Bob in close-up looking shocked as he holds his rifle in One Battle After Another
HBO Max is a hub for tons of classic and modern thriller movies, but which is the best on the platform? The thriller genre is one of the hardest to pin down. It has elements of drama, action, and even a bit of horror, and it balances all three without ever leaning too far in one direction.
There are crime thrillers, political thrillers, war thrillers, and an ever-growing list of others. The only thing that unites all thrillers is a sense of suspense, something that the masters of the genre do best. Directors like Alfred Hitchcock ostensibly invented thrillers, and created some of the best early examples. Other filmmakers have brought the genre into the modern day. HBO Max has one of the best selections of curated films on streaming today, and their catalog is a healthy mix of new and old. There are dozens of thrillers on Max, but they aren't created equal. For every classic, there are several that aren't worth watching. These 10 are guaranteed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. 10 Uncut Gems The Safdie brothers have taken up the banner for the genre in recent years, and Uncut Gems is a quintessential modern example of thriller excellence. Adam Sandler stars as a jeweler who makes a gigantic sports bet and must stake everything in the process. Uncut Gems is a darkly comedic and pulse-pounding odyssey, anchored by Sandler's stellar performance. The humor comes from the character's insistence on making the worst choices possible, and it's equal parts thrilling and frustrating to watch. The film is designed that way, but it does make it a somewhat challenging viewing. Thrillers keep audiences engaged, but it isn't always fun to cringe through a two-plus-hour movie. 9 The 39 Steps Alfred Hitchcock's entire canon is not on HBO Max, but the platform does host one of his earliest triumphs. The 39 Steps is the story of a Canadian tourist in the U.K., who becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy. Complete with many of Hitchcock's signature tropes, The 39 Steps is where The Master of Suspense earned that moniker. Mistaken identities and thrilling chases are just some of the exciting things that happen, and the film has a witty sense of humor too. Despite coming out 90 years ago, The 39 Steps still holds up. Nevertheless, it does show its age at points, which might make it a tougher watch for those who are only familiar with newer movies. 8 One Battle After Another One Battle After Another is one of the buzziest movies of 2025, and it's the best thriller of the year by far. Paul Thomas Anderson's epic concerns a washed-up former revolutionary who must come out of hiding when his daughter goes missing. Straddling the line between action and thriller, One Battle After Another is a bit of both.The film makes commentary about activism, and examines what happens when revolutionaries get old. That said, it's clear that One Battle After Another is much larger than its genres, which makes it even more intriguing. It's one of the most popular films currently on HBO Max, but it's unclear how well the film will hold up in the coming years. 7 All The President's Men Ranking among the greatest journalism thrillers ever made, All the President's Men is a portrait of political turmoil in the 1970s. It concerns the real-life story of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who uncover the Watergate scandal while working at The Washington Post. Released only two years after Nixon's resignation, it's understandably tense. It's a masterclass in ensemble acting as well as sound design. It moves along at the pace of a newsroom, but also makes time for the creeping suspense of paranoia. It's still an important flick today, but it has lost a bit of its impact as memories of the Watergate era fade away to be replaced by modern issues. 6 Diabolique The 1955 French film, Diabolique, is very nearly a horror movie. The suspense gem follows the wife and mistress of a cruel schoolmaster who hatch a plan to murder him. Afterward, they descend into paranoia when his corpse goes missing. Bleak and oppressive, the film smartly stretches out every moment to milk the thrills with a slower pace. Diabolique has some genuinely frightening images, and it's perhaps the best example of the psychological side of the thriller genre. It's unclear what's real and what's imagination, so it has a nightmarish quality throughout. However, its melding of genres also makes it less accessible than the average thriller that emphasizes action or drama. 5 Infernal Affairs Hailing from Hong Kong, Infernal Affairs is a hyperstylized thriller that influenced Hollywood cinema. A cop spends years as a mole inside the mob, while a mob member spends years as a mole inside the police force, and their covers suddenly get blown. Taking a page from classic Hong Kong action flicks, Infernal Affairs is the best of both worlds. If the plot sounds familiar, it's because The Departed is a remake of Infernal Affairs. What makes the early Aughts gem so unique is how it uses exaggerated style to tell an effective and grounded story. Its thrills are larger-than-life, but it never loses touch with reality. Outside foreign film aficionados, Infernal Affairs is still sadly underrated. 4 M Fritz Lang was an early cinema pioneer, and M was his defining thriller. A serial killer's crimes are so notorious that he is hunted by both the police and the rest of the criminal underworld. The subversive choice to make the main character so evil was way ahead of its time, and M still has a creepy atmosphere that's unmatched. The seedy city streets bring an uncanny grit to the visuals, and Peter Lorre's performance deserves endless praise. It has the bombastic look of the Silent Era, but complex themes of later cinema. Expressionism hit its peak in M, and it represents a monumental shift in the thriller genre. Nearly 100 years on, M is still perfect. 3 Fargo Following the grand tradition of filmmakers like Hitchcock and Brian De Palma, the Coen brothers picked up the thriller mantle in the '90s with classics like Fargo. Two worlds collide when a husband hires bumbling killers to murder his wife, and it gains the attention of a dogged small town cop. The pitch-black comedy intentionally subverts every thriller trope. Subscribe to the newsletter for top HBO Max thrillers Discover must-see thrillers on HBO Max - subscribe to the newsletter for curated picks, context-rich notes, and recommendation highlights that help you choose classics like M and High and Low alongside modern standouts such as Uncut Gems and Memento, and Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Frances McDormand's Marge is nothing like the conventional thriller hero, and she hides a cunning mind behind her Midwestern politeness. The loose plotting is also a subtle joke, and Fargo is even more enjoyable for those very familiar with thrillers. Its bleak laughs aren't for everyone, but it's a bona fide '90s thriller staple nonetheless. 2 High And Low Akira Kurosawa might be best known for his samurai epics, but High and Low is still one of the greatest thrillers ever made. A wealthy man becomes the target of criminals when his driver's son is kidnapped by mistake. Kurosawa's noir-inspired visuals create a unique atmosphere of unreality, and the film digs deep into its themes. Underneath the thrills and noir sensibility is a biting commentary about class in Japanese society. With that sort of underlying energy, the film keeps audiences guessing and thinking simultaneously. Kurosawa was a master of filmmaking, and he was particularly adept when he could put his own spin on established genres. Subtitles shouldn't deter anyone from seeing High and Low. 1 Memento A few years before Christopher Nolan would establish himself as one of the blockbuster hitmakers of modern cinema, he delivered a thriller masterpiece named Memento. A man hunts down his wife's murderer, but struggles with a rare memory disorder that means he can't remember the recent past. The film uses two narrative threads that combine to make a cohesive story. Memento's structure is disorienting, which makes the thrills even more exhilarating. Non-linear storytelling is hard to get right, but the streamlined script nails every detail. Christopher Nolan's movies have run the gamut from superhero action to subtle chills, but few have matched Memento. In fact, it is easily one of the best films on HBO Max, regardless of the genre.
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