The 10 Best Netflix Original Thriller Movies, Ranked
Writing from the Chicagoland area in Illinois, Robert is an avid movie watcher and will take just about any excuse to find time to go to his local movie theaters. Robert graduated from Bradley University with degrees in Journalism and Game Design with a minor in Film Studies. Robert tries his best to keep up with all the latest movie releases, from those released in theaters to those released on streaming. While he doesn't always keep up with the latest TV shows, he makes it a goal to watch nearly every major new release possible. He has been honing his craft and following any and all movie news all his life, leading up to now, where he has a vast knowledge of film and film history. He also logs every movie that he watches on his Letterboxd page, and has hosted a weekly online movie night with his closest friends for over 6 years.
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As Netflix continues to be one of the most successful and prominent distributors of both film and television in the modern era of streaming services and digital media, they have made waves by releasing a massive amount of content in each distinct genre of filmmaking. One of the most prominent and impactful genres that Netflix has made its mark on is the thriller genre, releasing a wide array of not only high-octane action thrillers but also slow and methodical crime thrillers and other explorations of suspense.
Netflix has largely cemented itself as a hub for enticing and highly engaging original thriller films from a wide array of both legendary and rising filmmakers and stars in the industry. While other streaming services have their fair share of great original thrillers to offer, in terms of sheer mass and volume of great thriller experiences, Netflix has the competition beat. Several of these thrillers are so effective that they are in conversation as some of the best thrillers in recent memory.
10 'Woman of the Hour' (2024)
While Anna Kendrick is more commonly known for her work in various comedy films like Pitch Perfect and A Simple Favor, her directorial debut with Woman of the Hour is a dark and unnerving serial killer film. Based on a real-life story, the film follows the events surrounding the time when a notorious serial killer found himself competing as a contestant on the beloved TV game show The Dating Game during the 1970s. On top of directing the film, Kendrick portrays the female contestant playing alongside this unknown mass murderer.
Woman of the Hour does a great job of setting up the pieces and building up to the main event game show, making sure that its core moments are oozing with tension and dread. The film shows not only the life of the innocent female contestant before her time in the game, but also various murders committed by Rodney (Daniel Zovatto) to get a sense of his pure evil nature despite his charming demeanor. Beyond the actual story being told, however, there is a powerful and deeply impactful subtext about the power dynamics of the era and how ignorance leads to pure evil going unpunished.
9 'Gerald's Game' (2017)
The first of what would end up being several Stephen King adaptations by modern horror auteur Mike Flanagan, Gerald's Game does a great job of balancing both the horror and the rising anxiety and tension of its premise. The film sees a married couple having fun at an isolated house for a holiday, getting up to some erotic sexual escapades. However, after Jessie (Carla Gugino) is handcuffed to the bed, her husband Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) suddenly dies of a heart attack, leaving her stuck with little hope of rescue.
Gerald's Game does a brilliant job of translating the tension and dread of the original King novel to the big screen, especially amplified by its powerful lead performance from Gugino. While it certainly plays with elements of horror filmmaking, it is much more in line with a psychological thriller, following the dread and inner demons that Jessie faces while in such a painful predicament. The film quickly cemented Flanagan as the go-to visionary for modern King adaptations, further amplified by his work on films like Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck.
8 'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' (2020)
While acclaimed writer/director Charlie Kaufman isn't nearly as well known for his work on thrillers, I'm Thinking of Ending Things acts as an ingenious combination of his signature style through the lens of a psychological thriller. The film follows a young woman (Jessie Buckley) who goes on a trip with her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) to meet his parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis). However, the film proves to be much more dynamic and complicated than this simple premise would have one believe, as the story begins intersecting with seemingly unconnected footage of a school janitor (Guy Boyd) going to work.
Much like Kaufman's other work, I'm Thinking of Ending Things is entirely defined by its subtext and deeper subliminal meanings, and while this can make for an inaccessible experience for traditional audiences, those in touch with the subtext will find a rich story of pain, humanity, and a yearning soul. The film is exceptional when it comes to the finer details and unnerving atmosphere of its story, amplifying these feelings of things being slightly off and uncomfortable until it reaches its confusing yet highly engaging third act.
7 'The Devil All the Time' (2020)
A period-piece crime thriller that combines the culture of rural America with a more raw and guttural look at the people and pains of post-World War II, The Devil All the Time follows a rarely explored piece of American history. The film follows the ins and outs of the town of Knockmstiff, Ohio, and its neighboring backwoods, as various sinister characters and devilish opportunities begin to crop up around young Arvin Russell (Tom Holland). Amidst the pain and difficulties that he faces, Arvin is dedicated to fighting these evil forces that threaten him and his family.
More than anything else, The Devil All the Time's greatest strengths come from how it brings to life the conniving yet heartfelt world of rural America in the mid-20th century. Various characters breathe life into the world in their own distinct ways, whether it be through innocence and charm or unsuspecting evil and malice. Holland does a great job with one of his rare solely dramatic roles, yet it's easily Robert Pattinson's performance as the manipulative Southern priest Reverend Preston Teagarden that steals the show and makes the film a must-watch thriller.
6 'The Night Comes for Us' (2018)
The Night Comes for Us brings together a lot of the same talent from the acclaimed Indonesian action thriller series The Raid to create another raw and unrestrained action thriller that is basically a part of The Raid franchise in everything but name. The violent martial arts film follows an elite Triad assassin (Joe Taslim) finding himself in the crosshairs of his former employers after sparing a young girl's life during a massacre. Most notably, he is forced to face off against his friend Arian (Iko Uwais), who is attempting to kill him in an attempt to gain power among the gangs.
The Night Comes for Us features a lot of the same highlights and entertaining aspects of The Raid series, with cutthroat action and top-of-the-line choreography amplifying the action for true catharsis. Its relatively simple plot leads the way to some of the most entertaining and vicious action imaginable, providing a distinct style that is different from any of the action thrillers being made in the U.S.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Netflix Character Would Be Your Best Friend? Dustin · Emily · Wednesday · Gi-hun
Some friends drag you out of the house. Some sit with you on the worst night of your life. Netflix has written both, plus the one who tells you the truth you have been avoiding all week. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually do friendship, and find out which of them was always going to end up in your corner.
🧢Dustin(Stranger Things)
🗼Emily(Emily in Paris)
🕷️Wednesday(Wednesday)
🟢Gi-hun(Squid Game)
01
How do you usually end up making a new friend? The origin story says a lot about the friendship that follows it.
02
What is a perfect Saturday with your best friend? Friendship is mostly built out of very ordinary hours.
03
You call them at two in the morning. What happens? This is the real test of a friendship, and everybody knows it.
04
What do you want from them when you are clearly wrong? The best friendships are the ones that survive being corrected.
05
What do your friends actually value about you? The friend you attract says something about the friend you are.
06
You have a falling out. How does it go? How a friendship repairs itself matters more than how it breaks.
07
What do you actually need a best friend for? Everybody is missing something. The right friend fills that gap.
08
Ten years from now, what keeps the two of you close? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides who you get.
The Group Chat Has Spoken Your Best Friend Is…
Four Netflix characters, four completely different ways of showing up for somebody. This is the one who fits how you actually do friendship, and what having them in your life would be like.
Dustin Henderson
You do not do friendship at half volume, and neither does he. What you want is somebody who says yes to the plan before you have finished describing the plan.
- Dustin is the friend the entire show runs on: loyal past the point of sense, enthusiastic about everything, and incapable of leaving anybody behind.
- You have the same instinct. Your friendships are loud, specific and slightly ridiculous, and they last for decades because of it.
- He is also the one person who would take your strangest interest completely seriously, which is far rarer than it sounds.
- You would have a group chat. It would never once be quiet.
Emily Cooper
You are the friend who makes things happen, and so is she. Together you would be mildly exhausting to everyone around you and completely delighted with yourselves.
- Emily treats an ordinary Tuesday as something that could be turned into an occasion, which is either the best or the worst quality in a friend depending on your energy levels.
- You share her refusal to sit still. Neither of you has ever accepted a night in when something was happening somewhere else.
- She is far more loyal than people give her credit for. She defends her friends loudly, publicly, and occasionally before checking the facts.
- She would post the photo without asking. You would forgive her, because it is a very good photo.
Wednesday Addams
You have no patience for pleasant lies, and she has no ability to tell them. What looks like coldness from the outside is the most reliable friendship on this list.
- Wednesday never says a kind thing she does not mean, which makes the rare ones count for an enormous amount.
- You would rather be told the truth than be made comfortable. She is constitutionally incapable of offering you anything else.
- Underneath all of it she is ferociously protective. She simply refuses to make a performance out of caring.
- Do not expect a birthday message. Do expect her to ruin anyone who wrongs you.
Seong Gi-hun
You look after whoever is having the worst day. So does he. It is the least strategic way to move through the world and the best possible quality in a friend.
- Gi-hun is not the strongest player in Squid Game, or the cleverest. He is the one who keeps choosing to protect somebody else, over and over, at genuine cost to himself.
- You have the same instinct. You notice who is struggling and you stay with them, long after anybody would blame you for leaving.
- He is a flawed friend, and that is part of why it lands. He lets people down, then comes back and tries again, which is more than most manage.
- He would give you his last chance and never once mention that he had done it.
5 'Fair Play' (2023)
A sensual and conniving erotic thriller that delves into the difficulties of balancing a secret relationship while working at the same job, Fair Play gets into all sorts of tension and psychological warfare as its broken characters shift in and out of love and competition. The film follows Emily Meyers (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke Edmunds (Alden Ehrenreich), a duo of analysts working at a cutthroat Manhattan hedge fund who have been fostering a passionate relationship in secret from their co-workers. However, after Luke engages Emily, they find themselves at a crossroads when Emily receives a promotion instead of Luke, creating a sting of jealousy in their relationship.
Fair Play is largely elevated by the inherent chemistry and dynamics between its two leads, with Dynevor and Ehrenreich having a flexible and ever-evolving relationship that ranges from undying passion to visceral anger. Their performances prove to elevate the thrills and tension of the film as a whole, making each moment and twist feel more palpable and impactful than the last. It delves into the toxic mentality that leads to relationships falling apart, and how some people simply can't imagine not being the breadwinner in a relationship.
4 'Carry-On' (2024)
Carry-On harkens back to a simpler time of action thriller filmmaking, where simply having an engaging premise with a unique setting and sleek execution was enough to elevate a film to be as entertaining as possible. The film follows Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), a TSA officer working on Christmas Eve who finds himself racing against the clock to stop a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) from getting a dangerous item onto a flight. It quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse between the two as they attempt to outsmart one another and stay one step ahead.
Considering how director Jaume Collet-Serra released a wide array of great action thrillers throughout the 2010s, Carry-On is not only a return to form for him as a director, but also a return to form for the genre as a whole. The airport setting simply works perfectly for this type of race-against-time thriller, with compelling characters and an array of twists and turns making the film a very entertaining crowd-pleaser. Audiences certainly appreciated this return to form, as Carry-On quickly became one of Netflix's biggest successes of recent memory.
3 'Operation Hyacinth' (2021)
While Netflix is widely celebrated for its various American film releases, there are also a great number of international features that are released by the company worldwide, with one of the most underrated being the Polish thriller Operation Hyacinth. The film is based on the events surrounding the titular secret mass operation of the Polish communist police, where they attempted to create a national database of all homosexuals in Poland. The film follows a police officer delving into a dark rabbit hole after being personally dissatisfied with the result of a murder investigation.
Operation Hyacinth has all the elements of a truly great crime thriller, with a large emphasis on mystery and hidden information from its protagonist and the heightened fear of getting to the bottom of the truth. Its prospects as a Polish film have limited the spread of its influence among American audiences, yet the film is so effective in its filmmaking that it easily deserves to be in the conversation of one of Netflix's best thrillers to date.
2 'Rebel Ridge' (2024)
A frequent trend that has defined action thrillers of recent memory has been the John Wick-style of film, where a single vengeful man takes down hordes of enemies all by themselves. While it certainly has a lot of the same benefits as this style of thriller, Rebel Ridge is a highly engaging twist on the premise, seeing a situation escalate to the point of no return. The film follows a former Marine (Aaron Pierre) forced to confront corruption in a small town after their local law enforcement unjustly seizes a bag of cash that he needs to post his cousin's bail.
Rebel Ridge excels not only in terms of energizing and exceptionally choreographed action, but also as a simple yet painfully relevant story of the abuse of power and corruption in local law enforcement. Pierre gives a committed lead performance that leans into both his stern capabilities as a former soldier and his cool, calm demeanor under all sorts of pressure. Not a second in the film goes by that isn't impactful on the audience, making the film not only one of Netflix's best thrillers but also one of their best original action movies.
1 'The Killer' (2023)
David Fincher has been a widely beloved and impactful director when it comes to the thriller genre, with films like Se7en, Zodiac, and Gone Girl still being considered some of the most acclaimed thrillers of all time. However, The Killer has proven to be one of the most unique and dynamic thrillers that the director has ever released, actively going against the grain and commenting on his style and influence in the genre. The film follows an assassin (Michael Fassbender) who is forced to face off against his employers after a catastrophic miss on his latest mission.
From the outset, The Killer seems like it would fall into place and feel similar to Fincher's previous thrillers, following a stern and calculated protagonist distancing himself from the horrors of murder. However, the film actively goes against this grain of thinking, satirizing this restrained mindset and showing the difficulties of living such an isolated, perfectionist lifestyle. It brilliantly comments and critiques Fincher's own work while also evolving it to the modern era, making for a distinct evolution of his storytelling style and the must-watch thriller of the decade.
The Killer
5 10
- Release Date
- November 10, 2023
- Runtime
- 118 minutes
- Director
- David Fincher
- Writers
- Andrew Kevin Walker
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