The thriller genre is hard to define. It’s not quite as black-and-white as a horror movie or a comedy, but at the same time, you know a thriller when you see one. The genre has always been popular because of its ability to keep viewers guessing until the credits roll. While the genre generally brings about rabid fans, there are always going to be movies that go unnoticed. This list seeks to shed some light on those films.

Below, you’ll find ten recent releases that failed to garner the attention they deserved. While there is clearly a blend of various subgenres, each entry on this list can be defined as a thriller in some way. If they fit within the genre and they were released within the past five years, they’re fair game.

1. Operation Hyacinth (2021)

From 1985-1987, Polish communist police carried out a secret operation called Operation Hyacinth. The end-goal was to create a database of homosexuals within the area in an effort to combat the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Given the time period, it should come as no surprise that this operation was anything but innocent. Brutal interrogation tactics were used to keep tabs on the LGBT citizens of Poland, and because of this, members of the gay community were forced further into the closet so that they may remain safer.

This operation serves as the basis of this appropriately named thriller from 2021. Piotr Domalewski’s Operation Hyacinth focuses on the titular operation, but rather than broadly dramatizing the two-year period, it narrows the scope, instead opting to look at both a smaller time period and smaller area. In other words, the film uses the operation as a jumping-off point, but there’s more drama beyond the uncomfortable interrogations and unethical cataloging.

Robert, the protagonist, is tasked with going undercover so that he can investigate what appears to be a string of serial homicides. The targets are consistently gay men, so in Robert’s mind, it is his moral obligation to participate in Operation Hyacinth, if only because it will stop the deaths of innocent victims. Unfortunately, his moral compass doesn’t align with that of his colleagues, who clearly have ulterior motives.

The protagonist’s conflicted morals really drive the film forward. Over the course of less than two hours, Robert battles his own personal demons while trying to juggle several massive responsibilities. This leads to something far more complex and layered than your average historical drama. There’s definitely a history lesson here, but there’s also a dense character study that aims high and almost always provides viewers with talking points.

When you factor in the strong production design and even stronger cast, you’re left with an essential cinematic experience. Operation Hyacinth entertains, inspires, and leaves a lasting impression. It’s not always fun in the conventional sense, but it’s gripping in its own way.

2. The Killing of Two Lovers (2020)

The Killing of Two Lovers is a profoundly contemplative and audaciously introspective film that combines the best parts of thrillers and prestige genres. By embarking on an exploration of existential turmoil, this feel-bad movie stands out as a remarkable work of artistry.

Clayne Crawford plays David, a man who fails to come to terms with the recent separation from his wife. Crawford’s cold, hushed demeanor paints him as a man desperately trying to fight his internal demons while simultaneously attempting to fix the relationships he tore apart. Crawford’s work is revelatory, and the way he portrayals human frailty is nothing short of incredible.

At the same time, Robert Machoian’s deft direction allows the film to speak for itself even when the cast is dead silent. There’s a sense of pensive beauty that permeates each scene, giving viewers an experience that’s as disquieting as it is meticulously crafted. The characters’ conflicts are on full display, and Machoian makes an active effort to help viewers sympathize with these struggles.

Again, the feel-bad label ultimately means this is not the movie to watch with a group of rowdy friends. This melancholic, poetic indie thriller should be seen in a room free of distractions. It’s a powerful achievement with bold themes and incredible craftsmanship. Basically, it’s essential.

3. Black Box (2021)

Not to be confused with Blumhouse’s 2020 Amazon Prime original, Yann Gozlan’s Black Box is a grounded mystery thriller about a black box analyst who uncovers a grandiose conspiracy after his skills are put to the test. It’s a smart, low-budget conspiracy thriller that has become increasingly rare in the modern age. Black Box trusts its audience to understand what’s going on, and thus, it allows its mystery to unravel slowly and intricately. It’s smaller scale, but every moment leads to something bigger and bolder.

The film understands how to gradually build its stakes. It knows that the viewers willing to pay attention will eventually make it to the big, exciting finale, but it also knows how to make that lead-up worth it without necessarily making it over-the-top. There’s an art to Black Box’s storytelling.

The intentional pacing, mixed with the whip-smart script, allows Black Box to stand out compared to its contemporaries. There’s so much passion poured into this small French thriller, and that amount of passion doesn’t go unnoticed.

4. Emergency (2022)

As always, last year had plenty of Sundance hits that failed to earn the attention of the general public. Emergency is a prime example – a movie that earned critical acclaim upon its release but ultimately failed to make a splash with mainstream audiences. On the bright side, this list exists for a reason.

Emergency deserves your attention. This comedy-thriller takes the “wild night of partying” trend and turns it on its head. See, it doesn’t completely revolve around drinking and making bad decisions. Instead, it focuses on a massive misunderstanding brought about after a group of friends finds an unconscious underage white girl. Though they have nothing to do with the young woman’s condition, they feel obligated to help her. Unfortunately for them, it’s not that easy.

The film works best as a social commentary. What happens when a group of black men try to help a young, presumably wealthy, white girl? Well, it’s not exactly a simple ten-step process. This premise brings about tension, comedy, and some stellar performances, but more importantly, it sheds light on themes that desperately need to be discussed. It takes a tired trope and subverts viewer expectations at every opportunity, and that’s why it works.

5. The Beta Test (2021)

There’s nothing quite like a Jim Cummings movie. The relatively unknown director is known for mixing cringe-comedy with countless other genres to create a bizarre concoction that always ends up being far better than it has any right to be. The Beta Test, for example, arguably has too many ideas in its head. It’s very much a “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” kind of movie, and in theory, this should result in something disastrous. Somehow though, just like with Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow, there’s something undeniably magnetic about this erotic thriller.

From the opening scene, The Beta Test hooks viewers with its enigmatic premise. This premise, which expertly explores timely themes, unravels slowly, allowing viewers to play a little guessing game as each scene transitions to the next.

The actual storytelling is comparable to other thrillers, albeit with some additional twists and turns, but again, this isn’t your average thriller. Cummings incorporates pitch-black humor into his script, giving folks a movie that zigzags between cautionary tale and chuckle-inducing satire. There’s a steady, skillful balance between the tones and subgenres, and although an amateur might fail to deliver, Cummings understands the assignment quite clearly.

Put simply, The Beta Test is an intellectually stimulating thriller that tackles thought-provoking themes in inventive ways. Its ability to ignite conversations shouldn’t go unnoticed, and as a result, it effortlessly earns a spot on this list.

As recently as the 1990s, American movie lovers in search of films from abroad had few options. If they lived in a sizable city, they might have enjoyed access to an independent theater or video store that carried international titles, especially those that had become hits in their native countries. Occasionally a decades-old “foreign film” might appear on a late night broadcast of public television, so long as it was not too sexually explicit. Cineastes with more disposable income could purchase international movies on VHS tapes or laserdiscs through mail-order companies.

With the arrival of Netflix’s red envelopes in mailboxes across the country in 1997, international movies began to reach the American masses as never before on DVD. Still, more than a decade had to pass before the internet and mobile networks became widespread and robust enough to deliver feature films to the full range of desktop and portable devices.

By the 2010s, international movies had become readily available on a variety of streaming platforms both large and small, and international distribution had become a fundamental concern in the development of every major film in the United States and elsewhere. One genre that has travelled especially well, both out of the USA and back into it, is the thriller, since it capitalizes on the basic need of humans everywhere to safely confront their fears. Below is a list of 10 thrillers from around the world that made their mark in the 2010s and that continue to offer audiences strong exercises in suspense.

1. Headhunters (2011)

Morten Tyldum’s action thriller, the highest-grossing Norwegian film in history, is great fun. Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie), corporate headhunter by day and art thief by night, makes the mistake of stealing a valuable painting from a champion athlete and former member of the military’s special forces, who then pursues him using all of his stamina and skills as a tracker.

Everything we enjoy in a popcorn movie is here: wealthy, beautiful people behaving badly, intense chases, black comedy, high-tech gadgets, and implausible but engaging plot twists. Even a familiar, feel-good ending arrives: the inwardly insecure, but outwardly arrogant man is humbled and redeemed, a broken romantic relationship is repaired, and the villain takes the blame for the protagonist’s misdeeds. And all of the events are lit beautifully and edited together smoothly. Enjoy the wild ride, and thank goodness that Hollywood has not yet ruined it with a duller remake.

2. The Robber (2010)

Benjamin Heisenberg’s heist thriller, based on the true story of Austrian bank robber Johann Kastenberger, is more than fun and strikingly different from most other members of the subgenre. Many heist pictures, like Jules Dassin’s Rififi (1955) and its numerous descendants, gather a collection of crooks together, each with his own specialty, to form an ingenious plan to break into a seemingly impregnable institution and make off with a load of cash or a unique, precious item.

Heisenberg’s Johann Rettenberger (Andreas Lust) works entirely alone, brazenly bursting into banks’ front doors wearing a latex mask and carrying a shotgun, then literally running away with the loot. And no one can catch him, for Johann is also a champion marathoner. But greed does not motivate him; he spends none of the money, and instead places it matter-of-factly under his bed. Can Erika (Franziska Weisz), a caring social worker, or Johann’s watchful probation officer (Markus Schleinzer) deter him from his twin obsessions, both tests of his strength and rebellions against a society of mediocrity and constraint?

The movie’s look reflects Johann’s inner darkness; in place of the gloss and glamour of Hollywood heists like the Oceans franchise, Johann runs through a stone cold Vienna of desaturated colors. Watch him evade police and, for a time, his personal demons with uncommon will and fortitude in one of the strangest and most psychologically engrossing heist thrillers.

3. The Invisible Guest (2017)

Oriol Paulo offers audiences an atypical legal thriller, since the action takes place just before a murder trial begins. Tech entrepreneur Adrián Doria (Mario Casas) stands accused of killing his mistress Laura Vidal (Bárbara Lennie) in a rural hotel. Veteran defense attorney Virginia Goodman (Ana Wagener) comes to his apartment to prepare him for testimony, but insists that he tell her his story first, truthfully and without omission.

The flashbacks that follow contain nearly all of the tricks of the thriller trade — additional crimes, unreliable narrators, double-crosses — until a final revelation (drawn from a Hollywood ensemble crime thriller of the ‘90s) takes place in the movie’s present. The images provide a parade of beautiful people, clothes, cars, interiors, and landscapes, all lit in rich chiaroscuro and edited together seamlessly. You will find little thematic depth here, but the glossy surface and serpentine narrative make Paulo’s film — already remade three times in Italy and India — a fun and effective exercise in genre conventions.

4. Sun Don’t Shine (2012)

Amy Seimetz’s crime thriller is the opposite in its look, priorities, and power. The movie begins after the crime has been committed already, and the audience knows full well who is responsible. Young lovers Crystal (Kate Lyn Sheil) and Leo (Kentucker Audley) are speeding to St. Petersburg, Florida to dispose of the dead body packed clumsily into the trunk of their run-down car. The concept and the tension resemble Hitchcock’s Rope (1948), but Seimetz’s killers are more sympathetic. Both Crystal and Leo live near the bottom rung of the socio-economic ladder, where shared desperation and lack of opportunities have thrust them together.

Unlike the greedy characters of ‘40s Noirs, Crystal and Leo do not turn to lives of crime to attain fabulous riches; they do what they must as they try to reach even middle class goals: to live together in a modest home with as small yard, to hold down blue collar jobs, and to raise a healthy child.

But like Barbara Loden’s Wanda (1970), Crystal and Leo have only a burning desire to escape poverty and no resources or practical skills to do so. The look of Seimetz’s film is as stark as its characters. Made quickly on a shoestring budget, she makes the most of The Sunshine State’s natural light, low-tech camera workarounds, and two exceptional young actors. See how much drama can be made from so little in Seimetz’s ode to her home state, one of the most Florida movies ever made.

5. Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014)

The serial killer thriller is another long established subgenre, reaching back as far as Fritz Lang’s M (1931) and Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). Yi’nan Diao’s version seems pressed from the original mold with the addition of some modern, Eastern touches. The narrative structure is familiar. Detective Zhang Zili (Fan Liao) returns from an ignominious retirement to pursue the serial murderer who escaped him years earlier. With the help of his ex-partner Wang (Ailei Yu), Zhang learns that the most recent killings are connected to the first in surprising ways.

The look is classic too. Static shots with meticulous composition and graphic editing suggest that Diao may practice the same exhaustive storyboarding during preproduction as Lang and Hitchcock. A near-wordless sequence in which Zhang pursues a mysterious man with ice skates looks as though it might have come directly from a Lang silent film. Diao’s picture may even outdo the German and Anglo-American Masters of Suspense in its moments of pregnant silence and discoveries of menace in the mundane. See that great filmmaking minds do think alike, despite whole continents and more than half a century separating them, in this highly polished, dark gem.

Thrillers, Thrillers, Thrillers. Too many to watch and not enough time. And here we go again: when you’re looking for a thriller, the selection is so huge and overwhelming that you end up watching the same ones again and again. To avoid that, here a list of 10 under appreciated thrillers that you should add to your watch list and enjoy during a rainy weekend. You’re welcome!

1. Bedevilled (2010)

A South Korean production directed by Jang Cheol-soo, “Bedevilled” stars Hwang Geum-hee (previously known as Ji Sung-won) as Hae-won, a middle aged woman working in a bank in Seoul. She is tense and austere, constantly stressed by her work and its misogynist and competitive environment. Suffering from depression, she decides to change drastically her life, accepting the invitation of her teenage friend – whom she hasn’t seen in a while – Bok-nam (Seo Young-hee) to join her on a vacation on the island of Mudo. What started as a vacation will eventually result in a nightmare.

Mixing thriller and horror, the movie is masterfully written, with a great emphasis and focus given to the building of the characters; equally astonishing are the performances of the two main characters, especially the one of Hwang Geum-hee. At the same time, the solid screenplay is elevated by the impeccable directorial work of Jang Cheol-soo, who crafts a refined but unpretentious movie.

“Bedevilled” is more than a genre movie. It’s a representation of the worst side of humans and how bloody and inconceivable their behaviours can be. If you give a chance to this movie, your decision won’t be regretted.

2. Viva Riva! (2010)

“Viva Riva!” was the first Congolese movie released after 25 years since dictator Mobutu Sese Seko imposed a shut down on the national film industry. The crime thriller movie follows the life of Riva (Patsha Bay), a fuel smuggler returning home in Kinshasa with stolen gasoline. At night, after going in a club with his friend J.M. (Alex Herabo), Riva steals away a woman called Nora (Manie Malone), the girlfriend of local gangster Azor (Diplome Amekindra). The consequences of his actions will threaten Riva’s life. This Congolese thriller is probably one of the best of the last 25 years.

The director Djo Tunda Wa Munga masterfully shots a raw, violent and atmospheric story, using Kinshasa as a powerful background and sometimes implicit protagonist. Moreover, the direct and solid style is perfectly suited for the genre the movie is based on, while the music is just a collection of instant classics. “Viva Riva!” perfectly encapsulates what’s exciting about non-mainstream cinema; no production companies dictating screenplay and ending, no self-righteous screenplay and – most importantly – a lot of heart. This movie cannot be missed! It is just too good to be overlooked. A future classic of world cinema, of thriller, of cinema with the capital C.

3. Suicide Room (2011)

Dominik Santorski (Jakub Gierszał) comes from a privileged family. Before his graduation, a series of misfortunate and humiliating events pushes him to join an online chat group named “The Suicide Room” where he meets Sylwia (Roma Gąsiorowska), a girl with suicidal tendencies who cuts herself. Sooner, the virtual meetings with Sylwia will produce dangerous results in his real life.

“Suicide Room” – directed by Jan Komasa – handles the dramatic and tense moments quite well, describing a story that concerns pressing current issues: dependency from social media, depression, the ambiguous pharmaceutical response to it and suicide. Dominik is sucked in a vortex of emotions and behaviours that are becoming more typical in today’s world; and – as reality sometimes shows – nothing seems to stop the spiral of chaos and danger: all the procedures that are used to cure depression and prevent its spread and its worsening fail completely. From this perspective, the movie seems to denounce the extreme individualism that pervades our society and that makes possible the behaviour of Dominik’s parents, more worried about their careers than their own son. This Polish movie mixes thriller and drama successfully, narrating a story of depression and despair that – unfortunately – resembles real cases of today. Don’t miss out!

4. Proxy (2013)

Released for the first time on September 10th, 2013, “Proxy” fuses creatively thriller, horror and drama. Esther Woodhouse (Alexia Rasmussen) is in her late pregnancy period; one day, coming back from the doctor’s appointment, she is knocked unconscious by a hooded stranger, who hits her stomach with a brick multiple times. Even the last efforts of the medics is vane: the baby is delivered stillborn. Shocked by the event, Esther will join a support group, unaware of what will happen.

This movie is an atomic bomb, one of the big ones. The screenplay is detailed and structurally complex, largely inspired by a lucid cynicism and full of horrific developments. Raw, insane, dark: these three adjectives perfectly sum up the intensity of “Proxy”. At the same time, the psychological lens of the story is flawlessly matched by a slow paced rhythm and by an hypnotic atmosphere that hypnotises the viewer. At the same time, the American movie is wonderfully shot, with references to the classics, the master Hitchcock above all else.

“Proxy” is a mature thriller, at times complex at times brutal, that will capture the viewers’ attention instantly. Multiple viewings are recommended in this case; watching this movie more than once should enable a better understanding of the structure and should reveal all the facets of the themes described.

5. They Have Escaped (2014)

“They Have Escaped” narrates the story of Raisa (Roosa Söderholm) and Joni (Teppo Manner), two outcast teenager living in a halfway house. One day, the two decide to run away and embark in a journey across the country, in an attempt to escape rules, regulation and impositions of the structure they’re living in. Directed by J-P Valkeapää, this Finnish-Dutch production mixes the fantastic and the real in a convincing tale about two outcasts determined to enjoy the taste of freedom.

In fact, during the development of the movie, we witness not only dark drug infused sequences, with a strong dreamlike and psychedelic character; at the same time, the movie does not shy away from a social commentary on today’s world, especially focusing on the critical conditions of the youngsters, progressively suffering from unemployment and under education. Lastly, it is impossible not to recognise the influence of the Brothers Grimm, especially in the sequence with the house in the woods.

“They Have Escaped” is a complete movie: social commentary, dreamlike sequences, teenage movie and thriller atmosphere. Give this movie a try and witness the suggestive sequences in the woods. A small gem!

For a movie to be in the thriller genre can have numerous causes, but the one sure thing is that it will be filled with suspense. Because the term is so broad, usually it is accompanied with another genre, the most common being action, horror, or fantasy and science-fiction. With thrillers there’s often a sense of danger for the protagonist, causing for adrenaline-inducing moments. This sense of danger or urgency is what makes thrillers so appealing to watch.

The thriller genre is well represented on Amazon Prime. Their huge library includes classics like Diabolique, Inferno, and Lynch’s Blue Velvet, but also recent hits like You Were Never Really Here. Amazon Prime is a perfect place to catch up with all the gems you’ve yet to see, but it’s also the perfect place to discover great movies that have gone unnoticed by many. The following list includes some recent thrillers that fit the description. Here are 10 great recent thrillers that you may have missed.

1. The Man from Nowhere (2010)

It feels like South Korean thrillers have really excelled in the 21st century. It’s as they’ve cracked the thriller formula and put it to good use. Of course, the most popular example would be Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite; a movie that deserves all the praise coming to it, but Korean cinema has a lot more sensation to offer. Bong Joon-ho’s earlier work often explores the thriller genre as do the films of the popular directors Park Chan-wook and Kim Jee-woon. But besides these popular names, South Korea has lots more talented directors that often miss the conversation, one of them being Lee Jeong-beom.

Lee Jeong-beom is a great action director that made one of the best recent thrillers coming out of South Korea. The Man from Nowhere follows a retired special agent who now passes his time keeping a pawn shop. The little girl that lives next door is his only friend, so when she’s kidnapped by an organ-trafficking gang, he follows a violent path to try and save her.

It’s no surprise why Jeong-beom is primarily an action director, since this shows he perfected the craft. The movie is filled with fantastic, unique action sequences getting increasingly bloodier as the story progresses.

2. Brimstone (2016)

Westerns seem like a rare sight nowadays with only a handful of great ones coming out each year, so it’s always a treat when a unique voice surprises us with one. Chloé Zhao did so with The Rider, John Maclean gave us Slow West and the fantastic Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho made an epic genre film in Bacurau. All great westerns and all deserve to be seen by more, in fact, the modern westerns deserve a list of their own! Brimstone would make that list as well, but also deserves its place here since it’s thrilling from beginning to end.

Brimstone is a co-production between the US and various European countries, most prominently the Netherlands, home country of director Martin Koolhoven. Koolhoven is a respected Dutch filmmaker, known for Winter in Wartime, Schnitzel Paradise, and Suzy Q. He’s also respected for his love and knowledge of cinema, and most notably his love for spaghetti westerns.

His love for the genre is noticeable in Brimstone, which is filled with nods to the old days. Without going into any details; Dakota Fanning is fantastic as the mute Liz and Guy Pearce makes for a compelling villain with a believable Dutch Accent. Koolhoven’s knowledge for the genre combined with a great non-chronological plot and a stellar cast make Brimstone one of the better thriller-westerns out there.

3. The Salesman (2016)

Iran has a well-respected movie industry which is praised more and more since the early nineties. Filmmakers like Jafar Panahi, Abbas Kiarostami, and Asghar Farhadi put their local industry on the map with great artistic work. Asghar Farhadi might be the most internationally well-known director the country has seen, since both ‘The Salesman’ and ‘A Separation’ took home the Oscar for best foreign film. While they are both very well-crafted films, The Salesman is considerably less seen than its predecessor.

The story is about a married couple, Emad and Rana, that both portray a role in a play called The Salesman. One day Rana is assaulted in their home they recently moved into, which leaves her with PTST. After the incident Emad is determined to discover the identity of his wife’s attacker. The play they have a role in shares similar themes with their situation, making for an interesting symbolization of the message Farhadi is conveying.

The Salesman is equally thrilling and in no way inferior to A Separation and since the latter sadly isn’t on Amazon Prime, this one might be the best film to get into Iranian cinema.

4. Brawl in Cellblock 99 (2017)

S. Craig Zahler has made a name for himself as an auteur director that doesn’t shy away from brutal violence. With his debut film Bone Tomahawk (talking about westerns), he immediately put himself on the map as one to look out for. He didn’t disappoint with his follow ups Brawl in Cellblock 99 and Dragged Across Concrete. Zahler’s movies are all distinctively his thanks to their visual style, their slow-paced tension, and the always gory violence.

Vince Vaughn impresses, portraying the role of Bradley Thomas; a former boxer getting back into a criminal life as a drug dealer. After a deal goes wrong Bradley is taken in to custody and sent to a medium-security prison. One of Bradley’s criminal associates kidnaps his pregnant wife and orders him to kill a target that stays in the high security block. Bradley complies and a gruesome journey follows.

With Brawl in Cellblock 99, Zahler upped the violence a notch compared to Bone Tomahawk, how far that’s even possible. While the build-up might be long, the pay-off is very worth the watch!

5. Let the Corpses Tan (2017)

Director duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani are two more directors on this list that have a fantastic personal style and there are more to come below. Cattet and Forzani started out directing short films together and after that they’ve directed three features, Let the Corpses Tan being the most recent one and hopefully not the last one. With 2009’s Amer and 2013’s The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears they displayed their love for Giallo movies. With electric stylization they brought back the genre in this modern era.

Let the Corpses Tan feels like another dive into 60’s genre cinema, this time no Giallo, but euro-crime with a touch of western. The movie starts out with two stories: The first one about a gang wanting to lay low after stealing a big amount of gold. The second one about an eccentric artist in a love triangle. Quickly these two stories merge at the rural home of the artist. When cops arrive at the estate, it is not long before the situation turns into a day-long gunfight.

The movie might be even more stylized than Cattet and Forzani’s first two. Filled with symbolism, homages, and unique shots, it truly is a feast for the eyes.

The sense of thrill is universally desirable probably because it makes one feel alive. But at the same time it usually comes at a high cost that makes it not worth it. You probably would not try to rob a bank just to get a rush of adrenaline – aside from the moral issues of that, the stakes are just too high. That is why thriller movies are the best alternative to seeking thrills in real life.

Cinema as an escape from our mundane lives is supposed to evoke that which we would not normally experience, and thrillers are on the extreme end of this spectrum.

The 10 thrillers listed here are perhaps not about shock value or unmatched artistic excellence, but they are worth a watch for someone in pursuit of exhilarating stories. The movies in this list border on such genres as comedy, drama, horror, sci-fi, mystery, and crime, so there is something for any type of taste looking for that delightful feeling of excitement.

1. A Simple Favor (2018, Paul Feig)

There is no rule that comedies cannot be thrilling. “A Simple Favor” is a great example of a movie that seems light and funny at the beginning and then makes you worry about what will happen next.

Based on a novel of the same name by Darcey Bell, “A Simple Favor” is a surprisingly better movie than what the synopsis leads to believe. Its plot revolves around a video blogger mom Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), who takes up to investigate the disappearance of her new friend Emily (Blake Lively).

Since the two women are polar opposites, watching their relationship is intriguing and hilarious. Blake Lively’s performance is undoubtedly exceptional, and Anna Kendrick really does shine here, too, despite the preconceptions the viewer might hold because of her previous few subpar romantic comedy work.

The storytelling, however, inevitably introduces some cliché elements and loses its great potential created in the first half. Nevertheless, it is an entertaining way to spend two hours of your time.

2. Greta (2019, Neil Jordan)

“Greta” is a psychological thriller about a lonely widow (Isabelle Huppert) who befriends a young woman (Chloë Grace Moretz). They seem to click instantly and form something like a mother-daughter type of relationship. Before long, though, the young woman discovers that there is an ominous secret about their friendship. As soon as it is revealed, a sequence of terrorizing events sets off.

Although “Greta” does not break any genre conventions, it is impressive in its cinematography, which complements the mounting suspense of the storyline of “Greta”. The ride that it takes the audience for deserves their attention for the entirety of this thriller.

While the movie has had mixed reviews, Isabelle Huppert’s outstanding performance cannot leave anyone unconvinced. There are some nice moments of hilarity, but the thrill of the story is maintained with the overall terrifying atmosphere.

3. The Girl in the Fog (2017, Donato Carrisi)

“The Girl in the Fog” is Donato Carrisi’s directorial debut. On top of that, it is based on Carrisi’s own novel by the same name.

The movie features Toni Servillo, the star of “The Great Beauty” (2013), who plays detective Vogel investigating the case of a missing teenage girl in an alpine village. Despite being criticized by his peers and the public, Vogel persists in approaching the mystery with the use of untraditional methods.

What is unique about this thriller is that in most movies, this premise would be turned into a typical crime story containing protagonists, suspects, and some twists along the way, whereas “The Girl in the Fog” does more than that. It shows how crime is surrounded by image management, reputation, the public’s bloodlust as well as the interests of the manipulating media. In the end, the resolution of the crime also depends on the morality of the detective.

4. A Most Wanted Man (2014, Anton Corbijn)

Based on John le Carré’s bestselling novel, “A Most Wanted Man” features a stunning performance by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was the last of his movies to be released before death. The cast also includes such greats as Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright, and Willem Dafoe.

Hoffman stars as the leader of a covert government team, whose infectious idealism makes the audience care for his mission. The story takes place in Hamburg, Germany, where a political refugee from Chechnya is suspected to have ties to Islamic terrorists. Different government agencies wish to approach this matter differently, so the rivalry between them becomes the crux of this espionage thriller.

For the action thrill seekers, “A Most Wanted Man” might come off as a little boring as it chooses to approach the subject in a realistic tone. Having said that, it tells some accurate things about our post-9/11 world and that has a lasting value.

5. Upgrade (2018, Leigh Whannell)

This sci-fi thriller takes place in a utopian future where modern technology thoroughly constitutes all aspects of people’s lives. The main character technophobe Grey Trace suffers a trauma making him quadriplegic. Eventually, Grey decides to accept an offer to install an experimental microchip in his body in order to overcome his paralyzed state. The microchip, however, appears to enable Grey in more ways than expected.

“Upgrade” includes a decent amount of action. The fight scenes are rather humorous, but the storyline keeps you at the edge of your seat. The overall concept tastes like an episode from the TV series “Black Mirror”, while the car chases and robotic imagery are quite reminiscent of the movie “I, Robot” (2004).

“Upgrade” is exciting from the start until the very end. Although some twists of the story could be a little less predictable, it is still a visually and emotionally gripping piece of work.

What makes a great thriller is often a subjective thing. Sometimes, a great thriller is something that presents visceral scares or violence, while other thrillers present psychological or emotional conflicts for their characters. Many great thrillers take elements of other genres, such as science fiction, fantasy, historical, or comedy, and blend them to create unique subgenres.

This decade has seen many truly excellent thrillers, and the most memorable thrillers are often the ones that leave lingering questions or emotions that last far longer than when the credits are over. Due to the high volume of great thrillers being released, some get swept under the rug and remain overlooked. Here are ten more great recent thriller films that you probably haven’t seen.

10. Wheelman

Many films deal with getaway drivers, such as Drive, Baby Driver, or even some moments in Snatch, but Wheelman does something different in that it completely traps the viewer in the vehicle with driver for the entire runtime, only showing the interior of the car.

While this was also done in the Tom Hardy film Locke, that was a more dramatic film that focused on a character’s slow emotional breakdown, whereas Wheelman is a fast paced action thriller that puts a morally flexible driver through the worst night of his life. The unnamed driver, played by Frank Grillo, begins to suspect that he is just a pawn in a larger scheme when his partners in a bank robbery betray him.

Grillo is excellent at playing an ordinary guy placed in extraordinary circumstances; while he is obviously a proficient driver, he’s completely in over his head when he’s faced with a larger conspiracy, and Grillo makes it clear that he’s a foot soldier and not a criminal mastermind.

Conversations between Grillo and his daughter add a lot of humanity to the role, and while at first his fatherly concerns over his daughter’s new boyfriend are comedic, the family bond becomes more impactful when his family’s life is endangered. The setting allows for Grillo to be very flexible with his emotions, and the complete intimacy lets him give a great performance. Due to the untraditional way it is shot, Wheelman’s third act is surprising and takes common heist movie elements and does them in a new way.

9. Ready or Not

A compelling satire of wealth and tradition, Ready or Not turns the idea of a rich family’s induction ceremony into an extreme that includes violent murder. Grace (Samara Weaving) is a poor girl who is excited to marry into the family of her new husband Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), but the Le Domas’ idea of welcoming her into the family includes trapping their potential new relative in a creepy mansion and forcing her to survive a night as they track her down and try to kill her. The family’s blind acceptance of this twisted tradition is darkly funny, and seeing the incompetent family turn from hapless to deadly makes for awkward situations where the hunter and the hunted are both inexperienced in the art of murder.

While this satirical edge gives the film personality, is is still a gripping thriller with some truly gruesome body horror. Grace is broken down both physically and psychologically by her new in-laws; she begins to realize that all the promises of her husband helped to shroud this secret, and as she’s left on her own and forced to turn this family’s ignorance and pride against them.

One scene, in which Grace’s hand is impaled by a nail as she escapes the family barn, is one of the most shocking gore moments in a mainstream film since the original Evil Dead. Equally funny and scary, Ready or Not has the makings of a future cult classic thriller.

8. Man Down

While Shia Labeouf has not always made the best films, he’s usually great in whatever role he takes, and in the past few years Labeouf’s transition from big budget studio projects to smaller and more daring independent films has been quite impressive.

Man Down is a very original take on PTSD and military service, and follows Labeouf’s character Gabriel Drummer across two separate timelines, with one following his training and first tour as a U.S. Marine, and the other taking place after his service as he attempts to survive in a post-apocalyptic future. At first it’s not clear how these two storylines will intersect, but once they do the film draws interesting conclusions about the lasting effects of trauma and the need to be a hero in your own story.

The flashbacks are shot with hyper realism, and the film does a good job at pairing Drummer’s initial perspective of what service will be like with the harsh reality of what it actually is. These scenes are largely driven by the relationship between Drummer and his best friend Devin (Jai Courtney), and Devin’s disappearance from the story sparks an interesting mystery when he unexpectedly returns in the post-apocalyptic hellscape.

Labeouf and Courtney have great chemistry, and even when their relationship sours, the two actors are able to imply an entire history of friendship that is never explicitly spelled out. While the plot twists in Man Down have been divisive, they do find a way of showing how fantasy wish fulfillment can be a dangerous method of coping, and shows the importance of reaching out for help.

7. Triple 9

While it unfortunately bombed at the box office, Triple 9 is an uncommonly gritty and complex examination of corruption within the police force, and features enough great actors and expansive source material for an entire miniseries or television show.

A botched armed robbery involving the Russian mafia forces straight laced cop Chris Allen (Casey Affleck) to question the motivations of his partner Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie), who leads a team of corrupt officers. Allen’s by the book way of investigating is quickly contrasted when he enlists the help of his uncle Jeffrey (Woody Harrelson), an eccentric sergeant detective who is hell-bent on weeding out the corrupt officers in the force.

Affleck and Harrelson are able to gauge the audience’s interest in the investigation with their wildly different performances, and the subtle work of Affleck paired with Harrelson’s more bizarre behavior provides two different takes on law and justice. Kate Winslet also gives a scene stealing role as Russian mob boss who uses the heist to get revenge on her husband, and Aaron Paul is also excellent as a corrupt cop who comes to regret his actions. The action scenes are often quite violent and are clearly researched to be accurate to actual police procedures, giving Triple 9 an edge over other pulpy crime thrillers.

6. The Discovery

Time travel is a very complex subject to depict onscreen, as a lack of internal logic can be very irritating, but on the other hand too much emphasis on explaining the rules can be alienating and emotionally opaque. The best time travel films are the ones that ground the actions in legitimate character motivations, and The Discovery explores a world where suicide has reached an epidemic due to the scientific evidence of an afterlife being discovered by scientist Thomas Harbor (Robert Redford). The story revolves around Harbor’s son Will (Jason Segal), who enters into a relationship with the suicidal woman Isla (Rooney Mara) during an extended stay at his father’s mansion as he unveils his next research project.

Both Will and Isla see their lives as unresolved, and their search to find answers in life after death and to travel within the past is rooted in their desires to redo past traumatic events. Segal has proven that he can be a talented dramatic actor, and he does a great job at showing what it’s like to live within the shadow of a genius father.

Mara’s performance is purposefully removed and distant, but once her backstory is explained, her entire performance can be viewed in a different context. The nuances behind what exactly The Discovery’s version of time travel is prove to be complex, and Will and Isla serve as great narrators on this search for answers.

A great thriller can simultaneously leave a viewer dazzled and overwhelmed, and thrillers that challenge the norm and make bold decisions are able to leave impressions that last long after the credits close. This decade has had many great thrillers that were provocative, terrifying, and rewarding, but unfortunately these are often the films that audiences tend to pass over for more traditional fare.

Many of these great thrillers deserve much more attention than they first received, and made interesting choices that will surely challenge the viewer to engage themselves within the story and characters. Here are ten great recent thrillers that you probably haven’t seen.

10. Buster’s Mal Heart

Before winning an Academy Award for Bohemian Rhapsody, Rami Malek gave a very different performance as a family man turned fugitive in the mind-blowing surrealist thriller Buster’s Mal Heart. The film takes place over multiple timelines, with Malek’s character Buster existing as both a struggling father who takes care of his wife within their secluded religious community and a conspiracy-driven mountain man who flees the grasp of the local authorities. It’s unclear how these timelines intertwine at first, and the shocking juxtaposition of a seemingly normal life with one of insanity sets up a mystery of how this character turned out the way he did.

Buster becomes slowly indoctrinated to radical thinking from an enigmatic stranger who feeds him information about Y2K type conspiracies, and in other dimensions Buster is left in bizarre survival scenarios where he’s floating adrift at sea or stuck on a snowy mountain. This is a film that’s more shocking elements come from Buster’s warped perception of reality, and while there are hints that Buster has exaggerated or imagined certain events, it’s up to the viewer to decide if he was purposely sabotaging his own memory.

Buster’s Mal Heart considers whether there can ever be a true balance between peace and truth, and those that enjoyed Malek’s performance on the series Mr. Robot may enjoy seeing him take on another complicated character wrestling with his identity.

9. 1922

Stephen King adaptations are more popular than ever right now, but one sinister King tale that’s gone heavily under the radar is the adaptation of 1922. With heavy allusions to the classic Edgar Allen Poe story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” 1922 explores the slow rotting of the human spirit following a horrible crime, and follows Thomas Jane as a grizzled farmer whose guilt over murdering his own wife manifests itself with literal demons.

The film wastes no time in getting to the fateful murder, which is carried out with excruricating detail to the resources avilable at the time, and then shows the everlasting scars that this crime impresses upon Jane’s character Wilfred James and his son, Henry.

It’s the father-son relationship that drives the film’s tension; James inserts seeds of discontent within his son’s life in order to convince him to agree to the crime, but as Henry wrestles with his own guilt he realizes there is no compassion within his father, and he has no true justification for their actions other than blind rage.

While James’s actions are unforgivable, his motivation is well set up, as his wife’s desire to sell their land and move their family to the city undermine the pride James has for his property and the life he envisioned for his son. Thomas Jane delivers what is quite simply the best performance of his career, and fans of recent King adaptations should give 1922 a shot.

8. Our Kind of Traitor

There have been many great works based on John le Carre novels, including the films Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, A Most Wanted Man, and The Constant Gardener, as well as the great shows The Night Manager and The Little Drummer Girl. One of the most underrated le Carre adaptations is 2016’s Our Kind of Traitor, which unlike many other le Carre adaptations does not follow a super spy, but an everyman forced into extraordinary situations.

Ewan McGregor stars as Perry MacKendrick, a university professor who while on vacation becomes unwittingly acquainted with the Russian money launderer turned double agent Dima (Stellan Skarsgard), who seeks protection from the British government in exchange for classified documents.

The film is able to bring the viewer into the ruthless espionage world through the eyes of an outsider, and it’s interesting to see how adept Perry is to this very different world; while he lacks the knowledge of international politics, he’s a great communicator and is able to help his new friend negotiate with his enemies and maneuver away from hazardous situations. It’s completely believable that these two would form a friendship; Perry is going through a difficult point in his marriage and Dima feels ostracized from his community, and the shared sense of isolations bonds the two.

Additionally, there is a very strong performance from Damian Lewis as an MI6 agent who deceives all the players involved, but also becomes sympathetic when he reveals his tragic relationship with his son. Our Kind of Traitor is a sturdy adaptation that doesn’t shy away from the complexity of espionage, but digs deeper into human relationships that other le Carre adaptations.

7. ‘71

While it contains no supernatural elements or jump scares, ‘71 is by far one of the scariest films of the decade; this claustrophobic depiction of a lone soldier’s abandonment during the 1971 Belfast riot is a sickening survival thriller that gets the viewer uncomfortably close to the terrifying feeling of being alone in a city of enemies.

While the film can be examined for the political ramifications of the riots and the commentary on how the British Army swept the event under the rug, it is first and foremost a thriller with a kinetic lead performance by Jack O’Connell. O’Connell delivers raw pathos in his performance as novice soldier Gary Hook, and the resulting situations are the embodiment of any new recruit’s worst nightmare.

The scene of chaos breaking out between protestors and the British Army is carried out brilliantly; what starts off as an attempt to gain a reaction from the Army sets off volatile feelings that inevitably lead to violence. Once Hook is abandoned, he’s faced with surviving in an unknown environment where he must conceal his identity, and the film’s docudrama sense of realism find kinetic horror in the normalization of violence, particularly that among youths.

It’s also impressive that the film centers heavily on Hook, but is aware of the surrounding political factors that impact him, including a covert military operation to sneak back into the city and a rising insurgency between Loyalists, the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and the Official Irish Republican Army. The perpetual sense of dread pays off with an exhilarating finale, where filmmaker Yann Demange accepts the body count but focuses on the importance of one life.

6. Pawn Sacrifice

Tobey Maguire is undoubtedly a very talented actor, but throughout his career he’s generally been tasked with playing the soft, empathetic hero, and it’s clear that Maguire can show a darker side of well. This is apparent in Pawn Sacrifice, in which Maguire portrays legendary chess player Bobby Fischer as an obsessive, temperamental genius whose paranoia and search for perfection shroud over his abilities.

Ficher’s story is centered around his legendary match at the World Chess Championship in 1972 against Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber), an equally brilliant Russain player who utilizes Bobby’s anxieties to his advantage. Maguire does some of the best work he’s ever done; he’s often terrifying in his ability to belittle others and is crushed over the responsibilities he has as Cold War politics become a factor within the games.

The title itself can be seen as a reference to the fact that Fischer and Spassky are both just pawns by their governments, and the film does a good job at showing the begrudging respect that exists between the two purely on the admiration of each other’s abilities. While Spassky is less openly sporadic as Fischer, it is shown that Fischer’s demands and anger have an impact on Spassky’s mental health and his ability to function under pressure.

The chess games themselves are electrifying to watch, and even for those not well versed in chess, there’s great dramatic material as a disillusioned Fischer becomes even unsatisfied in his own victories. Filmmaker Edward Zwick has frequently proven to be masterful at crafting epics like Glory, Legends of the Fall, or The Last Samurai, but with Pawn Sacrifice he proves that he can do engrossing, psychological thrillers as well.

Thriller is a versatile genre. Through this medium, you can investigate the psychological aspect of humankind or maybe the deepest emotions of humans. You can describe what society looks like or perhaps focus on a specific episode.

At the same time, the almost endless ways you can use thrillers must adhere to specific rules: suspense, murders, murder weapon, mystery. We could say that the imagination of the director is always mediated by an imminent code.

Here, you can find different interpretations of the thriller genre that perhaps you’ve never seen before.

1. Almost Blue (2000)

Based on the novel of the same name written by Carlo Lucarelli, “Almost Blue” is a dark and morbid Italian thriller with strong touches of horror.

A strange and bloodthirsty serial killer murders and takes on the appearance of his victims. A special police unit – whose first aim is to analyze brutal crimes – is investigating these horrible crimes, looking for the identity of the killer and to understand his psychological traits. Helping the police unit, we find Simone (Claudio Santamaria), a bling young man who has the great ability to recognize all the voices and link them to a color in his head. However, time is running out: the killer is always looking for his next victim.

Despite the low budget, director Alex Infascelli – who co-wrote the screenplay with Luca Infascelli and Sergio Donati – is able to reflect on the screen all of the little nuances of Lucarelli’s thriller. The directing style is solid and powerful, undoubtedly helped by the great soundtrack; “Almost Blue” – written by Elvis Costello – is obsessively present during the development of the story, while all of the other music parts are composed by Italian indie rock band Massimo Volume. If you’re looking for a ruthless underground thriller, look no further.

2. 13 Tzameti (2005)

Directed by Georgian director Géla Babluani, “13 Tzameti” is a suspense thriller with a sharp noir feeling. A young Georgian immigrant living in France named Sébastien (George Babluani) is working in a house of a drug addict, as a construction worker.

When the owner of the house dies, Sébastien is unable to receive his payment; however, he manages to steal an envelope containing information for a one-night lucrative job. Following all the steps, he arrives at an isolated house in a forest, where he discovers the nature of the job: multiple rounds of Russian roulette, with 13 participants. Moreover, all of the spectators are placing bets on who will win the competition. The stakes are high, but the price the participants are willing to pay is higher. Will Sébastien survive the deadly game?

Shot in a beautiful black and white that perfectly resembles many French movies of the 1950s and 1960s, especially Truffaut, with pure mastery, “13 Tzameti” is original in the screenplay and in the mise en place. The movie could be seen as a metaphor for today’s world: life doesn’t mean anything anymore.

Furthermore, the story is drenched in cynicism and nihilism, mostly represented by the unscrupulous organization of the game and by the total indifference of the meaning of life of the gamblers. “13 Tzameti” – which was also awarded at the Sundance Film Festival and at the Venice Film Festival – is a punch in the stomach of optimists and positive people. Be careful!

3. The Dead Girl (2006)

A dead girl is found on her property by a woman (Toni Collette). The dead girl could be the victim of a serial killer who murders women in that area. Multiple stories are linked to the body found – some true and some false – but only one will lead to the person who committed the crime.

Director Karen Moncrieff decided to divide the movie into five parts, each showing a different angle of the tragic story; at the same time, twists and unexpected events keep the audience tight in their seats, just like a good old thriller should do. Many famous actors are present in the movie, but the breathtaking performance by the late Brittany Murphy stands out in a vibrant way.

There’s nothing more to say: a brilliant movie, with an original storytelling and great performances.

4. Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008)

Based on a true story, “Fifty Dead Men Walking” is a gritty and powerful thriller about the unresolved conflict in the northern part of Ireland between Republicans who want to reunite all of Ireland under the same flag, and loyalists who wants to keep Northern Ireland a part of the United Kingdom.

Set in the late 1980s, the film tells the story of Martin McGartland (Jim Sturgess), a young Catholic hustler living in a predominantly Protestant neighborhood; both the IRA and the British police want him to join them because of his street cleverness. Driven by the acquisition of a new car and some money, as well as his dislike for the IRA, he decides to become an informer for the British police and a spy in the IRA. Helping him in this difficult and dangerous task is a contact from the police, code name Fergus (Ben Kingsley).

Martin will have to use all the resources he has in order to not be discovered and suffer the ultimate punishment: death.

“Fifty Dead Men Walking” deals with a complex and difficult topic; the great aspect of the movie is the clear and courageous impartiality in the description of the historical problems in Ireland. We witness the violence of the IRA, but also the violence of the police and the sectarian and discriminatory abuse toward the Catholic community by the riot squads. Director Kari Skogland wants you to be the judge and decides which side are you on, without delivering a pre-packaged moralist truth. An underestimated movie, full of realism and suspense.

5. Amer (2009)

“Amer” is definitely one of the most unique and peculiar movies on the list; a film that is able to mix thriller and horror, suggestions from the past, and originality all in one.

The movie tells the story of a girl called Ana in three different moments of her life: when she’s a child, a teenager, and a woman. In the first part, Ana is living in her house with her parents, while something obscure is happening in the basement of the building. In the second part, we see her walking around the small town she lives in with her mother; while away from her mother, she comes across a gang of bikers. In the last part, Ana has grown up and she has decided to live again in her parent’s old house. Something horrific will happen.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room: “Amer” is a clear and explicit homage to Italian thrillers and horrors from the 1970s, and especially an ode to the impressive work of Dario Argento. All of the trademarks of Argento are present in the movie: the expressionist use of colors that is evident in the psychedelic sequences; themes and visuals, like black gloves and knives and camera works in particular scenes; the style of the soundtrack, inspired by the 1970s cult Italian band Goblin, who made some of the most famous soundtrack for Argento’s movies. Lastly, the movie could be seen as an atmospheric resemblance to “Suspiria” (1977).

Even though the influences are widely visible, directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani were able to fuse them with their own taste and perspective. This is not an Argento rip-off or a clumsy attempt to revitalize the 1970s, but a strong and impressive work that combines homage and originality. A modern vintage movie that you’ll remember for a long time.