The thriller genre is among the most popular and enduring in cinema. Who doesn’t love a good movie that blends excitement, mystery, and chills into a riveting and cohesive narrative that challenges as well as entertains? The thriller is also brad and surprisingly versatile, working famously alongside genres like mystery, action, horror, and even the occasional drama.
Some of cinema’s best movies are thrillers, from classics likeRebeccato modern masterpieces likeThe Silence of the Lambs. Yet, because of its popularity, many thriller movies often get lost in the shuffle, failing to receive the attention they so deserve.These underrated thrillers are outright masterpieces of the genre, cinematic triumphs worthy of being called perfect and deserving of far more love and attention from mainstream audiences.
Directed by Jacques Audiard
Jacques Audiardis among France’s most highly regarded filmmakers. However, his 2001 thrillerRead My Lipsremains one of his most underrated efforts, at least in the West.The ever-reliableVincent CassellandEmmanuelle Devosstar as an ex-con and a nearly deaf secretary who form an unlikely bond while working at an office where she is constantly mistreated.
Read My Lipsis equal parts unconventional love story and crime thriller, resulting in a unique but endearing mix of genres.
Read My Lipsmarches to the beat of its singular drum, greatly aided by a pair of synchronized performances from Cassell and Devos. The film is equal parts unconventional love story and crime thriller, resulting in a unique but endearing mix of genres that is as impactful today as it was over twenty years ago.Read My Lipsiserotically charged, often surprisingly violent, and emotionally potent, a thriller unlike any other released this century worthy of more audience attention.
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9’Deep Red' (1975)
Directed by Dario Argento
Giallo masterDario Argentois behind many of horror’s most acclaimed and recognizable films. However,Deep Redis among his most undervalued by mainstream audiences. The 1976 horror thriller mystery film follows a man who discovers the body of a psychic medium and becomes obsessed with solving her murder, aided by an ambitious reporter out to make a name for herself. When a close friend of his ends up dead, the pair realize they are on the killer’s radar.
Full of holiday ambiance and paired with Argento’s penchant for visually striking excess,Deep Redisthe perfect marriage of visceral horror and eerie mystery. The director effortlessly captures the brutality of it all with camera movements that feel as harsh and unforgiving as a knife slash. The mechanical doll that menaces the characters is an underrated horror icon, further cementingDeep Redas a Christmas horror must-watchfor those who want a bit more blood in their thrillers.
8’Exotica' (1994)
Directed by Atom Egoyan
Academy Award nomineeAtom EgoyandirectsBruce Greenwoodand a spectacularMia Kirshnerin the 1994 Canadian filmExotica. The film follows Francis Brown (Greenwood), a lonely father grieving the death of his daughter by visiting a local strip club, Exotica. Soon, he develops an obsession with Christina, a young performer with a connection to his past.
Part erotic thriller and part psychological drama,Exoticaisa riveting yet harrowing exploration of grief and guiltunlike anything else in cinema. Greenwood and a remarkable Kirshner add layers to this insightful and introspective tale of the many traps of the human mind, especially after undergoing severe, life-altering trauma.Erotically charged but never exploitative,Exoticais among the best thrillers of the ’90s, which sadly remains quite underappreciated to this day.
7’The Scapular' (1968)
Directed by Servando González
Much like its Hollywood counterpart, the Golden Age of Mexican cinema ended in the late ’60s, but it produced genuine gems, even in its final stages. For proof, look no further thanServando González’s supernatural horror thrillerThe Scapular, a masterwork of eerie and atmospheric suspense. The plot sees a priest visiting a dying woman, who retells the story of a mysterious scapular and how its power can save the life of whoever holds it.
The Scapularis a slow-burn thriller that grabs the viewer with a cold and firm grasp and never lets go.
Mexican horror cinema has always been quite strong, andThe Scapularis among the finest efforts from the 20th century. Chilling and benefitting froman overwhelming ambiance of near-constant anxiety and dread, the film is a slow-burn thriller that grabs the viewer with a cold and firm grasp and never lets go. The scene where the character of Pedro (Enrique Lizalde) comes across three hanged men is particularly striking, a macabre setpiece that becomes even more frightening the longer it lasts. Using chiaroscuro techniques to enhance its sinister aura,The Scapularisa triumph of classic Mexican cinemaand a severely underrated horror movie worthy of more praise.
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6’The Vanishing' (1988)
Directed by George Sluizer
The 1988 Dutch psychological thrillerThe Vanishingis a hidden gem of the late ’80s. The film starsGene Bervoetsas Rex Hofman, a man who obsessively searches for his girlfriend, Saskia (Johanna ter Steege), who mysteriously disappears from a gas station.
A tense game of cat-and-mouse,The Vanishingis a trulyeye-opening and harrowing exploration of the nature of evil. The plot deals with heavy subjects, from the origin of cruelty to the overpowering hold of obsession and the human need for answers. Uncompromising and often frustratingly ruthless,The Vanishingis a character study of two flawed figures, one in full control and one slowly unraveling, as they attempt to keep themselves from succumbing to their worst impulses.It’s precise and mortifying, a challenging thrillerfor those looking for some punch.
The Vanishing
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5’Insomnia' (1997)
Directed by Erik Skjoldbærg
The 1997 Norwegian thrillerInsomniais a true masterpiece of the modern thriller genre. Set in a secluded town in the Arctic Circle, the film stars the somehowstill not Oscar-nominatedStellan Skarsgårdas Jonas Engström, a police detective investigating a murder. However, things go wrong when he accidentally shoots his partner, and he slowly unravels while trying to cover his crime.
Insomniais as chilling and unforgiving as its setting, offeringa narrative that is anything but straightforward and refuses to offer simple answers. Skarsgård, a master of injecting creepy eerieness into every situation, delivers a towering performance as a man trying to escape the mistakes of his past.Insomniafeatures a fascinating and relentless plot, culminating in an infamously bleak ending that will haunt viewers for days.The 2002Christopher Nolanremakemight be more famous, but the original is far superior.
4’The Last Seduction' (1994)
Directed by John Dahl
Linda Florentinodelivers the performance of her career in the 1994 erotic thrillerThe Last Seduction. The film centers on Bridget Gregory (Florentino), quite possibly the best femme fatale in modern cinema, who manipulates her husband, Clay (Bill Pullman), into selling cocaine before stealing the profits. Stopping at a small town, Bridget enters another relationship with an equally hapless man, hoping to coerce him into helping her kill Clay.
The Last Seductionis quite possiblythe best erotic thriller ever made. Powered by a tour de force performance courtesy of the criminally underrated Linda Florentino, the film isa classic neo-noir full of morally questionable characterstrying to get ahead in a broken and corrupt world. Florentino’s Bridget is infallible, a brilliant femme fatale clinically analyzing every situation and always two steps ahead. It’s the type of performance sorely lacking from modern cinema, a shamelessly cruel and clever villainess who loves every minute of it.
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3’Take Shelter' (2011)
Directed by Jeff Nichols
Jeff Nicholsis among the most consistent directorsworking today. His common collaborations with two-time Oscar nomineeMichael Shannonare the stuff of cinematic dreams, with 2011’sTake Shelterarguably standing out as their finest effort. The film follows Curtis LaForche (Shannon), a man whose seemingly happy life comes crumbling down when he begins having nightmares about an upcoming apocalyptic event.
Take Shelteris the rarecerebral thriller that wants audiences to come up with their own conclusions. It’s an examination of paranoia, dread, and the inescapable certainty that nothing is promised or ensured. Shannon delivers a truly stunning performance, capturing Curtis' desperation and helplessness, perfectly complemented by an equally brilliant yet understatedJessica Chastain.Take Shelter’s intentionally vague and elusive narrative might frustrate some, butthe film’s message about the importance of human connection is vital, now more than ever.
Take Shelter
2’First Reformed' (2017)
Directed by Paul Schrader
Divisive director and screenwriterPaul Schraderhelmed a true modern masterpiece with his 2017 thrillerFirst Reformed. Four-time Oscar nomineeEthan Hawkestars as Reverend Ernst Toller, who becomes increasingly despondent at the state of the world following a life-changing encounter with a radical environmentalist and his pregnant wife.
Few movies are as challenging asFirst Reformed,a tough yet intense exploration of faith, human connection, and the willingness to stay afloat amid a quickly collapsing world. Hawke is in top shape, arguably turning in the best performance of his esteemed career as an increasingly broken priest who slowly realizes his faith isn’t strong enough to withstand life’s continuous blows. With one of the most shocking endings in modern cinema,First Reformedchallenges notions of religionand reality viathe ultimate tale of existential dread.
First Reformed
1’Woman in the Dunes' (1964)
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
Woman in the DunesstarsEiji Okadaas Niki Jumpei, an entomologist who becomes stranded in a remote coastal village after missing the last bus home. He is convinced by the locals to spend the night in a lonely house at the bottom of a dune inhabited only by a lonely widow. However, he soon realizes it’s a trap, and the locals expect him to work for them.
A masterpiece of cinema,Hiroshi Teshigahara’s 1964 avant-garde psychological thrillerWoman in the Dunesisan acclaimed yet sadly underappreciated movie. Visually striking to the point of being neigh hypnotic,Woman in the Dunesisa Sisyphean, fascinating study of the human psycheand the desire to leave everything behind, from conventions to expectations, bonds, and presumptions. Challenging and entrancing,Woman in the Dunesis a one-of-a-kind triumph of cinema thatrepresents the great heights the psychological thriller subgenre can achievewhen aligned with a unique vision.
NEXT:The 10 Best Crime Thrillers of the Last 5 Years, Ranked
