Unfortunately, the 2020s haven’t delivered on the thriller front so far. There were some good thrillers like Soderbergh’s “KIMI” or the indie film “Emily the Criminal,” but not many films of recent years feel like instant classics in a way “Silence of the Lambs” or “Se7en” turned out to be. No need to worry, because there are still countless underrated thrillers from the past you can choose from, and they deal with all the favorite subjects of the genre—serial killers, manipulative captors, mental illness, societal decay, obsession, and fractured identities.
Indeed, there are all sorts of thrillers, and this list aims to cover different kinds of the genre, so everyone can find something for themselves. From psychological mind games and twisted relationships to politically charged dramas and haunting personal stories, there are countless great thrillers that still can unsettle and, well, thrill you.
10. Julia (2008)
The year of 2024 had been brutal with the passing of so many acting legends, and one of them was Gena Rowlands, whose terrific film/performance in “Gloria” inspired this gripping Erick Zonca film. This is always tricky because when your film is in the “soul” of an already well-acclaimed film with an influential performance, it’s hard to live up to it.
Somehow, “Julia” manages to feel very distinctive, and not just that, Tilda Swinton gives a complete tour-de-force performance that no wonder an avid film watcher like Paul Schrader called it one of the greatest performances he had ever seen. She plays an alcoholic woman whose desperation drives her into a kidnapping scheme. She meets a woman who proposes an ill-conceived plan to kidnap her estranged son from his wealthy grandfather. Julia agrees, seeing it as a way to make some money, but as usual with thrillers, things get out of control.
This is not an overstatement when you call Tilda’s performance her career best. Not only she carry the whole film, but it’s one of the most complex characters she has ever played, and it makes the film even more interesting; to keep watching this flawed protagonist gives it so many layers. Her performance is raw and chaotic at the same time, perfectly capturing her desperation, manipulative tendencies, and even vulnerability. Of course, many thrillers have an anti-hero, but Swinton’s character is not “cool.” Some of her decisions can be maddening, but it’s her strong performance that brings lots of empathy as well.
The direction is very strong as well; Zonca manages to keep the tension high with a gritty aesthetic and dramatic depth. The film got strong critical acclaim, with lots of praise for its central performance and the direction, but perhaps its character-driven nature didn’t help this to become more popular among the mainstream crowd.
9. Brimstone & Treacle (1982)
Many stars of the music world have tried acting; just recently Ariana Grande was in “Wicked.” Some of these were great at it, like David Bowie, who was very versatile in his choices; some others mostly just did a variation of their own persona and were successful at it (Joan Jett’s “Light of Day”); and there were some others who failed. Sting is an interesting case; he has a decent career, with some highly acclaimed movies and even auteurs in his resume, but his performances were usually not the standout.
One of those major exceptions happens to be the adaptation of Dennis Potter’s controversial play “Brimstone & Treacle”, which uses Sting’s devilish charm really well. This is the film David Lynch saw and decided to cast him in “Dune”. While he’s very good in things like “Stormy Monday,” it’s unfortunate he didn’t get to show more of his “wild side” in his films. Here he plays a charming but enigmatic drifter who ingratiates himself into the home of a grieving middle-aged couple in the suburban England. That couple is Tom and Norma Bates (Denholm Elliott and Joan Plowright), whose lives have been upended by a tragic accident that left their daughter, Pattie, in a near-vegetative state. Martin appears to be nice at first, but soon more sinister things are going to happen that will make you ask: Is he the Devil himself?
Elliott and Plowright, two of the finest Brit actors, are very strong, and Suzanna Hamilton who has a silent role, is also haunting. Most recently, the Danish horror-thriller hit “Speak No Evil” was about the dangers of ignoring red flags. This movie has a similar message and is also critical of blind faith. It’s those who like horror elements strong in their thrillers or are looking for something with a psychological tension that also has a moral edge.
8. Killing Words (2003)
Spain is really good with thrillers, in a way that they often get international attention, especially Alejandro Amenábar and Oriol Paulo films. “Killing Words,” with its own original title, “Palabras encadenadas,” is another film on the list that would have an appeal to fans of the psychological thrillers. Based on a play by Jordi Galceran, the film is basically a psychological game between two lead characters: Laura (Goya Toledo), a kidnapped psychologist, and Ramón (Darío Grandinetti), her seemingly mild-mannered yet chillingly manipulative captor who sure will turn out to be one of the most interesting serial killer characters you have seen, thanks to Grandinetti’s complex performance.
The location is the same, so claustrophobic thriller fans will like that; it’s a basement where Ramón ties Laura to a chair and forces her to participate in a deadly word game. If she loses, she might die. Intercut with this plotline, Ramon is interrogated by the police for Laura’s disappearance. For a film like this to work, you need several key factors: first of all, it doesn’t need to feel like a filmed play. It needs to have its own atmosphere and cinematic language. Luckily, it has it all, and the film benefits from its setting as well as the central performances really well. It uses the dialogue and character psychology to drive the tension. Not every thriller needs some action; overall, the words can be enough sometimes.
The script has lots of twists and turns. Are they all really genius-level writing or full of plot holes? You’d need to reanalyze the whole film after finishing it, but then again, it doesn’t matter because the film is compelling enough. You just want to learn why this woman is here, what this guy wants, and what actually is really going on. And the film keeps you entertained while giving its answers. Certainly an underrated euro-thriller.
7. Closet Land (1991)
Now that we already covered one psychological thriller, which had the two-hander/same location/capturer-hostage formula, here comes another one, and here it’s truly just two people; no other character ever shows up. Before talking about that, what a great decade Madeleine Stowe had in the 90s! She started to focus on her other interests and hasn’t made a theatrical film for over two decades now, but back then, when you saw her in a movie, chances are it was something highly entertaining. She plays an unnamed children’s book author accused of embedding subversive messages in her work. She’s interrogated by Alan Rickman, who once called the film underrated himself.
Said to be inspired by the experiences of Chilean activist Veronica De Negri’s torture under Pinochet during the 1970s, this is a harrowing, almost dystopian film reminiscent of Kafka’s “The Trial.” As the formal interrogation devolves into a psychological battle, the film gets more and more interesting. It doesn’t just explore the totalitarian mind but also the abuser/victim roles between a powerful male and an oppressed woman.
The performances by both actors are excellent, and their parts play to their strengths. It’s not the first time Rickman plays a well-calculated, cold villain or Stowe plays a vulnerable woman, but it’s the writing that makes it interesting and gives both actors a chance to find different layers in these roles. After everything ends, you’ll find yourself talking about state oppression, individuality, the ethics of torturous interrogation, how powerful the literature can be, and of course, the power of imagination. Director Radha Bharadwaj gives almost a theatrical presentation here, but somehow it also feels cinematic. An emotionally draining, unusual, and deeply unsettling thriller.
6. Defence of the Realm (1985)
People love political thrillers for several reasons, as they often tap into the intrigue, suspense, and complexities of political power. They also reflect real-world problems as well as the anxieties, conflicts, and social issues of a particular time. Now that we live in an age where countless people are obsessed with conspiracy theories, no wonder many people enjoy watching secret organizations and covert operations in films.
One of the more underrated political thrillers happens to be “Defence of the Realm”, a British film that begins with a scandal (somewhat mirroring the Profumo affair): a prominent Member of Parliament gets accused of having ties to a Soviet spy. The reporter, played by always reliable Gabriel Byrne, breaks the story but soon finds himself in a deeper conspiracy. The last part of the plot also means that the film also works as a journalist film.
Byrne is known for giving understated performances, and this is one of them, but there’s something very thoughtful, something commanding and charismatic, about his performances that he always manages to carry the movie. The rest of the cast is doing a capable job as well. The direction is atmospheric enough, you get the sense of the paranoia that mirrors the political landscape of Cold War-era Britain.
Yet, for a thriller, it’s probably not “flashy” enough, which is maybe why it got overshadowed by the bigger films of the genre at that time. That’s unfortunate because the script is rich enough, there’s a lot going on here that makes it both thought-provoking and suspenseful. It also has something to say about journalistic ethics and political corruption, and these are all relevant themes even today. The film was acclaimed in the UK and even won a BAFTA in a supporting actor category, but these days, rarely anyone talks about it.