While the thriller genre shares plenty of elements with similar varieties of movies like horror and drama, thrillers have the unique ability to draw audiences in and make them unsure who to trust. These films use unreliable narrators, multiple realities, and differing perspectives. Often, movies like this have an unforgettable twist that throws the very nature of the story into question. The line between life and death is also a theme frequently touched upon in the most mind-bending psychological thrillers that purposefully throw the audience off course to disorient and surprise them.
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Some of the most disturbing psychological thriller movies blend different genres into the script to draw audiences in and make them question their realities. It becomes clear through subtle hints and foreshadowing that what the characters believe and what the audience sees isn’t the full story and that something is going on behind the scenes. While it’s typical for thriller movies to include violence and cruelty in the story, these narratives are often rooted in emotionally resonant topics like grief, loss, and transitional periods of life.
10 Donnie Darko (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly
Donnie Darko RDramaDocumentaryFantasyMysterySci-Fi
After troubled teen Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes on a local golf course after a night of sleepwalking, he has a vision of a man in a rabbit suit telling him that the world will end in 28 days. Returning home, Donnie sees that a jet engine has fallen on his bedroom in the night, and begins to feel increasingly detached from reality. Scrambling to make sense of the bizarre and unexplainable events that have altered his life, Donnie finds himself unravelling a tangled web of disaster and fate.
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*Availability in US Director Richard Kelly Release Date October 26, 2001 Studio(s) Newmarket Films Writers Richard Kelly Cast Jake Gyllenhaal , Holmes Osborne , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Daveigh Chase , Mary McDonnell , James Duval Runtime 113 minutes Expand
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A young Jake Gyllenhaal made his mark with Donnie Darko in 2001. The film incorporates elements of sci-fi and the concept of multiple realities to make it as mind-boggling as possible. As time has progressed, Donnie Darko has become one of the most beloved cult classic thrillers of the early 2000s and has been heralded for its unique structure and existential themes. From the mysterious circumstances Donnie (Gyllenhaal) experiences at the story’s start, Donnie Darko has no trouble drawing the audience in.
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Related 10 Great Thriller Movies That Bombed At The Box Office
Many thrillers bomb at the box office because they’re hard to market and don’t often have happy endings, but these are some of the genre’s best.
The conclusion of Donnie Darko is the source of much debate and confusion, but that’s what makes the film so engaging upon multiple viewings. Donnie Darko effectively balances its almost supernatural aspects with Donnie’s everyday angst, almost lulling the audience into a false sense of security as Donnie slowly pieces together the forces behind his hallucinations and the coming end of days. The inner workings of the time loop and Donnie’s place at the center of it are what will push the boundaries of the audience’s understanding.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Donnie Darko (2001) |
87% |
80% |
9 Black Swan (2010)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
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10/10 Black Swan RThrillerDocumentary
In Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan, talented ballet dancer Nina Sayers struggles with her mental health while preparing for her performance in a production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Natalie Portman earned a Best Actress Oscar in the lead role, and the cast made up of Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder received high praise from critics and audiences.
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*Availability in US Director Darren Aronofsky Release Date December 3, 2010 Studio(s) Searchlight Pictures Writers John J. McLaughlin , Andres Heinz , Mark Heyman Cast Natalie Portman , Mila Kunis , Vincent Cassel , Barbara Hershey , Winona Ryder , Benjamin Millepied Runtime 108 minutes Expand
Drawing inspiration from iconic animated thrillers like Perfect Blue, Black Swan is one of Darren Aronofsky’s best works as a director and features an all-star cast. Natalie Portman leads the cast as Nina, a young professional ballet dancer who starts losing her grip on reality as she throws herself, body and soul, into her role as the White Swan in Swan Lake. Already an emotionally taxing ballet, Nina starts hallucinating and becomes embroiled in a psychosexual game of cat and mouse with her rival Lily (Mila Kunis).
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Black Swan has one of the greatest movie dance scenes when Nina realizes that many of her violent and explicit experiences were a product of her fracturing imagination. Black Swan belongs to the niche of cinema that explores how far an artist will go to achieve perfection and the high cost that accompanies it. While some of Nina’s hallucinations are clearly not happening, there are plenty of moments in Black Swan that walk the line between real and imagined.
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Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Black Swan |
85% |
84% |
8 Se7en (1995)
Directed by David Fincher
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8.7/10 Se7en RThrillerDramaCrimeMystery
David Fincher’s crime thriller Se7en follows the seasoned Detective William Somerset after he is assigned a new partner, the young and idealistic David Mills (Brad Pitt). The two find themselves investigating a deranged killer staging murders inspired by each of the seven deadly sins. On the hunt for the twisted John Doe (Kevin Spacey) before he can kill again, the two detectives soon discover that they’re much deeper into the case than they realized.
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*Availability in US Director David Fincher Release Date September 22, 1995 Studio(s) New Line Cinema Writers andrew kevin walker Cast Brad Pitt , Gwyneth Paltrow , John C. McGinley , Morgan Freeman , Kevin Spacey Runtime 127 minutes Expand
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David Fincher is widely considered one of the greatest directors in the thriller genre, and Se7en is one of his most disturbing films. Two detectives, David (Brad Pitt) and William (Morgan Freeman), are tasked with tracking down a brutal serial killer who leads them down a path of destruction. Se7en‘s killer murders his victims based on the seven deadly sins, creating a clear trail for the detectives and beginning to toy with them to make them as irredeemable as him.
While many similar films keep the murderer’s identity a secret until the final moments,
Se7en
upends this formula by having the killer identify himself early on and turn himself in.
While many similar films keep the murderer’s identity a secret until the final moments, Se7en upends this formula by having the killer identify himself early on and turn himself in. However, this only leads to further questions from both the audience and the characters. His ultimate plot is slowly revealed throughout the film’s second half, and even though it seems certain that he’s the killer, copycats and a lack of evidence make it almost impossible to prove, leading to the movie’s tragic conclusion.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Se7en (1995) |
83% |
95% |
7 Shutter Island (2010)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
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8.3/10 Shutter Island RMysteryThrillerDrama
Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley. Set in 1959, Shutter Island follows two U.S. Marshalls – Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) as they are sent to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital specializing in psychiatric care.
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*Availability in US Director Martin Scorsese Release Date February 19, 2010 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Laeta Kalogridis , Dennis Lehane Cast Leonardo DiCaprio , Emily Mortimer , Mark Ruffalo , Ben Kingsley , Max Von Sydow , Michelle Williams , Patricia Clarkson , Jackie Earle Haley Runtime 138 minutes Expand
Leonardo DiCaprio leads Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island alongside Michelle Williams in two of the actor’s best performances. Shutter Island is just as emotionally devastating as it is unbelievable, with a twist ending that ranks among the best of the 21st century. While some critics argued that the extreme narrative turns throughout the story bordered on too melodramatic and outlandish, this doesn’t change how floored viewers will be by the film’s conclusion.
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Leonardo DiCaprio’s characters in Scorsese movies have been varied and pushed the actor to his limits time and again. Since the audience is along for the ride of the story from Edward’s (DiCaprio) perspective, it’s easy for the viewer to be fully convinced of what Edward thinks is his reality instead of interrogating the holes in the stories Edward tells himself. Though it’s upsetting to find out the truth at the heart of Shutter Island, the audience is desperate to have their questions answered by the end, increasing the impact all the more.
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Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Shutter Island (2010) |
69% |
77% |
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6 Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Directed by Tom Ford
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9/10 Nocturnal Animals RThrillerDrama
Nocturnal Animals is a 2016 thriller centering on Susan Morrow, an art dealer who believes her ex-husband’s novel is a metaphor for a violent revenge plot. Nocturnal Animals is directed by Tom Ford and features a star-studded cast including Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, and Armie Hammer.
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*Availability in US Director Tom Ford Release Date November 18, 2016 Studio(s) Focus Features Writers Tom Ford Cast Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Ellie Bamber , Laura Linney , Armie Hammer , Isla Fisher , Michael Shannon , Michael Sheen , Amy Adams , Jake Gyllenhaal Runtime 116minutes Expand
The structure of Nocturnal Animals is a large part of what makes the story so compelling and so twisted, as the dual narratives blur the line between emotional truths and the facts of the character’s situations. While reading a book her ex-husband wrote that connects thematically to the destruction of their marriage, Susan (Amy Adams) grapples with the darkest parts of herself. Juxtaposing the brutal story that unfolds in the book with the past and present of Susan’s marriages, Nocturnal Animals has the audience guessing her secret until the very end.
Related 10 Unconventional Thriller Movies That Changed Up The Genre
Some of the best thrillers ever made challenged the conventions of the genre to produce truly compelling and highly unique film viewing experiences.
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The husband, Edward, is played by Jake Gyllenhaal. This is far from the last thriller he would star in, as the actor excels in unsettling projects and roles that let him enter the mind of a twisted character in both film and television. The performances from Gyllenhaal and Adams are frequently singled out as the best parts of the project. It’s thanks to the actors and the mysterious atmosphere that director Tom Ford cultivates that Nocturnal Animals elevates what could be a straightforward drama into a web of deceit and despair.
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Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Nocturnal Animals (2016) |
74% |
74% |
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5 Mother! (2017)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Mother! RDramaDocumentaryHorrorMystery
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*Availability in US Director Darren Aronofsky Release Date September 13, 2017 Writers Darren Aronofsky Cast Jennifer Lawrence , Javier Bardem , Ed Harris , Michelle Pfeiffer , Domhnall Gleeson , Brian Gleeson Runtime 115 minutes
Heavily allegorical and stylized, Mother! is another frightening thriller from Darren Aronofsky starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as the central couple. The best parts of Mother! are undeniably the visuals and the connection to humanity’s careless and destructive treatment of Earth. Lawrence’s character, mother, is at first protected by her husband, Him (Bardem), but he soon lets outsiders into their perfect world, and they wreak untold destruction, and Mother loses her grip on reality.
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Many aspects of Mother! sparked controversy with audiences and critics alike. The overt Christian themes and intense violence against mother, as well as her characterization, can be interpreted in many ways. Each installment of the story connects to a part of the creation story in the Bible, with mother’s position as the Earth anchoring the increasingly unhinged narrative, as she’s the only person who shares the viewer’s outrage and confusion. Full of dynamic imagery and committed performances, Mother! is a deliberately outlandish ride.
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Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Mother! (2017) |
68% |
51% |
4 Don’t Look Now (1973)
Directed by Nicolas Roeg
Don’t Look Now RHorrorThrillerDrama
Grieving parents John and Laura Baxter travel to Venice following the accidental drowning of their daughter, Christine. While in Venice, they encounter two elderly sisters, one of whom claims to be a psychic who can communicate with Christine’s spirit. As Laura becomes increasingly convinced of the psychic’s abilities, John begins experiencing eerie visions of a small figure in a red coat, reminiscent of what Christine was wearing when she died.
Director Nicolas Roeg Release Date November 18, 1973 Writers Daphne Du Maurier , Allan Scott , Chris Bryant Cast Julie Christie , Donald Sutherland , Clelia Matania , Hilary Mason , Adelina Poerio Runtime 110 minutes
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Don’t Look Now is one of Donald Sutherland’s best movies and borders on being considered a horror film thanks to the terrifying themes and violent scenes in the story. However, these moments of cruelty all work together to capture the grief and loss at the heart of the narrative. Sutherland and Julie Christie play a pair of parents, John and Laura, who travel to Venice after the death of their young daughter. The aftermath of the loss of a child is told through supernatural allegory in Don’t Look Now.
John, in particular, has visions that he and the audience can’t easily interpret.
The movie sees both Laura and John seek out methods to cope in different ways, leading them to destruction even as they attempt to avoid their fates. Throughout their time in Venice, Laura and John are followed by accidents and death, leading them to believe that their daughter is trying to reach out to them. John, in particular, has visions that he and the audience can’t easily interpret. The truth behind what he sees and his experiences come together when it’s too late for him to change his fate.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Don’t Look Now (1973) |
93% |
76% |
3 Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Directed by Adrian Lyne
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8.6/10 Jacob’s Ladder RHorrorMysteryDrama
Jacob’s Ladder is a horror mystery centering on a mourning father and scarred Vietnam War vet named Jacob that is dealing with dissociation. After his child dies, Jacob struggles to separate reality from his delusions. Jacob’s Ladder stars Tim Robbins alongside Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, and Jason Alexander.
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*Availability in US Director Adrian Lyne Release Date November 2, 1990 Writers Bruce Joel Rubin Cast Ving Rhames , Danny Aiello , Matt Craven , Eriq La Salle , Tim Robbins , Elizabeth Peña , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Jason Alexander
Tim Robbins leads Jacob’s Ladder as the Vietnam War veteran Jacob, who is terrorized by visions and near-death experiences in the years following his discharge from the conflict. Though the film’s title hints at the truth behind the strange occurrences happening around Jacob, as Jacob’s Ladder is a reference to the Bible, this doesn’t change how skillfully the movie tricks the audience and carries them away through Jacob’s fracturing mind. Much of the story sees Jacob trying to remember what happened to him and piece together his final moments in battle.
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Though death terrifies Jacob, and he runs from it throughout the narrative, the concept that Jacob might already be dead is hinted at early on in the story. Even if the audience realizes the secret behind Jacob’s life before the twist is revealed, the journey to get there is still spellbinding. Unafraid to disorient the viewer with unexpected time jumps and a seemingly random internal logic, Jacob’s Ladder thrives thanks to its experimental format.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Jacob’s Ladder (1990) |
72% |
84% |
2 Rebecca (1940)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Rebecca (1940) ApprovedMysteryDramaRomance
Rebecca, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, centers on a young bride, played by Joan Fontaine, who feels overshadowed by her husband’s first wife, Rebecca. Laurence Olivier stars as the brooding Maxim de Winter. Set in the eerie Manderley estate, the film explores themes of jealousy and mystery, as the new Mrs. de Winter uncovers unsettling secrets about Rebecca’s life and death. Rebecca is based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier.
Director Alfred Hitchcock Release Date April 12, 1940 Writers Daphne Du Maurier , Robert E. Sherwood , Joan Harrison , Philip MacDonald , Michael Hogan Cast Laurence Olivier , Joan Fontaine , George Sanders , Judith Anderson , Nigel Bruce , Reginald Denny , C. Aubrey Smith , Gladys Cooper Runtime 130 Minutes
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In one of Alfred Hitchcock’s more supernatural thrillers, Rebecca walks the line between Gothic romance and tortured romance with unforgettable results. Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine star as Max de Winter and his second wife, Mrs. de Winter, who can’t escape the shadow of Max’s dead first wife, the titular Rebecca. Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca successfully adapts the story for the screen, capturing the isolation and desperation of Mrs. de Winter as she begins to see Rebecca’s ghost everywhere.
For a good portion of the movie, the audience is encouraged to believe that Rebecca’s spirit might be wandering the halls and that her plans have been playing out long after her death.
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Though Mrs. de Winter is taken in by her new husband, his intimidating estate is not so welcoming, and the circumstances surrounding Rebecca’s death are called into question. For a good portion of the movie, the audience is encouraged to believe that Rebecca’s spirit might be wandering the halls and that her plans have been playing out long after her death. Almost driven to ruin herself, the new Mrs. de Winter’s terror and uncertainty feed into this air of disaster and betrayal that makes it seem as though everyone is lying.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Rebecca (1940) |
98% |
92% |
1 Oldboy (2003)
Directed by Park Chan-wook
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8/10 Oldboy RMysteryDrama
After 15 years of solitary confinement, Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) hunts down his captors and falls in love with chef Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), but soon realizes all the messed up reasons that led him to such a distressing predicament. The 2003 South Korean mystery thriller is the second installment in director Park Chan-wook’s The Vengeance Trilogy and the original South Korean movie that inspired Spike Lee’s eponymous 2013 American remake.
Director Park Chan-wook Release Date November 21, 2003 Studio(s) Egg Film , CJ Entertainment Writers Park Chan-wook , Hwang Jo-yun , Lim Jun-hyung Cast Choi Min-sik , Yoo Ji-tae , Kang Hye-jung , Kim Byeong-Ok , Oh Tae-kyung , Yoon Jin-seo , Woo Il-han , Ji Dae-Han Runtime 120 Minutes Expand
Choi Min-sik gives a performance of a lifetime as Oh Dae-su, the man held against his will who embarks on a journey of revenge in Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. While the incredibly choreographed fight scenes are frequently cited as some of the most memorable parts of Oldboy, it’s the mystery that keeps the audience engaged. There are many reasons that Oldboy is still showered in praise, as trying to explain the plot still leaves out so much of the tension and unrelenting violence and confusion that defines the narrative.
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Like many of Park’s work, Oldboy isn’t for the faint of heart, and what the gaps in Dae-su’s memory are revealed to hold does not set the characters up for a happy ending. The film’s conclusion is open to interpretation and leaves the viewer to decide what is real and what is imagined. Though many of the events in Oldboy seem as if they’re happening by coincidence or are meaningless products of circumstance, this isn’t the case. Every piece of the story is deliberately and perfectly crafted to leave the viewer as disgusted and enraptured as the characters.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Oldboy (2003) |
82% |
94% |