“Thrillers provide the reader with a safe escape into a dangerous world, where the stakes are as high as can be imagined, with unpredictable outcomes. It’s a perfect genre in which to explore hard issues of good and evil, a mirror that allows the reader to see both the good and not so good in themselves.” — Ted Dekker.

Although the thriller genre is a fan favourite, nowadays, with so many extant in cinema and literary history, lots of them seem boringly interchangeable. Roger Ebert wrote: “many thrillers follow such reliable formulas that you can look at what’s happening and guess how much longer a film has to run.”

Sometimes, one watches a thriller for a familiar, predictable story to satisfy genre conventions. Others, audiences are thirsty for something both familiar and yet new: a thriller that charts fresh territory. This list will attempt to provide recommendations of both iterations of the popular genre.

1. Shoot to Kill (1988)

With the help of a wilderness guide (Tom Berenger), FBI agent Warren Stantin (Sidney Poitier) chases a murderous extortionist (Clancy Brown) across the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

Blending the buddy cop sub-genre with a survival thriller, Shoot to Kill marked Sidney Poitier’s return to cinema after a nine-year absence. As usual, the screen legend lends his confidence, seriousness and dignity, making for an intense and mesmerising lead. An example of in medias res, Shoot to Kill’s beginning dives straight into tension and action. It respects and entertains thriller fans with its fast pace, and lean screenplay and focused direction from Roger Spottiswoode.

At the same time, Shoot to Kill’s especial talent lies in its aptitude for prolonging the nail-biting suspense sequences, be it a hostage situation or hanging off the side of a cliff. Furthermore, the crisp action sequences are choreographed with clarity and precision. These span car chases, shootouts in crowded public places and an impressively executed altercation with a bear. Shoot to Kill currently holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

2. Malice (1993)

In Massachusetts, Tracy (Nicole Kidman) and Andy (Bill Pullman) rent a room in their house to surgeon Jed (Alec Baldwin). After Jed performs a surgery on Tracy, Andy begins to uncover her secret.

Malice belongs to a trend of late-eighties, early-nineties erotic and ‘yuppies in peril’ thrillers. Examples of the latter sub-genre include: Unlawful Entry (1992) and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992). Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay seemingly borrows from both these movies and is overflowing with red herrings and unexpected twists. This makes for a tantalising mystery for the audience to unravel, where the truth is the opposite of the appearance they are led to believe at the movie’s start.

All the main characters are brought to life by memorable performances. Bill Pullman is gentle and sympathetic, while Nicole Kidman is dextrously slippery, toying with the audience’s allegiance. Meanwhile, Malice’s greatest acting comes from Alec Baldwin. He mutates the overly confident yuppie persona he perfected in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) into an inscrutable, terrifying villain.

3. Executive Decision (1996)

Terrorists hijack a plane bound for Washington D.C. A special ops team sneaks aboard to save the passengers.

Although formulaic, the underrated Executive Decision excels as a top-tier hostage thriller, comparable to The Delta Force (1986) and Air Force One (1997). Everything about Executive Decision is proficiently constructed and keeps the audience engaged: Jim and John Thomas’s logical, high stakes, tension-swelling screenplay, Stuart Baird’s professional direction and Jerry Goldsmith’s appropriately doom-invoking orchestral score.

However, Executive Decision’s standout feature is the great performances from its stellar cast, consisting of: Kurt Russell, John Leguizamo, Halle Berry, J.T. Walsh and Scrubs ’Ken Jenkins. David Suchet, known for his portrayal of Poirot (1989-2020) on UK television, distinguishes himself as a memorably frightening and clever villain, even learning Arabic in preparation for his role. The scenario presciently foreshadows 9/11 and the US’s war on terror, which would dominate the 2000s and beyond.

4. A Perfect Murder (1998)

Wall Street mogul Steven (Michael Douglas) discovers his wife Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) is having an affair with painter David (Viggo Mortensen). To collect his wife’s hefty fortune, Steven blackmails David to kill Emily.

A Perfect Murder has gone undervalued as a paradigmatic infidelity thriller. With a classic, engrossing storyline, a reimagining of Hitchcock’s Dial M For Murder (1954), it delivers everything an audience desires from the genre and more. Like Malice, A Perfect Murder is a quintessential ‘yuppies in peril’ thriller, seeing Michael Douglas perfect the signature tycoon persona he began crafting in Wall Street (1987). By this token, the movie is unrecognised as perhaps Douglas’s best and most representative role.

Moreover, Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen equal Douglas’s excellence, as does David Suchet. Suchet’s hawk-eyed, noteworthy detective sees him continue to use the Arabic he learnt for Executive Decision. Furthermore, A Perfect Murder also contains a sociological, political subtext. Businessman Steven represents the right wing, prioritising finance, and artist David represents the left, focusing upon freethinking. In this analogy, Emily could represent America itself, with the right and left wing battling for her affections. Echoing socialism, David attempts to undermine Steven, whilst Steven uses authoritative bribery to have David in his employ.

5. The 51st State (2001)

An American chemist (Samuel L. Jackson) travels to Liverpool to sell a new drug’s formula to gangsters.

Although derided upon its release, The 51st State is a goofy gangster yarn that makes for hilarious entertainment, recommendable to Guy Ritchie and Tarantino fans. It is populated by a repertory of quirky characters: badass, kilt and tam o’shanter-clad, African American Elmo McElroy, Emily Mortimer playing an icy-cool assassin, Meat Loaf as a facially disfigured, hot-headed drug baron, Ricky Tomlinson styling a hapless Scouse mob boss, Rhys Ifans as eccentric club owner Iki.

Although every character has their own style of comedy, the highpoint is the car chase repartee between Jackson and Trainspotting’s (1996) Robert Carlyle, where American and English culture butt heads. For instance, Jackson questions Carlyle about the various uses of the word “bollocks,” with Carlyle explaining “dog’s bollocks” is positive, whilst singular “bollocks” is negative. In addition, director Ronny Yu brings stylistic panache to the mise-en-scène, such as his choice of low,

Dutch angles, reminiscent of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). The aesthetic, electronic score and heart-pounding pace is emblematic of the Y2K rave culture The 51st State depicts.

From the shadows of post-war noir to the neon-slick thrillers of the late 20th century, the thriller genre has always been a haven for moral ambiguity, paranoia, and at times shocking violence. But while certain classics have been elevated to near-mythic status, others, just as taut, stylish, and thematically rich, have been relegated to the side-lines.

In this piece, we journey from the 1940s through to the early ’90s, spotlighting ten thrillers that never quite received the acclaim they deserved.

1. Saboteur (1942)

A lesser-seen Hitchcock entry, Saboteur feels like the spiritual blueprint for North by Northwest (1959), only more ragged, more urgent, and arguably more politically charged. Robert Cummings stars as an aircraft factory worker wrongfully accused of sabotage, who finds himself on the run and tangled in a vast conspiracy that stretches across the United States.

Saboteur captures the fear of the early forties; there was a war dominating the world stage, and Hitchcock manages to almost pre-empt the feel of a cold war thriller to some extent.

While Hitchcock would refine many of the same ideas in later films, Saboteur still holds up impressively, complete with a now-iconic showdown atop the Statue of Liberty. The film dazzles in its depiction of wartime paranoia and the creeping threat of fascism on American soil, and for fans of Hitchcock’s more polished works, this rougher, often dismissed masterstroke is a must-watch.

2. Detour (1945)

Detour is the very definition of a stripped-back noir. This extremely well cobbled together film is just sixty eight minutes long (with footage still lost to us) but it is wonderful for every minute of its running time.

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, the film follows Al Roberts (Tom Neal), a down-and-out pianist hitchhiking to California to reunite with his girlfriend, only to fall into a nightmarish chain of events involving death, deception, and a spectacularly venomous femme fatale. Ann Savage is unforgettable as Vera, ensuring Detour’s fatalism borders on existential horror, this is noir in its purest form, where fate is indifferent and morality is left by the side of the road.

Ulmer’s film is a wonderful reminder of the noirs of the thirties and forties; it has shades of Hitchcock and Fritz Lang, the performances are terrific and it’s a bit of a (literally) lost gem. Now only generally discussed in cult circles, Detour’s recent Blu-ray release will hopefully provide the love it deserves, it’s a masterclass in doing a lot with very, very little.

3. Rififi (1955)

Arguably the pinnacle of the heist genre, Jules Dassin’s wonderful French thriller is without doubt one of the most influential films of all time.

If you’ve seen Reservoir Dogs (1992) or Heat (1995), you’ve seen the fingerprints of Dassin’s film; a French crime thriller made by an American director exiled during the McCarthy era, it follows a group of ageing crooks planning one last, perfectly orchestrated jewellery heist.

The film is anchored by an astonishing central heist sequence. Shot in near silence with almost no dialogue or music, the intricacy of the scene is almost unbearably tense; and it’s a huge credit to a film that is seventy years old that it remains just as nail-biting today.

But Rififi is more than just a heist, it’s a story about honour among thieves, regret, and the slow rot of criminal life. Dassin paints a smoky, rain-slicked Paris full of shadowy alleyways and moral grey zones, and it’s not hard to see why this became the template for so many heist films to come.

4. Harper (1966)

Coming a few years before the better-known Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Paul Newman takes on the role of Lew Harper, a private eye hired to find the whereabouts of Elaine Sampson’s (Lauren Bacall) husband, who has disappeared.

Harper is a detective story in the classic mold, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s is a Raymond Chandler or Elmore Leonard adaptation; there are hints of The Big Sleep (1946) as well as The Maltese Falcon (1941), ostensibly you could place Humphrey Bogart in the title role and things would be just dandy.

However, despite the fact Newman’s ability to appear effortlessly cool throughout the picture is almost to be expected, what is impressive is the real humanity he brings to the character, his love for his wife, and how desperate he is to change her mind at their seemingly impending divorce, whilst also coping with the case in front of him.

Jack Smight’s film has been accused of being particularly ponderous, but quite the opposite is true; Harper is constantly engaging, frequently funny, and despite the fact that you can guess how it all ends fairly early on, the film holds your attention in its characters and locations during a tremendously enjoyable couple of hours.

5. Targets (1968)

Peter Bogdanovich’s Targets is one of the most unique and unsettling thrillers of the 1960s. It tells two parallel stories—one of an ageing horror movie actor (played by Boris Karloff in a haunting, semi-autobiographical role), the other of a seemingly average American man who suddenly embarks on a killing spree.

Set against the backdrop of late-60s cultural turmoil, the film is a startling comment on violence in modern America, juxtaposing the old-fashioned terror of the horror film with the all-too-real horror of senseless gun violence. Tim O’Kelly is especially calm and collected as he guns down innocents, addressing the task as if it’s nothing more than a daily chore, and not a taxing one at that- it’s productively chilling.

The final act, set in a drive-in cinema, is a masterpiece of tension, and a truly fitting culmination of what has come before. Targets is eerie, elegiac, and way ahead of its time.

The films described in this list have been undervalued as interesting, thoughtful variations of the thriller genre. Oftentimes, their intentions have been misinterpreted, or they were maligned by the release of more popular, popcorn fare.

Whilst the thriller’s central purpose is to deliver action and suspense, some of these titles additionally use the genre as a vessel to explore deeper ideas. In other instances, they were entertainment-focused, but did not resonate with audiences until retrospective appreciation, years later. Furthermore, the sway of critics opinions also has an influence upon audiences’ rejection of films that, in fact, have a lot to offer.

1. The Born Losers (1967)

Loner Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin) attempts to save a town from an invading outlaw biker gang.

Fundamentally, The Born Losers is an exhilarating piece of grindhouse cinema, superior in execution to the unfocused roughness of other ‘60s bikesploitation movies. In addition to its countercultural stylishness, The Born Losers shocked audiences, for its depictions of violence, rape and homosexuality, leading it to be banned in Hungary and Sweden.

Whilst it serves primarily as grimy entertainment, the movie also possesses more thought-provoking concerns. Through its protagonist, Billy Jack, the screenplay delves into the discrimination of Native Americans, the marginalisation of Vietnam War veterans and offers a criticism of police brutality. As a revenge movie, it espouses the anti-authoritarian philosophy of the then-burgeoning hippie movement.

2. The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995)

In North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains, Darkly Noon (Brendan Fraser) escapes from a cult. He is rescued by the seductive Callie (Ashley Judd). During his stay, Darkly grows infatuated with Callie. This proves to be an issue when Callie’s husband Clay (Viggo Mortensen) returns.

The Passion of Darkly Noon is a film unlike any other. Its uniqueness is built through John de Borman’s peculiar, majestically dreamlike cinematography, evoking the paintings of Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper. In one iconic scene, Darkly Noon watches a giant silver shoe inexplicably floating down a river. In another, the characters behold a family emerge from the forest’s shadows, accompanied by an elephant. Unusual for a thriller, The Passion of Darkly Noon is pregnant with significant subtext.

Playwright turned filmmaker Philip Ridley addresses unrequited love, sexual repression, perversion and jealousy, whilst examining the corollaries of blind conformity. The film is populated with fairytale-like figures, from Viggo Mortensen as mute carpenter Clay, to Lou Myers as the eccentric, verbose undertaker Quincy. Boasting an explosive climax, The Passion of Darkly Noon’s hallucinogenic artistic accomplishment and thematic potency is deserving of far more attention than it has so far received.

3. The Immortals (1995)

Nightclub owner Jack (Eric Roberts) recruits eight criminals to synchronously commit four different heists. Jack’s mafioso boss (Tony Curtis) suspects it was Jack who orchestrated the robberies and invades his nightclub. The cast includes: Chris Rock, Tia Carrere and William Forsythe.

Superficially, The Immortals is an action-packed, funny caper movie, distinguished by its depiction of multiple heists. What is more, it is stylish, with the slick costumes and evocative set design condensing the coolness of 1990s fashion. That said, The Immortals differs from other crime movies for its message. For the four heists, Jack strategically pairs opposites together. A sexist with a woman, a homophobe with a homosexual, a racist with an African American and an intellectual with a mentally disabled man.

At first, the pairs clash, with the prejudiced member expressing their ignorance and stigma. As the movie progresses, however, they begin to develop affection, understanding and empathy for one another. As a result, The Immortals gives the audience the experience of questioning their own preconceptions of different people. Therefore, The Immortals is an important movie to watch, as it encourages humanity, unity and understanding in the face of diversity.

4. Heaven’s Burning (1997)

Midori (Youki Kudoh) runs away from her new husband (Kenji Isomura) only to be taken hostage during a bank robbery. Whilst on the run, Midori begins to fall in love with her captor, Colin (Russell Crowe).

Heaven’s Burning is an Australian rendition of the neo-noir road movies of 1990s American cinema, such as Wild at Heart (1990) and True Romance (1993). It contains all the trappings one would expect from the genre: a bank heist, a cool vintage car, vengeful gangsters, motels and shootouts. It substitutes the Mojave Desert with the outback, coloured with ironic Australian humour, especially through a wheelchair-bound accordionist.

One particularly interesting character arc sees a straight-laced Japanese businessman mutate into a murderous biker. Whilst moving at an energetic pace of whirlwind violence, at heart, Heaven’s Burning is a highly romantic movie. Russell Crowe and Youki Kudoh (known for starring in Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train) forge touching chemistry on a mythic scale, echoing Badlands (1973) and Romeo and Juliet.

5. City of Industry (1997)

Four criminals commit a successful jewellery store robbery. Skip (Stephen Dorff) kills two team members and escapes with the jewels. Roy (Harvey Keitel) tries to track Skip down and reclaim his share.

On the surface, City of Industry is a gritty variation on the caper genre. Rather than detailing a police chase, it sees a criminal pursuing another member of his crew. Refreshingly, it is set amongst the world of Chinese triads, rather than the usual mafia choice. City of Industry’s Generation X style and ‘90s soundtrack are complimented by a cool, conniving performance from Stephen Dorff. Lucy Liu and Elliot Gould also make cameos.

However, though it is not explicitly stated, City of Industry has a palpably existential undercurrent. This is brought to life by Harvey Keitel’s intelligent, layered acting, where he expresses loneliness and melancholy. Whilst the plot follows the roadmap of genre, the introspective tone welcomes differing interpretations. Keitel’s emotions are further expressed through the doleful use of neon lighting.

Unfortunately, the 2020s haven’t delivered on the thriller front so far. There were some good thrillers like Soderbergh’s “KIMI” or the indie film “Emily the Criminal,” but not many films of recent years feel like instant classics in a way “Silence of the Lambs” or “Se7en” turned out to be. No need to worry, because there are still countless underrated thrillers from the past you can choose from, and they deal with all the favorite subjects of the genre—serial killers, manipulative captors, mental illness, societal decay, obsession, and fractured identities.

Indeed, there are all sorts of thrillers, and this list aims to cover different kinds of the genre, so everyone can find something for themselves. From psychological mind games and twisted relationships to politically charged dramas and haunting personal stories, there are countless great thrillers that still can unsettle and, well, thrill you.

10. Julia (2008)

The year of 2024 had been brutal with the passing of so many acting legends, and one of them was Gena Rowlands, whose terrific film/performance in “Gloria” inspired this gripping Erick Zonca film. This is always tricky because when your film is in the “soul” of an already well-acclaimed film with an influential performance, it’s hard to live up to it.

Somehow, “Julia” manages to feel very distinctive, and not just that, Tilda Swinton gives a complete tour-de-force performance that no wonder an avid film watcher like Paul Schrader called it one of the greatest performances he had ever seen. She plays an alcoholic woman whose desperation drives her into a kidnapping scheme. She meets a woman who proposes an ill-conceived plan to kidnap her estranged son from his wealthy grandfather. Julia agrees, seeing it as a way to make some money, but as usual with thrillers, things get out of control.

This is not an overstatement when you call Tilda’s performance her career best. Not only she carry the whole film, but it’s one of the most complex characters she has ever played, and it makes the film even more interesting; to keep watching this flawed protagonist gives it so many layers. Her performance is raw and chaotic at the same time, perfectly capturing her desperation, manipulative tendencies, and even vulnerability. Of course, many thrillers have an anti-hero, but Swinton’s character is not “cool.” Some of her decisions can be maddening, but it’s her strong performance that brings lots of empathy as well.

The direction is very strong as well; Zonca manages to keep the tension high with a gritty aesthetic and dramatic depth. The film got strong critical acclaim, with lots of praise for its central performance and the direction, but perhaps its character-driven nature didn’t help this to become more popular among the mainstream crowd.

9. Brimstone & Treacle (1982)

Many stars of the music world have tried acting; just recently Ariana Grande was in “Wicked.” Some of these were great at it, like David Bowie, who was very versatile in his choices; some others mostly just did a variation of their own persona and were successful at it (Joan Jett’s “Light of Day”); and there were some others who failed. Sting is an interesting case; he has a decent career, with some highly acclaimed movies and even auteurs in his resume, but his performances were usually not the standout.

One of those major exceptions happens to be the adaptation of Dennis Potter’s controversial play “Brimstone & Treacle”, which uses Sting’s devilish charm really well. This is the film David Lynch saw and decided to cast him in “Dune”. While he’s very good in things like “Stormy Monday,” it’s unfortunate he didn’t get to show more of his “wild side” in his films. Here he plays a charming but enigmatic drifter who ingratiates himself into the home of a grieving middle-aged couple in the suburban England. That couple is Tom and Norma Bates (Denholm Elliott and Joan Plowright), whose lives have been upended by a tragic accident that left their daughter, Pattie, in a near-vegetative state. Martin appears to be nice at first, but soon more sinister things are going to happen that will make you ask: Is he the Devil himself?

Elliott and Plowright, two of the finest Brit actors, are very strong, and Suzanna Hamilton who has a silent role, is also haunting. Most recently, the Danish horror-thriller hit “Speak No Evil” was about the dangers of ignoring red flags. This movie has a similar message and is also critical of blind faith. It’s those who like horror elements strong in their thrillers or are looking for something with a psychological tension that also has a moral edge.

8. Killing Words (2003)

Spain is really good with thrillers, in a way that they often get international attention, especially Alejandro Amenábar and Oriol Paulo films. “Killing Words,” with its own original title, “Palabras encadenadas,” is another film on the list that would have an appeal to fans of the psychological thrillers. Based on a play by Jordi Galceran, the film is basically a psychological game between two lead characters: Laura (Goya Toledo), a kidnapped psychologist, and Ramón (Darío Grandinetti), her seemingly mild-mannered yet chillingly manipulative captor who sure will turn out to be one of the most interesting serial killer characters you have seen, thanks to Grandinetti’s complex performance.

The location is the same, so claustrophobic thriller fans will like that; it’s a basement where Ramón ties Laura to a chair and forces her to participate in a deadly word game. If she loses, she might die. Intercut with this plotline, Ramon is interrogated by the police for Laura’s disappearance. For a film like this to work, you need several key factors: first of all, it doesn’t need to feel like a filmed play. It needs to have its own atmosphere and cinematic language. Luckily, it has it all, and the film benefits from its setting as well as the central performances really well. It uses the dialogue and character psychology to drive the tension. Not every thriller needs some action; overall, the words can be enough sometimes.

The script has lots of twists and turns. Are they all really genius-level writing or full of plot holes? You’d need to reanalyze the whole film after finishing it, but then again, it doesn’t matter because the film is compelling enough. You just want to learn why this woman is here, what this guy wants, and what actually is really going on. And the film keeps you entertained while giving its answers. Certainly an underrated euro-thriller.

7. Closet Land (1991)

Now that we already covered one psychological thriller, which had the two-hander/same location/capturer-hostage formula, here comes another one, and here it’s truly just two people; no other character ever shows up. Before talking about that, what a great decade Madeleine Stowe had in the 90s! She started to focus on her other interests and hasn’t made a theatrical film for over two decades now, but back then, when you saw her in a movie, chances are it was something highly entertaining. She plays an unnamed children’s book author accused of embedding subversive messages in her work. She’s interrogated by Alan Rickman, who once called the film underrated himself.

Said to be inspired by the experiences of Chilean activist Veronica De Negri’s torture under Pinochet during the 1970s, this is a harrowing, almost dystopian film reminiscent of Kafka’s “The Trial.” As the formal interrogation devolves into a psychological battle, the film gets more and more interesting. It doesn’t just explore the totalitarian mind but also the abuser/victim roles between a powerful male and an oppressed woman.

The performances by both actors are excellent, and their parts play to their strengths. It’s not the first time Rickman plays a well-calculated, cold villain or Stowe plays a vulnerable woman, but it’s the writing that makes it interesting and gives both actors a chance to find different layers in these roles. After everything ends, you’ll find yourself talking about state oppression, individuality, the ethics of torturous interrogation, how powerful the literature can be, and of course, the power of imagination. Director Radha Bharadwaj gives almost a theatrical presentation here, but somehow it also feels cinematic. An emotionally draining, unusual, and deeply unsettling thriller.

6. Defence of the Realm (1985)

People love political thrillers for several reasons, as they often tap into the intrigue, suspense, and complexities of political power. They also reflect real-world problems as well as the anxieties, conflicts, and social issues of a particular time. Now that we live in an age where countless people are obsessed with conspiracy theories, no wonder many people enjoy watching secret organizations and covert operations in films.

One of the more underrated political thrillers happens to be “Defence of the Realm”, a British film that begins with a scandal (somewhat mirroring the Profumo affair): a prominent Member of Parliament gets accused of having ties to a Soviet spy. The reporter, played by always reliable Gabriel Byrne, breaks the story but soon finds himself in a deeper conspiracy. The last part of the plot also means that the film also works as a journalist film.

Byrne is known for giving understated performances, and this is one of them, but there’s something very thoughtful, something commanding and charismatic, about his performances that he always manages to carry the movie. The rest of the cast is doing a capable job as well. The direction is atmospheric enough, you get the sense of the paranoia that mirrors the political landscape of Cold War-era Britain.

Yet, for a thriller, it’s probably not “flashy” enough, which is maybe why it got overshadowed by the bigger films of the genre at that time. That’s unfortunate because the script is rich enough, there’s a lot going on here that makes it both thought-provoking and suspenseful. It also has something to say about journalistic ethics and political corruption, and these are all relevant themes even today. The film was acclaimed in the UK and even won a BAFTA in a supporting actor category, but these days, rarely anyone talks about it.

“The thriller is the most popular literary genre of the 20th century.”

— Ken Follett

From its inception with The Great Train Robbery (1903), to the ‘40s noirs, to the present slew of titles, what is clear is the thriller genre possess never-ending popularity. While some genres seem to ebb and flow, one can be certain that the thriller will never fall out of fashion. Attributable less to its time period and more to its artist’s hand, thrillers continue to evolve into new and unexpected corners. Cinephiles are already acquainted with crime thrillers like The Godfather (1972) and psychological thrillers, such as The Sixth Sense (1999). This list will unearth ten lesser-known titles that are worth the time of thriller fans.

1. Five Minutes to Live (1961)

Fred Dorella (Vic Tayback) robs a bank. As leverage, Fred’s associate, Johnny Cabot (Johnny Cash), holds the bank manager’s (Donald Woods) wife (Cay Forester) hostage in her home.

Five Minutes to Live was one of two feature film roles for Johnny Cash. Cash not only contends with professional actors, his talent outdoes them. His imposing presence is entrancingly ominous and terrifying. He uses pauses, unblinking stares and stillness to exacerbate this effect. Additionally, Cash performs with his guitar, singing the film’s theme tune. Also in the cast is seven-year-old Ron Howard, in one of his first movies. Contrasting the cultural climate it was produced in, Five Minutes to Live is unusually, outrageously violent, cruel, macabre and seedy.

When dissecting Easy Rider (1969), Quentin Tarantino opined it was the first time “a movie and the counterculture hooked up with each other.” However, Five Minutes to Live upends this notion, encapsulating the untamed spirit and raw texture of the rockabilly subculture. Especially peculiar for a film of its time, its soundtrack includes rock ‘n’ roll songs. Indeed, this would not be noticeable again until Easy Rider. In many ways, Five Minutes to Live foreshadows the independent film movement, establishing all its homemade benchmarks. Its minimalist yet tense story’s impact can still be observed, in hostage movies like 3 From Hell (2019) and No Sudden Move (2021).

2. The Anderson Tapes (1971)

After his release from prison, Duke Anderson (Sean Connery) compiles a team to pull a heist. They plan to rob all the apartments inside an affluent Manhattan block.

Under-discussed today, The Anderson Tapes is the prototypical caper movie. Its influence can be felt everywhere in the sub-genre, including Ocean’s Eleven (2001). A truly outstanding film, The Anderson Tapes’ crown jewel is the visionary, detailed and professional direction from the preeminent Sidney Lumet. Lumet helmed several heist movies, like Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007), but The Anderson Tapes is undoubtedly his best. His directorial expertise is evident in the incredible climax: through the choreography of stunts and action, as well as the elicitation of emotive performances.

Moreover, Lumet’s genius is also palpable in a tracking shot of Duke Anderson leaving prison. After he has departed through the doors, the camera lingers inside for a moment. This signifies Duke crossing the threshold back into criminality, past ‘the point of no return.’ Lumet’s intelligence and artistry is such that moments like these are given the appropriate gravitas. What is more, The Anderson Tapes is well-plotted, funny and stylish, with a groovy funk score from Quincy Jones. There is an early appearance from a young Christopher Walken.

Crucially, The Anderson Tapes is not merely one of the 1970s’ most entertaining crime thrillers. Through an examination of gender roles, it asks what constitutes true love and loyalty. Whilst depicting the advent of surveillance equipment, it probes into though-provoking social commentary. At the beginning, Connery’s character retorts to a criticism of his criminality. “What’s advertising, but a legalised con game? And what the hell’s marriage? Extortion, prostitution, soliciting, with a government stamp on it. And what the hell’s your stock market? A fixed horse race. Some business guy steals a bank, he’s a big success story. Face in all the magazines. Some other guy steals the magazine and he’s busted.”

3. Sitting Target (1972)

Harry Lamar (Oliver Reed) and Birdy Williams (Ian McShane) escape from jail to kill Harry’s adulterous wife and her lover.

One of Sitting Target’s most admirable qualities is the careful choreography and photography of its stunts. In one instance, the protagonists perform a suspenseful high-wire act over a prison yard, patrolled by guards. Furthermore, the most-unforgettable scene comes when police motorcycles chase Harry through washing lines, below a Brutalist tower block. Such sequences makes Sitting Target one of the most outstanding, albeit forgotten British thrillers. Aesthetically, the set design is a time machine to the floral patterns of swinging London.

In contrast to other British thrillers of its era, Sitting Target is bloody and fast-paced. Nevertheless, the movie is heavily elevated by the casting of Oliver Reed. In spite of his chequered personal life, what is irrefutable is Reed was one of the 20th century’s cardinal actors. Reed is so intense, convincing, powerful and menacing, his craft plays more like horrific reality than fiction. True of his entire filmography, Reed’s performance is a masterclass in great acting. Ian McShane, a decade into his cinematic career, is equally proficient, for his unnerving, two-faced intrigue.

4. Dead Bang (1989)

Los Angeles Detective Jerry Beck (Don Johnson) investigates a slain police officer. This leads him to Oklahoma’s white supremacists.

Initially, Dead Bang is a suitable vehicle for Don Johnson, establishing him as a cinematic action hero beyond Miami Vice (1984-1990). Johnson is quirky and amusing as Detective Beck, in what is principally a character study of an obnoxious, alcoholic chancer. Here, Bob Balaban (known for his cerebral turns in Christopher Guest and Wes Anderson flicks) is unusually cast as a parole officer for comedic relief. More significantly, Dead Bang is an important film to watch due to its theme and social function. Rare for a piece of this time, Dead Bang exposes and questions latent racism in American society.

It details the frightening ramifications of white supremacy, even pervading to the slurs of policemen. The upsetting violence, emphasising the humanity of people of different races, forces prejudiced viewers to reexamine their beliefs. Intellectually, through the depiction of neo-Nazis, the screenplay reveals their hateful rhetoric for the illogical, depraved idiocy it truly is. This artful balance of shoot-‘em-up action and writerly depth is ascribable to masterful direction from John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin).

5. Gonin (1995)

Five men rob the yakuza. After the heist goes awry, the yakuza hunt down the thieves.

Historically, Gonin is set in Japan’s ‘Lost Decades,’ investigating the personal upshots of the country’s economic recession. This context gives heft to the movie’s national significance and the actions of the robbers. They desire to exact a vendetta against the yakuza responsible, in this case, for their economic downturn. Secondly, the esoteric Gonin differs from other thrillers for its commitment to extreme, merciless violence, matching the shocking gore of a horror movie.

For example, when two characters shoot at each other in a nightclub, an innocent female dancer is caught in the crossfire, screaming and fountaining blood from her leg. Gonin’s anarchistic tone is typified by the attendance of an eye-patched Takeshi Kitano. Known as an auteur of yakuza movies himself, Kitano’s pared-down, deadpan, badass action star status is unquestionably the best thing about Gonin. Where the picture also strays from archetypal crime movies is in its portrayal of homosexual protagonists.

Thrillers come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from films like Shadow of a Doubt to The Silence of the Lambs. Thrillers are interchangeable, sometimes dipping their toes in other genres such as action, horror, mystery, fantasy and western. But one thing any great thriller should have, is the audience’s attention. An effective thriller needs to be able to grab the audience from the get go, then it can decide whether to put the viewer through a two-hour nightmare or let it burn slowly until it’s climactic final scenes.

This list focuses on thrillers that perhaps the neutral occasional film viewer may never have come across. These films are rarely in the conversation of “best thrillers”, let alone be anybody’s favourite films as they get lost and forgotten the moment the words “The Godfather” or Kubrick are brought into conversation.

Whether the films on this list had poor marketing, or were released in the shadow of a heavy hitter, or for some reason (blame the uncertainty of film fate) just didn’t hit audiences as intended, they still remain great thrillers and deserve attention.

1. Breakdown (Jonathan Mostow, 1997)

Kurt Russel stars as Jeff Taylor, a man from Boston who’s travelling to California with his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan), in their new Jeep Grand Cherokee. Somewhere in New Mexico, they almost collide with a rough pickup truck driven by an equally rough driver. Later, at a gas station, the driver of the same pickup truck confronts Jeff, who although attempts to remain cool, retaliates with hostile words. The couple then resume their journey until their Jeep breaks down on a vacant road. Amy accepts a ride from a passing trailer truck to a nearby diner to call for help as Jeff stays with the Jeep. With closer inspection, Jeff discovers that someone (most probably the angered truck driver) has tampered with the car’s battery. Upon fixing them, Jeff drives to the diner, only to discover that Amy is in fact not there, and not only that, but no one has seen her…That is when the film truly begins its crazy course.

The film was co-written by Sam Montgomery and Jonathon Mostow, as well as being directed by Mostow. From the moment that Jeff arrives at the diner and discovers Amy’s disappearance, an imaginary countdown begins as the film becomes tenser, more uncomfortable and twisted. Like a true nightmare, it unfolds in ways you don’t expect and just keeps going until the very end. Not only that, but it’s filled with flawless acting from Russel himself, J.T Walsh, M.C Gainey, Jack Noseworthy and Kathleen Quinlan.

2. A Perfect Murder (Andrew Davis, 1998)

Michael Douglas stars as Steven Taylor, successful Wall Street financier who discovers that his wife is having an affair with David, an artist (Viggo Mortensen). After investigating him and following him around, Steven offers David a large amount of money to kill her in a perfectly planned revenge scheme…But if you’ve watched Hitchcock’s 1954 Dial M for Murder, which this film is based on, then you know it’s not going to be perfect.

The screenplay was written by Patrick Smith Kelly, based off Frederick Knott’s play Dial M for Murder. The film was directed by Andrew Davis who also directed the hit film, The Fugitive 5 years prior. Much like its predecessor, the film excels through its twists and turns caused by its incredibly well written characters. Michael Douglas shines as he always does, but its villainous roles like this that really show audiences how great of an actor he is. With films such as Wall Street and Falling Down, he’s no stranger to throwing away his good guy face and putting on his equally charming yet deadly mask.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen both alert the audience that they’re part of the new face of Hollywood actors that are going to rule cinema in the upcoming years. With Great Expectations and Shakespeare in Love being released in the same year as A Perfect Murder, Paltrow was rapidly moving up to stardom, ultimately winning an Oscar in the following year. Mortensen had a similar situation to Paltrow, in the 90’s he had solid roles in equally solid films such as Boiling Point, Carlito’s Way and Crimson Tide, and eventually reach stardom with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings in 2001.

3. A Perfect World (Clint Eastwood, 1993)

Set in 1963, Texas, Robert “butch” Haynes (Kevin Costner) escapes prison with Terry Pugh (Keith Szarabajka) and they both break into a suburban house ala The Desperate Hours. The house they break into belongs to a devout Jehovah’s Witness woman with three children. As things get heated, mainly due to Terry’s animalistic and violent urges, the two prisoners flee the house after taking one of the young children, the eight-year-old Phillip (T.J Lowther) with them to aid their escape. The trio soon becomes a duo when Butch kills Terry after attempting to harm the boy. With the dead weight gone, Butch and the young boy hit the road.

The film was written by screenwriter/director John Lee Hancock and directed by the great Clint Eastwood who also stars as Texas Ranger Red Garnett who attempts to hunt Butch down. The film excels in everything that ultimately makes a great thriller drama: It has a range of excellent performances, from Eastwood himself to Costner, to Laura Dern and even the young T.J Lowther.

It also has many greatly written set pieces and scenes full of tension and drama. But what really makes it special, is that it has heart…Something that some filmmakers are weary of adding to their thrillers. But it doesn’t deviate the tension or the lower the stakes or make the action scenes any less exciting. Instead, it makes you care about the characters, even when you shouldn’t. Not only it makes you care, but it makes you remember them.

The tender friendship that Butch has with Phillip is so beautiful and delicate that it’s contrasted with the thriller and at times violent surrounding. The film ultimately projects a cycle of love and father figures (or lack of). Garnett cares for Butch, just like he cared for him years before when he arrested him for petty theft, he doesn’t want to see Butch dead or behind bars, and Butch cares for this fatherless boy he’s gotten to know.

4. Revenge (Tony Scott, 1990)

Revenge is one of Tony Scott’s films that stand out in his filmography. The film is one of his most violent, dirty yet sexy, and at times, very Peckinpah influenced. Scott takes away the glam from previous films like Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2 and True Romance, and leaves us with a gritty sun soaked but blood-stained thriller. The film follows retired US Navy pilot, Jay Cochran (Kevin Costner), who travels to Mexico to hang out with his successful yet corrupt businessman friend, Tibey Mendez (Anthony Quinn). That’s where he meets the beautiful Miryea (Madeleine Stowe), Tibey’s wife. As the two begin an affair, Tibey discovers this and sets out to get revenge on both of them.

The film has many plot points and turns, and much like most of Scott’s films, they never have a dull moment. The film feels sweaty, it makes the viewer anxious and the scenes unravel in the most entertaining ways. The film almost feels like a mix of Sam Peckinpah and Walter Hill, in the best of ways.

5. Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997)

Sylvester Stallone stars as Freddy Heflin, the Sheriff of Garrison, New Jersey, a town populated by New York City police officers, mainly led by Lt. Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel). But when he discovers exactly how corrupt the town is, he forms a plan to expose the very people you’re supposed to trust. The film is written and directed by James Mangold, being one of his most personal films as he based the location on his own hometown of Washingtonville, New York, a town which most of its residents were retired or current working police officers.

The film is filled with great actors and equally great performances from Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport, Frank Vincent, Peter Berg, John Spencer, Cathy Moriarty and many, many more. But if there is a shining star in the film, it has to be Stallone, and not only due to his performance, but due to the fact he needed a role like this desperately. The 90’s were proving difficult for him, and with flop after flop, he needed a hit as bad as his character needed justice. It’s clear in the film, that struggle, that motivation in the third act, it’s the character but it’s also Stallone fighting back, letting the world know he’s back.

The film unfolds in exciting ways, never having a dull moment as its laced in thrilling action set pieces just as much as cleverly written dialogue heavy scenes. One of the most interesting aspects of the film is how much backstory and baggage the characters in the film not only have, but drag with them in every scene. In some scenes, the tension is so thick, it’s so awkward that its uncomfortable to watch…And that’s what makes it stand out.

The 1980s was an excellent time for thrillers; Blow Out, Gorky Park, Frantic, the list goes on and on. We all know them, and some of us love them. But some films, although just as good, can get left behind.

Due to little or no exposure on streaming sites or never getting that fancy Blu-ray release, some movies can get lost on YouTube, sometimes popping up in the wee small hours, helping to fill up a television schedule. So, let’s begin by looking at ten thrillers, all from the 1980s, some more famous than others, but all deserving a little more exposure and a little more love.

1. The Jigsaw Man (1983)

Directed by Bond director Terence Young, The Jigsaw Man marks the onscreen reunion of Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier from more than ten years earlier in Sleuth, where both actors received Academy Award nominations. Although there is little chance of Academy Award nominations here, The Jigsaw Man still has something to offer – I’m just wondering what it is.

It’s the Cold War, and after some nifty plastic surgery, Michael Caine’s Soviet defector returns to England to play a tense cat-and-mouse game with British spymasters. Okay, the plot may be your average Cold War thriller. Yet, the onscreen presence of Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier, supported by a stream of British acting talent, including Susan George, Robert Powell and Charles Gray, keeps The Jigsaw Man ticking over.

Loosely, based on the Cambridge Five, The Jigsaw Man is neither John le Carré, James Bond, nor Harry Palmer. There is a car chase, some shootouts, albeit brief and plenty of Cold War shenanigans. It plays like a TV movie with too many plot threads and a director past his best, with some scenes appearing rushed and poorly lit.

The Jigsaw Man offers up a retirement home for actors who couldn’t find bit parts on Minder or Tales of the Unexpected, as director Terence Young litters the film with past collaborators Vladek Sheybal, Anthony Dawson and Sabine Sun. Yet just the sight of Michael Caine lurking around a church, pocketing some hidden microfilm, gladdens the heart. His Russian and American accents are also fun, as Caine helps dignify the familiar dialogue and sequences.

The Jigsaw Man had a troubled shoot, where the production ran out of money, and the film probably could have done with a memorable set piece. However, these shortcomings are what make The Jigsaw Man so appealing. It’s no Ipcress File, but it has a good cast, a decent story and a strangeness, a puzzle of why it even exists.

2. Target (1985)

Gene Hackman reunites with director Arthur Penn in this excellent spy thriller from 1985. Hackman plays Walter Lloyd and seemingly leads a simple life, working in a lumber business in Dallas, Texas.

Walter and his son Chris (Matt Dillon) have a strained relationship, with Chris, a college dropout and race-car driver, believing his Dad to be a dull old oaf. A generation gap narrative continues for about fifteen minutes as father and son go fishing as mom Donna (Gayle Hunnicutt) heads off to Europe on holiday.

Suddenly, the story steps up a gear when Walter gets a phone call in the middle of the night, informing him that his wife has gone missing whilst on holiday. Father and son decide to travel to Paris to find Mom, and soon Chris finds out that his mum was kidnapped, and that dear old Dad speaks fluent French, is ex-CIA, has a different identity and knows how to handle a gun.

Via an effective car chase, the pair travel to Hamburg, where Walter (or Duke as he was formerly known) becomes a mixture of George Smiley and Jason Bourne. There’s another car chase in Hamburg, a better one, as Walter dodges bullets and meets an old flame (Victoria Fyodorova) and an old Colonel (Richard Münch), with the Cold War plot unfolding, revealing double agents and secret code names.

Target is a compelling Cold War thriller with Gene Hackman grounding the plot in reality with a believable performance. Matt Dillion, a teen heartthrob in 1985, offers a solid performance as a kid who slowly learns that his Dad is James Bond with a receding hairline.

Although not the box office smash it needed to be for director Arthur Penn, after the failure of Four Friends in 1981. Target is a top-notch thriller, with a great score by Michael Small, who had scored such seminal seventies thrillers as The Parallax View and Marathon Man—all in all, a fast-paced thriller that undoubtedly hits the target.

3. North Sea Hijack (1980)

By the late 1970s, Roger Moore had starred in four Bond films and several potboilers like Gold, Shout at the Devil, and The Wild Geese. Partnering up for a second time with Wild Geese director Andrew V. McLaglen, Moore starred in the ambitious thriller North Sea Hijack (also known as ffolkes), in which he gave one of his best performances as Rufus Excalibur ffolkes, a whisky-drinking counter-terrorism specialist with a love for cats.

The plot concerns ffolkes and his crack team trying to stop a group of bad guys and their plan to blow up oil rigs in the North Sea. The main bad guy, Kramer, is played by Anthony Perkins, who adds a steely and captivating presence. Moore, sporting a full beard, has some great dialogue and witty exchanges with Jennifer Hilary and James Mason. Mason, a massive star on both sides of the Atlantic since the late 1940s, plays Admiral Sir Francis Brinsden, who, as well as giving the film a bit of gravitas, becomes Moore’s sparring partner in a war of words.

The story bounces between the crew of the stolen ship and the discussions between the British government on when to involve ffolkes and his team in resolving the situation, with ffolkes suggesting that “Kramer and his odious colleagues will be dead or disabled” before any bombs went off.

North Sea Hijack is a tense thriller, perhaps dated in parts, but a terrific film, nonetheless. Andrew V. McLaglen was best known as an action director, typically featuring an ageing John Wayne in a string of cowboy films. Yet North Sea Hijack is surprisingly short on action sequences, with McLaglen successfully relying on suspense, solid performances and a convincing plot, all slowly ticking towards a crowd-pleasing finale.

4. Thompson’s Last Run (1986)

It’s the mid-1980s, and screen icon Robert Mitchum has a lead role in a low-key thriller. Okay, this is straight to television fare, but it’s Mitchum as a safe cracker on the run from a lawman (Wilford Brimley); what’s not to like?

Mitchum is John Thompson, a career criminal who has spent much of his life behind bars. Thompson gets a visitor, his niece Louise (Kathleen York), who is desperate for her Uncle to become a much closer family member. Yet, Louise learns that Thompson will remain in prison for life due to the “habitual criminal act,” and her dream of a happy family is short-lived.

Wilford Brimley is Red Haines, a soon-to-be-retired lawman, an old friend and adversary of Thompson’s who asks his superiors for one last job. Red’s job is to transport his old friend to another prison, and the story moves along at a leisurely pace as both men reminisce about their shared history, lived on both sides of the law.

Thompson’s niece Louise -re-enters the story, and the film steps up the pace as the gun-toting Louise forces her Uncle John to make a run for it, with the old lawman promising, “I’ll be coming for ye.”

Thompson and Louise get on the road, with Thompson coming to terms with his life as a fugitive from justice. While Red is not exactly in hot pursuit, Thompson has time for a spot of fishing, and the film returns to its leisurely pace as the pair turn to robbery and family dilemmas.

It’s hardly The Getaway, but Thompson’s Last Run is a slow burn, with a typically charismatic performance by Robert Mitchum. Robert Mitchum’s career by the 1980s had chugged along nicely with a string of television spots and character roles in TV movies before Martin Scorsese plucked Mitchum from the television schedules for an extended cameo in his remake of Cape Fear. Yet, in Thompson’s Last Run, much like his role in the earlier TV movie A Killer in the Family, Mitchum proved he was still a formidable presence onscreen.

Let’s face it: Mitchum is excellent with his bit part in Scrooged and good value in War and Remembrance if you can stick to the protracted running time. But in the twilight days of his career, with Thompson’s Last Run, Mitchum, once more in a leading role, proves he’s still the coolest anti-hero in cinema.

5. Tightrope (1984)

It’s New Orleans, and a killer in town enjoys murdering sex workers in the neon-lit French Quarter of New Orleans. Clint Eastwood is Wes Block, a police detective, in another cop film that will please most Dirty Harry fans with its suspense, sex and violence. Yet, Eastwoods’ Wes Block is no Harry Callahan. Wes Block is a family man with two devoted daughters, but he’s also a cop who enjoys the same erotic side of town as the killer, as each time another dead body turns up, it’s clear that Block knows each victim intimately.

With the mud-wrestling women and kinky sex scenes, director Richard Tuggle not only ties sex and violence together in Tightrope, but in Eastwoods’ introduction into the film, Tuggle connects Eastwood’s homicide detective with the killer with a simple ‘match shot’ of a pair of shoes. The film pulls cop and killer together, as a criminal psychologist tells Wes, “There’s a darkness inside all of us…Some have it under control. Others act it out; the rest of us try to walk a tightrope between the two.” While juxtaposing Block’s cosy homelife with his daughters (one of which is Eastwood’s actual daughter, Alison Eastwood), Block enters the seedy underbelly of New Orleans while interviewing sex workers and wrestling with his own sexual obsessions.

It’s a dangerous psychological tightrope where Block must walk the fine line between his sexual demons and his life as a police detective and father. Geneviève Bujold plays Beryl Thibodeaux, who runs a rape crisis centre and challenges Block’s thought processes and notions about women. In a way, she becomes Block’s moral compass and confidant as Block grows concerned about how “close” the killer is getting to him.

Released a few years before Hollywood spewed out 9½ Weeks and Fatal Attraction, Tightrope offers an erotic thriller with an engaging performance by Clint Eastwood, exploring his onscreen masculinity as an icon in American cinema.

In Tightrope, everything you expect from this type of thriller materialises. Does his two daughters become in danger when the killer gets too close? Check. Does Block’s relationship with Beryl melt some of Block’s hard exterior? Check. Does Block catch the killer? Well, that would be telling.

As one of the most prolific and best loved genres in film there is an overabundance of quality cinematic thrillers. Amongst so much competition it is easy to miss out on hidden gems. What is more there are so many flavours of suspense, tension, chase, twists and all the other ingredients that make a good thriller. There are also so many different combinations of genre, tone, and theme, as well as the expansive span of cinema history to choose from.

This list will endeavour to present a host of thrillers that for one reason or another are underseen and underappreciated. Some are from well-known directors whose more famous work in the genre overshadows these offerings. Others are more contemplative character-based thrillers which might be lost in the flashier action-packed alternatives. A few are genre hybrids that are sometime hard to categorise but are thrillers to their core. They are all worthy additions to perhaps the oldest cinematic genre, built to quicken an audience heartbeat and get them on the edge of their seat. A genre that thrills but also that makes you contemplate sticky moral conundrums and the darker side of human nature like no other. These thrillers although lesser-known offerings combine these elements seamlessly and deserve your attention.

1. This Gun for Hire (1942)

Somewhat lost in the noir canon of the 1940s, this film is historically notable for many reasons. It introduced actor Alan Ladd, and his cinematic paring with actress Veronica Lake. This Gun for Hire is lumped into that ambiguous genre but in many ways, it feels like a more traditional action thriller. It involves a killer on the run Raven, a damaged loner, and assassin for hire. Raven is out for revenge against the employers who double crossed him. Lake plays, Ellen, a more morally heroic version of the icy blonde femme fatale. She gets to be on the side of the angels or more accurately Uncle Sam, but not without losing her streetwise independence and sardonic wit.

Despite the patriotic overtones, this is a dark tale, with some surprisingly fetishist elements. Raven as played by Ladd is a prototype for the ritualistically perfectionist antihero. A figure that forms the basis of Jeff Costello in La Samourai and recurs in Hollywood cinema from Travis Bickle to Ryan Gosling’s The Driver. While Raven is really a supporting antagonistic character, he steals the show and stands as an icon of the thriller genre and the movies in general. An icon that shouldn’t be lost amongst a larger film history movement.

2. The Man Between (1953)

Coming after his two more famous political thrillers Odd Man Out and The Third Man Carol Reed made a worthy but underseen follow up in The Man Between. Once again, we are in a post-war European city this time a divided and flattened Berlin. Into this treacherous environment comes innocent British school teacher Susanne visiting her Army officer Brother and his mysterious German wife.

James Mason gives a usually mercurial performance as German Ivo, both exploiting the porous border between West and East and trapped between it. Much like the city Ivo carries the ghosts of a nation imprisoned by both the Nazi past and the cold war present. We get the usual intrigue of the spy thriller foreign agents in old style hats and coats, questioned loyalties, chases through shadowy streets. All shot in the familiar expressionistic lighting and skewed camera angles of the more famous The Third Man. However, A Man Between is a more sombre almost John Le Carré esque story about national identity and shame. As such it stands out as a foundational text in the cinematic cold war thriller.

3. Le Boucher (1970)

A psychological thriller with precise gallic cool, directed by the “French Hitchcock” Claude Chabrol. It is easy to see shades of Shadow of a Doubt and Notorious in this tale of murder and suspicion. True to his influence Claude Chabrol utilises the blonde hair of his heroine, the schoolteacher Hélène, fixing the camera on the back of her head on several occasions. This perhaps is also to represent her coolness, her rejection of desire in contrast to the Butcher of the title. On the other hand, his murderous compulsion is shown through the striking use of red. Red that appears subtlety throughout, as well as vividly on the bodies of the woman he has killed.

Like Shadow of a Doubt, it explores unexamined perversity lurking in an idyllic small-town setting. Likewise, it explores the fear that someone close to us might be capable of evil and how we can react with denial. What sets it apart though is the disturbing idea that perhaps these two lost souls might offer each other some sort of redemption. That they both provide relief for each other’s sexual peculiarities. As such Le Boucher feels like a bridge between the subtle perversity of old school phycological thrillers and the more extreme psychosexual cinematic forms that where emerging, a la Brian de Palma. Chabrol became a master of this new tradition, and he remains a criminally underseen director. Le Boucher is the perfect place to start.

4. Winter Kills (1979)

This satirical conspiracy thriller uses the Kennedy assassination as its inspiration with Kafkaesque results. Jeff Bridges stars as Nick the member of a Kennedy-esque dynasty, the Kegans, trying to uncover who killed his half-brother a JFK like President. John Houston not only carries his mantle from Chinatown of being the embodiment of corrupted evil he turns it up to eleven. This time as Winter the patriarch of the Kegan family, a lecherous, corrupt tycoon, with tentacles in every facet of American financial and political power.

Winter Kills was lost in the strong competition of 70s paranoid conspiracy thrillers. It is perhaps the final say on that genre and era of filmmaking. It is a satire on the very concept of conspiracy itself. Cranking up the absurdity and corruption of American political and capitalistic power to comically dizzying effect. Ironically in its exploration of dodgy mafia dealings and defence contracts it is quite faithful to conspiracies surrounding JFK’s own rise to power and relationship with his father. Even stranger the film had a very short cinematic run, with the filmmakers speculating that it might have displeased some powerful people. Top that, Oliver Stone.

5. Cutter’s Way (1981)

Jeff Bridges is at it again this time in a sunny Santa Barbara which is rotten to the core. Cutter’s Way comes at the beginning of those slick early 80s thrillers, (Body Heat came out in the same year). However, it feels like a throwback in its exploration of American corruption or perhaps a hangover from it.

It’s set in a world that is moving on from such countercultural freak-out, but our heroes haven’t quite got the message. Bridges is Bone, a charming but aimless gigolo who stews in alcoholic self-pity with abrasive disabled Vietnam veteran Alex Cutter and Cutter’s tragically despairing wife Mo. Their investigation of a murder involving an Oil tycoon brings up moral, political and interpersonal conflicts amongst these damaged friends.

This is a somewhat talky neo noir, a thriller of ideas and characters. For Cutter bringing down the murderer is a way of making a final stand against all those who think they can get away with it. Those who betrayed him to a life of disability and pain all for a greater political lie. His way of doing so leads to a thrilling climax and one of the most satisfyingly abrupt endings in cinema. It is a thriller that leaves you thinking about it long after it is over.