Culture & Living
9 nail-biting thriller shows and movies to watch on Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV and Netflix
From gripping trials to twisted murder mysteries, these movies and shows will keep you guessing right till the end
Just like a gripping a book, a well-made thriller can have you glued to the couch. It's the kind of series that makes you ignore a project deadline or stay awake till the late hour in the night. Fans of this genre are in for a treat as a lot of shows with seriously gripping, edge-of-the-seat storylines have released over the past few years. With so many streaming platforms available, it’s like being a kid at a candy store if you are a thriller fanatic. Put on your comfiest pyjamas, get some popcorn going and get set to binge on these thoroughly twisted and gripping tales.
Little Fires Everywhere (2020)
It’s hard to take your eyes away from the screen when Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington—both powerhouse performers—face off each other in this adaptation of American author Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestselling novel by the same. Race, privilege and motherhood all come together to make a delicious concoction that literally leaves little fires everywhere in its wake, if you know what we mean.
Streaming on Disney + Hotstar
The Invisible Guest (2017)
Stylish in its execution and complex in the tale its narrating, this Spanish film by writer-director Oriol Paulo is a gripping tale of a young business man who wakes up next to the boy of his girlfriend. The twist here? The room is locked from the inside. Trying to uncover the truth, the story unfolds in flashbacks and the twists and turns just keep coming.
Streaming on Netflix
Side Effects (2013)
Rarely do you come across a thriller that has mental health at the centre of it. From the creators of Contagion, this psychological thriller is not for the faint hearted. Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) is a young woman whose problems are taking a toll on her and in order to find a solution she reaches out to psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) who prescribes her drugs. However, what follows is the mysterious death of her husband—she stabs him to death while sleepwalking (a side effect of the drug). Will she be proven guilty for this crime? What will happen to the drug? There are a lot of questions that are raised and answered in this story.
Streaming on Netflix
A Quiet Place (2018)
Watch this family of four navigate their lives in silence in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have been killed by noise-sensitive creatures. Silence is key in this game of survival, but how do you do that when there is a baby on the way? Directed by John Krasinski, this silent movie is terrifying in the suspense it builds up. It takes you on a ride that shows you how deafening silence can be.
Streaming on Netflix
The Sinner – Season 1 (2017)
This eight-episode whodunnit is so unpredictable in its search for the truth that there is no way you are getting up from your couch without reaching the end. A powerful performance by Jessica Biel, who portrays a woman who violently stabs a stranger to death, and Bill Pullman as the detective who gets obsessed with finding out her buried motive, makes this darkly compelling tale a must-watch.
Streaming on Netflix
Truth Be Told (2019)
When journalist Poppy Parnell, played by the talented Octavia Spencer, decides to go about righting a wrong that had sent a supposedly innocent man to jail 19 years ago, she unleashes a chain of events that sees many skeletons tumbling out of the closet. Apart from the murder mystery, the unhurried pace of the show also explores race, gender and family dynamics.
Streaming on Apple TV
The People V/S OJ Simpson (2016)
While the real-life crime and the murder trial that followed, The People V/S OJ Simpson takes us back to the '90s. The ten-part series stays relevant even today because of the many themes it explores—racial tensions, gender discrimination and many more. At the heart of it lies a trial of the former football star accused of murdering his ex-wife and her friend. It’s an all-absorbing show with a stellar cast including David Schwimmer and John Travolta.
Streaming on Netflix
Breathe (2003)
The very premise of this show—would you be willing to kill an innocent person to save a loved one?—makes it a compelling watch. R Madhavan’s debut act in a web series as a loveable father who turns into a cold-blooded killer in order to save his son from succumbing to a death threatening disease, made for a morally ambiguous tale. Being chased by a cop who is battling his own demons, adds to the thrill factor.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Broadchurch (2013)
Very few suspense thrillers manage to strike at the emotional core but this three-season-long British crime series manages to hit the right spot. Beautifully shot and written, the police procedural derives its strength from the chemistry between the two cops, David Tennant as the grouchy and unlikeable Alec Hardy and Olivia Colman as the sympathetic and warm Ellie Miller.
Streaming on Netflix
Also read:
8 shows that you must watch during self-quarantine if you miss going to work
