Some genres are more straightforward to categorize than others. Werewolf films are films that feature werewolves. Family films cater to a wide range of consumers. However, “thrillers” might be more difficult to define. After all, many films aim to excite you. That’s not to say they’re all filled with life-or-death scenarios, serial murders, and kidnappings. In this post, we have compiled a list of some of the best thriller movies of all time you must watch.
It’s also about plausibility in thrillers. The film becomes less about ordinary people surviving horrible conditions and more about the mechanics of the fantasy world it now inhabits whenever magic or science-fiction is introduced into the plot. Although the events in a thriller are very implausible, they may, at least in a fictitious sense, occur in the actual world.
Let’s have a look at some of the Best Thriller Movies of All Time,
Table of Contents
1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
IMDB: 8.6
This Jonathan Demme’s masterwork is one of the rare films in the latter genre to receive an Academy Award. There isn’t much in the way of gore and violence, but the subject matter is gruesome.
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) enlists the aid of jailed cannibal Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in her search for “Buffalo Bill,” a sadistic serial killer (Ted Levine). While the brutal hunt would be enough to hold the audience’s attention, Demme uses the violent setting to examine gender dynamics and the protagonist’s trauma-torn mental life.
2. Shutter Island (2010)
IMDB: 8.2
Two US Marshals, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, come to an island that contains an institution for the criminally ill to investigate the disappearance of an inmate in Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name.
The film is noted for its thwack of a finale, which alters the viewer’s perspective of the whole plot. It’s also a well-made picture in terms of photography, acting, background soundtrack, script, and, of course, director.
3. Jaws (1975)
IMDB: 8
Jaws, based on the best-selling novel, was one of Steven Spielberg’s first pictures, and it had a slew of production issues behind the scenes. Jaws is mainly a monster movie with adventure aspects on the surface. When you dig a little further, you’ll find a story of small-town government incompetence and a man who just wants to keep his village and family safe. Spielberg crafted a masterpiece of suspense, terror, and thrills by keeping the shark concealed and accentuating John Williams’ soundtrack, assuring you’d think twice about going for a swim.
4. Psycho (1960)
IMDB: 8.5
Psycho, is one of the greatest thrillers of all time. The film stars Janet Leigh as a lady on the run who decides to spend the night at the Bates Motel, one of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock’s best blockbusters. While the film is a compelling thriller in and of itself, its significance cannot be overstated.
What follows is a chain of events that culminate in a genuinely terrifying realization. Psycho, with a renowned performance by Anthony Perkins and an iconic musical soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann, continues to scare and shock audiences throughout the world decades after its first premiere.
5. Basic Instinct (1992)
IMDB: 7
Paul Verhoeven’s films, like all the finest instances of camp, straddle the line between so awful it’s a good and true artistic genius. Although one especially obscene sequence with Sharon Stone gained this picture proto-virality, there’s more to this film than a pair of lewdly spread legs. Basic Instinct was ahead of its time in terms of sex representations, and its high-art ambitions earned it a compliment from New York Times critic Janet Maslin, who compared it to Alfred Hitchcock’s work. Basic Instinct, like many of the finest films ever created, was controversial.
6. Zodiac (2007)
IMDB: 7.7
Zodiac isn’t simply one of the finest thrillers of the century thus far; it’s also one of the most intelligent. Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Cox, and John Carroll Lynch were among the cast members. Zodiac is everything you might want in a thriller. It’s a gruesome list of the killer’s crimes.
It’s a thought-provoking drama about obsession. It’s a meticulous account of a gripping inquiry. And in the end, despite the fact that the film never explicitly states that the riddle has been solved, it leads to a terrible moment in which one of our protagonists gets closer than ever to finding a solution.
7. No Country For Old Men (2007)
IMDB: 8.1
The film became one of the finest thrillers of all time, as well as one of the most critically praised films of the decade, earning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2008.
No Country for Old Men is based on the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name and depicts the story of Llewelyn Moss, who comes across a heroin deal gone wrong. As a soon-to-be-retired Sheriff attempts to make sense of the situation, he is pursued by a mystery assassin. No Country for Old Men offers almost everything you might desire from a Neo-Western crime thriller, from its comedic moments to the heart-pounding hotel pursuit.
Conclusion
There are numerous thriller movies to pick from, including horror, psychological, real crime, and dark humor, because the thriller genre is so broad. We decided to make it easier for you to find good thrillers because we know how tough it can be at times. Some of the best thriller movies of all time are mentioned above. Let us know your favorite pick in the comment section below.
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