya’s performance as Chris, a Black man who realizes something is terribly wrong when meeting his white girlfriend’s family.
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Black Swan (2010)
Natalie Portman trained for more than a year to prepare for her Oscar-winning performance as Nina, a ballerina striving for perfection. But when Nina lands her biggest role yet, she learns her obsession with flawlessness comes at a price. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this thriller follows the dancer as she loses touch with what’s real.
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Cape Fear (1991)
When convicted rapist Max Cady (Robert De Niro) is released from prison after serving 14 years, he has one thing on his mind: getting even with his defense attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte). Soon, Sam, his wife Leigh (Jessica Lange) and their teenage daughter Dani (Juliette Lewis) start seeing Cady everywhere they look, while Sam frantically works to keep his former—and violent—client away from his family.
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Parasite (2019)
Directed by Bong Joon Ho, Parasite is the only foreign film to win Best Picture. It’s a rumination on class tension, following the impoverished Kim family (led by Song Kang-ho) as their paths cross with the lavishly wealthy Parks. The film is a yummy blend of squirm-in-your-seat discomfort and dark humor, tied together with a bloody good ending.
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Watcher (2022)
While Watcher flew largely under the radar (don’t confuse it with Netflix’s mini series The Watcher), this indie is not one to sleep on. Starring Maika Monroe of It Follows fame, Watcher is the story of a girl who moves to Romania with her boyfriend. Without a job, without friends, and without being able to speak the language, she finds herself spending a lot of time alone, gazing out of her apartment window. And she notices a shadow across the street that’s always looking right back.
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Se7en (1995)
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are Mills and Somerset, two detectives on the trail of a serial killer. As the list of victims grows, the detectives discover a sinister pattern: each murder seems to be inspired by the seven deadly sins.
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Run (2020)
Chloe (Kiera Allen) is a teenage girl who, because of her many health conditions, doesn’t get out much. She’s homeschooled, uses a wheelchair, and never goes anywhere without her protective mother (Sarah Paulson). But one day, she starts having suspicions that her mother—her best friend—might be keeping disturbing secrets from her. Fans of the true crime series The Act will love this Hulu original.
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Thoroughbreds (2017)
Thoroughbreds stars two powerhouses, Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy, as wealthy and troubled teenage girls who are estranged friends. As they grow close again, they confide in each other about their problems…and come up with a diabolical plan to put their headaches to rest once and for all. The film also features Anton Yelchin, in his final role.
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Zodiac (2007)
In 1968, a teenage couple were shot and killed in Northern California. More were murdered in the following years, and mysterious letters sent to the San Francisco Chronicle, all signed by the “Zodiac,” claimed responsibility. In this film by David Fincher, Jake Gyllenhaal plays the real-life cartoonist Robert Graysmith, who worked at the paper and hunted the killer.
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Fatal Attraction (1987)
When Dan (Michael Douglas) sleeps with Alex, a woman he meets when his wife is out of town, he believes the affair was a one-time thing. But Alex (Glenn Close) has other ideas. She becomes obsessed with Dan, and that obsession takes a violent turn. For an updated reimagining of the story, check out the Paramount+ mini series starring Lizzy Caplan.
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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Based on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling and posthumously published novel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo stars Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist hired to investigate the disappearance of a woman 40 years earlier. Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) joins his investigation, and together they uncover links between their missing persons case and murdered women spanning decades.
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Nocturnal Animals (2016)
When Susan (Amy Adams) receives a copy of a novel written by her ex-husband, it kicks off three different storylines: past, present, and fiction. In the past, Susan and her ex’s relationship begins deteriorating. In the novel, a road-tripping family is stopped on a remote highway late at night. And presently, Susan reminisces about her husband as she prepares to see him again. The stories are all tied together in a gorgeous neo-noir package.
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Psycho (1960)
Psycho boasts the epitome of a plot twist. Hitchcock’s masterpiece opens with a secretary stealing thousands of dollars from her job. As she’s making her escape, she checks into the remote Bates Motel, where she meets its strange owner, Norman. The thriller was a box office smash, and its big reveal remains one of the most famous in movie history.
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Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Between the strings-heavy score, extreme close-ups, and frantic cutting between scenes, watching this Darren Aronosfky film feels like you’re constantly on the verge of an anxiety attack. Starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans, Requiem for a Dream follows four people, each becoming more and more consumed by addiction.
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Nightcrawler (2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal is Louis Bloom, a crime journalist in Los Angeles. Determined to get the “best” footage (read: the most graphic and gory), he manipulates the scenes—and evidence—he’s covering. But as he ventures closer and closer to the violence, how far will he push his luck to get the perfect shot?
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Fresh (2022)
When Noa (Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones) meets the dashing Steve (Sebastian Stan) in the produce section of her grocery store, it seems too good to be true. And it isn’t long before she realizes the meet-cute was actually malicious, and that Steve is craving more than romance.
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Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
This slow burn thriller opens with Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her husband Guy moving into their dream apartment. Soon, the two learn they’re expecting a baby, and Guy’s acting career takes off. But Rosemary begins worrying that, underneath all the success, something is rotten. Could it have something to do with the couple’s strange, clingy neighbors?
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Misery (1990)
James Caan plays Paul Sheldon, a novelist who crashes his car while driving through a mountain blizzard. He loses consciousness, waking up with two broken legs in a remote cabin … under the care of a nurse who happens to be a superfan of his work. Kathy Bates won Best Actress for her portrayal of the unhinged, obsessive Annie Wilkes in this Stephen King adaptation.
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American Psycho (2000)
In one of Christian Bale’s most well-known roles, he portrays Patrick Bateman: a successful, handsome, seemingly-has-it-all investment bro. But behind his polished exterior (and his multi-step skincare routine) lurks fantasies of violence in this thriller directed by Mary Harron.
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The Invisible Man (2020)
The Invisible Man is an H.G. Wells creation, but this Blumhouse film completely reimagines the 100-year-old story. It starts with Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) fleeing an abusive relationship late at night. Two weeks later, she learns her ex died by suicide. But when strange things start happening around her, Cecilia begins to wonder if her abuser is truly gone—or if she just can’t see him.
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Memento (2000)
Memento’s complex narrative follows two timelines: one going backward and one moving forward until the two collide in the film’s final minutes. It stars Guy Pearce as Leonard, a man searching for his wife’s murderer. But there’s a problem: He is unable to form new memories and must rely on handwritten notes and polaroids to remind himself who he can trust. Memento messes with your head, and it helped make Christopher Nolan a household name.
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The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
A decade after a serial killer murdered 10 women and then disappeared, a small town is still reeling from the trauma. But Tyler (Charlie Plummer) doesn’t really think much about the killings … that is, until he finds an odd and unsettling photograph belonging to his father (Dylan McDermott). As Tyler starts digging into the details of the murders, he realizes the so-called “Clovehitch Killer” might be much closer to home than he’d ever imagined.
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Taxi Driver (1976)
Robert De Niro is Travis Bickle, a Vietnam veteran turned taxi driver who fantasizes about violently ridding New York City of crime. Through his job driving around the city, he becomes obsessed with protecting 12-year-old sex worker Iris (Jodie Foster), and with assassinating presidential candidate Charles Palantine.
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Side Effects (2013)
Can a prescription drug have murderous side effects? That’s the question posed by this Steven Soderbergh thriller, which follows a woman who, after being prescribed an experimental psychiatric drug, stabs her husband to death during a sleepwalking episode. Starring Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Side Effects is engrossing, filled with twists and a performance by Mara you can’t look away from.
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Gerald’s Game (2017)
In a sex game gone wrong, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) ends up dead on the floor—and his wife Jessie (Carla Gugino) handcuffed to the bed. Keys out of reach. In a remote lake house. And nobody knows where to come looking for her. This Stephen King adaptation is directed by Mike Flanagan, the mind behind The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass.
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The Sixth Sense (1999)
When child psychiatrist Malcolm (Bruce Willis) meets 9-year-old Cole (Haley Joel Osment), he dedicates himself to helping Cole sort through his hallucinations. The Sixth Sense catapulted writer and director M. Night Shyamalan—and his staple plot twists—to international fame. More than two decades later, it’s still one of the highest-grossing horror movies ever.
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Swallow (2019)
After learning she’s pregnant, a soft-spoken housewife experiences compulsions to swallow objects around her home. But when a routine ultrasound reveals her vice to her husband, she struggles to rein in her cravings and regain control of her life.
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Promising Young Woman (2020)
By day, Cassie (Carey Mulligan) works in a coffee shop. But by night, she frequents bars and clubs, luring predatory men as she seeks revenge for her college best friend’s assault. Emerald Fennell’s feature writing and directing debut Promising Young Woman won her an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
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Saltburn (2023)
Barry Keoghan is Oliver, an awkward and shy Oxford student seeking a friend. Jacob Eldori is Felix, everything Oliver is not: popular, confident, wealthy. When their paths cross and Felix invites Oliver to spend the summer at his family’s Saltburn estate, none of their lives will ever be the same. Emerald Fennell describes her follow-up to Promising Young Woman as a “vampire film,”—but not in the way you think—and it’s got a killer soundtrack.
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The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Like many of Yorgos Lanthimos’ other films, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is deadpan, dark, and… weird. After Dr. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) takes a teenage boy (Barry Keoghan) under his wing, his family is struck by a mysterious illness. Soon, Dr. Murphy faces an impossible choice as he tries to find the source of the sickness.
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Ex Machina (2014)
When coder Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins an opportunity to spend a week with his company’s eccentric CEO Nathan (Oscar Isaac) on his remote property, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. But after he’s tasked with testing Nathan’s new, top-secret invention—an AI humanoid named Ava (Alicia Vikander)—Caleb begins to question who he can trust in this sci-fi psychological thriller.
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Leave the World Behind (2023)
A weekend away quickly goes awry for the Sandford family—first when a pair of strangers shows up at their door, and then as stranger and stranger events start taking place around the area. This Netflix original stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Mahershala Ali.
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Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Knock at the Cabin may begin with four strangers breaking into a family’s cabin, but it’s not your average home invasion horror movie. Based on a novel by Paul Tremblay and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this thriller makes its characters—and you—question what’s real throughout its runtime.
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Prisoners (2013)
Unsatisfied with the police’s investigation into his daughter’s kidnapping, a father begins his own investigation to bring her home—no matter what it takes. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Prisoners stars Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, and Viola Davis.
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Donnie Darko (2001)
Things aren’t as they seem in twisty sci-fi thriller Donnie Darko. The cult classic stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled teenager who, after surviving a freak accident, is haunted by images of a strange man in a bunny suit.
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Vertigo (1958)
Another Hitchcock classic starring James Stewart, Vertigo is often cited as one of the greatest films of all time—and rightfully so. Along with the innovative camerawork (they call it the Vertigo effect for a reason) and eye-catching use of color, the story of an acrophobic detective whose path collides with a beautiful woman (Kim Novak) is filled with twists and mystery.
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