“The thriller is the most popular literary genre of the 20th century.”
— Ken Follett
From its inception with The Great Train Robbery (1903), to the ‘40s noirs, to the present slew of titles, what is clear is the thriller genre possess never-ending popularity. While some genres seem to ebb and flow, one can be certain that the thriller will never fall out of fashion. Attributable less to its time period and more to its artist’s hand, thrillers continue to evolve into new and unexpected corners. Cinephiles are already acquainted with crime thrillers like The Godfather (1972) and psychological thrillers, such as The Sixth Sense (1999). This list will unearth ten lesser-known titles that are worth the time of thriller fans.
1. Five Minutes to Live (1961)
Fred Dorella (Vic Tayback) robs a bank. As leverage, Fred’s associate, Johnny Cabot (Johnny Cash), holds the bank manager’s (Donald Woods) wife (Cay Forester) hostage in her home.
Five Minutes to Live was one of two feature film roles for Johnny Cash. Cash not only contends with professional actors, his talent outdoes them. His imposing presence is entrancingly ominous and terrifying. He uses pauses, unblinking stares and stillness to exacerbate this effect. Additionally, Cash performs with his guitar, singing the film’s theme tune. Also in the cast is seven-year-old Ron Howard, in one of his first movies. Contrasting the cultural climate it was produced in, Five Minutes to Live is unusually, outrageously violent, cruel, macabre and seedy.
When dissecting Easy Rider (1969), Quentin Tarantino opined it was the first time “a movie and the counterculture hooked up with each other.” However, Five Minutes to Live upends this notion, encapsulating the untamed spirit and raw texture of the rockabilly subculture. Especially peculiar for a film of its time, its soundtrack includes rock ‘n’ roll songs. Indeed, this would not be noticeable again until Easy Rider. In many ways, Five Minutes to Live foreshadows the independent film movement, establishing all its homemade benchmarks. Its minimalist yet tense story’s impact can still be observed, in hostage movies like 3 From Hell (2019) and No Sudden Move (2021).
2. The Anderson Tapes (1971)
After his release from prison, Duke Anderson (Sean Connery) compiles a team to pull a heist. They plan to rob all the apartments inside an affluent Manhattan block.
Under-discussed today, The Anderson Tapes is the prototypical caper movie. Its influence can be felt everywhere in the sub-genre, including Ocean’s Eleven (2001). A truly outstanding film, The Anderson Tapes’ crown jewel is the visionary, detailed and professional direction from the preeminent Sidney Lumet. Lumet helmed several heist movies, like Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007), but The Anderson Tapes is undoubtedly his best. His directorial expertise is evident in the incredible climax: through the choreography of stunts and action, as well as the elicitation of emotive performances.
Moreover, Lumet’s genius is also palpable in a tracking shot of Duke Anderson leaving prison. After he has departed through the doors, the camera lingers inside for a moment. This signifies Duke crossing the threshold back into criminality, past ‘the point of no return.’ Lumet’s intelligence and artistry is such that moments like these are given the appropriate gravitas. What is more, The Anderson Tapes is well-plotted, funny and stylish, with a groovy funk score from Quincy Jones. There is an early appearance from a young Christopher Walken.
Crucially, The Anderson Tapes is not merely one of the 1970s’ most entertaining crime thrillers. Through an examination of gender roles, it asks what constitutes true love and loyalty. Whilst depicting the advent of surveillance equipment, it probes into though-provoking social commentary. At the beginning, Connery’s character retorts to a criticism of his criminality. “What’s advertising, but a legalised con game? And what the hell’s marriage? Extortion, prostitution, soliciting, with a government stamp on it. And what the hell’s your stock market? A fixed horse race. Some business guy steals a bank, he’s a big success story. Face in all the magazines. Some other guy steals the magazine and he’s busted.”
3. Sitting Target (1972)
Harry Lamar (Oliver Reed) and Birdy Williams (Ian McShane) escape from jail to kill Harry’s adulterous wife and her lover.
One of Sitting Target’s most admirable qualities is the careful choreography and photography of its stunts. In one instance, the protagonists perform a suspenseful high-wire act over a prison yard, patrolled by guards. Furthermore, the most-unforgettable scene comes when police motorcycles chase Harry through washing lines, below a Brutalist tower block. Such sequences makes Sitting Target one of the most outstanding, albeit forgotten British thrillers. Aesthetically, the set design is a time machine to the floral patterns of swinging London.
In contrast to other British thrillers of its era, Sitting Target is bloody and fast-paced. Nevertheless, the movie is heavily elevated by the casting of Oliver Reed. In spite of his chequered personal life, what is irrefutable is Reed was one of the 20th century’s cardinal actors. Reed is so intense, convincing, powerful and menacing, his craft plays more like horrific reality than fiction. True of his entire filmography, Reed’s performance is a masterclass in great acting. Ian McShane, a decade into his cinematic career, is equally proficient, for his unnerving, two-faced intrigue.
4. Dead Bang (1989)
Los Angeles Detective Jerry Beck (Don Johnson) investigates a slain police officer. This leads him to Oklahoma’s white supremacists.
Initially, Dead Bang is a suitable vehicle for Don Johnson, establishing him as a cinematic action hero beyond Miami Vice (1984-1990). Johnson is quirky and amusing as Detective Beck, in what is principally a character study of an obnoxious, alcoholic chancer. Here, Bob Balaban (known for his cerebral turns in Christopher Guest and Wes Anderson flicks) is unusually cast as a parole officer for comedic relief. More significantly, Dead Bang is an important film to watch due to its theme and social function. Rare for a piece of this time, Dead Bang exposes and questions latent racism in American society.
It details the frightening ramifications of white supremacy, even pervading to the slurs of policemen. The upsetting violence, emphasising the humanity of people of different races, forces prejudiced viewers to reexamine their beliefs. Intellectually, through the depiction of neo-Nazis, the screenplay reveals their hateful rhetoric for the illogical, depraved idiocy it truly is. This artful balance of shoot-‘em-up action and writerly depth is ascribable to masterful direction from John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin).
5. Gonin (1995)
Five men rob the yakuza. After the heist goes awry, the yakuza hunt down the thieves.
Historically, Gonin is set in Japan’s ‘Lost Decades,’ investigating the personal upshots of the country’s economic recession. This context gives heft to the movie’s national significance and the actions of the robbers. They desire to exact a vendetta against the yakuza responsible, in this case, for their economic downturn. Secondly, the esoteric Gonin differs from other thrillers for its commitment to extreme, merciless violence, matching the shocking gore of a horror movie.
For example, when two characters shoot at each other in a nightclub, an innocent female dancer is caught in the crossfire, screaming and fountaining blood from her leg. Gonin’s anarchistic tone is typified by the attendance of an eye-patched Takeshi Kitano. Known as an auteur of yakuza movies himself, Kitano’s pared-down, deadpan, badass action star status is unquestionably the best thing about Gonin. Where the picture also strays from archetypal crime movies is in its portrayal of homosexual protagonists.