25 Heart-Pounding Thrillers Are Hiding on Netflix Right Now

Best Sad Movies on Netflix

Netflix has an incredible selection of suspenseful, pulse-pounding thriller movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. From psychological mind-benders to gritty crime dramas to supernatural chillers, there’s something for every thriller fan. Here are the 25 best thrillers you can stream on Netflix right now.

1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
Director: Jonathan Demme

This multi-Oscar-winning classic, adapted from Thomas Harris’s best seller, redefined the serial killer genre. Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a young FBI cadet who must seek the help of the brilliant but psychopathic cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins in an iconic, chilling performance) in order to catch another serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill.” The Silence of the Lambs is a masterclass in building suspense and tension, with superb performances, tight direction, and an unforgettable villain. It’s one of the most taut, suspenseful psychological thrillers ever produced.

2. Se7en (1995)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow
Director: David Fincher

This bleak, gritty neo-noir follows two detectives, the rookie Mills (Pitt) and the veteran Somerset (Freeman), as they attempt to track down a serial killer who is theming his murders around the seven deadly sins. Se7en is relentlessly dark and disturbing, taking viewers to some shockingly grim places. But it’s also a brilliantly crafted thriller, with Fincher’s precise, moody direction creating an atmosphere of dread and unease throughout. The film builds to a gut-punch of an ending that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

3. Gone Girl (2014)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Director: David Fincher

Based on Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel, Gone Girl is a twisty, unpredictable psychological thriller about the secrets lurking beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect marriage. When Amy Dunne (Pike) goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, suspicion falls on her husband Nick (Affleck). But as the police and media circle in, the truth proves far more complex and sinister than it first appears. Fincher’s sleek direction and Flynn’s sharp, biting screenplay make Gone Girl a gripping, darkly funny exploration of marriage, media, and deception.

4. Nightcrawler (2014)

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed
Director: Dan Gilroy

Jake Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance in this pitch-black neo-noir thriller about the sleazy underworld of freelance crime journalism in Los Angeles. Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is a driven young man desperate for work who muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, soon blurring the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. With its dark humor, gorgeous cinematography, and scathing critique of sensationalist media, Nightcrawler is a unique and unsettling thriller that showcases Gyllenhaal’s incredible range.

5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre
Director: Niels Arden Oplev

This Swedish adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s bestselling Millennium trilogy follows Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist), a disgraced journalist, and Lisbeth Salander (Rapace), a brilliant but troubled computer hacker, as they investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of a wealthy industrialist’s niece. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a stylish, gripping mystery full of twists and turns, anchored by Rapace’s fierce, star-making performance as the iconic Lisbeth Salander. It’s a chilling, engrossing thriller that does justice to its source material.

6. Uncut Gems (2019)

Starring: Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel
Directors: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie

Adam Sandler delivers the performance of his career in this anxiety-inducing thriller from the Safdie brothers. Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a charismatic New York City jeweler and gambling addict who must retrieve an expensive gem he purchased to pay off his debts. Uncut Gems is a frenetic, jittery ride, thrusting the viewer into Howard’s high-stress, high-stakes world as he tries to balance his business, family, and enemies closing in on all sides. It’s a powerful, immersive character study and an unforgettable thriller.

7. Green Room (2015)

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Patrick Stewart
Director: Jeremy Saulnier

This brutal, punks-vs-skinheads siege thriller follows a young punk rock band who find themselves trapped in a secluded venue after witnessing a murder committed by a group of white power skinheads, led by a terrifying Patrick Stewart. Green Room is a lean, mean, shockingly violent thriller that never lets up once it gets going. With nail-biting suspense, realistic violence, and a palpable sense of dread throughout, it’s an uncompromising and unforgettable horror-thriller.

8. The Platform (2019)

Starring: Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

This Spanish sci-fi thriller is set in a large, tower-style “Vertical Self-Management Center” where the residents, who are periodically switched at random between floors, are fed via a platform that gradually descends through the levels. The Platform is a brutal, unsettling dystopian allegory about class, inequality, and human nature. With its clever premise, striking visuals, and grim social commentary, it’s a thought-provoking and visceral viewing experience.

9. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette
Director: Charlie Kaufman

Charlie Kaufman’s latest mind-bender follows a young woman (Buckley) who takes a road trip with her new boyfriend (Plemons) to his family farm, but ends up questioning everything she thought she knew about him, herself, and the world. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a surreal, unsettling psychological thriller that explores issues of identity, memory, and the human condition. It’s a complex, challenging film that rewards multiple viewings and will leave you pondering its mysteries long after it ends.

10. The Invitation (2015)

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman
Director: Karyn Kusama

This slow-burn psychological thriller follows Will (Marshall-Green) as he attends a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife (Blanchard) and her new husband (Huisman), where he becomes increasingly paranoid that they have sinister intentions for their guests. The Invitation builds its sense of unease and dread gradually, keeping you guessing about what’s really going on until its shocking climax. It’s a masterful exercise in suspense, with strong performances and a chilling atmosphere.

11. Cam (2018)

Starring: Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters
Director: Daniel Goldhaber

Cam is a techno-thriller about Alice (Brewer), an ambitious camgirl who discovers she’s been replaced on her show with an exact replica of herself. As she struggles to regain control of her show and identity, she uncovers a sinister conspiracy. With a compelling lead performance by Brewer, who brings depth and nuance to her role, Cam is a suspenseful, thought-provoking exploration of online identity, sex work, and digital doppelgangers. It’s a fresh, feminist take on the thriller genre.

12. Gerald’s Game (2017)

Starring: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas
Director: Mike Flanagan

Based on Stephen King’s novel, Gerald’s Game follows Jessie (Gugino) who fights to survive after she is left handcuffed to a bed in a remote lake house when her husband dies unexpectedly during a kinky sex game. Gugino gives a career-best performance in this gripping, claustrophobic thriller that turns Jessie’s physical and psychological struggle into a harrowing viewing experience. With Flanagan’s taut direction and a haunting score, Gerald’s Game is a suspenseful, well-crafted adaptation that does justice to its source material.

13. The Gift (2015)

Starring: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton
Director: Joel Edgerton

The Gift centers on a married couple, Simon (Bateman) and Robyn (Hall), whose lives are thrown into turmoil when an acquaintance from Simon’s past, the off-kilter Gordo (Edgerton), begins leaving them mysterious gifts and turns up uninvited to their house. Edgerton, who also wrote and directed, delivers a masterful thriller that starts as an unnerving drama and gradually evolves into something much more sinister. With a trio of fantastic performances and a clever script that constantly shifts your sympathies, The Gift is a smart, unsettling thriller that will keep you guessing.

14. 1922 (2017)

Starring: Thomas Jane, Molly Parker, Dylan Schmid
Director: Zak Hilditch

Another Stephen King adaptation, 1922 follows Wilfred James (Jane), a farmer who conspires to murder his wife Arlette (Parker) with the help of their teenage son (Schmid). But after burying her body, James finds himself terrorized by rats and haunted by the guilt of his crime. 1922 is a slow-burn, gothic thriller that explores the psychological toll of violence and guilt. With strong performances, especially by Jane in the lead role, and an oppressively bleak atmosphere, it’s a haunting, understated thriller.

15. The Perfection (2018)

Starring: Allison Williams, Logan Browning, Steven Weber
Director: Richard Shepard

The Perfection follows Charlotte (Williams), a former cello prodigy who seeks out her school’s new star pupil, Lizzie (Browning), leading to a shocking encounter that spirals into a twisted, gory revenge thriller. Saying too much would spoil the wild, unpredictable ride that The Perfection takes you on. Suffice to say, it’s a bold, bonkers thriller full of audacious twists and turns that frequently ventures into body horror territory. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those who can stomach its shocks, The Perfection is a daring, memorable thrill ride.

16. Calibre (2018)

Starring: Jack Lowden, Martin McCann, Tony Curran
Director: Matt Palmer

This tense, taut Scottish thriller follows two lifelong friends, Vaughn (Lowden) and Marcus (McCann), whose hunting trip to the Highlands takes a dark turn after a tragic accident puts them in conflict with the locals. Calibre is a masterclass in building and sustaining tension, as the situation spirals further and further out of the characters’ control. With strong performances, stunning cinematography that makes great use of its remote locations, and a palpable sense of dread, Calibre is a gripping, gut-wrenching thriller.

17. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Starring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a disturbing, unsettling psychological thriller about a surgeon (Farrell) whose life starts unraveling when a sinister teenager (Keoghan) he has taken under his wing begins to infiltrate his perfect family life. Lanthimos’ signature style – deadpan dialogue, clinical framing, a pervading sense of unease – is in full effect here, creating a nightmarish atmosphere. It’s a challenging, polarizing film, but for those who can tune into its wavelength, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a haunting, unforgettable experience.

18. Under the Shadow (2016)

Starring: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi
Director: Babak Anvari

Set in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War, Under the Shadow follows Shideh (Rashidi) and her young daughter Dorsa (Manshadi) who find themselves haunted by a mysterious evil in their apartment building. This Persian-language horror-thriller uses its historical setting to great effect, drawing parallels between the real-world horrors of war and the supernatural threat facing the characters. With strong performances and a slow-burn approach to building dread, Under the Shadow is a chilling, politically charged ghost story.

19. The Wailing (2016)

Starring: Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee
Director: Na Hong-jin

The Wailing is a sprawling, ambitious South Korean thriller that blends crime drama, supernatural horror, and dark comedy. When a series of brutal killings and a mysterious illness strike a small village, a bumbling cop (Kwak) must investigate the superstitious villagers’ claims that a recent Japanese stranger (Jun) is responsible. The Wailing is a long, slow burn, but it rewards patient viewers with a constantly surprising, utterly unpredictable story that builds to a shattering climax. It’s a dense, complex film that benefits from multiple viewings.

20. Creep (2014)

Starring: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice
Director: Patrick Brice

Creep is a found-footage thriller about a videographer (Brice) who answers an online ad for a one-day job in a remote mountain town, only to find his client (Duplass) is not what he initially seems. Shot on a shoestring budget, Creep is a testament to the power of a simple but effective premise and two strong performances. Duplass is simultaneously hilarious and unnerving as the titular creep, keeping both the audience and the protagonist on their toes. It’s a lean, mean little thriller that does a lot with very little.

21. The Bar (2017)

Starring: Blanca Suárez, Mario Casas, Carmen Machi
Director: Álex de la Iglesia

This darkly comic Spanish thriller is set almost entirely in a single location, a bar in central Madrid where a random assortment of people find themselves trapped after a mysterious shooting outside. As paranoia and tension rise, the eccentric strangers turn on each other in increasingly violent ways. The Bar is a stylish, fast-paced ride that blends black humor with pulse-pounding suspense. It’s a clever, entertaining thriller that makes the most of its limited setting.

22. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, David Yow
Director: Macon Blair

After being burglarized, depressed nursing assistant Ruth (Lynskey) and her obnoxious neighbor Tony (Wood) set out to find the thieves, but they soon find themselves dangerously out of their depth against a pack of degenerate criminals. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore is an idiosyncratic thriller that balances quirky character-based humor with bursts of shocking violence. Anchored by Lynskey’s sympathetic performance, it’s a darkly comic, unpredictable gem.

23. Super Dark Times (2017)

Starring: Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, Elizabeth Cappuccino
Director: Kevin Phillips

Super Dark Times is a ’90s-set coming-of-age thriller about two teenage boys, Zach (Campbell) and Josh (Tahan), whose friendship is put to thetest after a tragic accident leads to a spiral of violence and paranoia. This atmospheric thriller captures the anxiety and uncertainty of adolescence, using its period setting to great effect. With strong performances from its young cast and a palpable sense of dread throughout, Super Dark Times is a haunting exploration of guilt, trauma, and the loss of innocence.

24. Hush (2016)

Starring: Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco
Director: Mike Flanagan

Hush is a taut home invasion thriller with a twist: its protagonist, Maddie (Siegel), is a deaf and mute writer living in isolation in the woods. When a masked killer appears at her window, Maddie must fight for her life in silence. Flanagan, who co-wrote the script with Siegel, uses the concept to create inventive setpieces and ratchet up the tension. With its clever premise, tight pacing, and Siegel’s expressive performance, Hush is a lean, effective thriller that makes the most of its limitations.

25. The Guilty (2018)

Starring: Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage, Omar Shargawi
Director: Gustav Möller

This Danish thriller takes place entirely in an emergency call center, following police officer Asger Holm (Cedergren) as he races against time to save a kidnapped woman with nothing but his phone. The Guilty is a masterclass in minimalist filmmaking, creating nail-biting suspense from a single location and one central performance. Cedergren is riveting as the flawed protagonist, and Möller’s direction keeps you on the edge of your seat even though you never leave the call center.


These 25 thrillers represent some of the best that Netflix has to offer in the genre. From classic masterpieces to hidden gems, from Hollywood blockbusters to international indies, there’s something here for every thriller fan. Each of these films offers a unique experience, whether it’s the psychological mind games of The Silence of the Lambs, the relentless tension of Green Room, or the slow-burn dread of The Invitation.

What makes these thrillers stand out is their ability to not just shock or scare, but to engage viewers on multiple levels. They challenge our perceptions, make us question our assumptions, and often leave us pondering long after they’ve ended. They showcase the power of cinema to create visceral, unforgettable experiences that stay with us.

So the next time you’re browsing Netflix, looking for something to watch, consider diving into one of these thrilling cinematic journeys. Just remember to keep the lights on, check under the bed, and maybe think twice before answering that unexpected knock at the door. Happy watching!

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