Warning: This list contains references to violence, drug use, and domestic abuse.
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Following in the footsteps of 20th-century genre standouts including The Sixth Sense, Seven, and The Silence of the Lambs, the decade following the dawn of the new millennium witnessed the debuts of some of cinema’s best thriller movies. The first ten years of the new century played host to many films that have garnered status as some of the most influential and celebrated thriller movies of all time, with titles like The Prestige and The Departed earning rave reviews from fans and critics alike for their stunning quality.
Much like the array of overlooked thrillers from the 1990s, the 2000s also saw the debut of several highly underrated thrillers, contentiously overshadowed by the exploits of the genre’s bigger hitters. Regrettably, despite a laundry list of incredible performances, electrifying premises, and unforgettable twists to choose from, many of these underappreciated names faded into cinematic obscurity over the years, failing to receive deserved love from film fans. Given the glowing critical reception associated with many of these films, it’s truly baffling that these outings stand as such underappreciated offerings.
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10 Basic (2003)
Directed By John McTiernan
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Basic ActionCrimeMysteryThrillerDrama
Basic is a suspenseful military thriller where a DEA agent is tasked with unraveling the mystery behind the disappearance of a renowned Army sergeant during a training exercise and the conflicting testimonies of the surviving soldiers. Featuring complex characters and intricate storytelling, the film explores themes of loyalty, deception, and the harsh realities of military life.
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*Availability in US Director John McTiernan Release Date April 18, 2003 Cast John Travolta , Connie Nielsen , Samuel L. Jackson , Giovanni Ribisi , Brian Van Holt , Dash Mihok , Taye Diggs , Roselyn Sanchez , Tim Daly , Cristián de la Fuente , Harry Connick Jr. , Nick Loren , Cliff Fleming , Margaret Travolta , Chris Byrne , Jonathan Rau , Tait Ruppert Runtime 98 minutes Expand
The second collaboration between Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta since the pair appeared together in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, 2003’s Basic bombed at the box office and received a largely negative critical response. Chronicling a DEA agent’s investigation into a series of deaths during an Army training exercise, John McTiernan’s picture was lambasted by critics, who highlighted the film’s overly intricate plot structure as the chief suspect behind the movie’s critical failings.
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Despite the movie’s slew of poor reviews, reexamination reveals that Basic is contentiously a severely underrated thriller. The acting on display is top-notch for the most part, with Giovanni Ribisi notably delivering a memorable sleeper performance in a supporting role. Viewers will either love or hate the array of twists that Basic has to offer, but if they can look past some shaky script writing, there’s an enjoyable thriller to be found at the heart of McTiernan’s motion picture.
9 Enough (2002)
Directed By Michael Apted
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Enough CrimeDramaThriller
Enough follows Slim Hiller, played by Jennifer Lopez, as she discovers her seemingly idyllic marriage to Mitch (Billy Campbell) is plagued by abuse. Determined to escape and protect her daughter, Slim takes drastic measures to regain control of her life. Directed by Michael Apted, the film delves into themes of domestic violence and the struggle for self-empowerment.
Director Michael Apted Release Date May 24, 2002 Cast Jennifer Lopez , Billy Campbell , Tessa Allen , Juliette Lewis , Dan Futterman , Noah Wyle , Fred Ward , Christopher Maher
At a glance, there’s not a great deal about Michael Apted’s Enough that screams “criminally underrated thriller“. Depicting the story of an abused wife who reaches her breaking point and fights back against her violent husband, the Jennifer Lopez-led picture received largely negative reviews and produced a disappointing commercial return at the box office upon release in 2002.
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However, despite Enough’s lack of commercial and critical success, the film has also fared better upon critical reexamination. Lopez’s lead performance is vastly underrated, with the actress turning in a grounded, visceral bow to bring her survivor character to life in a gripping fashion. Enough is decidedly not an easy watch given the movie’s fraught subject matter, but Lopez’s evocative work is enough to warrant Apted’s film more love than it has historically received.
8 Triangle (2009)
Directed By Christopher Smith
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7/10 Triangle MysteryHorrorThriller
This psychological thriller follows a group of friends stranded on a yacht in the Bermuda Triangle, where they board a passing ship only to experience terrifying temporal distortions and duplications of themselves.
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*Availability in US Director Christopher Smith Release Date October 16, 2009 Cast Melissa George , Michael Dorman , Rachael Carpani , Henry Nixon , Emma Lung , Liam Hemsworth , Joshua McIvor , Bryan Probets Runtime 99 Minutes
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A mind-bending psychological thriller with a healthy dose of fully-fledged horror, Triangle deftly juggles the two genres to produce a superb, nerve-racking outing. Partially inspired by the story of the Greek mythological figure, Sisyphus, Christopher Smith’s film sees a group stranded on a derelict ocean liner after a boating trip gone awry, where they soon begin to suspect that they are being stalked by a mysterious antagonist.
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Complemented by a strong lead performance from Melissa George, the intricate plot, nail-biting set pieces, and Triangle‘s mind-boggling ending make for top-tier thriller viewing. Unfortunately, the film bombed at the box office, with poor financial returns likely playing a key factor in how quickly Smith’s picture faded into obscurity. Despite this lamentable state of affairs, Triangle remains a first-rate genre offering from the 2000s that is long overdue for more mainstream appreciation.
7 Exam (2009)
Directed By Stuart Hazeldine
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Exam ThrillerMystery
Exam, released in 2009, is a psychological thriller about candidates vying for a prestigious corporate position. They are confined to an exam room and presented with a seemingly simple yet perplexing test, leading to escalating tension and conflict as they struggle to uncover its true purpose.
Director Stuart Hazeldine Release Date June 19, 2009 Cast Chukwudi Iwuji , Luke Mably , Adar Beck , Jimi Mistry , Nathalie Cox , Pollyanna McIntosh , Gemma Chan , John Lloyd Fillingham , Colin Salmon , Chris Carey Runtime 101 minutes
A notoriously underrated piece of British cinema, Stuart Hazeldine’s Exam unfolds like an episode of The Apprentice shot against the backdrop of a Black Mirror universe. The film sees eight finalists for a highly prestigious job opening tasked with answering one final question to secure the position. Locked in a room together until they can figure out the answer, things soon take a turn for the worst as chaos duly unfolds among the candidates.
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An ingenious psychological thriller that leans into a nerve-wracking sense of claustrophobia, Exam utilizes its unique premise and taut backdrop to maximum effect. While it could be argued that the film’s conclusion veers into predictable territory, there’s more than enough white-knuckle entertainment on offer beforehand to keep fans glued to the screen and make this a worthwhile viewing experience.
6 Phone Booth (2002)
Directed By Joel Schumacher
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8/10 Phone Booth MysteryThriller
Phone Booth, directed by Joel Schumacher, follows a New York publicist who answers a ringing phone in a booth and receives a chilling ultimatum: if he hangs up, he will be killed. The threat is underscored by a laser rifle sight, proving the caller’s deadly seriousness.
Director Joel Schumacher Release Date April 4, 2003 Cast Colin Farrell , Kiefer Sutherland , Forest Whitaker , Radha Mitchell , Katie Holmes , Paula Jai Parker , Arian Ash , Tia Texada , John Enos III , Richard T. Jones , Keith Nobbs , Dell Yount , James MacDonald , Josh Pais , Yorgo Constantine , Colin Patrick Lynch , Troy Gilbert , Seth William Meier , Svetlana Efremova , Billy Erb , Domenick Lombardozzi , Maile Flanagan , Tom Reynolds , Julio Oscar Mechoso , Karara Muhoro , Zidu Chen Runtime 81 minutes Expand
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Spearheaded by a visceral performance from Colin Farrell and a supremely menacing vocal performance from Kiefer Sutherland, Phone Booth may reduce most viewers to nervous puddles by the time the credits have rolled. Joel Schumacher’s psychological thriller sees Farrell’s character Stuart Shephard trapped in the film’s titular phone booth by a mysterious tormentor. Sutherland’s nameless antagonist is revealed to have Stuart in the cross-hairs of a sniper rifle; Farrell’s charge must follow his every instruction or receive a bullet to the head.
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Despite his current status as a critics’ darling and award magnet, Phone Booth remains one of the least-known and most underrated Colin Farrell movies. This is even more surprising given the fact that the film was a box-office hit and received positive reviews upon release. While Phone Booth’s premise and characters may appear severely limited at first glance, this intensely acted thriller remains an unsung diamond in the rough for the genre.
5 Insomnia (2002)
Directed By Christopher Nolan
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Arguably the least prominent but not Christopher Nolan’s worst movie, Insomnia is a criminally underrated piece of cinema. A remake of a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name, the movie features a star-studded cast including Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. Nolan’s picture follows the aftermath of a shooting by Pacino’s detective Will Dormer, who finds himself blackmailed by a mysterious killer after accidentally gunning down his partner during an arrest gone wrong.
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|
Christopher Nolan’s filmography |
IMDb rating |
|---|---|
|
Following (1998) |
7.4 |
|
Memento (2000) |
8.4 |
|
Insomnia (2002) |
7.2 |
|
Batman Begins (2005) |
8.2 |
|
The Prestige (2006) |
8.5 |
|
The Dark Knight (2008) |
9.0 |
|
Inception (2010) |
8.8 |
|
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) |
8.4 |
|
Interstellar (2014) |
8.7 |
|
Dunkirk (2017) |
7.8 |
|
Tenet (2020) |
7.3 |
|
Oppenheimer (2023) |
8.3 |
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Carried by powerhouse performances from Pacino and Williams, Insomnia is a psychological thriller that crackles with macabre intensity from the very first scene. Nolan himself has singled Insomnia out as his most underrated piece of work, and the director’s dedication to doing the original story justice is evident in every frame of the film (via The Nolan Variations by Tom Shone). Given the sterling quality of work on display and the film’s positive reviews, it’s perplexing that this taut thriller stands as one of the 2000s’ most underappreciated genre offerings.
4 Red Eye (2005)
Directed By Wes Craven
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Red Eye Thriller
Red Eye (2005) is a suspense thriller directed by Wes Craven, featuring Rachel McAdams as Lisa Reisert, a hotel manager who becomes entangled in a plot orchestrated by Jackson Rippner, played by Cillian Murphy. The film’s tension builds during a red-eye flight, where Lisa must thwart a scheme that threatens not only her life but also the lives of others.
Director Wes Craven Release Date August 19, 2005 Cast Rachel McAdams , Cillian Murphy , Brian Cox Runtime 85 Minutes
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A tense psychological thriller from A Nightmare on Elm Street director Wes Craven, Red Eye stands as one of the late, great filmmaker’s most underappreciated pieces of work. Rachel McAdams plays the lead role of Lisa Reisart, a young woman who finds herself caught up in an assassination plot aboard a red-eye flight to Miami, with the Oppenheimer Best Lead Actor winner playing her antagonistic foil in terrorist Jackson Rippner.
Red Eye is an adrenaline-fused ride from start to finish, earning glowing critical reviews and a respectable box office return. Despite this, the film has faded into relative obscurity over the years, a disappointing status quo given Red Eye’s electrifying quality. McAdams is excellent, but her co-star is particularly noteworthy; Cillian Murphy turns in one of his best performances as Rippner, lending menacing authenticity to one of his scariest characters to date.
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3 Eden Lake (2008)
Directed By James Watkins
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6/10 Eden Lake HorrorThriller
A romantic weekend getaway turns into a horrific ordeal for a young couple when they encounter a group of unruly teenagers at a remote lake. What begins as a confrontation with the youths escalates into a terrifying fight for survival.
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*Availability in US Director James Watkins Release Date September 12, 2008 Cast Kelly Reilly , Michael Fassbender , Jack O’Connell , Thomas Turgoose , Bronson Webb , Shaun Dooley Runtime 91 Minutes
A British thriller with sprinklings of horror, Eden Lake is a harrowing cinematic experience. James Watkins’ 2008 film stars Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender as a young couple vacationing in the British countryside, only to find themselves lost and pursued through the woods by a gang of murderous teenagers after a scuffle between the groups turns violent. Featuring one of the most desolating movie endings ever, Eden Lake is decidedly not for the faint of heart.
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A ruthlessly provocative thriller that pulls zero punches, Watkins’ movie radiates authenticity in the scariest manner imaginable. Given the everyday nature of the film’s setting and characters, the movie feels terrifyingly relatable, which makes it even more unsettling. Eden Lake might be the type of movie that leaves viewers clutching their knees to their chest in fear by the time the credits roll, but it’s an absolutely top-tier thriller; one that is more than overdue wider appreciation from devoted fans of the genre.
2 Layer Cake (2004)
Directed By Matthew Vaughan
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Layer Cake ActionCrimeDrama
Layer Cake is a British crime thriller that follows XXXX, a drug dealer navigating the criminal underworld. When a drug deal goes awry, he is forced to confront the complexities of his trade, seeking to outwit rivals and ensure his own survival amidst shifting alliances and perilous circumstances.
Director Matthew Vaughn Release Date June 3, 2005 Cast Daniel Craig Sienna Miller , Michael Gambon , Tom Hardy , Jamie Foreman , Sally Hawkins , Burn Gorman , Brinley Green Runtime 105 Minutes
A year before Daniel Craig donned the tuxedo and Walther PPK belonging to a certain fictional secret agent named James Bond for the first time, the Englishman starred in one of the 2000s’ most underrated thriller outings. Given Craig’s explosion of mainstream popularity following his debut as 007, it’s hardly surprising that his work in Matthew Vaughn’s superb thriller movieLayer Cake often goes overlooked.
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Chronicling the turbulent existence of an unnamed London cocaine dealer, Layer Cake features an array of glorious performances from an enviable ensemble cast to complement Craig’s polished turn in the leading role. Oozing style and polished flair in every frame, Vaughn’s film flows seamlessly from one sequence to the next, courtesy of slick scriptwriting and some great cinematography. Layer Cake stands as one of the most unappreciated thriller offerings of the entire 21st century, let alone the 2000s.
1 Collateral (2004)
Directed By Michael Mann
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One of Heat director Michael Mann’s most impressive bodies of work, Collateral is an absolute masterpiece of a thriller. Featuring two of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx in the leading roles, Mann’s picture chronicles a taxi driver’s desperate attempts to survive the night after he discovers that his latest fare is a hitman carrying out a series of assassinations across Los Angeles. Amazingly, there simply isn’t a bad thing to say about Collateral.
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Cruise and Foxx are utterly mesmerizing in their lead roles as hitman Vincent and taxi driver Max respectively, with the latter earning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. Mann’s typically assured style of direction and trademark visuals complement the impressive efforts of his leading men to produce a neo-noir masterpiece. A near-perfect thriller movie, Collateral is contentiously the most underrated genre offering of the 2000s and one that desperately needs more love from mainstream cinema fans.
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