The best movies can thrill us to our cores, and what better genre of film to do that than the psychological thriller? These films belong to the tradition of truly unhinged cinema. Even the genre’s definition refuses coherence; somehow they can be horror, murder mystery, or even action films, but they are all united under the same organizing principle: There are always characters who are mentally tortured or situations that are disturbingly removed from reality. Think: characters losing their grip on their sanity, stories filled with paranoia and delusion, revenge fantasies, serial killer movies, or political dramas that raise your heart rate.
Luckily for us, we live in the age of overstuffed streaming services. So, if you’re down to be stressed for anywhere between 90 minutes to three hours, this list of movies is guaranteed to give you enough anxiety and creeping thrills that you may even forget your worries for a moment. That said, one of the best parts about psychological thrillers is their ability to reveal systemic issues in our society or function as elaborate thought experiments. Totally fun, chill stuff!
The exact qualifications of a psychological thriller are hard to nail down, so we rounded up the movies we believe are A) incredibly thrilling and B) tied to psychological anxieties. This list would be nothing without classics, but you can also expect to see modern masterpieces. While these movies aren’t as escapist as they seem at facevalue, they are—in our humble opinion—the best psychological thrillers of all time.
'American Psycho' (2000)
Businessman by day and serial killer by night, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) keeps himself busy. It's a near-perfect book-to-movie adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' popular 1991 novel, brought to the screen by director Mary Harron, who was wildly ahead of her time in emphasizing the story's examination of toxic masculinity.
'Black Swan' (2010)
Natalie Portman plays a professional dancer who slowly loses her sanity as she battles for the prima ballerina spot for a production of Swan Lake. We'll never get her line reading of, "I was perfect," out of our heads.
'Blow Up' (1966)
Who doesn’t want to watch a movie about a '60s-era fashion photographer (David Hemmings) with a messy sex life who accidentally stumbles upon criminal activity?
'Blue Velvet' (1986)
Just writing “Laura Dern” should suffice, but this David Lynch movie is about a pair of young adults (Dern and Kyle MacLachlan)who team up to investigate the case of a loose ear that they find abandoned in a field. Throughout their detective cosplay, they encounter an underground world populated by a lounge singer and a weird, sexually depraved Dennis Hopper.
'Burning' (2018)
There’s luscious cinematography, a slow burn of a plot, and ill-fated trips to the countryside in Lee Chang-dong’s film Burning, based on the short story "Barn Burning" by Haruki Murakami. Also, Steven Yeun stars, which is more than enough reason to keep you glued to the screen.
'Cape Fear' (1991)
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro are a match made in film Heaven. Scorsese's remake of the classic 1962 noir sees De Niro star as tough guy, Max Cady, who is wrongfully convicted in prison for 14 years. After his release, he goes after the lawyer (Nick Nolte) who withheld the evidence that proved Cady's innocence.
'The Conformist' (1970)
Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is an agent working in Mussolini’s Italy, charged with assassinating his old college professor. Clerici craves the stability of conformism and ultimately sacrifices everything for acceptance in the order that fascism affords, all to the backdrop of pristine architecture and decadent set design.
'The Conversation' (1974)
Francis Ford Coppola didn’t miss in the '70s, and this film proved just how original his vision is. The Conversation tells the story of a paranoid surveillance expert (Gene Hackman) hired to tail a mysterious couple. Haunted by a previous job that went wrong, he grows more and more crippled by the case, as nothing is as it seems.
'Diabolique' (1955)
Two women (Simone Signoret and Véra Clouzot), united by their mutual hatred, successfully plot to murder the abusive boarding school headmaster (Paul Meurisse), only to misplace his corpse.
'Dirty Pretty Things' (2002)
Two immigrants (Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou) in London contend with squalid conditions and the illegal organ trade in Stephen Frears’ topical film. The dark underbelly of the city, and the reality of exploitation, make for a disturbing ride.
‘Don't Worry Darling’ (2022)
Though not a perfect film by any means, the premise of the Olivia Wilde-directed Don’t Worry Darling is certainly a good and very creepy one: As Florence Pugh’s Alice begins to feel an increasing sense of unease in her idyllic(-seeming) midcentury suburb, the film zooms out to reveal a truly disgusting plot wrought by the community’s male contingent.
'Ex Machina' (2014)
Alicia Vikander plays a robot who slowly betrays her sentience in this Alex Garland sci-fi thriller that just so happened to help put indie production house A24 on the map. Domhnall Gleeson stars as the programmer who must participate in a Turing test to determine the robot’s capabilities. It'll keep you on your toes.
'Eyes Wide Shut' (1999)
Tom Cruise plays a bitter doctor who grows upset after his wife (Nicole Kidman) admits to fantasizing about other men. In a huff, he wanders around gritty N.Y.C. where he eventually stumbles upon an underground sex club. Stanley Kubrick's last-ever film before his death goes in shocking psycho-sexual directions, you'll be wondering how he convinced the then-married couple to make the movie together.
'Fatal Attraction' (1989)
After watching this movie, Glenn Close's stellar performance will have you convinced to never get on her bad side. She stars as a book editor named Alex who gets into a casual fling with lawyer Dan, (Michael Douglas), who happens to be happily married with a daughter. When Dan suddenly cuts off the relationship, Alex goes off the deep end, eventually getting violent with her obsessive stalking of Dan and his family. It's the original erotic thriller and one of the most classic '80s movies for a reason.
'Fight Club' (1999)
Brad Pitt plays Tyler Durden, a traveling soap salesman who befriends a lonely and depressed man (Edward Norton). Together, the two men form a secret underground club in David Fincher’s mind-bending '90s movie.
'Forgotten' (2017)
In this twisted South Korean thriller, a young man's brother (Kang Ha-neul) returns home after a 19-day abduction with no memory of what happened. Soon after, the man's whole family starts acting strange, setting off a plot where every twist and turn is a surprise.
'Fresh' (2022)
Like the rest of us, Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is tired of the online dating scene, so when she stumbles across the charming and super-hot Steve (Sebastian Stan) IRL, she thinks she hits the jackpot. However, things take a dark turn during a romantic getaway in this feminist horror movie.
'Gaslight' (1944)
What you can glean from this classic Old Hollywood film's title is exactly what you can expect to see. Ingrid Bergman plays a young singer who meets the love of her life (Charles Boyer), who becomes manipulative and emotionally abusive after they get married and move in together. You may be second-guessing yourself on who is in the wrong here, which is one of the reasons this film is great.
'Gerald's Game' (2017)
In this Mike Flanagan adaptation of a Stephen King novel, a married woman (Carla Gugino) has to battle her psyche after her husband (Bruce Greenwood) dies from a heart attack during sex, leaving her handcuffed to a bed in a secluded cabin.
'Get Out' (2017)
The jury is out on what genre Get Out belongs to, but one thing for sure is that there has never been a better psychological examination of the racism that white liberals employ in the name of upholding their supremacy. And that reality is genuinely unsettling.
'Gone Girl' (2014)
After Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing, her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) becomes a suspect in her disappearance. As secrets begin to surface, we see who the couple truly is behind their facade in this iconic feminist movie adapted from Gillian Flynn's bestselling mystery-thriller novel.
'The Handmaiden' (2016)
Part psychological thriller, part romance, The Handmaiden tells the story of an elaborate deception from the perspective of the conwoman (Kim Tae-ri) and the noblewoman (Kim Min-hee) being conned. The two also fall in love in this story set in Japanese-occupied Korea in this surprisingly fun, twisty Park Chan-wook film.
'The Invisible Man' (2020)
After learning that her abusive ex is dead, a domestic violence survivor (Elisabeth Moss) starts experiencing supernatural events. Is she losing her mind, or has her ex somehow learned how to become invisible?
'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' (2017)
A respected heart surgeon's (Colin Farrell) life turns upside down after he starts mentoring a young boy (Barry Keoghan) whose father died during an operation. One of Yorgos Lanthimos' earlier works, it never holds back from being disturbing.
'The Lighthouse' (2019)
Set in 19th century America, Robert Pattinson and Willem Defoe lose their grip on reality at a lighthouse in the middle of the sea. From Robert Eggers (The Witch, Nosferatu), the eerie, seafaring tale is somehow both immensely period accurate and wildly fantastical.
'Memento' (2000)
After his wife’s brutal rape and murder, Leonard (Guy Pearce) resolves to track down the perpetrator in this thriller from Christopher Nolan. However, there's a problem: His memory lapses make for a difficult manhunt as he cannot remember anything from 15 minutes in the past.
'The Menu' (2022)
The Menu, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes, was one sleeper-hit of 2022, and boy is it good. It follows a group of wealthy guests traveling to a remote island to eat a lavish menu prepared by a world-class chef (Fiennes), but things take a turn fast. Not only is this film a social commentary on the upper echelons of society, but it's a surprisingly hilarious dark comedy with so many outlandish events, you'll never be prepared for what happens next.
'Midsommar' (2019)
Florence Pugh delivers a masterclass on emotional acting in this creepy film director by Hereditary's Ari Aster. The thriller, set entirely during the daytime, follows a group of young people traveling to a Northern European festival, but little do they know about some of its terrifying traditions. Don't be duped by the film's light and bright setting—this movie will have you constantly thinking, "What the fuck just happened?"
'Misery' (1990)
This Stephen King adaptation follows a famous author (James Caan) who's injured and he's taken in by his biggest fan (Kathy Bates). The already disturbing tale is made all the more claustrophobic by Bates' all-timer creepy performance.
'Mulholland Dr.' (2001)
Unreliable narrators (read: Naomi Watt’s character) lead us astray for over two hours in this movie, the most Lynchian David Lynch work to ever emerge. He gave us Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and Eraserhead, so it’s no surprise that Mulholland Dr.'s tale of an aspiring actress (Watts) who befriends an amnesiac (Laura Harring) goes off the rails, fast. There’s no way to distinguish what's dream and reality.
'Nightcrawler' (2014)
A creepy standout in Jake Gyllenhaal's filmography is the thriller Nightcrawler. He stars as Louis Bloom, an L.A. con man who discovers crime journalism as a means of a big paycheck. Eventually, Bloom takes increasingly drastic measures to get the perfect "money shot."
'No Country for Old Men' (2007)
Don’t stumble on a hitman while out hunting. As seen by this Oscar-winning Coen Brothers movie, it won’t end well.
'Nocturnal Animals' (2016)
In case you didn't know, Tom Ford is also a stellar director, in addition to being a world-renowned fashion designer. In his second feature film, Amy Adams plays a woman named Susan whose idyllic life is shaken up by the arrival of a manuscript written by her ex-husband (Jake Gyllenhaal). As it follows the story of a man whose family vacation eventually turns deadly, Susan is forced to confront her own demons while reading it. Nocturnal Animals is a story within a story that will undoubtedly leave you shaken up.
'Parasite' (2019)
Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning masterpiece tells the story of a desperately cash-strapped and destitute family who all gain employment at the home of absurdly wealthy people. However, considering how class operates in the world as we know it, the center cannot hold.
'Perfect Blue' (1997)
This anime film from director Satoshi Kon about a pop-star-turned-actress (which served as inspiration for Black Swan) still manages to give chills. After Mima Kirigoe leaves her Japanese idol group for a bit part in a TV show, she discovers an obsessive fan who continues to stalk her. The movie is about fame and feminism, while being weirdly prophetic about the future ubiquity of internet blogs and social media impersonation/catfishing.
'Persona' (1966)
This movie is essentially a series of quiet mind games. Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Persona is the story of an actress (Liv Ullmann) who becomes mute after she experiences a blackout during a performance. After a recommendation to recover at the beach with her nurse (Bibi Andersson), she loses track of where she ends and the nurse begins.
'The Platform' (2019)
This Spanish-language film follows the unfortunate prisoners housed in vertical cells in which they must feed from a giant "platform" of food that goes from top to bottom. If those on the upper levels only grabbed what they needed, those on the lower levels could survive too, but unfortunately, that's not how this film plays out. If you can stomach the graphic imagery, it's an inventive commentary on wealth, race, and class.
'Prisoners' (2013)
When two young girls go missing, a father takes matters into his own hands to find his daughter, no matter the costs. Featuring a stacked cast with Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, and Terrance Howard, this crime thriller is equally emotional as it is suspenseful. Denis Villeneuve's drama never shies from intensity, but it will keep you guessing until the end credits roll.
'Psycho' (1960)
This list wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of Alfred Hitchcock, one of the genre's pioneers. Psycho remains one of the most iconic horror films—but if you haven't seen it, it’s not a spoiler to say that the famous bathroom stabbing sequence is a nail-biter.
'Purple Noon' (1960)
Before The Talented Mr. Ripley, there was Purple Noon, also loosely based on Patricia Highsmith's popular 1955 novel. Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) is an opportunistic social climber who gets paid to go to Italy and persuade his happy-go-lucky friend (Maurice Ronet) to return home. But why send your friend back to his father if you can comfortably live off his money indefinitely? Or even steal an identity?
'Repulsion' (1965)
If you want to be on the edge of your seat and seriously worry about the well-being of a young woman, then this is the movie for you. Manicurist Carole (Catherine Deneuve) has been abandoned by her sister for an Italian holiday, so she must fend for herself, dealing with her suitors and repetitive job. But what if she becomes too stressed to work and all men suddenly give her the ick (plus terrifying hallucinations)? So, she goes a little mad.
'Rosemary's Baby' (1968)
Perhaps one of the most terrifying movies on this list, Rosemary’s Baby follows Rosemary (Mia Farrow) as she comes to believe that her child may not be a normal human baby. Both her eccentric elderly neighbors and husband (John Cassavetes) are acting especially suspicious—could they be launching a satanic-slash-cultish plot involving the child?
'Se7en' (1995)
You can't call yourself a thriller fan if you haven't seen David Fincher's Se7en. The film stars Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt as two detectives on the case of a serial killer who chooses victims based on the seven deadly sins. It's dark and full of suspense, with a final act that will leave you in shock.
'Shutter Island' (2010)
One of Marty’s more underrated films (that’s Martin Scorsese for you locals), Shutter Island stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a U.S. Marshal charged with investigating the escape of a murderer at a remote island mental institution. But can the marshal escape with his own sanity intact?
'Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
Jodie Foster plays Clarice Starling, an FBI agent who is studying the psychology of Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter for insight into an open case. But could Clarice be the key to Hannibal’s prison break? The film took home five Oscars in the top categories–including Best Picture, Best Director, and acting honors.
'The Sixth Sense' (1999)
Writer and director M. Night Shyamalan has built a reputation as a master of the psychological thriller, and this 1999 film, perhaps his most famous work, boasts one of the greatest twist endings in cinematic history. If you’ve somehow avoided the spoilers for the last quarter-century, you’re in for a major shock.
'Stranger by the Lake' (2013)
This erotic thriller tells the story of Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps), who cruises at a nude beach in France. He eventually meets Michel (Christophe Paou), who may or may not be murderous.
'Taxi Driver'
Martin Scorsese’s classic movie about a veteran (Robert DeNiro) who obsesses over N.Y.C.’s criminal activity dives into the psychology of vigilantes and our cultural fascination with them.
'We Need to Talk About Kevin' (2011)
This movie, based on a book of the same name by Lionel Shriver, is about the horrifying dynamic between a child and his mother Eva (Tilda Swinton), as she becomes convinced that he's seriously disturbed. After becoming a stay-at-home mom to take care of her son, she watches him grow into a troubled teen (played by Ezra Miller), forcing her to deal with the consequences of his actions.
'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' (1962)
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford lead this campy thriller classic as the creepy, co-dependent Hudson sisters. Davis plays the titular "Baby Jane," an ex-child star now forced to care for her wheelchair-bound older sister, Blanche (Crawford). Blanche wants revenge for the accident that left her disabled, while Jane is desperate to get rid of her sister so she can pursue a new rise to fame. What results is one dark, suspenseful ride of a film.
