We absolutely love getting that adrenaline rush from an edge-of-our-seat thriller movie.
As self-proclaimed thriller fans, we decided to compile a list of our top 10 favorite thriller movies of all time. These films had us gripping our seats, jaws dropped in suspense.
Read on for our must-watch recommendations and discover your next thrilling movie obsession!
Best Thriller Movies of All Time
These are the 10 best thriller movies of all time which are fans favorite that can be watched on popular OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime video, etc.
1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
There’s a reason this chilling thriller swept the Oscars. The film follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she seeks help from an imprisoned serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, to catch another killer on the loose.
From the very first spine-tingling scene between Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, we were hooked. Hopkins is bone-chilling as the brilliant yet terrifying Dr. Lecter.
Every suspenseful scene between him and Foster had us on the edge of our seats. And the suspense when Clarice hunts the killer in the dark, creepy basement?
Forget about it!
We were shaking. If you love a truly haunting thriller, Silence of the Lambs is a must-see.
2. Get Out (2017)
We love a thriller movie with gripping suspense and smart social commentary. That’s exactly what we got in Get Out.
Daniel Kaluuya stars as Chris, a young Black man heading off to meet his white girlfriend’s family. What begins as awkward interactions soon descends into a freaky journey uncovering the family’s chilling secrets.
There are so many gasp-worthy twists and horrifying reveals that had our heads spinning. And Jordan Peele’s unique way of exploring racial tensions through slow-building dread and shockingly dark humor left us thinking for days.
We love getting thrills while examining relevant social issues—and Get Out delivers.
3. Rear Window (1954)
For an old-fashioned thriller filled with voyeuristic suspense, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is just perfection.
James Stewart stars as a wheelchair photographer who thinks he witnessed a murder while peering into his neighbors’ apartment windows. The premise sounds simple, but Hitchcock turns a confined set into a masterclass in nerve-fraying tension.
We were utterly spellbound watching Stewart’s character gather clues and dangerous evidence from his window as stories unfold in the various apartments.
And that chilling ending?
We’re still shaking.
For classic thriller movie, we highly recommend pulling up the shades on Rear Window.
4. Parasite (2019)
Who knew a Korean thriller could make us laugh one minute and gasp in horror the next?
Parasite tells the story of a low-income family scheming their way into jobs with a wealthy household. What begins as a darkly comedic con turns into a twisted, gasp-inducing thriller with surprises at every turn. We were truly at the edge of our seats as the families’ lives intertwined, both hiding scandalous secrets.
And leading man Song Kang-ho effortlessly blends laugh-out-loud humor with nerve-wracking desperation. We can’t handle the nonstop thrills of this unique modern classic.
Once you watch, you’ll be hooked.
5. Zodiac (2007)
We love an unsolved true story that keeps us theorizing for days. And Zodiac, about the real-life Zodiac killer who terrified San Francisco, had our amateur detective brains working hard.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Robert Graysmith, a political cartoonist turned obsessed code-cracking sleuth. Watching him piece together clues and evidence over decades had us absolutely captivated.
And knowing the murders were never officially solved gave us an itch we still can’t scratch. Packed with shocking scares and almost unbearable tension, Zodiac gets our blood pumping every time.
6. The Departed (2006)
Nonstop adrenaline? Gritty action? Sharp, witty banter? Crazy plot twists?
The Departed has it all. This crime thriller tells a heart-pounding double-crossing story, following a cop who goes undercover in an Irish mob and a gangster working as a mole in the police.
We were fully immersed in watching Leonardo Dicaprio and Matt Damon trying to expose each other while avoiding getting killed. And just when we thought we had things figured out, another jaw-dropping twist happened.
To this day, we get hyped up, reliving the film’s most intense moments. For a wildly entertaining thrill ride, The Departed always delivers.
7. Don't Breathe (2016)
We love a thriller that makes even breathing tense. That’s certainly the case in Don’t Breathe.
Jane Levy stars as one of three thieves who break into a blind veteran’s secluded home for an easy score. Except the blind man turns the lights off and makes this house his deadly hunting ground.
We could barely handle the nonstop edge-of-our-seat suspense as the sightless killer tracked down the intruders, sensing only their sounds. This unique premise is pulled off perfectly with nonstop thrills that make us forget to breathe.
If you’re starving for an adrenaline fix, Don’t Breathe will fulfill your craving.
8. Knives Out (2019)
For laughs mingled brilliantly with gasp-worthy suspense, Knives Out entertained us from start to finish.
The film follows renowned detective Benoit Blanc as he investigates the death of a wealthy novelist. Gathering the extended family of suspects together, we had a blast watching Daniel Craig’s Blanc piece together clues and interrogate relatives played charmingly by Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.
And we were totally floored by the shocking twists. Writer-director Rian Johnson put a fresh spin on classic whodunit thrillers—giving us humor, deceit, and even social commentary with our suspense.
For the ultimate crowd-pleasing thriller movie, be sure to add Knives Out to your list.
9. Prisoners (2013)
If you like thriller movies that emotionally wreck you for days, Prisoners is extremely rewarding.
Hugh Jackman stars as a father hunting for his missing daughter and a vigilante detective played amazingly by Jake Gyllenhaal. The suspense was almost too much to bear as we agonized over the daughter’s unknown fate while Jackman’s rage collided with Gyllenhaal’s principles.
Layered character development pairs perfectly with nerve-fraying tension. And the chilling plot twists in the last act had our stomachs in knots.
Prisoners keep you emotionally invested while delivering knockout thrills—exactly what we love.
10. Nightcrawler (2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal is seriously one of the most intense thriller actors out there.
In the criminally underseen Nightcrawler, he stars as Louis Bloom, an eccentric loner who films violent events in Los Angeles and then sells the footage to news stations.
We were fully immersed in riding shotgun with Bloom as he went to increasingly crazy lengths hunting the most disturbing content for profit.
Held together by Gyllenhaal’s hypnotically unhinged performance, Nightcrawler offers a biting media satire packed with nonstop adrenaline. We highly recommend watching this unique thriller gem for a chillingly good time.
We hope you loved these most thrilling & suspense movies of all time. You can watch all these thriller movies on OTT, like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, etc.
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