Since the days of black-and-white Hollywood capers, thriller films have been dazzling us with unprecedented twists and turns. And whether you’re into slow-burning “whodunit” types or adrenaline-fueled action ensembles, Amazon Prime Video has a thriller film (or several) for every fan of the genre. We’re big fans of the genre ourselves, and we’ve put together this rotating monthly roundup of all the best thrillers you can watch on Prime Video in May 2023.
Amazon Prime may have a robust catalog, but it doesn’t have everything. Luckily, we’ve also curated roundups of the best thrillers on Netflix and the best thrillers on Hulu.
Directed by Jan de Bont from a script by Graham Yost, Speed stars Keanu Reeves as LAPD officer Jack Traven, a bomb disposal expert. When Traven and his partner, Harry (Jeff Daniels), successfully foil the hostage-takeover plan of a mad bomber named Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), the terrorist is presumed dead.
But it turns out that Payne is still kicking, and after detonating explosives he planted on a passenger bus, Payne informs Traven that he’s rigged a second bus with another bomb that will go off if the speed of the bus drops below 50 miles per hour. Speed is “race against time” cinema at its finest, delivering incredible cinematography, brilliant action sequences, and arresting performances from its core cast.
The Family is the kind of thriller that star Robert De Niro has been brushing up against throughout his entire career, but seeing the titan of acting talent taking on the role of a mobster who simply can’t quit the business is just as exciting today as it was in the 1970s. After ratting out his mafia cohorts, Giovanni Manzoni (De Niro) and his family are placed by the Witness Protection Program in a French town, far away from the clutches of blood money.
But after a few misdemeanors put the family back on the radar, the tough guys comes knocking once more. Look, The Family isn’t exactly changing the game when it comes to mobster thrillers, but watching De Niro conduct himself as the brooding monster with a penchant for turning on you when you test him too much is just undeniably fun.
Nope is the third feature film from celebrated writer-director Jordan Peele, and while the horror influences are still present here, Peele does opt for an epic introduction of sci-fi to his cinematic palette. Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as horse-wrangling siblings OJ and Em Haywood, whose family business looks to be in serious trouble after the recent passing of their father, the owner of a farm that raises stunt animals just outside of Hollywood.
After the tragic death, OJ and Em are forced to sell off some horses to a local theme park, but when the sudden emergence of an extraterrestrial life form starts wreaking havoc on the desert community, the brother and sister go all-in on trying to capture evidence of the near-invisible UFO. Delivering another powerhouse picture that proudly pays homage to titans of the genre like Steven Spielberg, Nope is further proof that Peele is an undeniable auteur of modern genre cinema.
Shot in a faux found-footage style, Horror in the High Desert is written and directed by Dutch Marich and focuses on the fictional disappearance of wilderness explorer Gary Hinge (played by Eric Mencis). The disappearance took place in 2017, and the film picks up a few years later, focusing on Hinge’s family and friends, as well as authorities, and the horrific bits of evidence they’ve unearthed.
Filmed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marich shot all the talking-head segments of the film using Zoom footage. And whether it was a necessity or not, the format certainly adds to the cold and clinical feel of this chilling and atmospheric exploration of the shocking and vile. Oh, and if you like what you see, you may want to check out the sequel.
A brilliant blend of action and thriller elements on par with the likes of similar character-driven capers like Michael Mann’s Heat, Inside Man boasts an excellent cast, a kinetic story, and memorable set pieces you’ll be talking about for weeks — or at least until your friends tell you to calm down, because the movie came out in 2006.[/dt_media]
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Not every Hollywood thriller has to focus on genre-defining subject matter like bloody bank heists and psychological chills. In fact, if you’re looking for a thriller that the whole family can wrap their heads around, look no further than Clue. Written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, the film features an ensemble cast made up of famous players like Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, and Michael McKean. Set in 1954, the events of the movie transpire over a single evening. When seven strangers arrive at a secluded New England mansion, a death among the visitors leads to a scramble of finger-pointing, as the figurative skeletons in the guests’ closets begin emerging. A cinematic adaptation of the iconic board game, Clue’s theatrical run included three unique endings that were different based on the screening you attended (with all three endings present in the film’s home-video release).
Buckle up for safety, because when director Michael Bay is behind the wheel of a 2022 remake of a 2005 Danish heist action-thriller, you know there’s going to be major explosions as far as the eye can see. Strapped for cash, ex-Marine Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) wants to earn his living the right way. Yet when the allure of a quick in-and-out bank robbery with his con artist brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) beckons him, Will agrees to pull off the crime with his sibling. But when the job goes haywire, Will and Danny are forced to hijack an ambulance as their getaway vehicle, with two first responders in tow. In terms of A-to-B adrenaline, Ambulance is your typical Michael Bay film, although the exceptional acting, lightning-fast camerawork, and kinetic editing allows this one to rise a few pegs above the director’s other flicks.
In director Ron Howard’s harrowing and emotional Thirteen Lives, is the real-life story of the Wild Boars, a Thai soccer team made up of twelve players and their coach. When the team ventures off into the Tham Luang cave, heavy rains flood the cavern, trapping them inside. After the parents of the boys alert authorities, a globalized rescue effort, comprised of professional divers and other emergency responders, must race against the clock to save the Wild Boars before it’s too late. Dialing in the dramatized strengths from other Howard-honed pictures like Apollo 13, there’s plenty at stake in Thirteen Lives, and the longtime auteur deftly tackles the many anxiety-inducing feats of one of the world’s most death-defying search-and-rescue efforts.
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