This article highlights underappreciated thrillers, using Arthur Penn's 'Night Moves' (1975) starring Gene Hackman as an example. It argues that many forgotten thrillers possess exceptional qualities and deserve reevaluation and wider recognition.
The high stakes and tension of a well-paced thriller have helped make the genre among the most celebrated and acclaimed, with countless perfect masterpieces in its slate. However, for every widely acclaimed thriller masterpiece that has attained a powerful legacy and is still widely appreciated by audiences, there are a multitude of less acknowledged yet no less worthy efforts that have largely been forgotten.
Indeed, just because a thriller has been forgotten doesn't mean that it is completely devoid of qualities. The forgotten and neglected thrillers on this list prove to be just as exceptional as the perfect and more popular pictures that often dominate the conversation. One can only hope that, through word of mouth and the sharing of these thrillers' overwhelming qualities, they can slowly reenter the public conversation and be reevaluated and reexperienced as the masterpieces that they truly are. 'Night Moves' Few leading actors are so incredibly synonymous with thriller greatness as Gene Hackman, who was a part of more masterpiece thrillers than most actors could even dream of. However, while much has been said about the masterpiece status of The French Connection, The Conversation, and Mississippi Burning, not nearly as many people are familiar with the masterful filmmaking of Arthur Penn's Night Moves. The film sees Hackman as a private detective hired on what initially seems to be a standard missing person's case in finding the daughter of a former Hollywood actress. However, the quest for the truth leads him into a wild rabbit hole that connects the runaway girl with Hollywood stuntmen and an unsolved murder. Releasing less than a decade after Penn directed one of the most iconic crime movies of all time in Bonnie and Clyde, Night Moves sees the director at the height of his strengths. When his strengths and talents combine with Hackman's, the result is one of the most well-paced and compelling crime mysteries of the '70s. It's a film that adheres to the classic stature and conventions of procedural crime mysteries while making the absolute most out of subtle, minuscule details that leave a massive impact on the picture as a whole. 'Roadgames' The inherent fear and tension of a high-stakes game of cat and mouse between sadistic killers and those looking to bring them to justice has been a staple of thrillers and horror films for decades, yet few films accomplish the concept quite as effectively as Roadgames. The Australian exploitation film follows a truck driver traveling across Australia who, with the help of a hitchhiker , is looking to track down a serial killer known for murdering women and leaving their dismembered bodies along the highway. The duo's quest for justice and the mystery of the killer's identity leads them into all sorts of danger and misunderstandings as they navigate the vast Australian highway system. While so many thrillers that see protagonists hunting down serial killers are told from the perspective of detectives or other police agents, there is a sense of ingenuity and brilliance in following a ruthless, unrestrained citizen looking for justice after experiencing dread firsthand. Keach's performance as truck driver Pat Quid makes for one of the most engaging and versatile lead performances that '80s thrillers have to offer, unlike any other thriller protagonist imaginable. It also makes for a strikingly original concept to see a truck chasing down a minivan, and the truck driver is the actual hero of the story. 'Targets' Utilizing two parallel narratives between its hero and villain to raise the stakes and impact, Targets is a masterpiece of crime thriller tension and storytelling from director Peter Bogdanovich. One of the film's plots follows the disturbed perspective of Bobby Thompson , a seemingly ordinary young boy who suddenly embarks on a ruthless killing spree, murdering his wife and mother before shooting down anyone and everyone he can. In the other plot, an iconic horror film actor has grown disillusioned with the real-life violence in the world and contemplates ending his lofty career. The film's shocking usage of serial murder for its action, combined with insightful messaging on the desensitization of moviegoing audiences, makes Targets easily among the most intelligent and introspective thrillers that the '60s had to offer. However, the film never truly received the accolades that it deserved due to its shocking content not aligning with a country in massive mourning. With the film releasing in August 1968, America was still grieving the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy just months prior, making this film about ruthless murder one of the era's biggest box-office bombs. 'Punishment Park' Punishment Park is a shocking, at times even painful-to-watch mockumentary thriller that makes a powerful statement about the wartime protests of the '70s and the ruthless perspective that a government could have over its people. The film sees U.S. prisons at max capacity and Richard Nixon declaring a state of emergency, with all the new prisoners of the anti-war movement given the opportunity to exchange jail time for 3 days in the titular Punishment Park. There, the inmates are hunted for sport by the authorities, with extremely slim odds of survival due to the desert heat and the brutality of the police. The shocking content and controversial nature of such a politically motivated film made Punishment Park wildly controversial upon release, with audiences of the era simply not being ready for this type of heavy, bleak political statement. However, on top of its clear historical significance, the film's messaging on government overreach and near-sadistic brutality at the hands of police makes it an even more powerful political message to modern audiences. Its perfectly paced storytelling and execution, combined with its important message, make Punishment Park a powerful and deeply compelling experience, even if it isn't particularly subtle with its messaging. 'Diva' A French thriller that, while almost single-handedly launching a new wave in visual style that would define French filmmaking, has gone massively underappreciated by audiences worldwide, Diva is a masterpiece thriller that has been undeservedly forgotten. This masterclass in suspense sees a young postman secretly recording the concert performance of his favorite opera singer. However, when a woman being pursued by armed thugs slips an audio cassette into his mail bag while running away, he unexpectedly finds himself the target of these thugs without even understanding what cassette they're truly after. The visual style and finesse of its storytelling are the undeniable strengths that make Diva such a compelling thriller even decades after its release. The film feels renegade and uncompromising in its combination of arthouse and film noir styles. It doesn't even attempt to align itself to the perspectives of general audiences, and instead charges ahead at full force with its own brilliant vision of what a then-modern-day crime thriller should look and feel like. Sadly, even as international cinema has grown more appreciated and beloved in the modern day, Diva is still massively overlooked and forgotten in the grand scheme of masterful thrillers. 'End of Watch' While David Ayer has had a notable uptick in praise and strength within the thriller genre thanks to his recent collaborations with Jason Statham, End of Watch is still massively underappreciated and forgotten by audiences. The masterful cop movie follows a duo of young officers, played by Michael Peña and Jake Gyllenhaal, who find themselves fighting for their lives after they confiscate a cache of money and weapons from a notorious cartel during a routine traffic stop. It soon becomes apparent that danger could be lurking around every corner while they operate and protect the streets of LA. Discover forgotten thrillers — join the newsletter Subscribe to the newsletter for curated recommendations, background and viewing tips on overlooked thrillers and underseen cinema, plus broader rediscoveries—ideal for building a smarter watchlist and unearthing hidden film masterpieces. 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. While its story doesn't necessarily differ too much from a traditional buddy cop film, the inherent simplicity allows the filmmaking and gritty realism of its characters to work so brilliantly. End of Watch employs a more free-flowing found footage style for its camerawork, truly placing audiences in the perspective of its main characters as they experience the everyday life and difficulties of the LAPD. Combined with some exceptional performances across the board, End of Watch deserves to be in the conversation of the all-time best cop thrillers. 'Seconds' Seconds is the type of wild, sci-fi psychological thriller film whose premise and execution feel like it could have been released within the past 5 years instead of 60 years ago, feeling so ahead-of-its-time that it baffles the mind. The film follows a middle-aged New York banker, who, due to feeling disillusioned and regretful about his life, is soon contacted by an agency specializing in giving people new identities and appearances thanks to plastic surgery. After faking his death and coming out the other side as a new, young identity , he comes to terms with the painful truth behind the inadequacies of his life, as well as how he isn't the only one dealing with this looming uncertainty. Seconds is a brilliant thriller about the notions of identity and self-determination amidst an American Dream that continues to suck the soul out of those who strive for success. It's a scathing, brilliant reflection of inner regrets and pain that was so ahead-of-its-time upon release that many audiences of the '60s simply couldn't connect with its strange, otherworldly execution and themes. While some have come around to the mastery of its storytelling and insightful messaging, the film is still deeply underappreciated and has been largely forgotten by the vast majority of thriller enthusiasts. Cast Rock Hudson, Frank Campanella, John Randolph, Frances Reid, Barbara Werle Runtime 106 Minutes Director John Frankenheimer Writers Lewis John Carlino, David Ely Powered by Expand Collapse
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