Thriller movies are the cinematic equivalent of roller-coaster rides. Fascinating and adaptable, the genre isn’t constrained to any specific type, either. Whether horror, action, drama or mystery, thrillers have remained an applicable and reliable form of entertainment since the beginning. A good thriller raises heartbeats, builds suspense and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
Thrillers are only as effective as the feelings they provoke, and dark thrillers double down on this sentiment by introducing a heightened atmosphere, ratcheting tension through tone and complex narratives driven by intense emotion. The following is a selection of movies that embrace some of the darkest aspects of human nature and are all the more thrilling for it, delivering challenging but ultimately rewarding film experiences.
10. Cache (2005)
Georges (Daniel Auteuil), a TV literary reviewer, his wife Ann (Juliette Binoche), and their young son, Pierrot, live a relatively quiet life in their modest French townhome. Their tranquility is disturbed when they begin to receive voyeuristic videotapes capturing their house and the family, accompanied by creepy childlike drawings. As the unwanted communication continues, the stakes grow higher as a dark history begins to unravel.
From legendary Austrian director Michael Haneke, Cache is a thriller/mystery that takes the time to unnerve and build suspense. While the narrative takes some dark turns in the later stages, a lingering sense of dread and paranoia is already present in the movie very early on. Like the best entries of the genre, Cache is allowed the time to simmer before the climactic boiling-over point is reached.
9. Wind River (2017)
When Wildlife Service agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) discovers the body of a missing Native American girl on a Wyoming reservation, all signs point to homicide. Joined by FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen), Lambert and the reservation’s extremely limited police force are tasked with solving the murder, the circumstances of which grow increasingly grim.
Dark thrillers often take place in hostile environments, and Wind River is no exception. The dangers of the Wyoming wilderness are captured with an authenticity that reflects the tone of the narrative. Wind River is a story that draws inspiration from real-life tragedies — the result is a movie that can be incredibly disturbing and harsh but necessary. It means to provoke and unsettle, offering a deep look into everyday tragedies.
8. Green Room (2015)
A traveling punk rock band headlined by Pat (Anton Yelchin) accepts a gig at a secluded Pacific Northwest dive bar. After the band witnesses a crime taking place on the property, the primarily skinhead clientele and the bar’s ruthless owner (Patrick Stewart) are not keen on letting them walk away.
Vicious, brutal and relentlessly paced, Green Room is a white-knuckle thriller that masterfully establishes a hostile atmosphere. The grimy, graffiti-laden dive bar can best be described as an industrial punk coliseum where violence is the only way to survive.
Green Room is exceptionally violent but never gratuitous; the intelligently constructed thrills and grounded nature of the story make for an incredibly engaging watch.
7. Oldboy (2003)
A timeless classic of many genres, Oldboy thrills just as often as it intrigues. The central mystery is compelling, accompanied by fantastic action sequences and flashes of dark comedy.
Oldboy holds its cards close to its chest for a considerable portion of the runtime, and the payoff is nothing short of stomach-churning. Oldboy is a beast of a movie that doesn’t play by the rules and would never dream of doing so.
6. No Country for Old Man (2007)
No Country for Old Men is a contemplative and subversive thriller. Dark, gritty and completely void of fluff, this brutal and unapologetic movie operates on a different level than most.
No Country for Old Men builds suspense in a familiar fashion but provides an unconventional yet thematically fitting payoff for most of its threads. The matter-of-fact approach to violence is disquieting and works to communicate a setting where no characters are safe, no matter their significance to the plot.
5. Nightcrawler (2014)
Nightcrawler features a phenomenal lead performance from Jake Gyllenhaal while offering a fascinating, thoroughly engaging social commentary.
Lou’s obsession with being the best at what he does (and building an empire from it) leads to an unsettling transformation and dark story developments that strengthen the film’s strong condemnation of media and the ruthlessness of the 24-hour news cycle. Nightcrawler is a gripping and confidently made thriller that is anything but predictable.
4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is as bleak and uninviting as thrillers come. Director David Fincher has a penchant for the dreary, and this movie is as icy as its snow-capped Swedish setting.
A history of sadistic and cyclical violence is unearthed, and an aura of dread lingers with little alleviation; yet, The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo remains extremely effective all the same, elevated by a career-defining, Oscar-nominated performance from Rooney Mara.
3. Prisoners (2013)
At the core of Prisoners is an enthralling moral dilemma. The film deals with a nightmarish and inconceivable situation for many, and director Denis Villeneuve urges the viewer to place themselves in the protagonists’ shoes and ask what they would do differently.
While Prisoners is dismal and sometimes downright difficult to watch, it’s a challenging movie that provokes both thought and engagement with its central themes.
2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
One of the most influential and celebrated thrillers of all time, The Silence of the Lambs is an electrifying movie that knows exactly how to get under the skin. Dr. Lecter is the embodiment of evil, his piercing gaze guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on any viewer.
Naturally, as it revolves around serial killers, the subject is gruesome, but The Silence of the Lambs is so artfully presented and intelligent that it should be mandatory viewing for thriller enthusiasts.
1. Se7en (1995)
Se7en is not only a dark thriller, it’s just one of the darkest movies ever. Grisly, nasty and deeply unsettling, Se7en is a twisted work that is masterfully made and remains powerful even today.
A foreboding atmosphere and air of dread are present in every single scene, building to a climax that is striking in the most horrific of ways. Today, Se7en remains the pinnacle of dark and unsettling thrillers, largely thanks to how much it inspired future endeavors in the genre.
