Netflix usually has an abundance of new and classic thriller movies, but February appears to be an off month for the streamer. Modern thrillers like Training Day and Mystic River are leaving at the end of the month, and only a handful of fresh titles replaced them. Play Misty for Me and The Parallax View were both made in the 1970s, while The Good Shepherd is a thriller that’s almost 20 years old.
Although this was a quiet month for the thriller genre, Netflix still has a collection of movies to die for. So if you’re searching for some intense cinematic experiences, look no further than our roundup of the best thrillers on Netflix right now. You may also want to lock your doors and keep the lights on after seeing these films.
We’ve also rounded up the best thrillers on Amazon Prime Video and the best thrillers on Hulu if Netflix doesn’t have what you’re looking for.
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The Good Shepherd2006 - Play Misty for Me1971
- The Parallax View1974
The Good Shepherd (2006) new
Robert De Niro directed and co-starred in The Good Shepherd, a fictionalized version of the CIA’s early days. But the film actually starts a lot earlier than that with Edward Wilson Sr. (Oppenheimer‘s Matt Damon) and his contentious relationship with his wife, Margaret “Clover” Russell Wilson (Angelina Jolie).
In the aftermath of World War II, Edward is among the agents in the field dealing with Soviet espionage while his family life is falling apart. And the further up the ladder Edward climbs, the worse it gets. Two decades later, a botched CIA operation is laid at Edward’s feet as he realizes that the mission was compromised by someone close to him. That’s where the real intrigue starts.
Play Misty for Me (1971) new
With so many great films to his name, it’s easy to forget that Play Misty For Me was Clint Eastwood’s first time in the director’s chair for a feature film. He also has a more vulnerable persona than usual as the leading character, Dave Garver, a radio jockey in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
Arrested Development’s Jessica Walter plays Evelyn Draper, Dave’s biggest fan. After Dave and Evelyn have a casual affair, she wastes little time going full Fatal Attraction on him (16 years before that movie was released). Evelyn is obsessed with Dave beyond all reason, and her mental illness makes her more dangerous than Dave can potentially handle.
The Parallax View (1974) new
Warren Beatty couldn’t let Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star in every great paranoid thriller of the ’70s. The Parallax View casts Beatty as Joseph Frady, an investigative reporter who is approached by his ex-girlfriend, Lee Carter (Paula Prentiss), who tells him that someone trying to kill her. Years before, Lee witnessed the assassination of Sen. Charles Carroll (William Joyce), and now all of the other witnesses have been dying one by one.
Lee pleads for help, and Joseph feels extremely guilty when she winds up dead and discredited. That’s why Joseph takes on Lee’s quest and begins his own investigation into her death and Carroll’s. Everything leads back to the Parallax Corporation, which has an agenda that’s more dangerous than Joseph could have guessed.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
In any other year, L.A. Confidential would have probably been the favorite to win Best Picture. But in 1997, it capsized against Titanic‘s run at the Academy Awards. Nevertheless, this modern noir remains a masterpiece, and it helped launch the careers of Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce. In 1953, the LAPD’s Edmund Exley (Pearce) takes advantage of a police scandal to further his career, which earns him the enmity of Officer Wendell “Bud” White (Crowe).
Separately, White, Exley, and Detective Sergeant Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) stumble onto a larger case that has grave implications for both the LAPD and the criminal underworld. The secrets they discover are a valuable commodity, and their enemies are more than willing to kill to protect themselves.
Oldboy (2003)
There is an American remake of Oldboy by Spike Lee, but the South Korean original is the one that deserves all of the attention. Park Chan-wook directed and co-wrote this manga adaption, which follows the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a businessman who is arrested for being drunk in public. But Dae-su’s problems really begin after being released by the cops when he is kidnapped and imprisoned in a sealed hotel room.
Dae-su soon learns that his wife has been murdered, and the police think he killed her. This also means that their four-year-old daughter will grow up without him. For the next 15 years, Dae-su remains trapped by his captors until he is mysteriously released. Now, Dae-su has to discover who did this to him and why. One of the best thrillers with a twist ever, Old Boy is just as shocking and enthralling as it was 20 years ago.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Amanda Sandford (Julia Roberts) and her husband, Clay (Ethan Hawke), just wanted to take a vacation in Leave the World Behind. But their kids, Rose (Farrah Mackenzie)and Archie (Charlie Evans) were the first to notice that their smartphones can’t connect to the internet.
The vacation continues uninterrupted until G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter, Ruth (Myha’la), show up at the rental house and claim that it’s theirs. From there, things start to get super weird, and both families are left to question what happened to the rest of the world while they were in the woods and whether they can trust each other.
The Killer (2023)
Michael Fassbender’s unnamed assassin talks to the audience throughout The Killer, and he tells viewers all about his life except who he is. Perhaps he truly has no identity outside of meticulously planning and long stretches of waiting for his opportunity to kill. Yet before our eyes, the Killer botches a hit and kills the wrong person.
If the Killer thought he could slink away without consequences then he’s sadly mistaken. For his failure, the Killer’s lawyer, Hodges (Charles Parnell), has him marked for death. Two other assassins, The Expert (Tilda Swinton) and The Brute (Sala Baker), are sent to hunt down the Killer…if the Killer doesn’t hunt them down first.
Locked In (2023)
Locked In apparently starts in the aftermath of an attempted murder, and only gets more twisted from there. Someone tried to kill Katherine (Famke Janssen), and they must have come pretty close to succeeding because she’s become trapped in her own body and left unable to move or properly communicate, with the exception of her eyes.
Suspicion immediately falls on Lina (Rose Williams), a young woman who is both Katherine’s adoptive daughter and her daughter-in-law. Nurse Mackenzie (Anna Friel) is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, but she may be kicking the proverbial hornet’s nest by asking questions that shouldn’t be asked.
Fair Play (2023)
Netflix’s new thriller, Fair Play, follows a couple, Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) and Emily (Phoebe Dynevor), when their relationship is challenged by their mutual ambition. The pair keep their romance a secret from their co-workers at One Crest Capital. That only works for them until a promotion comes up, and Emily gets the job instead of Luke.
Although Luke initially takes the news well, he soon becomes obsessed with the idea that Emily’s success came at his own expense. This puts a lot of intense pressure on their relationship, especially when Emily discovers that Luke may be fired. And if Emily isn’t careful, she may lose more than just her romance.
Reptile (2023)
The brutal murder of Summer Elswick (Matilda Lutz) is the beginning of the mystery in Reptile, a thriller starring Benicio del Toro as Detective Tom Nichols (del Toro), the man in charge of the murder investigation. Summer’s body was found by her boyfriend, Will Grady (Justin Timberlake), but there are suspicious details that may draw suspicion to all of the men in Summer’s life.
Nichols is able to share some of the details with his wife, Judy (Alicia Silverstone), who acts as a sounding board for him. Regardless, the unfolding case forces Nichols to more closely examine his own life as well. However, he may not like what he finds.
River Wild (2023)
Nearly three decades ago, Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon headlined a white-water thriller called The River Wild. And while River Wild isn’t quite a remake, it’s not really a sequel either. Leighton Meester stars as Joey, a woman who has trust issues with her brother, Gray (Taran Killam). Much to Joey’s chagrin, Gary invites one of their childhood friends, Trevor (Adam Brody), on a white-water trip with two other people.
When one of their party is attacked, Joey realizes that the only option to save them is by braving the waters to get help. But there may be a killer among the group, and Joey isn’t sure who she can trust.
The Mule (2018)
Chances are good that The Mule may be one of Clint Eastwood’s final films, and it doesn’t start out as a thriller. Eastwood’s character, Earl Stone, is facing financial ruin until he receives an unexpected offer to be a drug mule for a cartel. And for a while, Earl’s life is charmed. He’s got all of the money he could ever want, and he’s a legend among the cartel.
The arrival of Gustavo (Clifton Collins Jr.), the new head of the cartel, is a wake-up call for Earl and that’s where the film becomes a thriller. Suddenly, Earl realizes that taking the cartel’s money has left him in an impossible situation, especially since DEA Agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper) is closing in on him. Now, there are no easy ways out for Earl and he stands to lose everything that matters to him.
Run Rabbit Run (2023)
Sarah Snook (Succession) headlines Run Rabbit Run, a thriller that takes some horrific turns. Sarah (Snook) is a single mother with a contentious relationship with her ex-husband, Peter (Damon Herriman). But Sarah’s real problem is with her daughter, Mia (Lily LaTorre). Inexplicably, Mia has taken on a new persona and declared that she is someone named Alice.
While Sarah doesn’t believe her daughter at first, the evidence mounts that Mia’s behavior somehow is tied to a dark episode in Sarah’s past. Something unnatural is happening with Mia, and Sarah may pay the price for keeping her secrets for so many years.
God's Crooked Lines (2022)
You might want to watch God’s Crooked Lines with subtitles, otherwise, you may miss some critical details in this Spanish thriller. Bárbara Lennie stars as Alice Gould, a woman who has herself institutionalized by her husband, Heliodoro (David Selvas), in the late ‘70s and she finds herself under the care of Doctor Teodoro Ruipérez (Federico Aguado). However, Alice has her own hidden agenda as she tries to solve a murder while feigning mental illness.
Some of the creeps that Alice encounters, including the Gnome (Luis Sacristán), the Elephant Man (Francisco Javier Pastor), and the twins Romulo and Remo (both played by Samuel Soler). The scary part is that the staff at the institute pick apart Alice’s story and raise questions about whether she is an investigator or if she is simply paranoid and delusional.
Missing (2023)
Could you solve a mystery from the safety of your computer? That’s the challenge facing Grace Allen (Storm Reid) in Missing when her mother, Grace Allen (Nia Long), and her new boyfriend, Kevin (Ken Leung), disappear during their vacation to Columbia. While scrambling for answers, Grace finds evidence that Kevin may have hidden some suspicious details about his past.
With Grace stuck in the U.S., she has to turn to a man named Javier (Joaquim de Almeida) to act as her proxy in Columbia. But there’s only so much Grace can do before she has to head into danger herself.
The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
Given its extremely short stay in theaters in late 2022, you probably missed seeing The Pale Blue Eye when it was on the big screen. But the cast is too good for this movie to simply disappear among the other streaming thrillers. Christian Bale headlines the film as Augustus Landor, a former detective who has fallen on hard times following the death of his wife.
When Leroy Fry (Steven Maier), a cadet at West Point, is found ritualistically murdered, Landor is coaxed out of retirement to solve the mystery. But Landor can’t do it alone, which is why he turns to one of Fry’s classmates to act as his partner on the case: Cadet Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling).
The Snowman (2017)
It’s very appropriate that Michael Fassbender’s character in The Snowman is a detective named Harry Hole, because his life is in a deep hole when the story opens. Harry has broken up with the woman he loves, Rakel Fauke (Charlotte Gainsbourg), while struggling with his sobriety. Unfortunately for Harry, a serial killer has already started sending him enigmatic messages.
Harry’s new partner, Katrine Bratt (Silo‘s Rebecca Ferguson), is convinced that the killer is somehow linked to a case that was once investigated by Gert Rafto (Val Kilmer), an alcoholic former detective who was very much like Harry himself. But as the mystery intensifies, Harry realizes that Katrine has a personal connection that fuels her obsession with the case.
Dragged Across Concrete (2018)
Written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, Dragged Across Concrete boasts an ensemble cast featuring Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn, Don Johnson, and many other players. The story focuses on police officers Brett Ridgeman and Anthony Lurasetti (Gibson and Vaughn), partners expelled from the force after video goes viral of them viciously beating a drug dealer.
Over on the other side of town, recent parolee Henry (Tory Kittles) and childhood friend “Biscuit” (Michael Jai White) get into cahoots with a professional thief (played by Thomas Krestchmann), who just so happens to be targeted by the cash-hungry Brett and Anthony. A riveting crime epic from start to finish, Dragged Across Concrete delivers one propulsive thrill after the next.
I See You (2019)
I See You is the kind of thriller that presents multiple twists and turns, keeping viewers griveted and guessing throughout its entire runtime. Directed by Adam Randall, this slow-burning tale stars Jon Tenney as Detective Greg Harper. Tasked with investigating a missing person’s case, evidence of the crime starts piling up that points toward a series of abductions that took place nearly 15 years before.
But as Harper’s case continues to unfold, his grip on reality weakens, as strange events begin taking place in his home. You’ll start this film thinking one thing, only to be totally redirected multiple times throughout. And thanks to Randall’s assured direction, this is a film you won’t soon forget about.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
A sequel to 47 Meters Down (2017), 47 Meters Down: Uncaged brings a whole new cast of characters to the mix, but keeps the threat of shark bite death alive. When four teenagers dive down to the remains of a sunken Mayan city, what begins as a life-changing discovery quickly becomes a harrowing fight for survival when the group discovers that the ancient place is a magnet for man-eating sharks.
While not straying too far from classic “shark movie” tropes, Uncaged instead ups the ante in the shocks department, delivering plenty of bone-chilling sequences that will have us all thinking twice about taking a plunge into any body of water.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
I Came By (2022)
Circle (2015)
The Good Nurse (2022)
Adapted from the true-crime novel of the same name, The Good Nurse stars Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren, a single mother and ICU nurse. When a series of untimely patient deaths start cropping up around the hospital, Amy begins to suspect that new hire Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) is the man responsible. Both Chastain and Redmayne are the kind of talents we expect greatness from, and truly, both actors go out of their way to foster a sort of surreal pathos for their characters, especially the latter. It’s a solid thriller and a tragic and haunting reminder that we don’t have to dig into fiction to tell some of the most grueling stories imaginable.
Lou (2022)
If you’re in the mood for something a little more on the action-heavy side, director Anna Foerster’s Lou will likely satiate. It stars Allison Janney as the titular protagonist, a reclusive woman living on Orcas Island, Washington. When a wicked storm threatens the Pacific Northwest, a single mother named Hannah (Jurnee Smollet) begs Lou for help when her young daughter is kidnapped by a vicious ex-pat (Logan Marshall-Green). But as the two women set off on their rescue mission, Hannah soon learns that there’s far more to Lou than meets the eye. A grim gut-punch of an action-thriller, Lou is a big win for the genre.
The Stranger (2022)
Inheritance (2020)
A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)
Munich: The Edge of War (2022)
The Platform (2019)
Have you ever seen or heard of famed French-Canadian Denis Villeneuve’s short film Next Floor? If not, here’s a quick summary: A baroquely-costumed set of aristocrats gorge on a handsome feast, with their increasingly accrued weight plummeting them (and their table, chairs, and food) through the floor, where they resume said gorging. Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s The Platform plays with some of the same narrative bits, albeit in the form of a more realized social commentary.
The story follows the imprisoned residents of a Vertical Self-Management Center, a dystopian vessel that delivers food to its captives by way of an elevator system. In order of randomized hierarchy, those at the top get the most food, while those at the bottom get the scraps. Inevitably, this leads to an uprising of horrific proportions. The Platform is a satirical production that grapples with Darwinism in some bizarre and all-consuming ways. One thing is for sure: It’s a flick you don’t want to miss.
Spiderhead (2022)
Interceptor (2022)
In director Matt Reilly’s Interceptor, Elsa Pataky stars as Captain JJ Collins, the spearhead of an isolated nuclear missile facility smack-dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. When the weapons hub falls under attack from enemy forces led by a former U.S. intelligence operative (Luke Bracey), Collins must use her military background and quick ingenuity to thwart the evildoers before they overrun the base. Interceptor is a decent example of a Netflix-backed action-thriller, driven by a kinetic pace that hits all the beats but misses here and there. A refreshing change of pace is seeing a woman in a role that would normally be helmed by Bruce Willis, and Pataky tackles her heroine character with muscle and grace.
Operation Mincemeat (2022)
Triple Frontier (2019)
Lost Bullet (2020)
The Devil All the Time (2020)
Windfall (2022)
The Weekend Away (2022)
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
Stowaway (2021)
Fever Dream (2021)
Extraction (2020)
The Ice Road (2021)
Synchronic (2020)
Forgotten (2017)
Coming Home in the Dark (2021)
Sentinelle (2021)
Army of Thieves (2021)
The Guilty (2021)
In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
Creep (2014)
Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)
The Vault (2021)
Hold the Dark (2018)
The Call (2020)
Red Dot (2021)
Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
Calibre (2018)
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
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