The best thrillers on Amazon Prime Video right now
Thrillers never fail to entertain, and Amazon Prime Video boasts some of the most exciting movies in this genre. Prime Video’s library will keep fans well-stocked, featuring countless classics and contemporary hits alike. The selection is also diverse, ranging from sci-fi thrillers to outright action and everything in between.
Movies like the Charlize Theron-led Atomic Blonde and director John Woo’s over-the-top Face/Off are among this month’s highlights. Audiences might feel overwhelmed by all the choices, but this monthly updated guide focuses on the best thriller movies on Prime Video.
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.
Atomic Blonde (2017) [New]
Duration: 115m
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Stars: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Eddie Marsan
Directed by: David Leitch
Outright action-thrillers aren’t the box-office draws they once were, but movies like Atomic Blonde show they’ll always have a place in the medium. Directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, The Fall Guy), the movie follows elite MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) on a covert mission in Germany the night before the Berlin Wall’s fall.
Broughton must retrieve a sensitive dossier of double-agents and dismantle a spy ring. Atomic Blonde’s story is rather straightforward, but it’s all it needs to be thanks to Theron’s dynamic performance. She sells the character’s cunning nature, and the stylistic action scenes evoke sequences from the John Wick franchise.
Looper (2012) [New]
Duration: 118m
Genre: Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt
Directed by: Rian Johnson
For fans craving an original sci-fi story, Looper is a must-watch romp. Directed by Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Knives Out), the plot is set in 2044 when contract killers dubbed “loopers” execute targets that have been sent back in time in order to dispose of their bodies.
Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is making a healthy living as a hit man until his crime syndicate decides to tie loose ends by having him kill his future self (Bruce Willis). Looper earned critical praise for its creative premise and action sequences. Director Rian Johnson flexes his sci-fi muscles in this thriller, telling an exciting and sincerely clever story without relying on the weight of a franchise.
Ronin (1998) [New]
Duration: 122m
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
The 1990s was a great decade for action-thrillers, and Ronin will surely satisfy fans of Robert De Niro. Directed by John Frankenheimer, the plot focuses on a high-stakes mission taken up by a group of mercenaries. The mercenaries — portrayed by an impressive cast including De Niro, Jean Reno, Sean Bean, Natascha McElhone and Stellan Skarsg?rd — must steal a tightly guarded briefcase.
Ronin won’t outshine the legacies of movies like The French Connection, but it tastefully pays homage to them with an action-packed premise. The car chase sequences are technical marvels in and of themselves, and they’re backed by a stellar ensemble.
Face/Off (1997) [New]
Duration: 138m
Genre: Action, Crime, Science Fiction
Stars: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen
Directed by: John Woo
Directed by the revered filmmaker John Woo, Face/Off is a must-watch for fans of sci-fi thrillers. The movie sees John Travolta (Grease) and Nicolas Cage (Longlegs) play the dual roles of FBI agent Sean Archer and terrorist Castor Troy.
After Archer captures Troy, he undergoes an experimental procedure to replace his face with the terrorist’s — with Troy following suit by impersonating Archer. Face/Off developed a strong cult following over the years, beloved for its bombastic action sequences. It’s the highlight of Woo’s career, with Travolta and Cage making the most of the campy premise to play off each other perfectly.
No Country for Old Men (2007) [New]
Duration: 122m
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stars: Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Joel and Ethan Coen, otherwise known as the Coen Brothers, are the most revered directing duos in Hollywood, and No Country for Old Men is among their finest works. The crime thriller follows a trio of characters, opening with Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin). The Vietnam veteran finds a massive sum of money that puts him in the crosshairs of ruthless hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem).
Meanwhile, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) follows the trail of what becomes a bloody crime spree. No Country for Old Men was critically acclaimed for its take on the Western genre, subverting narrative tropes and using the modern setting to its advantage. Bardem’s role holds up as the standout performance, portraying one of the most unnerving movie villains to date.
Taxi Driver (1976) [New]
Duration: 114m
Genre: Crime, Drama
Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Director Martin Scorsese is a legacy name in the industry, and Taxi Driver is one of his early highlights. This grim thriller revolves around Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), a Vietnam War veteran in a dangerously unstable mental state.
Travis works nights as a taxi driver, but the more he sees his idea of moral degradation through the streets of New York City, the more emboldened he becomes to take violent action. Taxi Driver earned universal praise for how it blended the neo-noir genre with psychological thrillers. The movie’s intense POV-driven plot makes his deteriorating mental state feel unsettling and intimate, resulting in one of the best character studies in movie history.
The Beekeeper (2024) [New]
Duration: 105m
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Stars: Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Bobby Naderi
Directed by: David Ayer
The Beekeeper has been one of the most surprising successes in the thriller genre. Directed by David Ayer, the story sees former “Beekeeper” operative Adam Clay (Jason Statham) go on a gruesome killing streak.
When his compassionate landlady and retired school teacher Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad) dies by suicide after being caught in a phishing scam, Adam decides to hunt down the perpetrators. The Beekeeper earned a moderately positive critical reception for embracing its over-the-top nature. The movie didn’t pretend to be anything it wasn’t, and it delivered an easily entertaining action-thriller for its efforts.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) [New]
Duration: 113m
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Stars: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller
Directed by: Lynne Ramsay
Directed by Lynne Ramsay, We Need to Talk About Kevin is a gripping psychological drama and thriller. The plot revolves around Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton), a former travel writer, who struggles to cope with her psychopathic son Kevin (The Flash‘s Ezra Miller) and the atrocities he’s committed.
Eva now works at a travel agency near the prison where he’s being held, with the story unraveling the former’s troubled memories. We Need to Talk About Kevin received positive reviews for its harrowing mix of horror, drama, and thriller elements. It’s also regarded as one of Swinton’s strongest performances, portraying Eva’s tortured psyche convincingly.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Metacritic: 90%
IMDb: 8.3/10
Rated: R
Duration: 181m
Genre: Drama, History
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Winning big at the 2023 Academy Awards, director Christopher Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer has found a home on Prime Video, but who knows for how long? Starring Cillian Murphy as the titular physicist who changed the course of history with the invention of the atomic bomb. Told in a nonlinear fashion, the film’s story follows Murphy’s employment by the US military to work on the Manhattan Project, a secret nuclear weapons program. A cinematic triumph, Chris Nolan seldom disappoints with big budget films; but the maestro has truly outdone himself with this searing three-hour masterpiece.
What Lies Beneath (2000)
Metacritic: 51%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 130m
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Stars: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diana Scarwid
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
You know the guy who directed Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, and the 2009 animated take on A Christmas Carol? His name is Robert Zemeckis, and he also directed Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in the 2000 thriller What Lies Beneath. The two actors star as Norman and Claire Spencer, an affluent couple having some marital troubles. When Claire starts experiencing haunting visions of a ghostlike woman, her own investigation leads to a series of clues that start unraveling a sinister mystery. While it doesn’t reinvent the thriller genre by any means, if you’re a fan of films like Stir of Echoes, you’ll likely enjoy What Lies Beneath.
Rear Window (1954)
Metacritic: 100%
IMDb: 8.5/10
Rated: PG
Duration: 115m
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
A maestro of the thriller genre, director Alfred Hitchcock was busy during every decade of his life, with the 1950s giving us one of the auteur’s most renowned films, Rear Window. Adapted from the 1942 Cornell Woolrich short story It Had to Be Murder, leading man Jimmy Stewart stars as Jeff Jefferies, a photojournalist recovering from a recent leg surgery. Confined to his Greenwich Village apartment, Jefferies takes to people-watching as a hobby, until tragedy strikes. Witnessing what he believes to be a murder in a neighboring building, Jeff becomes obsessed with the horrors he believes to have occurred a stone’s throw away from his home. Considered one of the best thrillers of all time, Rear Window is a pure cinematic triumph.
Wolf Creek (2005)
Metacritic: 56%
IMDb: 6.2/10
Rated: R
Duration: 104m
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Stars: John Jarratt, Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi
Directed by: Greg McLean
Wolf Creek is a very unpleasant reminder that sometimes tourism should be confined to amusement parks and museums. In the 2005 film, our hapless victims are a group of backpackers who take a trip into the Australian outback. They encounter a friendly bushman who offers to help with a car repair, and as one can guess, he starts picking off the travelers one by one. Still giving us chills all these years later, Wolf Creek is an unsettling journey from start to finish.
The Perfect Host (2010)
Metacritic: 48%
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 93m
Genre: Comedy, Thriller, Crime
Stars: David Hyde Pierce, Clayne Crawford, Nathaniel Parker
Directed by: Nicholas Tomnay
In co-writer/director Nicholas Tomnay’s 2010 film The Perfect Host, viewers will be treated to one of the most unusual and unnerving dinner events of the century. Our story begins when on-the-run felon John Taylor (Clayne Crawford) crashes the dinner party of one Warwick Wilson (David Hyde Pierce). Pretending to have survived a robbery, John’s ruse only goes as far as the glass of red wine offered to him by the kind proprietor. It turns out the drink was drugged, and Mr. Wilson may have a few screws loose. Featuring a tour de force performance from Frasier star Hyde Pierce, The Perfect Host will keep you guessing from start to finish.
Memento (2000)
Metacritic: 83%
IMDb: 8.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 113m
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
ie Heaton” directors=”Sergio G. Sánchez” movie_db_logo=”true” imdb_id=”tt5886440″ status=”OK” metacritic_score=”63″ imdb_score=”4.7″ mpaa_rating=”r” ]Nothing says “a fine time with the family” like an evil entity haunting your country home because you’re covering up the death of your mother. These are the narrative cards we’re dealt in director Sergio G. Sánchez’s 2017 film Marrowbone. The film stars George MacKay, Furiosa‘s Anya-Taylor Joy, Charlie Heaton, and Mia Goth as the four siblings in on the matriarchal disappearance. When a lawyer (played by Kyle Soller) threatens to pull back the veil on the sibling secret, it’s up to eldest brother, Jack (MacKay), to keep everyone together, while contending with the ghouls of the mansion. A tactfully atmospheric production, there’s a twist you might see coming a mile away, but the overarching slow burn of Marrowbone is too good to pass up.[/dt_media]
Road House (2024)
Metacritic: 47%
Rated: R
Duration: 121m
Genre: Action, Thriller
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Conor McGregor
Directed by: Doug Liman
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this 100-mile-per-hour remake of the 980s cult phenomenon. Our story follows ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Gyllenhaal), who takes a job as a bouncer at a seedy Florida roadhouse. As he attempts to settle into the new role, the establishment’s frequently unruly occupants decide to make Dalton’s life a living hell. And of course, the only answers are kicks and punches. It’s not high-brow cinema by any means, but if you’re looking for a total adrenaline blast that never relents, Road House should be your first consideration.
I Think We're Alone Now (2018)
Metacritic: 51%
IMDb: 4.9/10
Rated: R
Duration: 100m
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery
Stars: Peter Dinklage, Elle Fanning, Paul Giamatti
Directed by: Reed Morano
Directed by Reed Morano from a script by Mike Makowsky, I Think We’re Alone Now stars Peter Dinklage as Del, a survivor of a sudden world-ending event that eradicates most of mankind, save for a woman named Grace (Elle Fanning, star of the Sofia Coppola movies Somewhere and The Beguiled). After discovering her unconscious inside her own car, Del nurses Grace back to life, at which point, the two learn to start living together. More of a tour de force for Dinklage and Fanning than a groundbreaking new take on the postapocalyptic tale, I Think We’re Alone Now has some brilliant performances you definitely don’t want to miss.
The Descent (2005)
Metacritic: 71%
IMDb: 5.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 99m
Genre: Adventure, Horror
Stars: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid
Directed by: Neil Marshall
Exploring subterranean caves may not be everyone’s idea of a great time, and it definitely becomes a chief regret of all the characters in the 2005 film The Descent. Following a group of female cave divers as they journey beneath the earth, what starts out as a brave adventure suddenly devolves into a nightmare when the explorers stumble upon blood-hungry monsters living far below. If you’re easily disturbed by confined spaces, you may want to steer clear of this perilous plummet to hells untold.
Foe (2023)
Metacritic: 44%
IMDb: 5.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 111m
Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Drama
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, Aaron Pierre
Directed by: Garth Davis
Based on Ian Reid’s 2018 novel of the same name, Foe stars Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal as Hen and Junior, a young couple experiencing marital troubles. Living in an alternate future in the country, it seems that rural living proves quite the challenge in 2065. One day, a man named Terrance (Aaron Pierre) arrives, informing Junior that he’s been preselected to journey to an interstellar settlement orbiting Earth. Led by powerhouse performances from Ronan and Mescal, the film explores the idea of leaving civilization as we know it and how it only propels the couple’s downward spiral.
Saltburn (2023)
Metacritic: 61%
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rated: R
Duration: 131m
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Thriller
Stars: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike
Directed by: Emerald Fennell
What hells may wealth bring? This is the question posed and explored in writer-director Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Barry Keoghan stars as Oxford student Oliver Quick, who is unmoored and disillusioned in his studies. That is until he strikes up a friendship with devil-may-care aristocrat Felix Catton (Priscilla‘s Jacob Elordi). After accepting an invitation to spend the summer at Felix’s luxurious family estate, he becomes immersed in a whirlwind world of socialites. Keoghan delivers an excellent performance in Fennell’s kaleidoscopic follow-up to Promising Young Woman.
Dark Nature (2023)
IMDb: 4.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 85m
Genre: Horror
Stars: Hannah Anderson, Madison Walsh, Roseanne Supernault
Directed by: Berkley Brady
When life has got you down, one should retreat to the wilderness, right? In the wake of tribulations, getting more outdoor-time is a great way to push your demons away, unless you’re one of the characters in writer-director Berkley Brady’s 2022 film Dark Nature. Starring Hannah Emily Anderson as Joy, a woman on the mend from an abusive relationship, Joy joins her pal Carmen (Madison Welsh) on a wellness retreat into the Canadian woodlands. Spearheaded by the enigmatic Dr. Carol Dunnley (Kyra Harper), the getaway is soon interrupted by a horrific creature. A fitting exploration of PTSD, Dark Nature may retread similar paths, but is ultimately pushed a notch above the rest by its strong female cast.
The Wall (2012)
Metacritic: 67%
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 104m
Genre: Science Fiction, Drama
What would you do if you were cut off from the rest of civilization by an invisible wall? Short of panicking, most of us would have no clue, but these are the cards dealt to our main character in writer-director Julian P?lsler’s 2012 film The Wall. Starring Martina Gedeck as the unnamed protagonist, when our hero discovers the titular barrier between her and the rest of the world, the woman and her dog Lynx are forced into survival mode as nature starts taking over. Will she succumb to the unmovable fa?ade, or will she perish? Watching The Wall may be a bit of a slow-going experience at times, but if you’re willing to go along with the nearly two-hour runtime, you’ll be privy to quite an amazing performance from Gedeck.
M.O.M. Mothers of Monsters (2020)
IMDb: 5.8/10
Rated: R
Duration: 98m
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Stars: Melinda Page Hamilton, Bailey Edwards, Ed Asner
Directed by: Tucia Lyman
In M.O.M. Mothers of Monsters, we get more than your typical found-footage thriller. As viewers, we’re actually signing up for a pretty unique take on the “I think there’s something wrong with my child” narrative. Melinda Page Hamilton stars as Abbey Bell, a mother who fears her teenage son Jacob (played by Bailey Edwards) is plotting a school shooting. But when the boy is able to evade the system, Abbey is forced to act on her suspicions without lawful aid. Admittedly, the title is a bit on the lackluster side, but if you can look past the front cover, there’s a tense and impacting story at the core of M.O.M.
The Swerve (2018)
Metacritic: 90%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: R
Duration: 96m
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Stars: Azura Skye, Bryce Pinkham, Ashley Bell
Directed by: Dean Kapsalis
Once in a blue moon, a solid psychological thriller comes along that truly dips its toes into the world of disturbed and narratively unreliable psyches. Sure, there are plenty of films that try to dive deep into mental hellscapes, but when you see how brilliantly this type of conflict is pulled off by movies like The Swerve, you realize how many other flicks simply miss the mark. Starring Azura Skye as Holly, a high-school teacher, wife, and mother of two, Holly’s life is seemingly good on the surface. That is until a series of strange and hallucinatory events start unfolding around her. Compounded by the many stresses of daily life, including her rebellious children and an unusual student, Holly’s fa?ade begins to crumble as past demons rear their heads. An excellent story of a methodically-paced breakdown, The Swerve is steered by an emotionally arresting lead performance from Skye.
Inside (2023)
Metacritic: 53%
IMDb: 4.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 105m
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Stars: Willem Dafoe, Gene Bervoets, Josia Krug
Directed by: Vasilis Katsoupis
Directed by Vasilis Katsoupis from a script by Ben Hopkins, Inside stars Willem Dafoe as cunning art hief Nemo. After a heist goes south, Nemo is forced to hide out in the New York City penthouse he initially invaded do he could rob its out-of-town owner of his Egon Schiele paintings. When Nemo attempts to flee the premises, the high-rise’s security system traps him inside, subjecting the criminal to long days of starvation and hallucinations. Dafoe never delivers a faulty performance, and his egocentric portrayal of Nemo becomes all the more dizzying when the man’s psychosis starts to kick in.
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Metacritic: 44%
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 108m
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars: Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus
Directed by: Troy Duffy
An adrenaline-heavy cult film like no other, The Boondock Saints stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as Irish-Catholic siblings Conner and Murphy. Tiring of the crumbling world around them, the brothers summon up all their religious spirit as the modus operandi for a spree of vigilante killings. But as they take down one mobster after another, a whip-smart FBI agent (Willem Dafoe) starts zeroing in on their killing spree. Wearing its influences on its sleeve, Boondock Saints looks and feels like an amalgamation of Tarantino cinema and B-movie action spectacles, a narrative and atmospheric blending that aims to please and does so effectively, at least for the most part.
Thirteen Lives (2022)
Metacritic: 66%
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 147m
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton
Directed by: Ron Howard
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.
All the Old Knives (2022)
Metacritic: 62%
IMDb: 6.1/10
Rated: R
Duration: 101m
Genre: Thriller, Action
Stars: Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Jonathan Pryce
Directed by: Janus Metz
Espionage thrillers make up a unique subset of the genre, and director Janus Metz’ All the Old Knives is a more than fitting contribution to the narrative traditions. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves‘ Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton star as Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison, CIA operatives and ex-lovers who are forced to work together to uncover a mole within the organization’s Vienna satellite location. As the duo closes in on the perpetrator, chemistry resurfaces and past demons arise, leading to some near-insurmountable obstacles that stand in the way of their mission. Pine and Newton are at the top of their game in this one, delivering a dynamic performance fueled by old haunts and new deceit.
Jungle (2017)
Metacritic: 48%
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 115m
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Thomas Kretschmann, Alex Russell
Directed by: Greg McLean
A cinematic retelling of Yossi Ghinsberg’s 1981 foray into the Amazon jungle, director Greg McLean’s Jungle stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ghinsberg, an Israeli outdoorsman who travels to Bolivia. Taking up a local guide’s offer to venture into the heart of the jungle with a group of fellow adventurers, Ghinsberg’s fight-or-flight instincts are soon put to the test when the expedition goes completely haywire. A tantalizing survival thriller that leans on the desperation and resourcefulness of its core cast, with Radcliffe leading the charge. Jungle may not be the greatest “nature versus man” film, but it’s a gritty and captivating addition to the sub-genre nonetheless.
Lansky (2021)
Metacritic: 45%
IMDb: 6.2/10
Rated: R
Duration: 119m
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stars: Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington, John Magaro
Directed by: Eytan Rockaway
Meyer Lansky (Harvey Keitel), a notorious crime lord, is on his last leg, a fact that the authorities are all too aware of. Hoping to track down Lansky’s hidden fortune, the Feds do everything in their power to make Lansky talk — and talk he does. In the vein of The Usual Suspects, the patriarchal puppet master begins weaving an intricate tale of his past, with specifics on how he rose to power. Keitel is perfectly cast as Lansky, delivering a tour-de-force performance that carries much of this true-crime thriller.
The Courier (2021)
Metacritic: 65%
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rated: R
Duration: 112m
Genre: Thriller, History, Drama
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan
Directed by: Dominic Cooke
Based on a true story, The Courier stars Benedict Cumberbatch Greville Wynne, your run-of-the-mill British businessman who’s handed the seemingly impossible task of negotiating with a Soviet spy (Merab Ninidze) to defuse international tensions, a massive effort by the U.K.’s MI-6 to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis. A tactful and rewarding espionage thriller, The Courier finds Benedict Cumberbatch at the top of his powers, delivering yet another engrossing leading-man performance.
Blow the Man Down (2019)
Metacritic: 72%
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 90m
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Comedy
Stars: Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Margo Martindale
Directed by: Danielle Krudy, Bridget Savage Cole
From writer-director duo Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, Blow the Man Down is a bleak seaside thriller with black comedy undertones. Siblings Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth Connolly (Morgan Saylor) aren’t on the greatest of terms after their mother’s funeral. Further complicating their sisterly struggle is a murder they must commit (in self-defense). Disposing of the body, the sisters are far from out of the woods when local law enforcement begins a search for the very man the duo pitched in the ocean. Add to that another body washing up on the shore, and Blow the Man Down sheds a layer to reveal a deeper underbelly of feminist power-playing and malicious intent. A film that builds an immersive tone and atmosphere from the get-go, Blow the Man Down is a whodunit that keeps you drawn in for its 90-minute runtime.
The Handmaiden (2016)
Metacritic: 84%
Duration: 145m
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Romance
Stars: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo
Directed by: Park Chan-wook
Dubbed an erotic psychological thriller, this South Korean film, also known as Ah-ga-ssi, is inspired by the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, with a change in setting from the Victorian era to Korea during Japanese colonial rule. At the heart of the story is a con man with a sinister plot to seduce a Japanese heiress so he can have her committed and steal her money.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Metacritic: 84%
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rated: R
Duration: 89m
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov
Directed by: Lynne Ramsay
Joaquin Phoenix is on point in Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here. The Oscar-winning actor plays Joe, a brutalizer-for-hire, with a specialty in rescuing trafficked girls. Suffering from suicidal thoughts and years of trauma from his childhood through his military career, Joe agrees to a new mission. It’s standard fare: Rescue a senator’s daughter and take down anyone that gets in the way. The only trouble is that those involved are part of a much deeper political conspiracy, and Joe lands right in the middle of the villains and their victims. You Were Never Really Here has teeth, and it bites — a lot. Those uneasy with gore may want to choose something else on this list. For those that can stomach Joe’s reign of hammer-blows, you’ll be rewarded with a brilliantly directed character study and a mesmerizing lead performance from our latest cinematic Joker.
