by VegamoviesTop 20 Thriller Movies of All Time
Top 20 Thriller Movies: Either, thriller movies have a time and a time to keep us on the edge of our seats, our heart racing, waiting for the next big moment. These films understand how to take us somewhere from psychological mind games to high tension action packed suspense. In this countdown, we bring you the top 20 thriller movies of all time, all having been released within the last 10 years with a classic to round up the list — all the way to the end.
The genre of thriller movies, which is decades old, has become staple of entertainment, and gives people mix of suspense and intrigue and even excitement. There are so many great thriller movies out and you can find it hard to narrow down the best of the best. However, based on various rankings and reviews, here are some of the top thriller movies of all time:
20. Misery (1990)
This uses Paul Sheldon (James Caran) held captive by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), and deranged fan and played out by Rob Reiner. This fascinating, if slightly creepy, thriller takes a look at the darker side of fandom and Bates gives a tour de force performance.
19. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: Tense, it’s a masterclass in suspense, pitting FBI trainee Clarice Starling (a still very much in her early twenties Jodie Foster) against the brilliant, cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a masterclass of a masterclass. Any fan of the genre should see this Oscar winning thriller.
18. Seven (1995)
The which follows a pair of detectives (Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt) as they search for a serial killer thru the commissioned use of the seven deadly sins is a gritty, atmospheric thriller directed by David Fincher. If you’re the faint of heart, this dark, unsettling film is not for you.
17. Fight Club (1999)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: Fight Club is a subversive and thought provoking thriller about toxic masculinity and how far we allow ourselves to be manipulated by consumer culture another David Fincher classic. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are terrific as a pair of creeps who throw together a fight club that goes bad.
16. Memento (2000)
Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) a man with short term memory loss, is set to find out whodunit when his wife is killed. In Christopher Nolan’s mind bender, Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) sets out to avenge his wife’s murder. The film is known for its non linear narrative and incredible twist, which also got critically acclaimed.
15. Panic Room (2002)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: David Fincher’s tense real time thriller in which a recently divorced mother (Jodie Foster) and her daughter, are trapped in their panic room by a group of burglars. A suspense masterclass, this beautifully made film.
14. The Bourne Identity (2002)
Fast-paced and action packed, Bourne was a fast paced, action packed thriller starring Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) an amnesiac assassin trying to work out who he was. It became the first of a series of successful franchises that seemed to cement Damon as a leading action hero.
13. The Ring (2002)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: The remarrk of the Japanese Light horror core tells the story of someone who listens to cursed videotape and die in seven days. No one does it better than Naomi Watts as a journalist investigating the mysterious tape.
- Get ready for the most anticipated movie releases, including Pushpa 2 – click here
12. The Prestige (2006)
In Christopher Nolan’s mystery drama two magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) compete in one upmanship that results in tragedy. It’s a twisty, atmospheric film that even fans of magic are going to want to see.
11. No Country for Old Men (2007)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: In The Coen brothers’ gritty, violent thriller, hunter (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon a lot of money at a crime scene only to be chased by a mean and murderous hitman (Javier Bardem). This Oscar winning film is a modern classic of the genre.
10. 2011, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Based on the bestseller in Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy, a journalist (Daniel Craig) and a hacker (Rooney Mara) try to uncover the decades old secret of the man they believe is responsible for the death of the girl Lara, for whom they had hidden love. This gripping thriller has an stand out performance from Mara.
9. Argo (2012)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: Ben Affleck’s tense (the title says it all here) based on a true story thriller then follows a CIA operative though a series of tenses while he poses as a filmmaker to rescue six Americans trapped in Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis. This Oscar winning film is pretty much a master class on suspense and deception.
8. Prisoners (2013)
The emotionally charged thriller follows a couple (Hugh Jackman and Maria Bello), in whose daughters go missing on Thanksgiving Day. The film as it plays out asks uncomfortable moral and social justice questions.
7. Gone Girl (2014)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: A twisty, atmospheric but coldly observant adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel, David Fincher’s twisty, atmospheric adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel, David Fincher’s twisty, atmospheric takes us behind a couple’s (Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike) seemingly perfect facade. Fans of the psychological thriller have to watch this critically acclaimed film.
6. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
George Miller’s adrenaline fueled action Thriller brings the world of Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and their fight against tyrannical Immortan Joe in Post apocalyptic world.
5. Searching (2018)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: From ‘Under the Skin’ to ‘Black Mirror,’ this season of innovative thrillers balances blindingly hyperreal hells and cloaked nightmares. Among them, Aneesh Chaganty’s original thriller finds a brilliant way to play out its entire story on computer screens: a father (John Cho) searching for his missing daughter by tracking her digital footprints.
4. A Quiet Place (2018)
John Krasinski’s tense thriller is a post apocalyptic movie where creatures who hunt by sound have killed off a large part of humankind. In order to just survive, this new world must be navigated in silence by a family.
3. Hereditary (2018)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: Ari Aster’s disturbing family drama follows the dark and dirty truths which can ruin those around it. Toni Collette produces an outstanding performance as this disturbing thriller rolls on.
2. Joker (2019)
Deriving from Todd Phillips critically acclaimed thriller, we follow the origin story of the Joker played by Joaquin Phoenix. With this film it is a thought provoking take on the state of mental illness, isolation and society breaking down.
1. Parasite (2019)
Top 20 Thriller Movies: A darkly comic thriller from the award wining director Bong Joon-ho, who follows the Kims, a poor family, to the Parks, the family with everything. This film is a sharp undertaking of class inequity and social neglect.
Besides those, there’s a ton of great thriller movies out there, and they’re still being made and churning out new and fresh kinds of thrillers. Besides The Bourne Series, The Dark Knight and Gone Girl, there are many more thriller movies. Known for keeping their audiences guessing and on the edge of their seats, the thriller genre is just what these films are known to be.
Though, collectively, the works within this genre are rich and diverse, and each work, as well as its sub genres, rich in their own right. Whether you lean more toward classic thrillers or modern blockbusters, you’ll find the one thing to watch. If you’re after a thrilling movie experience, then take a look at some of the best of the best thriller movies of all time.