There's nothing like a good thriller to get your pulse pumping and your senses tingling – the denouement of a truly well-constructed plot can be quite something to behold. Whether you're watching a movie or a lengthier series, this genre has so much to offer, whether it's spies or everyday crimes.
This year's been a great one for fans of thrillers who have streaming subscriptions, with basically every big streaming service offering up at least a few top thrillers. I've sifted through everything that came to streaming this year, and have whittled things down to give you a list of seven truly unmissable highlights. They're presented below, in no particular order – enjoy!
Black Doves
- Streaming on: Netflix
Black Doves came out of nowhere at the tail-end of 2024 but is confirmed as one of the biggest hits this year. It stars Kiera Knightley playing the sort of role she hasn't tackled much before, as a highly-skilled spy looking for vengeance when her lover is assassinated.
Ben Whishaw is also on sparkling form, and the limited series is rightly sitting on one heck of a Rotten Tomatoes rating, at 93%. It's streaming on Netflix now, having released in early December, and is a great way to round out the year if you're a fan of twisty spy dramas.
Rebel Ridge
- Streaming on: Netflix
For those on the lookout for a thriller that leans more heavily into the action side of things, Rebel Ridge is a perfect choice. It's a brilliant story of small-town corruption being exposed by one veteran who isn't willing to be stepped on, and features some sublime action scenes.
It's a movie that slightly came out of nowhere, too, without a huge amount of hype attached to it. That quickly looked like a misdirect, though, as it rocketed up Netflix's charts and attracted the sort of reviews that would make even the best streaming service blush with pride. A 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes might be all you need to know.
Day of the Jackal
If you like your thrillers spy-themed, Day of the Jackal is another superb option, and again it came quite late in the year. Starring Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne as an international master of disguise, the Jackal from the title, it tells a winding tale as law enforcement agents desperately try to track him down.
There are some fantastic set-pieces in the series, including incredibly intricate assassinations, and it's also impressively faithful to the original version at points. Redmayne anchors it all with a great performance in a role that I honestly didn't think would suit him – how wrong I was!
Woman of the Hour
- Streaming on: Netflix
If you'd rather your thrillers stay a lot more grounded and small-scale, Anna Kendrick offered up a terrific option on Netflix this year, with a frankly terrifying thriller based on an unbelievable true story. Woman of the Hour tells the tale of a real-life serial killer who, right in the middle of his long-term spree, appeared on a big-name dating show on TV.
The date with a young woman (played by Kendrick, who also directs) that he earned on that show is played out in detail in this skin-crawling thriller, one that will have you feeling more aware than ever of the everyday threat some criminals pose. To be honest, this one edges into full horror movie territory at times.
Sweetpea
If Day of the Jackal is something of an anti-hero story, then this is the ultimate expression of that form – and it confirms that, given Fallout and Arcane, this was the year of Elle Purnell. In Sweetpea she stars as Rhiannon, and unassuming young woman who's basically ignored by everyone in her life.
She hits her limit and lashes out, only to discover that she gets a real kick out of killing, which turns this into another serial killer story, but one from a novel perspective. This is really fun, bloody and profane TV, and a great counterpoint to the normal "good guys and bad guys" format.
Ripley
- Streaming on: Netflix
If you come to a thriller wanting the burn to be as slow as possible, then Netflix obliged this year with a languorous new adaptation of the classic The Talented Mr Ripley. Starring man of the moment Andrew Scott in the title role, this series slows things down massively, to let you really soak in Ripley's guilt and his self-doubt.
It was all shot in gorgeous black-and-white, which gives the series a look completely unto itself, and its willingness to sit quietly and let you draw your own conclusions, rather than just rushing headlong through plot points, is really admirable. This one might be a test of your arthouse tolerance, but it's a bit of a banger if you get on its wavelength.
Carry-On
- Streaming on: Netflix
A festive treat to round out the year, Netflix only announced Carry-On quite late in the day, but with Taron Egerton in the lead role it didn't take much for the hype to build. Thankfully, the movie lives up to that hype, with a really hare-brained plot that nonetheless zips along nicely.
Set in an airport as people travel home for the holidays, it sees a bomb plot unfold with an unsuspecting TSA agent at its centre, as Egerton is blackmailed into some reluctant participation. When he starts to fight back, the movie really kicks into gear, and it commits to its mayhem in really amusing ways.
