Thrillers & Suspense
Thriller and Suspense Films promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension.
A genuine thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single-minded goal, to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging on the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. Plots of thrillers often involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.
Below is a grand line-up of the best in contemporary Thrillers & Suspense made since 1965. Following a similar theme, with generally a darker look is the "Film Noir" feature, well worth checking out. The exploits of "James Bond 007" may also be accessed stage left.
Right: Frances McDormand makes an arrest in the Coen Bros "Fargo".
Candyman (2021)
6/10
Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Vanessa Williams
A sequel to the horror film Candyman (1992) that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began. Read more
Hunter (2009)
6.8/10
Director: Colm McCarthy
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Janet McTeer, Clare Holman, Adrian Rawlins, Harriet Walter
DSI Iain Barclay heads up a team of police officers that are looking into the disappearance of two boys. He calls in the help of former colleague DS A... Read more
C. B. Strike: Lethal White (2017)
Starring: Holliday Grainger, Christina Cole, Killian Scott, Tom Burke
War veteran turned private detective Cormoran Strike solves brutal murders with the help of his trusted partner Robin Ellacott. Read more
Smile (2022)
6.6/10
Director: Parker Finn
Starring: Kyle Gallner, Robin Weigert, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn, Rob Morgan
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain... Read more
Hypnotic (2023)
5.3/10
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, Jeff Fahey, Jackie Earle Haley, William Fichtner
A detective investigates a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government program. Read more
Firefox (1982)
5.9/10
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Freddie Jones, David Huffman
Clint Eastwood, an ex-US pilot, is persuaded to undertake a mission to the USSR to steal a supersonic jet fighter that is invisible to radar and contr... Read more
Sherlock Holmes: The Scarlet Claw / The House of Fear (1944)
7.6/10
Director: Roy William Neill
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Gertrude Astor
'The Scarlet Claw' (1944) - The village of La Morte Rouge in Canada has an old legend about a marsh monster. Many residents are afraid that the monste... Read more
Ring: The Spiral (1998)
6.3/10
Director: Joji Iida
Starring: Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani, Hinako Saeki, Koichi Sato
This 1998 sequel, shot back to back with 'Ring', was originally screened as a double bill. It begins with Takayama's body being examined by his path... Read more
Saw II (2005)
6.6/10
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell, Franky G, Glenn Plummer
Tobin Bell reprises his (brief) role as the deranged psychopath only this time he's the main attraction. After allowing himself to be caught Jigsaw t... Read more
On the Job (2013)
7/10
Director: Erik Matti
Starring: Gerald Anderson, Joel Torre, Joey Marquez, Angel Aquino, Shaina Magdayao, Empres...
When a prominent drug dealer is murdered, police Sergeant Acosta (Joey Marquez) and Federal Agent Coronel (Piolo Pascual) lead the investigation, but... Read more