While thrillers tend to come in many shapes and sizes, there’s one common thread that connects almost every movie in the genre – tension. How that’s achieved varies from movie to movie, with some trapping their characters in a deadly situation, while others may present a compelling central mystery for its protagonists to unravel.
One of the most common narrative devices found in the genre, however, is the tried and true ‘cat and mouse’ game. This usually involves a character being pursued by an opposing force, only for the pair to one-up or outsmart each other at every turn – resulting in a tense series of near misses and close calls. Whether the protagonist is the cat or the mouse depends on the movie. Still, the device remains a staple of the thriller genre, so much so that many of the best thrillers ever made build their stories around the idea.
10 No Country For Old Men (2007) – 8.1
One of the many Coen Brothers movies that could be considered a masterpiece, No Country for Old Men is based on Cormac McCarthy’s relentlessly bleak novel of the same name.
The movie focuses on hunter Llewelyn Moss, who stumbles upon millions of dollars amongst the bloody aftermath of a botched drug deal – only to be pursued by the cold, relentless, and terrifying criminal Anton Chigurh. The resulting game of cat-and-mouse is amongst the tensest ever put to screen, ending in suitably abrupt fashion, something that only hammers home the point of the movie even harder.
9 Heat (1995) – 8.2
Famous for pitting legendary actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro against each other, Michael Mann’s 1995 crime classic Heat follows Pacino’s Lieutenant Hanna as he attempts to foil the final robbery of infamous criminal Neil McCauley.
The final confrontation between the two characters is incredibly satisfying – and surprisingly poignant – with both men unconsciously recognizing the cost of their respective obsessions. In fact, Heat’s story feels so sprawling and layered that Christopher Nolan even used it as a prototype when working on The Dark Knight.
8 North By Northwest (1959) – 8.3
This wouldn’t be a list about tense movies without at least one Alfred Hitchcock title present. Released in 1959, North by Northwest tells a classic tale of mistaken identity when advertising specialist Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent and is subsequently chased across the country.
Featuring some of the most iconic action sequences in all of cinema – including a helicopter chase and a tense showdown on Mount Rushmore – North by Northwest is Hitchcock at his very best.
7 Oldboy (2003) – 8.4
While Oldboy is widely considered one of the best thrillers ever made, it’s also one of the most disturbing. The movie sees drunken deadbeat Oh Dae-su kidnapped and locked in a windowless room for fifteen years, only to be released in the middle of nowhere out of the blue.
It’s then up to Dae-su to track down the man responsible for his imprisonment, however, he may not like the answers he eventually gets. Showcasing some of the most visceral fight scenes ever put to film – as well as a series of truly shocking twists and turns – Oldboy manages to be bizarre, powerful, violent, sickening, and hopeful all at once, cementing its reputation as perhaps the finest Korean thriller ever made.
6 The Prestige (2006) – 8.5
Despite being one of Christopher Nolan’s lesser talked about movies, 2006’s The Prestige is undoubtedly amongst his best efforts, with its meticulously detailed and satisfyingly devious script making for a brilliantly-spun mystery thriller.
The story focuses on two rival magicians – played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman – whose escalating attempts to one-up each other become increasingly dangerous, eventually reaching deadly new heights. Containing some of the most impressive cinematic rug-pulls of the 2000s, The Prestige is anchored by terrific performances and an incredibly sharp script.
5 The Departed (2006) – 8.5
A perfect example of how to do a remake right, Martin Scorsese’s celebrated gangster epic The Departed is based on the 2002 Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs. Chronicling the cat and mouse game between criminal-turned-FBI mole Colin Sullivan and undercover cop Billy Costigan, the movie took home several statues at the 79th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Film Editing.
With its cast firing on all cylinders, The Departed weaves a rich tapestry of the Boston criminal underworld, standing out as one of Scorsese’s very best – which is saying something.
4 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – 8.5
Often singled out as an example of the rare sequel that’s better than its predecessor, Terminator 2: Judgment Day takes the tense sci-fi cat and mouse game featured in 1984’s The Terminator and ups the ante tenfold, boasting some of the most impressive action sequences ever put to film.
In a twist on the formula, Judgment Day sees the previously antagonistic T-800 protect John and Sarah Connor from the even deadlier shapeshifting T-1000, with the movie’s script perfectly balancing action, humor, plot, and heart.
3 The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) – 8.6
Alongside 1934’s It Happened One Night and 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs is one of only three films to have won the ‘Big Five’ at the Oscars, taking home the awards for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Adapted Screenplay.
Following fresh-faced FBI agent Clarice Starling in her hunt for the terrifying serial killer known as Buffalo Bill, the movie is most well-known for its scenes featuring cold-blooded cannibal Hannibal Lecter. Despite only having eight minutes of screen time, Lecter brings a deeply unsettling yet oddly mesmerizing presence to the movie.
2 Seven (1995) – 8.6
Arguably David Fincher’s magnum opus, 1995’s seminal masterpiece Seven delicately treads the line between thriller, horror, and police procedural. Its rich characters, compelling story, and gruesome central mystery culminate in one of the most iconic climactic sequences in film history.
The movie tells the story of Detective Mills and his more cynical partner Detective Somerset – played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman respectively – as they attempt to track down a ruthless killer whose murders are inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins.
1 The Dark Knight (2008) – 9.0
Due to its status as a comic book movie, it’s easy to forget that at its core The Dark Knight is essentially a sprawling crime thriller, with the philosophical tug-of-war between Batman and the Joker serving as a gripping, tense centerpiece for the movie.
Of course, it helps that it’s packed with top-tier performances, white-knuckle action sequences, and a fantastic script. In fact, The Dark Knight is one of the rare films that became instantly iconic, working its way up to the number three spot in IMDb’s top 250 films of all time.
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