Thrillers & Suspense
Thriller and Suspense Films promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension.
A genuine thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single-minded goal, to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging on the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. Plots of thrillers often involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.
Below is a grand line-up of the best in contemporary Thrillers & Suspense made since 1965. Following a similar theme, with generally a darker look is the "Film Noir" feature, well worth checking out. The exploits of "James Bond 007" may also be accessed stage left.
Right: Frances McDormand makes an arrest in the Coen Bros "Fargo".
North by Northwest (1959)
8.3/10
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Cary Grant, James Mason, Eva Marie Saint, Leo G Carroll, Jessie Royce Landis, Ma...
One of Hitchcock's greatest films. Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill, the suave ad man mistaken for a Federal Agent, trapped in a web of intrigue that... Read more
North by Northwest ( Blu-ray ) (1959)
8.3/10
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G Carroll, Ma...
One of Hitchcock's greatest films. Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill, the suave ad man mistaken for a Federal Agent, trapped in a web of intrigue that... Read more
Not Forgotten (2008)
4.8/10
Director: Dror Soref
Starring: Simon Baker, Paz Vega, Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael DeLorenzo, Claire Forlani, Ke...
Jack Bishop lives a seemingly perfect life in a Tex-Mex bordertown, but dark secrets from his past come to the surface when his 11-year-old daughter g... Read more
Nothing But the Truth (2008)
7.2/10
Director: Rod Lurie
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angela Bassett, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga, David Sch...
This tense political drama tells the tale of a Washington, D.C. reporter (Kate Beckinsale), targeted by the government after refusing to reveal her so... Read more
Notre-Dame On Fire (2022)
6.5/10
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
A film relating from the inside the Notre-Dame de Paris fire of April 2019. Read more
November (2004)
5.5/10
Director: Greg Harrison
Starring: Courteney Cox, James LeGros, Michael Ealy, Nora Dunn, Anne Archer
Greg Harrison ('Groove') helms this fantastical, psychological drama starring Courteney Cox Arquette as a photographer stricken with guilt and sadness... Read more
Novocaine (2001)
5.8/10
Director: David Atkins
Starring: Steve Martin, Helena Bonham Carter, Laura Dern, Scott Caan, Elias Koteas, Kevin...
Darkly funny comedy/thriller loaded with "bite" features Steve Martin as a straight-laced dentist whose quiet life with hygenist/fiancee Laura Dern is... Read more
Novocaine No Pain (2025)
Director: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
Starring: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthinder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Matt Walsh, Betty Ga...
Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) was born with a rare genetic disorder where he can't feel any pain. When the girl of his dreams (Amber Midthunder) is taken... Read more
Now You See Me (2013)
7.3/10
Director: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, I...
Quirky caper movie pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen" (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave... Read more
Now You See Me 2 (2016)
6.5/10
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Daniel Radcliffe,...
The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan) return for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of st... Read more