Thrillers often go to dark places, more so than most other movie genres, so it’s relatively rare to find a poignant thriller that doesn’t get too complex or disturbing. Some of thebest thriller moviesare psychological thrillers that deal with intense, heavy themes or crime thrillers that have plenty of death and egregious violence. While these can be brilliant, it’s good to have some lighter options for a less intense watch.
Thrillers encompass many other genres, including action, crime and mystery movies. This means that there’s a wider variety of thrillers out there, and fans of the genre can likely find something to suit whatever mood they’re in or whatever specific tastes they have. Thrillers are designed to get the audience’s hearts pumping, and it’s possible to do this without being too intense or depressing.
Jeremy Saulnier established himself as a director worth watching withBlue RuinandGreen Room,andRebel Ridgesees him continuing his hot streak. The Netflix thriller stars Aaron Pierre as a former Marine who single-handedly takes on a corrupt police department after their actions cause the death of his cousin. It’s a strikingly realistic thriller that avoids too much sensationalism.
The close-combat fight scenes are a highlight.
Rebel Ridgeexplores contemporary issues of policing in America, but it stops short of anything too revolutionary, which keeps the focus on the characters and the situation rather than wading into political commentary. This means that the story stays grounded and relatable. The close-combat fight scenes are a highlight, and something that apotentialRebel Ridgesequelshould look to develop.
No Way Outis based on a novel by Kenneth Fearing from 1946, and although it updates everything that’s important, it maintains the feel of a twisty noir thriller that would have been just as appropriate in the 1940s. Kevin Costner stars as a Navy commander who gets wrapped up in a murder investigation that he knows far too much about. Gene Hackman is also on top form as a ruthless political operator.
No Way Outcombines a domestic thriller with a political conspiracy thriller, and the result is completely captivating. It may take a little while to set things up, but once the dominoes start to fall it’s hard to resistNo Way Out’s grasp. The labyrinthine narrative never feels too confusing or dense, partly becausethe dialogue and the performances are both so convincing.
Matthew Vaughn’s moviesshow a clear progression toward stylized violence. In recent movies likeArgylleand The King’s Man, some of Vaughn’s fight scenes are barely distinguishable from dance numbers. This is one thing that makesLayer Cakestand out, since Vaughn’s directorial debut is much more grounded.There are still hints of swagger and some vibrant flourishes, but it’s altogether more relatable.
Layer Cakeis often cited as one big reason why Daniel Craig landed the role of James Bond. Although there’s less action than any Bond movie,Layer Cakesees Craig at his most charming, with his constant voiceover guiding the audience through a dark tale of British gang violence. His calm demeanor makes the bursts of violence feel even more chaotic and brutal.
Tommy Lee Jones' role inDouble Jeopardyis reminiscent of his part inThe Fugitive.Both characters are gruff law enforcement types tasked with capturing a perpetrator on the lam, and they both bring the best out of Jones' world-weary demeanor.Double Jeopardyalso benefits from Ashley Judd in one of her finest roles as a woman framed for the murder of her husband.
Double Jeopardymay be just one of many similar thrillers from the 1990s, butit deserves some more attention, solely for the intriguing dynamic between the hunter and the hunted.There are a few sticky moral quandaries at the heart of the story, seen through the lens of a legal system that isn’t designed to handle nuance, but this is balanced out by some thrilling action sequences that drive the plot forward.
The Little Thingsfeels like the type of detective thriller that was common 20-30 years ago, especially with Denzel Washington playing law enforcement once again. This is becauseThe Little Thingsspent almost 30 years in development hell, before emerging as a time capsule that suddenly feels unlike anything else that has been released in the 2020s.
Reviews have been a little harsh toThe Little Things,but it deserves to be appreciated for what it is. The twisty detective story leaves behind the confines of a regular whodunnit to lurk in the moral gray zone between legal justice and true justice. Ultimately, theending ofThe Little Thingsleaves a hollow feeling, capping a throwback thriller that gets the best out of its main cast.
The concept behindFrequencyis, frankly, complete nonsense, and one that should be disqualifying. However, it’s a great credit to the movie that it enjoys a positive critical reputation. Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel star as a father and son separated in time by 30 years who manage to communicate with one another via radio due to some freak weather phenomena.
OnceFrequencybrushes past the “how” of its time-travel narrative, it unfolds into a surprisingly poignant thriller which touches on grief, regret and father-son relationships. There’s also a healthy dose of action to keep things lively, as father and son team up to catch a serial killer in two different decades. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, butFrequencydeserves the benefit of the doubt from those who think it seems too far-fetched.
Time to Huntstarts out like many other heist thrillers, as a group of underdogs band together to take one big score from a criminal syndicate. After the heist, however, it morphs into an anxiety-inducing pursuit, with a relentless assassin tracking the thieves across the country with all the horrifying inevitability of a machine. This sets up some nerve-shredding scenes as the thieves are forced to reckon with the consequences of their actions.
Time to Huntdeserves a larger international audience. It flips the format of a crime thriller upside-down, continuing past the usual triumphant ending of most heists to show that sometimes, happy endings don’t last long at all.The dystopian near-future setting is the perfect backdrop for a terrifying pursuit, since it feels as though the end of society has brought humanity back to its animalistic origins.
Compared to his later crime thrillers likeHeatandCollateral,Michael Mann’sThieftends to get overlooked. It may not be as action-heavy, but it’s just as exciting, with a great performance from James Caan at the center.Thieffollows a professional safecracker trying to pull one last job before retirement, but he keeps being dragged back into the criminal underworld by his friends, his enemies, and cruel fate.
Compared to his later crime thrillers likeHeatandCollateral,Michael Mann’sThieftends to get overlooked.
Thiefdeserves to be recognized as one ofMichael Mann’s best movies, even though it was his directorial debut. His vision of a crime-ridden Chicago is soaked in bright neon lights, and the Tangerine Dream soundtrack also helps set the scene. When the time comes for a tense heist or a brutally violent confrontation,Mann doesn’t hide from his bold stylistic choices, working them into the DNA of his unique thriller.
