Rosamund Pike as Amy looks up from a lying position in Gone Girl.
Released in 2014, Gone Girl was a critical and commercial success. On top of being a clinical and effective thriller, it also has something to say about gender roles and public persona.
As a film, it resets expectations for what a modern thriller could look like. Since then, the thriller genre has been flooded with quality movies that boast tight storytelling and highly controlled tension. Among them are films that are worthy to be dissected and rewatched numerous times, just like David Fincher's film. Here, we take a look at 10 thrillers that can be considered the best since Gone Girl.
It is remarkable how varied they are. These movies tackle different settings and show that thrillers can originate from almost anything. From a workplace pressure-cooker that unfolds in real time to modern-age found footage movies that rely on the familiar, these movies thrive on building tension and delivering great entertainment for the audience. 10 'Parasite' Parasite follows the struggling Kim family who infiltrate the wealthy Park household by posing as qualified workers with no relations to each other.
First the son, Ki-woo becomes an English tutor, then the daughter Ki-jung becomes an art therapist, the patriarch Ki-taek is recruited as a driver and finally the matriarch Chung-sook replaces the household's longtime housekeeper. As they take over the house, the secrets within the house emerges. Parasite is an unseemingly effective thriller. Its genre-blending nature makes it hard to classify but at its core it is a potent social satire thriller.
It explores the class divide in society through everyday activities and fantasies of being rich into suspense. Bong Joon-ho shows his expertise at maintaining different tones in the film even though the film constantly makes sharp turns. What starts as a playful con evolves into something far darker without ever feeling forced.
Winning the Palme D'Or and four Oscars, Parasite is a thriller masterwork. 9 'Conclave' Following the death of a pope, the College of Cardinals gathers in strict secrecy and procedures to elect a successor in a process called Conclave. As Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence is tasked with overseeing the proceedings.
As the voting process unfolds, he finds himself in the middle of alliances and rivalries as long-buried secrets and ambitions begin to surface among the candidates. Based on a thrilling novel, Conclave unfolds the quiet deliberation into high-stakes suspense. The actual conclave is famously secretive so this film brings the audience right into the room where it happened. Edward Berger, who directed All Quiet on the Western Front, understands that to be an effective thriller, the film doesn’t need action.
Instead, the film builds a tight pressure cooker where all the tension comes from power and secrets. With a stellar ensemble cast led by Ralph Fiennes and a relevant release date that coincided with a real conclave, Conclave becomes one of the best thrillers in recent memory. 8 'Sicario' Sicario follows Kate Macer , an idealistic FBI agent, who is pulled into a covert government task force targeting a powerful Mexican drug cartel.
The seemingly straightforward operation quickly turns into something morally gray, as Kate finds herself surrounded by shadowy figures. Working together with CIA officer Matt Graver and mercenary Alejandro , the mission unsettles Kate as it blurs the line between law enforcement and criminality. Sicario is not a traditional action thriller where audiences can differentiate between the heroes and the bad guys. Through atmospheric control, Denis Villeneuve builds the tension in the film.
Before the big, brutal action sequences, the film is filled with long silence and buildups filled with dread. The film’s power comes from its refusal to offer clarity. As the audience, you’re as disoriented as Kate, constantly questioning who’s in control and what the actual objective is. Emily Blunt portrayed her perfectly, and it is up there among her greatest roles.
Lauded by critics and audience alike, Sicario is a modern thriller masterpiece. 7 'Get Out' In Get Out, a young Black photographer, Chris Washington , travels with his girlfriend Rose to meet her family for the first time. At first, the family seems progressive and warm, but soon Chris notices unsettling behavior from the family and their house staff. There is a growing sense that something is off and he actually does not belong.
Get Out is such a standout thriller for how it fuses social commentary with pure suspense. Having honed his craft in comedies, Jordan Peele carefully controls the tone as the writer and director. The film lets discomfort build through subtle interactions before shifting into full psychological horror. The film’s tension comes from those small things, turning everyday social anxieties into something genuinely terrifying.
It’s a thriller that works on multiple levels at once, balancing sharp satire with expertly paced escalation. 6 'Uncut Gems' Uncut Gems follows Howard Ratner , a New York jeweler with a serious gambling addiction. After acquiring a rare Ethiopian black opal, he finds himself juggling debts, family drama, and increasingly risky bets.
He is convinced that one big score will fix everything, but Howard spirals deeper into chaos, making reckless decisions that pull him further into the pit he made himself. Watching Uncut Gems is like drowning in the sea while a shark is hunting you. Adam Sandler gives a career-best performance as Howard. The Safdie Brothers craft a thriller that never lets you breathe as Howard keeps making bad decisions.
Through overlapping dialogue, constant motion, and escalating stakes, the film traps you inside Howard’s anxiety-ridden mindset. Unlike traditional thrillers, the danger here is self-inflicted, which makes every moment more frustrating and more gripping. By experiencing what Howard is going through in real time, watching this film feels more like a sustained panic attack. 5 'Searching' In Searching, David Kim looks for his teenage daughter Margot , who goes missing.
Believing his teenage daughter is still alive, he takes matters into his own hands. He uses all the clues left in her daughter's digital life, from texts, social media to search histories. In the process, he also finds another side to his daughter that he has never known before. Searching is a modern-age found footage film.
While it is not the first in the screen-life genre, Searching popularized the gimmick and actually created a suspenseful thriller through something familiar. By controlling what the audience and the main character see and when, the format becomes a storytelling advantage. John Cho commands the screen and he becomes the first Asian American actor to headline a mainstream Hollywood thriller through this film. It’s a modern thriller that understands how people live now, and uses that to build a mystery.
The film is followed by an equally suspenseful standalone sequel, Missing. 4 'Wind River' Wind River follows wildlife tracker Cory Lambert as he discovers the body of a young woman in the snow. An inexperienced FBI agent, Jane Banner , is brought in to investigate, relying heavily on Cory’s knowledge of the harsh terrain. With the brutal winter landscape, they dig deeper and find a bigger conspiracy in the case.
Directed by Taylor Sheridan before he created his wildly successful, sprawling Yellowstone saga, Wind River stands out as a thriller because of its atmosphere and restraint. Sheridan uses the stark, unforgiving setting to amplify tension. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen prove that they are beyond their superhero roles by delivering complex, emotional characters. The film builds a steady sense of dread that culminates in a climactic scene of sudden, shocking violence.
It is one of the most underrated thrillers that should be watched by more people. 3 '10 Cloverfield Lane' 10 Cloverfield Lane follows Michelle who wakes up in an underground bunker after an accident. He is held there by Howard , a paranoid survivalist who claims the outside world has been devastated by a catastrophic attack.
Alongside another survivor that Howard brought in, Michelle tries to determine whether Howard is telling the truth or manipulating them. Subscribe for Curated Thriller Picks and Insight Get more from modern thrillers—subscribe to our newsletter for curated recommendations, scene-level breakdowns, filmmaker context, and essential watching notes that deepen your appreciation of suspense cinema. 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.
Despite carrying the Cloverfield title, this film is wildly different from the 2008 sensation. 10 Cloverfield Lane is such an effective thriller because of its claustrophobic focus. Dan Trachtenberg strips the genre down to a limited space, a handful of characters, and a constant sense of unease. The film thrives on constant ambiguity, whether a disaster is happening outside and whether Howard is a good person or not. It always keep the audience off-balance and constantly guessing what's real.
The central performances by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman are solid and engaging. It's really hard to not be engrossed by this film. 2 'Thirteen Lives' Thirteen Lives follows the desperate effort to save a youth soccer team trapped deep inside a flooded cave system in Thailand. As monsoon rains cut off escape routes and oxygen levels begin to drop, an international group of elite cave divers is brought in to attempt the near-impossible rescue mission.
The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton as the divers. Based on an already thrilling true story, Thirteen Lives' responsibility as an adaptation was not to overdramatize and sensationalize the story. With Ron Howard at the helm, the film focuses on the high-risk process of the rescue and the people involved in it.
Even if you know the outcome, it doesn’t diminish the tension because the film emphasizes just how fragile the rescue was at every step, especially as the odds are against them. Credible actors like Mortensen, Farrell and Edgerton gave this film more edge.
It’s a thriller grounded in realism, where the stakes feel immediate and the danger never lets up. 1 'Boiling Point' Set over the course of a single chaotic night at Jones & Sons, a high-end London restaurant, Boiling Point follows head chef Andy Jones as he tries to maintain his kitchen while his personal life is crumbling. He is faced with demanding customers, understaffed restaurant and simmering conflicts between employees.
The film is presented in one continuous take that heightens the tension even more. If you like The Bear stressing you out, Boiling Point will be an excellent choice. It is a gripping thriller set in a workplace where everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. There's no traditional villain, as it's just human error, ego and exhaustion.
The ensemble cast is mesmerizing and they all turn everyday workplace into a nerve-wracking chaos. The one-shot gimmick is a great way to trap the audience in real time and feel the same pressure that Andy Jones is feeling. Philip Barantini and Stephen Graham perfected this style in their award-winning limited series Adolescence. The film is followed up by a series that follows the crew picking up after the event of this film.
COLLIDER. Collider · Quiz Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz Which Oscar Best Picture Is Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you.
One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one. 🪜Parasite 🌀Everything Everywhere ☢️Oppenheimer 🐦Birdman 🪙No Country for Old Men FIND YOUR FILM → QUESTION 1 / 10TONE 01 What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don't just entertain — they leave something behind.
ASomething that pulls the rug out — that makes me think I'm watching one kind of film and then reveals I'm watching another entirely. BSomething overwhelming — funny, sad, absurd, and genuinely moving, all at once. CSomething grand and weighty — a film that makes me feel the full scale of what I'm watching. DSomething formally daring — a film that pushes what cinema can even do.
ESomething lean and relentless — pure tension with no wasted frame. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 2 / 10THEME 02 Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What's yours?
AClass, inequality, and what people are willing to do when desperation meets opportunity. BIdentity, family, and the chaos of trying to hold your life together when everything is falling apart. CGenius, moral responsibility, and the catastrophic weight of a decision you can never take back. DEgo, legacy, and the terror of becoming irrelevant while you're still alive to watch it happen.
EEvil, chance, and whether moral order actually exists or if we just tell ourselves it does. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 3 / 10STRUCTURE 03 How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.
AGenre-twisting — I want it to start in one lane and migrate into something completely different. BMaximalist and genre-blending — comedy, action, drama, sci-fi, all in one ride. CEpic and non-linear — cutting between timelines, building a mosaic of cause and consequence. DA single unbroken flow — I want to feel like I'm living it in real time, no cuts to safety.
ESpare and precise — every scene doing exactly what it needs to do and nothing more. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 4 / 10VILLAIN 04 What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?
AA system — invisible, structural, and almost impossible to fight because it has no single face. BThe self — the ways we sabotage, abandon, and fail the people we love most. CHistory — the unstoppable momentum of events that no single person can stop or redirect. DThe industry — the machinery of culture that chews up talent and spits out irrelevance.
EPure, implacable evil — a force so certain of itself it becomes almost philosophical. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 5 / 10ENDING 05 What do you want from a film's ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?
AShock and inevitability — a conclusion that recontextualises everything that came before it. BEarned emotion — I want to cry, laugh, and feel genuinely hopeful, even if the world is a mess. CDevastation and grandeur — an ending that makes me sit in silence for a few minutes after. DAmbiguity — something that leaves enough open that I'm still thinking about it days later.
EBleakness — an honest refusal to pretend the world is tidier than it actually is. NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 6 / 10WORLD 06 Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what's even possible. AA gleaming modern city with a hidden underside — beauty masking rot, wealth masking desperation.
BA collapsing suburban life that opens onto something infinite — the multiverse of a single ordinary person. CThe corridors of power and science at a world-historical turning point — where decisions echo for decades. DThe grimy, alive chaos of New York and Hollywood — fame as both destination and trap. EVast, indifferent landscape — desert and highway where violence arrives without warning or reason.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 7 / 10CRAFT 07 What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable. AProduction design and mise-en-scène — every frame composed to carry meaning beneath the surface. BEditing and tonal control — the ability to move between registers without losing the audience.
CScore and sound design — music that becomes inseparable from the dread and awe of what you're watching. DCinematography as performance — the camera not recording events but participating in them. ESilence and restraint — what's left unsaid and unshown doing more work than any dialogue could.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 8 / 10PROTAGONIST 08 What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you. ASomeone smart and resourceful who makes increasingly dangerous decisions under pressure.
BSomeone overwhelmed and ordinary who turns out to be capable of something extraordinary. CA brilliant, tortured figure whose gifts and flaws are inseparable from each other. DA self-destructive artist whose ego is both their superpower and their undoing. EA quiet, principled person trying to make sense of a world that has stopped making sense.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 9 / 10PACE 09 How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately. AI love a slow build when I know the payoff is going to be seismic — patience for a devastating reveal.
BGive me relentless momentum — I want to feel breathless and emotionally spent by the end. CEpic runtime doesn't scare me — if the material demands three hours, give me three hours. DI want it to feel propulsive even when nothing is technically happening — restless energy throughout. EDeliberate and unhurried — I want dread to accumulate in the spaces between the action.
NEXT QUESTION → QUESTION 10 / 10AFTERMATH 10 What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want? AUnsettled — like I've just seen something I can't fully explain but can't stop thinking about.
BMoved and energised — like the film reminded me what actually matters and gave me something to hold onto. CHumbled — like I've been in the presence of something genuinely important and overwhelming. DExhilarated — like I've just seen cinema doing something it's never quite done before. EHaunted — like a cold, quiet dread that stays with me for days.
REVEAL MY FILM → The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is… Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works. BEST PICTURE 2020 Parasite You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another.
Bong Joon-ho's Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it's ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.
BEST PICTURE 2023 Everything Everywhere All at Once You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn't want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful.
This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it's about. BEST PICTURE 2024 Oppenheimer You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens.
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.
BEST PICTURE 2015 Birdman You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it's about. Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor's ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn't be possible.
Michael Keaton's performance and Emmanuel Lubezki's restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all. BEST PICTURE 2008 No Country for Old Men You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning.
The Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest.
No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ image medium Boiling Point Specifications Release Date 2021-07-05 Rating R Genres Drama , Thriller Runtime 95 minutes Affiliate Links Amazon See at Amazon Hoopla See at Hoopla AppleTV See at AppleTV VUDU See at VUDU Amazon See at Amazon Amazon See at Amazon AppleTV See at AppleTV YouTube See at YouTube AppleTV See at AppleTV YouTube See at YouTube AppleTV See at AppleTV YouTube See at YouTube Prime Video See at Prime Video Rakuten TV See at Rakuten TV Fetch TV See at Fetch TV Sky Store See at Sky Store BFI Player See at BFI Player YouTube See at YouTube Prime Video See at Prime Video AppleTV See at AppleTV Prime Video See at Prime Video AppleTV See at AppleTV VUDU See at VUDU Amazon See at Amazon Amazon See at Amazon AppleTV See at AppleTV YouTube See at YouTube AppleTV See at AppleTV YouTube See at YouTube AppleTV See at AppleTV YouTube See at YouTube Prime Video See at Prime Video Rakuten TV See at Rakuten TV Fetch TV See at Fetch TV Sky Store See at Sky Store YouTube See at YouTube Prime Video See at Prime Video AppleTV See at AppleTV Prime Video See at Prime Video 2 Stream / 19 Rent /18 Buy Option Links
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