30 Best Thrillers On Netflix

Summary

• The best Netflix thrillers offer suspense and chills, with dark and twisty stories and unexpected surprises.
• Thrillers on Netflix span from Hollywood blockbusters to international films, catering to a wide audience.
• Standout titles like “A Simple Favor” and “Fractured” offer gripping narratives and compelling performances for a thrilling experience.

While the streaming service caters to all kinds of genres, the best thriller movies on Netflix are perfect for those looking for some suspense and chills. In the age of streaming, Netflix remains one of the biggest platforms with a wide array of selections in movies and television. Among their best titles are some standout titles from the thriller genre that put people on the edge of their seats with dark and twisty stories with surprises around every corner and danger always lurking in the shadows.

These thrillers now available on Netflix are a mix of originals for the streamer, films from multiple countries the streamer has given to a wider audience, and Hollywood blockbusters that packed theaters before they became available to stream. They can range from bleak and disturbing crime stories to thrillers with a sense of humor. All these impressive options show just how extensive the collection of thriller movies on Netflix is.

30 A Simple Favor (2018)

A Woman Tries To Solve The Disappearance Of A Friend

Based on the novel of the same name, A Simple Favor sees a widowed mother babysit a friend’s child, only for the other woman to go missing. She becomes determined to find her, but the more she searches, the more secrets are revealed.

A Simple Favor is full of twists and turns that it’s not easy for the audience to see coming. The movie has earned comparisons to the likes of Gone Girl because of just how twisty it is. It also provides one of Blake Lively’s best roles. The thriller made nearly five times its budget at the box office as word of mouth encouraged people to unravel the mystery themselves.

The movie has so enthralled audiences that a sequel is in development with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick set to reprise their roles.

29 Fractured (2019)

A Man Searches For His Family

Most of Netflix’s better-known thrillers are closer to action movies than they are psychological dramas. Fractured, however, is the latter. It follows a husband and father, played by Sam Worthington, who wakes up in a hospital wanting to see his wife and daughter, who were there to get the daughter’s arm examined. He had fallen asleep with a head wound in the waiting room, and everyone he interacts with assures him that he arrived at the hospital alone.

Praised, however, was the performance of Sam Worthington as a man desperate to figure out what’s happened to his family. His performance alone is worth streaming the movie.

He is sure that the hospital is hiding something from him, and he manages to get police officers to investigate. The more they search, however, the more confusing his circumstances get, largely because of the head injury he has. His perception and reality don’t exactly line up.

When it initially debuted, Fractured received mixed reviews from critics who weren’t completely sold on the premise of the movie. Praised, however, was the performance of Sam Worthington as a man desperate to figure out what’s happened to his family. His performance alone is worth streaming the movie.

28 The Boy Next Door (2015)

A Student Becomes Obsessed With A Teacher

Inappropriate age gaps in relationships can make even the most compelling storylines difficult to watch. Here, however, the relationship in question is a one night stand after which a 19-year-old becomes obsessed with the woman he spends the night with, his former teacher. He starts stopping by her house and interacting with her family and intentionally making her uncomfortable until everything escalates.

The movie received mixed reviews when it was released, but it’s a great showcase for Jennifer Lopez. Lopez often ends up in roles that don’t allow her to show the full range of her dramatic acting abilities. Here, she’s a woman who starts to unravel the more this teenage boy targets her. Her vulnerability and fear is palpable, and her performance is what makes the movie worth watching.

27 Bird Box (2018)

An Apocalyptic Thriller Sees People Search For Sanctuary Without Sight

Sandra Bullock stars in this apocalyptic thriller that sees people meet their ends after they see some sort of monstrous being. To combat the possibility of death or madness, people take to wearing blindfolds and staying in doors. The movie splits its time between the claustrophobic atmosphere of a house hiding a handful of survivors from the world and a journey out into the world to find a new sanctuary.

The mythology built in the movie has the audience asking just as many questions as they receive answers to. Every time a new bit of lore is revealed, another person ends up in danger. Bullock’s performance helps to ground the movie’s potentially outlandish presence as do the relationships between the characters.

A sequel set in Barcelona is also available to watch on Netflix. More stories set in the Bird Box universe are also still in development.

Sandra Bullock also played Loretta Sage in
The Lost City
(2022)

26 American Psycho (2000)

A Satire Of A Modern Serial Killer

Part satire, part horror, American Psycho certainly fits the bill for a thriller. It’s inspired by the 1991 novel with which it shares its name. The story follows Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, an investment banker by day and a killer by night. He takes his frustrations out about his daily life on unsuspecting victims.

The movie was hugely divisive when it originally premiered as critics didn’t like the level of violence involved, but praised Bale’s performance as the main character. Despite that division, the movie has gained a cult following over the years. It also got a much-maligned sequel a few years after it premiered. There were plans for a sequel television series in the 2010s, but the series has never made it beyond the development stage.

American Psycho still remains firmly embedded in pop culture though, with lines from the movie being used in rock songs and stills popping up in memes all over the internet.

25 The Platform (2019)

A Look At How Resources Travel From The Top Down

This Spanish movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019 and was released in theaters in Spain before getting a worldwide distribution deal on Netflix. It’s a fascinating take on a dystopian society with a platform traveling from the top of a prison-like structure to the bottom. The platform brings food to the prisoners, with those at the top getting as much as they can eat during their set time, and those at the bottom being left with the scraps.

Along with the main conceit of the movie, however, is just what the humans trapped in that particular system will do to one another in order to get what they want. One prisoner, for example, kills their cellmate and travels along the platform, searching for her child in the system. While some of those who meet the platform want to help the others below them, most of the prisoners focus on themselves rather than others, and it makes for a great microcosm of humanity.

24 Spiderhead (2022)

Prisoners Are The Test Subjects For New Drugs

Spiderhead is part satire, part thriller. It focuses on a few of the prisoners in a state-of-the-art prison that also functions as a research facility. Chris Hemsworth stars as the man in charge of the prison and the experiments performed there, while Jurnee Smollett and Miles Teller are the prisoners at the center of the story.

While the story itself received mixed reviews from critics who didn’t believe it fully delivered on the premise of the short story that inspired it, the chemistry of the leads is palpable. Hemsworth in particular is fun to watch as someone both carefully controlled and completely unhinged at different points in the movie. It’s a very different role for him from the action movies that fans might be used to seeing him in. Teller and Smollett also give incredibly grounded performances despite some of the more outlandish experiments their characters undergo in the movie.

23 The Weekend Away (2022)

A Woman Is Accused Of Murdering Her Friend

Leighton Meester stars as a woman who goes on a vacation to spend time with her friend in Croatia. While there, however, her friend disappears, and the more she investigates her friend’s disappearance, the more confusing her circumstances become. Eventually, she’s seen as a suspect herself and struggles to prove her innocence when the only person who believes her is the cab driver who drove her the night her friend disappeared.

As the mystery is slowly unraveled in The Weekend Getaway, the twists just keep coming. Each of the twists, however, makes sense within the story’s narrative instead of coming out of nowhere, which is why they work so well. It might not be the most memorable of thrillers on Netflix right now, but Meester gives a fantastic performance in the movie, proving that she is worthy of more leading roles outside of the romance genre.

22 Captain Phillips (2013)

Somali Pirates Take A Ship Hostage

The movie is inspired by the real events of Captain Phillips, played by Tom Hanks, having the vessel he was in charge of being pursued by a group of Somali pirates. When the pirates board the ship, conflict with the crew leads to them kidnapping the captain and leave the rest of the crew behind.

The movie was both a critical and commercial success, making over $200 million at the box office around the world. Critics lauded the performances of Hanks and Barkhad Abdi, who made his acting debut as the pirate who takes Captain Phillips hostage, in the movie. The movie was nominated for six Oscars, nine British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globes among others.

While the production team was accused of not telling a completely authentic story, Paul Greengrass stood behind the movie, having used multiple books about the event to provide the framework of the story. Even if some of the events have been altered, the movie still makes for a taut thriller.

21 Reptile (2023)

A Detective Looks At Various Suspects Of A Murder

Reptile had a different release than most movies made for streaming. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before being released in theaters exclusively for a week. Only then did it make its Netflix debut. Within two weeks, it was the top streamed movie on Netflix, and it stayed in that spot for three weeks.

A murder mystery story with a dedicated detective at its center is an effective type of story often seen in thriller movies. The Netflix Original movie Reptile offers its own take on the genre with the story kicking off with a husband (Justin Timberlake) discovering the body of his fiancé. The movie is elevated by Benicio Del Toro’s lead performance as a troubled yet determined detective investigating the case. As the mystery gets more complicated and spirals into a larger conspiracy than he had expected, Del Toro’s reserved and gripping performance helps to ground it all.

20 The Pale Blue Eye (2022)

A Detective Investigates A Murder At A Military Academy

A period piece is a rarer thing to see in the thriller genre, but it can be very appealing when pulled off well. Christian Bale reteamed with director Scott Cooper for the 1800s murder mystery The Pale Blue Eye. Bale stars as a reclusive detective who is called back into the profession to help solve a murder at the military academy in West Point, where he is aided by a young cadet, Edgar Allan Poe.

The movie takes that interesting bit of history about the famed author to develop this dark gothic tale. Indeed, the interactions between Bale’s detective and Harry Melling’s Poe are the best aspect of the movie, leading to a clever twist ending. In fact, Melling’s performance in particular was praised by critics who hadn’t seen him in many on-screen roles since his role as Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter movies.

19 The Stranger (2022)

An Undercover Cop Attempts To Trap A Kidnapper

Some of the best thriller movies on Netflix are ones that completely slipped under the radar. With so many streaming platforms now, and so many competing to release original content to pull subscribers away from another service, it can be easy to miss even some of the best movies and TV shows. Such is the case with the Australian true-crime movie The Stranger.

Based on a true kidnapping case, the movie stars Joel Edgerton as a cop investigating the case who goes undercover to befriend the prime suspect (Sean Harris). Despite the real events that inspired it, the movie still builds tension and intensity with its quiet yet gripping story. Egerton and Harris each deliver strong performances as these complex characters.

The filmmakers have to be praised for respecting the wishes of the real family, who didn’t want to be involved in the movie at all. Because of that, the real name of the victim is never revealed in the movie out of respect for the family.

18 Gerald’s Game (2017)

A Woman Struggles To Free Herself

There have been a lot of Stephen King books and short stories adapted for the screen. While some are beloved, others have been savaged by critics. It can be a daunting task to adapt one of his stories knowing that fans will be watching. Mike Flanagan, however, doesn’t seem to be afraid of the challenge.

Before Mike Flanagan adapted Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep, he brought the author’s 1992 novel Gerald’s Game to the small screen. Like the 2019 sequel to The Shining, Gerald’s Game stands as one of the better King adaptations from Hollywood’s newest glut of them. The plot follows Carla Gugino’s Jessie Burlingame, whose husband dies from a heart attack while the two are arguing.

Unfortunately for Jessie, she’s handcuffed to their bed’s headboard, and now she’s seeing the dead. It is a simple premise that mixes relatable horror with supernatural fear in an effective way. It also features a climax that is wild but not for the faint of heart.

17 Shot Caller (2017)

A Man Finds Himself Turned Into A Hardened Criminal

Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau gives a solid lead performance in this tense and brutal thriller. Shot Caller finds Coster-Waldau playing a mild-mannered and successful family man whose reckless mistake ends him up in prison for a short prison sentence. The pressures of staying alive in the dangerous population of criminals cause him to be dragged into the world of organized crime, giving up any hope of a normal life outside of prison.

Seeing the transformation of this man is unsettling and terrifying but the movie progresses, showing a plan at work to find some sort of redemption. Some audience members might have found the film ripe for action movie cliches, but Variety praised, “an impressive sense of authenticity—in the language, the locations and the overall texture—that goes a long way to sell the scenario.”

16 Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

The Controversial Detective Hunts A Twisted Serial Killer

After five seasons of playing the brilliant but troubled detective, Idris Elba returns as John Luther in the first movie for the series, Luther: The Fallen Sun. Beginning with Luther in prison, the titular character is broken out to help hunt down a killer who blackmails people using their darkest secrets against them.

While the movie doesn’t break a lot of new ground for the character of Luther, it is a dark and gripping crime thriller that fans of the show will love. Elba continues to excel in the role while Andy Serkis is terrifying as the villain. Those two impressive actors chewing scenery is enough of a reason to see the movie. The ending of Luther: The Fallen Sun sets off the future of the character in an exciting way, but this would still serve as a fitting farewell.

15 I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore (2017)

A Woman Seeks Justice Following A Break-In

It is always impressive when a thriller can shock and disturb audiences with its storytelling while still having a sense of humor. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore is a pitch-black comedy starring Melanie Lynskey as a woman growing more disillusioned by an uncaring world.

After her house is burglarized, she decides to take matters into her own hands only to find herself in a more dangerous situation than she expected. The movie feels like a fitting tribute to the Coen Brothers’ stories of ordinary people suddenly over their heads in violence. It has some great laughs but never at the expense of the thrills.

It is always impressive when a thriller can shock and disturb audiences with its storytelling while still having a sense of humor.

The movie caught some serious attention on the film festival circuit before finally landing on streaming. Writer/director Macon Blair was even awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

14 The Devil All The Time (2020)

Various Dark Figures Intertwine In The Rural South

The Devil All the Time is a Netflix original movie that assembles a star-studded cast for a dark Southern Gothic thriller. Set in a small backwoods community, Tom Holland leads the star-studded cast of The Devil All the Time as a young man who will do anything to protect his loved ones as a variety of dark characters converge on him, including Sebastian Stan as a corrupt sheriff and Robert Pattinson as an abusive preacher.

The grim nature of the movie may be too much for some people but it is a compelling story about the darkness of humanity and Holland’s hero attempting to escape it. It’s a great showcase for Holland, Stan, and Pattinson, who some movie-goers might only know from their work in young adult or superhero projects.

13 Emily The Criminal (2022)

A Desperate Woman Becomes Involved In A Criminal Scheme

Aubrey Plaza gives her best movie performance to date in the underrated thriller Emily the Criminal. She plays a young woman struggling to find a job with her criminal background who finds an opportunity with a small and illegal scam operation. The movie is a fairly simple story that acts more as a character study of Emily than a crime story, yet still leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. The movie does a great job exploring the complexity of Emily from the unfair aspects of her struggles to the mistakes she makes.

Though the movie only just made its budget back when it was in theaters, it proved to be a hit with critics and audiences alike. With a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75 on Metacritic, critics praised John Patton Ford’s directing as much as they did Plaza’s performance. The TV rights to the story have been acquired by Legendary Television and both Ford and Plaza will return to produce, though new actors will be cast.

12 Missing (2023)

A Young Woman Investigates Her Mother’s Disappearance

Following the surprise success of Searching, Missing was developed as a sequel that wisely approached the unique format with a totally new story. Once again told entirely on the screens of computers and phones, Missing stars Storm Reid as a young girl who begins a desperate search for her mother who went missing while on vacation with her boyfriend. When no one listens to concerns about her mother, she takes on the task of finding her herself.

Just as Searching did, Missing uses the unique storytelling approach to create a fully immersive mystery that is gripping from beginning to end. While not every twist in the movie is executed perfectly, it is the kind of fast-paced thriller that is a perfect entry point for fans who are not typically thriller movie watchers.

11 El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story (2019)

Jesse Pinkman Goes On The Run

The Breaking Bad timeline continued with this Netflix Original movie that showed what happened to Jesse Pinkman after the show’s finale. While it could have been a mistake to return to this world after a well-received ending, El Camino makes it worthwhile by telling a story that fits within the feel and vibe of the show while feeling like its own story. Seeing Aaron Paul back in the role of Jesse is a thrill, and he is not the only returning character. It is a thrilling footnote to the show that wraps up one of its most beloved characters.

Critics particularly praised Aaron Paul, who hadn’t played Jesse in a few years when he returned to give the character a final send-off. El Camino won for Best Made For TV Movie at the Critics Choice Television Awards and earned several Primetime Creative Emmy nominations as well.