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".
The Recruit (2003)
6.6/10
Director: Roger Donaldson
Starring: Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Al Pacino, Gabriel Macht
In this electrifying suspenser, Colin Farrell is a computer wizard who is enlisted into the CIA by Al Pacino, an agency veteran who knew Farrell's lat... Read more
The Red Shoes (2005)
5.9/10
Director: Young-jun Kim
Starring: Hye-su Kim, Seong-su Kim, Yeon-ah Park, Su-heui Go, Ha-rim Seo
Sun-Jae (Hye-su Kim) discovers her husband has been cheating on her and leaves him, moving into a dilapidated building with her young daughter. When... Read more
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)
6.9/10
Director: Mira Nair
Starring: Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland, Om Puri, Liev Schreiber, Riz Ahmed
Based on the international bestseller, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" is both a gripping thriller and a fascinating look at the post-9/11 world. When... Read more
The Replacement Killers (1997)
6.1/10
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker
Chow Yun-Fat follows the footsteps of Hong Kong action auteurs Jackie Chan and John Woo with his own bid to crossover into mainstream Hollywood fare.... Read more
The Replacement Killers ( Blu-ray ) (1998)
6.1/10
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker, Jurgen Prochnow
Chow Yun-Fat follows the footsteps of Hong Kong action auteurs Jackie Chan and John Woo with his own bid to crossover into mainstream Hollywood fare.... Read more
The Resident (2010)
5.3/10
Director: Antti Jokinen
Starring: Christopher Lee, Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lee Pace
Resuscitated shock studio Hammer Film Productions offers up this fright-packed feature about a doctor (Hilary Swank) who leaves her husband and moves... Read more
The Retirement Plan (2023)
5.1/10
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ashley Greene, Ron Perlman, Jackie Earle Haley, Ernie Hudson, Lynn...
When Ashley and her young daughter Sarah get caught up in a criminal enterprise that puts their lives at risk, she turns to estranged father Matt, cur... Read more
The Return (2006)
4.8/10
Director: Asif Kapadia
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sam Shepard, Kate Beahan, Peter O'Brien, Adam Scott
An adult (well, brunette at least) Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as an outwardly together sales rep who is in truth troubled by an absent father, a stal... Read more
The Revenant (2015)
8/10
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Kristoffer Joner, Domhnall Gleeson,...
Inspired by true events, The Revenant is an epic story of survival and transformation on the American frontier. While on an expedition into the unchar... Read more
The Revenant ( Blu-ray ) (2015)
8/10
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Kristoffer Joner, Domhnall Gleeson,...
Inspired by true events, The Revenant is an epic story of survival and transformation on the American frontier. While on an expedition into the unchar... Read more