Contagion is the best kind of thriller – one that could happen in real life. Hell, it kinda did in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut the world down for over a year and killed millions of people. That pretty much happens in Contagion, a chilling 2011 picture that follows the outbreak of a deadly virus and the way various scientists, doctors, reporters, and others deal with its effects.

Among them is Mitch (Matt Damon), the husband of whom many believe was patient zero, Ben (Gwyneth Paltrow), who unwittingly spread the virus before she died; Dr. Ellis Cheever (Kate Winslet), who is tasked with finding out who Beth made contact with before she was guaranteed; and Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law), a conspiracy theorist who exploits the pandemic for financial gain.

These are just some of the characters you’ll meet in Contagion, which casts a wide net in its depiction of a worldwide outbreak of a new disease no one can quite figure out. Unlike most thrillers, the antagonist here is largely invisible and seemingly everywhere at once. Time is the other enemy, and it’s gripping to see some of the characters race against it as they struggle to find a cure.

India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) isn’t like all the other girls at her high school. She’s a little weird and withdrawn, but can you blame her? Her beloved dad, Richard (Dermot Mulroney), just died in a mysterious car accident, and her never-before-seen uncle, Charlie (Leap Year‘s Matthew Goode), has suddenly moved in with her and her coolly aloof mother, Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). Charlie seems sincere, but there’s something a little off about him. What does he want from her mother? And why has she never seen him before her father’s funeral?

Stoker is an unsettling thriller about a family so twisted that they make the Bates clan seem somewhat healthy. Goode’s Charlie is a nice guy who hides a rotten heart, but he’s honestly no worse than India and Evelyn, who are just as bad in their own ways. Director Park Chan-wook casts a dreamy, vaguely sinister spell, and that lulling pace doesn’t prepare you for the many plot twists that arrive later in the film. Like India herself, Stoker is different. There’s no other thriller quite like it, which is the highest praise I can give it.  

Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) is a retail worker whose life is forever changed when pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe) walks into his clothing store one day. The two men hit it off, and soon Matthew is invited to join Oliver’s entourage to document his upcoming tour. But Matthew’s relationship with Oliver turns sinister as he develops an unhealthy fixation with his famous friend. Matthew wants Oliver all to himself, and he’s willing to do almost anything to get what he wants.

On paper, Lurker sounds like a hipster Fatal Attraction, but it’s more than just a mere copy. Instead, the film is an unsettling examination of fame and masculinity. Even though Matthew becomes obsessed with Oliver, it’s an obsession rooted in his own desire to become an artist, too. He wants to be like Oliver in every sense, and the movie seems to suggest that Oliver doesn’t mind being adored. If you’re looking for a suspenseful story with complicated characters, stream Lurker.

Lurker streams on HBO Max on May 15.

Everyone loves Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). Tall, dark and unreasonably handsome, the Oxford student charms everyone he meets and has enough money and good fortune to live the rest of his life without worry. That’s why fellow student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is drawn to him — he not only wants Felix, he wants to be him, too. The only thing that’s standing in his way is Felix’s aristocratic family, whose snobbery blinds them to Oliver’s true intentions. 

Saltburn is an entertaining takedown of the .001 percent, who pretty much deserve everything coming their way courtesy of Oliver. Keoghan is outstanding as a Tom Ripley-like character whose identity is malleable — he’s anything to anyone, and nothing to himself. Equally good is Rosamund Pike as Felix’s mother, Lady Elspeth, who can’t help but insult the people around her while smugly believing she’s a good person. Saltburn is a thriller with an obvious ending, but with a conclusion this good, you don’t mind seeing it coming from a mile away.

When mild-mannered college professor Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal) watches a random movie recommended by a friend, he’s stunned to discover one of the background actors, Anthony Claire (also Gyllenhaal), looks and sounds exactly like him. Adam quickly becomes obsessed with finding Anthony but when the two men meet things only get stranger as it quickly becomes apparent that they are both similar in every way. Is Anthony Adam’s double or is it vice versa? And why do both men keep seeing images of tarantulas wherever they go?

Made before he struck it big with Arrival and the Dune trilogy, director Denis Villeneuve crafted a perplexing thriller that poses more questions than answers. That may not satisfy some, and the ending is so out there that you might leave the film scratching your head. But it’s one of the most unique suspense films you’ll ever watch, with not one but two great performances from the always reliable Gyllenhaal as the professor and his doppelganger. Or is it the other way around? There’s only one way to find out.

After her emotionally abusive fiancé kills himself, Harper (Jessie Buckley) rents a house in the country to recuperate from the tragedy. But as soon as Harper settles in, she’s menaced by numerous townsfolk, all of whom are male and look exactly like the house’s owner, Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear). What do they want from Harper? And why is it all tied to her fiancé’s death?

Men is an unconventional thriller that gets stranger as it progresses. Writer/director Alex Garland leans into being weird, with Kinnear playing almost all of the male roles, including a pre-teen boy, to suggest the violent purgatory Harper finds herself in. The ending is a big question mark with no obvious answer, but watching the recently Oscar winner Buckley fight for her sanity — and maybe life? — is worth it.

Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) has a problem — he has anterograde amnesia and can’t retain short-term memories. That’s inconvenient, especially when he’s trying to solve his late wife’s murder. To keep track of his investigation, he relies on clues tattooed on his body, Polaroids with notes and the help of bartender Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss), who might know the identity of his wife’s killer. But the closer Leonard gets to discovering the killer’s identity, the more he forgets key information that will help him succeed. Caught in a perpetual time loop of fading memories, can Leonard remember enough to seek justice for his deceased wife?

Released to critical acclaim in 2000, Memento established writer/director Christopher Nolan as an impressive emerging talent who would later conquer Hollywood with his Dark Knight trilogy and his Oscar-winning biopic, Oppenheimer. With an ingenious premise and a non-linear narrative that plays with time to mimic Leonard’s affliction, Memento is one of the loopiest thrillers ever made. It’s also one of the most tragic, as Nolan uses all of his storytelling and directorial acumen to craft an unforgettable film about a man who is eternally lost in his own mind.

Barb (Emma Thompson) travels to wintry northern Minnesota to scatter her husband’s ashes at the site of their first date. Lost in the snow-covered woods, she stops at a remote cabin and asks the man inside for directions. Barb can’t help but notice blood splatter in the snow next to the cabin and soon discovers Leah (Laura Marsden) trying to escape. She’s been kidnapped for unknown reasons, and the only one who can save her is Barb.

Dead of Winter is a slight but effective thriller that relies on its lead actress and isolated setting to generate most of its thrills. Fortunately for us, they both come through, with Thompson giving a terrific performance as a recent widow who is still grieving the loss of her husband. There’s nothing like trying to save another person’s life to distract you from mourning the loss of a loved one, and Thompson makes Barb a fierce and resourceful heroine you’d want to rescue you in the middle of nowhere.

Dead of Winter will stream on February 20.

Meek accountant Winston (Topher Grace) works for the mob, but he’s fed up with his criminal lifestyle. He offers to testify against his shady bosses for immunity, but first he has to travel from Alaska to New York City safely. Things look promising when he’s on his flight with only U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery) and pilot Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg), but it quickly becomes apparent to him that one of his fellow passengers is an imposter. Winston has to figure out who it is fast or he’ll never make it to his destination alive.

Taking place almost entirely on a small plane, Flight Risk is an effectively tense action-thriller that milks all the suspense from its admittedly far-out premise. Director Mel Gibson keeps the narrative going at a fast pace and gives his three actors plenty of scenery to chew on. Highly implausible, Flight Risk is also tons of fun if you leave logic and common sense at the boarding gate.   

On the night before the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, ruthless MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is tasked with finding an important dossier that is intended to be smuggled into the West. Using her full arsenal of deadly skills, Lorraine is an unstoppable machine against the threat of an espionage ring — but they’re closing in on her. She teams up with an embedded station chief (James McAvoy) as she battles her way through bad guys.

With gorgeous, neon-tinged cinematography and top-notch fight scenes courtesy of director David Leitch (John Wick), Atomic Blonde is a no-holds-barred, ultra-violent espionage thriller carried by Theron’s simmering performance.

Texas bartender Ray (John Getz) is engaged in an affair with his boss’s wife, Abby (Frances McDormand) — but unbeknownst to them, they’re being followed by a private detective (M. Emmett Walsh). The PI delivers photos of the affair to Abby’s husband, Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya), and Marty offers the PI $10,000 to kill Abby and Ray. But in classic, Coen-esque fashion, a string of misunderstandings and lies ensues instead.

Blood Simple was the Coen brothers’ feature directorial debut, and from the jump, it showcased the sibling director duo’s penchant for shocking violence, sharp humor and a confident grasp on filmmaking ingenuity that only became more mature and defined as their careers skyrocketed to success.

This Old Hollywood, black-and-white noir stars Robert Mitchum as small-town gas station owner Jeff Bailey, whose life takes a turn when he has a chance encounter with a figure from his troubled past. Joe Stephanos’ (Paul Valentine) boss, Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas), wants to settle an old score with Jeff involving the femme fatale (Jane Greer) who shot him, stole his money and ran off with Jeff.

Frequently considered one of the greatest noirs of all time, Out of the Past is light on its feet, well-directed and anchored by terrific performances from Mitchum, Greer and Douglas. This hardboiled crime caper is moody and seductive, with a twisty narrative that’s fortified by evocative cinematography.

It’s hard to classify Freaky Tales. The anthology film contains elements of science fiction and action, but it’s an undeniably effective thriller, too. The story focuses on Clint (Pedro Pascal), a former criminal trying to reform. When his pregnant wife is killed, he vows revenge, but his quest is complicated by a roving band of Nazis, two female would-be rappers and Sleepy Floyd (Running Point’s Jay Ellis), who can move objects with his mind. 

Freaky Tales is very weird, but it’s also very entertaining. With a cast consisting of pop singer Normani, the late Angus Cloud of Euphoria fame and Tom Hanks, the movie has enough star power to keep you interested and more than a few wild narrative swings to hold your interest. If you’re craving a different kind of thriller, watch Freaky Tales.

Belinda (Brandy) is a pregnant university professor with more problems than she’d like. Frustrated by her job and nervous about her pregnancy, she’s further aggravated by her husband’s mother, Solange (Kathryn Hunter), moving in. Solange disapproves of Belinda and begins to undermine her at every turn. Belinda’s protests fall on deaf ears and she’s soon left to deal with a mother-in-law who could be deadlier than anyone realizes.

The Front Room was marketed as a horror film, but it’s more of a psychological thriller than anything else. Solange’s threats aren’t supernatural — instead, they stem from her being a flat-out racist. The Front Room tackles real-world issues like microaggressions and misogyny, but it also works as a woman-in-peril thriller similar to the suspense classic The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

Possibly one of the best and most impactful movies of the 2010s, Get Out combines suspense and horror elements with intricately plotted details and intelligent social commentary. The movie follows Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), a young Black man who visits the family estate of his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). What initially seems like a warm welcome quickly descends into a nightmare as Chris begins to uncover unsettling secrets about the Armitage family and their mysterious guests. 

You’ll be on the edge of your seat in every scene — except for when you’re laughing at writer-director Jordan Peele‘s brilliant dialogue. With layered performances from Kaluuya, Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Lil Rel Howery and more, Get Out is a movie that sticks with you.

Master of thrills Steven Soderbergh directs this Zoë Kravitz gem, which explores themes of surveillance and technology that feel more relevant with each passing year. Kravitz plays Angela Childs, a tech worker grappling with agoraphobia during a pandemic, who discovers evidence of a violent crime while analyzing data streams from a smart device. Struggling with both her personal fears and her skeptical work superiors, Angela decides to seek justice — a choice that draws her into a web of danger and conspiracy. 

Kimi has a tightly woven narrative that fills the movie with tension and a sense of high stakes. The character-driven story makes it engaging, while the themes make the viewer reflect on the consequences of technology in our personal lives. If you liked Soderbergh’s recent hit Black Bag, this is a must-watch.

Fritz Lang‘s M is one of the most seminal, influential thrillers ever made. (If you ever took a film class in college, it may well have been on the syllabus.) Don’t let the German language or the black-and-white cinematography scare you off — M is as engaging and exciting as any current Hollywood blockbuster. The story revolves around Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre), a serial killer who preys on children in Berlin. When the police fail to capture him, the criminals of the city take matters into their own hands.

Lorre’s portrayal of Beckert is both haunting and surprisingly sympathetic, adding layers to the character. It’s a visually striking examination of humanity’s darkest impulses that will stun you.

Curt (Don Cheadle) and Ronald (Benicio del Toro) are small-time gangsters in 1950s Detroit who are hired to intimidate a General Motors executive so he can give them a mysterious document. After some hiccups and one unexpected death, the two men are successful. Unfortunately, they quickly realize the document they now possess is far more valuable — and dangerous — than they could’ve imagined. Now on the run from the cops as well as their fellow gangsters, they must try to find a way out of the mess they’re in without losing their lives.

No Sudden Move is perhaps the only thriller whose plot hinges on a car part. That’s the movie’s MacGuffin, but whether it’s a catalytic converter or a 24-karat diamond, it’s merely the excuse for these characters to run around shooting at each other. 

It’s all great fun, and that’s due to Steven Soderbergh’s stylish direction and the effective performances by Cheadle, del Toro and Jon Hamm. No Sudden Move is a throwback thriller with a modern polish, and it runs as smoothly as the Buicks and Cadillacs the robbers drive to avoid getting caught.   

Is there a summer thriller more appropriate than The Swimming Pool, which is set in or around a private pool in the French countryside? The late ‘60s movie stars Alain Delon as Jean-Paul, a writer who is spending his vacation with his longtime girlfriend, Marianne (Romy Schneider). Their romantic bliss is disturbed by the arrival of Harry (Maurice Ronet), Jean-Paul’s old friend and ex-lover of Marianne, and his teenage daughter, Penelope (Jane Birkin). 

Tensions soon rise as Jean-Paul becomes jealous of Harry, Penelope flirts with Jean-Paul and Marianne becomes fed up with all of them. When someone dies, the survivors must figure out who is responsible and who will be the next victim. 

The Swimming Pool is a slow-burn thriller that takes its time setting up its central mystery and leaving it for the viewer to solve. The killer is pretty obvious, but his or her intentions aren’t, and the beauty of The Swimming Pool is how it forces you to judge a set of characters who are neither completely good nor irredeemably evil. 

Ellie (Eliza Scanlen) is vacationing with her family at Caddo Lake near the Texas/Louisiana border when her stepsister, Anna (Caroline Falk), disappears. Meanwhile, Paris (Dylan O’Brien) is investigating why his mother drove off a bridge near the lake. At first, Ellie and Paris have nothing to do with each other, but as they try to solve their mysteries, they separately realize the answer to all their problems lies in Caddo Lake.

A thriller with some sci-fi elements, Caddo Lake has a twisty plot that is almost too complex to follow. But it manages to make sense in the end, and it’s the rare thriller that’s surprisingly moving. Caddo Lake is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, so that should give you a hint about what you should expect.

Cooper (Josh Hartnett) seems like your ordinary, everyday guy. A firefighter and devoted dad, he takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to a pop concert in Philadelphia. Something’s slightly off about the whole thing, though, and he discovers that it’s an elaborate ploy by the FBI to catch a serial killer named “The Butcher.” That’s a big problem for Cooper because he’s The Butcher, and he’ll do anything to keep his double life a secret. 

Director M. Night Shyamalan takes his irresistible premise and runs with it throughout Trap, placing Cooper in one tense situation after another as he tries to find a way to escape the intricate trap the authorities have set for him. Hartnett is effective as the charismatic killer, who always tries to do what’s best for his kid, even when he’s trying to kill people to get away. Coop may be a killer, but no one can convict him of being a bad dad.  

In 1890s New England, Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) arrives at an isolated lighthouse for what’s supposed to be a short stint as a “wickie” before leaving. But the days seem endless due to the harsh weather and harsher supervision by Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), who orders him to do menial tasks. Soon, the two men are at war with one another, and Winslow’s sanity begins to unravel. Will the two men kill each other? Or will the raging sea drown them before they even have a chance?

Robert Eggers (Nosferatu) specializes in atmospheric, esoteric nightmares, and The Lighthouse is arguably his best attempt at conveying an ancient, almost mystical sense of fear and dread. He also crafts a tense thriller by effectively exploiting his single location — the titular lighthouse — and letting his two talented actors let their freak flags fly. The Lighthouse is a beautiful nightmare, one that you won’t want to wake up from anytime soon.

Lou (Kristen Stewart) is wasting her life in a small New Mexico town until bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brien) walks into her gym one day. The two begin a passionate love affair, but their dreams of running away to Las Vegas together are sidelined when Lou becomes involved in a family affair that leaves one person dead. With the cops closing in and Lou’s crime boss father (Ed Harris) angry that his criminal empire could be exposed, the two lovers must think fast before time runs out for both of them.

Directed by Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding is a superb crime noir movie with a thrilling plot line that is never predictable. Stewart and O’Brien are believable as an odd couple who risk everything to be with one another, and Harris gets some nice moments to shine as a father who loves his daughter, but loves his illegal business even more. There’s a “WTF?” moment at the end that is never explained, but that only enhances the movie’s weird, gonzo appeal.

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