Regardless of what the viewer is looking for in a movie, a smart thriller will have something to offer everyone. You can also check out our list of the most productive Netflix movies for greater diversity of genres.
A chilling mystery that will captivate many viewers, Leave the World Behind offers a rather original concept that plays with concepts of fashionable horror and the American lifestyle. When a wealthy circle of relatives goes on vacation to a gigantic and sumptuous rental house, it all starts happening after a so-called cyberattack disrupts all communications and connections with the rest of the world. Through a clever and impressive use of striking cinematography, the overall tension of the film is summed up as the characters become increasingly distrustful of the existing plot situation.
One of the hottest thrillers on the list is The Devil All the Time, a strangely scary drama that tells multiple horror stories surrounding a single town. Born into a local circle of relatives with an aggressive father and war veteran, Arvin (Tom Holland) tries to remain morally unwavering as the town’s villains begin to make a splash. Although this movie enters horror territory, the brilliant performances of the actors in this movie are worth watching.
Read The Devil all the time.
Munich: The Edge of War, a gripping spy film set in the years leading up to World War II, is an honorable interpretation of Robert Harris’ foreign bestseller. Faced with the imminent invasion of Czechoslovakia via Nazi Germany, Munich hosts an emergency convention in which British rebel Hugh Lestrat (George MacKay) is caught in the crossfire. With the help of brilliant actors in the lead roles, this film helps keep the audience on the edge of their seats at all times.
Check out our list of World War II videos for more information.
From M. Night Shyamalan (director of epic mysteries like Signs, The Sixth Sense, and Unbreakable) comes Split: A Mind Mystery that centers on a kidnapper with multiple personalities. When 3 women are kidnapped through a man with 23 other distinct personalities, they are forced to receive more information about their captor in order to survive. While this movie can sometimes seem like a run-of-the-mill mystery, James McAvoy offers functionality that’s definitely worth it.
Getting a little closer to the horror genre by its graphic imagery, The Platform is a realistic and original social observation about wealth, classes, and society in general. Set in a long-standing dystopian prison, inmates live on separate but open grounds where the only percentage of food available is reduced for all, with inmates at the lowest level suffering the worst. While the film does a clever job of communicating its message in a bearable way, the overall aesthetic is hard for some to accept.
A truly exclusive cinematic experience born from Park Chan-wook’s brilliantly twisted brain, Oldboy is a combination of emotionally charged genres of the highest quality. After the negligent and irresponsible Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik) is mysteriously kidnapped and imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years, he is suddenly released back onto the streets with five days to track down his captors and seek revenge. With the combined strengths of perfect cinematography, airtight writing, and masterful mastery. Artistic progression of the story, it will be hard to avoid thinking about this gripping and vengeful tale.
Based on a novel considered unadaptable, L. A. Confidential captures the sordid and swaggering of 1950s Los Angeles police paintings with taste and class. Driven by their own righteous or moralistic causes, 3 cops delve into a gruesome shootout at a café that also asks. Lots of questions to ignore. Highlighted through the performance of a star-studded cast, all of the characters are firmly written and interpreted to create a set of individual patterns that are both very compelling and confusing.
With an exciting and talented cast, Enola Holmes is a clever and funny take on the dynamics and history of the Holmes family at its peak. Determined to find her recently missing mother and make a call for herself, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) aims to hone her detection and problem-solving skills to succeed at new heights. As the first notable film role since her on-screen appearance as Eleven in Stranger Things, it’s exciting to see Brown take on a new role that gives her more reach. .
A successful iteration of the 1930s vintage of the same name, All Quiet on the Western Front is a visual masterpiece of the painful survival of World War I. After reaching the front line of the westernmost German forces, Paul Baümer (Felix Kammerer) discovers the violent and ruthless war tragedies fighting in the trenches. What qualifies this as a mystery is the way the film manages to put audiences in the hero’s soggy boots, made even more concise through Volker Bertelmann’s Oscar-winning original score.
Read our article on All Quiet on the Western Front.
An imaginative and inventive indie film with horror trappings, Level 16 is a Handmaid’s Tale-style dystopian mystery that packs a punch. Trapped in a regimented, prison-like boarding school with a handful of other young women, Vivien (Katie Douglas) joins up with some fellow inmates and discovers the horrifying fact of her situation. While the narrative feels a bit familiar, the artistic use of color and framing creates a claustrophobic atmosphere to keep this derivative plot alive.
Another addition to the list of memorable films directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, The Mule is his first (and wildly successful) return to a starring role in eight years of production and directing. Known in his social circle as a respectable veteran. Earl Stone (Clint Eastwood), turned avid horticulturist, reluctantly begins smuggling drugs across the border for the Mexican cartel, as his flowers don’t pay the bills. With the same kind of arrogance he brought to roles in films like Gran Torino, Cry Macho and Unforgiven, Eastwood returns with a character that works brilliantly in all its variations.
Drawn from the same artistic minds that gave us Good Time, Uncut Gems is another thrilling story about an incredibly flawed protagonist and his agonizing day of chaos and confusion. Beset by financial decisions and investments beyond, Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is going through a stressful day in which several shady creditors bite his tail. At the same time, try to sell diamonds. With a frenetic power similar to the other Safdie Brothers films, Adam Sandler embodies a strangely convincing character that pairs well.
Joker, an artistic reimagining of Batman’s nemesis, features an exclusive story about the origin of the exchange that brings a new look to the villain. Diminished and brutalized by the harsh society of 1980s Gotham City, a failed comic book cracks and begins to act on its most violent impulses. Highlighted through Joaquin Phoenix’s Best Actor Oscar-winning performance, this story is a dark tale of mental intensity that has merited a sequel that will be released later this year.
Connor Sheppard is an Oregon-born IGN entertainer with a pastime for pop culture and movies.