Throughout history, one of the genres that has offered the largest number of tremendous masterpieces has been the psychological thriller genre. These stories, all about suspense driven by the internal emotional and psychological states of its characters, have unsurprisingly given us several of the greatest films the big screen has ever seen. From the birth of cinema as a storytelling medium until the present, this is a genre that has remained one of audiences’ favorites around the world.
From foundational classics like the French masterpiece The Wages of Fear to cornerstones of 21st-century cinema like Mulholland Drive, there may have been many an exceptional psychological thriller over the years, but only a handful of them can be said to be truly perfect. Indeed, there are eight particular movies that have gone down in history not only as some of the genre’s greatest outings, but as some of the most flawless motion pictures the world has ever been treated to.
8
‘The Wages of Fear’ (1953)
French cinema has given the world several of the greatest films of all time, including a few incredible psychological thrillers. Before auteurs like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut rebelled against the classical school of French filmmaking and thus gave birth to the French New Wave, came the many old-school masterpieces whose foundations they wanted to subvert. The peak of pre-New Wave French cinema is arguably Henri-Georges Clouzot‘s The Wages of Fear, one of the best movie classics from 1953.
Exceptional though its 1977 Hollywood remake Sorcerer may be, Wages of Fear is a masterpiece without equal. By tying the physical elements of its high-octane, airtight plot to existential dread, the fragility of the human psyche, and pure human desperation, Clouzot crafted a psychological thriller that was far ahead of its time. Watching Wages of Fear today, it still feels about as modern as any psychological thriller tour-de-force being made nowadays.
7
‘Woman in the Dunes’ (1964)
One of the most effective and historied forms of psychological thrillers is the erotic thriller, and as far as those go, it doesn’t get much better than Hiroshi Teshigahara‘s Woman in the Dunes. This cornerstone of 20th-century Japanese cinema was based on screenwriter Kōbō Abe‘s own novel of the same name, and after its remarkable critical and commercial success internationally back in 1964, it has stood the test of time as one of the greatest films ever to have come out of the Japanese New Wave movement.
Though Woman in the Dunes may be called one of the most amazing yet forgotten Japanese movies in history, that only means that it’s one of the most underrated dramas and psychological thrillers out there. It’s a sweaty, sandy, psychologically engrossing erotic thriller that’s both fascinatingly existential and visually gorgeous. Watching it, there is virtually nothing at all to complain about to this day.
6
‘Cure’ (1997)
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (no relation to Akira Kurosawa), Cure is still widely remembered as one of the greatest international horror movies perhaps not just of the ’90s, but of all time. This psychological horror thriller is one of those thrillers that are an absolute masterclass in suspense; a perfectly directed, perfectly written, and perfectly performed piece of J-Horror that has since been praised as one of the most influential horror gems ever to have come out of the Japanese scene.
People who prefer more lighthearted horror movies or psychological thrillers are definitely better off looking elsewhere, because Cure is purely cruel and gleefully so. It’s the type of horror film that operates not through jump scares or overt supernatural threats, but through the pure psychological horror of the very real evil that has plagued humanity since times immemorial. It’s atmospheric, it’s potently slow-burning, and it’s a must-see for fans of any of its genres.
5
‘Vertigo’ (1958)
Alfred Hitchcock is still known as the Master of Suspense, and that’s for good reason. He laid many of the foundations that the modern thriller genre still continues to build on top of to this day, and continues to be one of the most massively influential filmmakers in history. As such, it’s no shocker that he directed many of the greatest thrillers in film history, including a few exceptional psychological thrillers—the most perfect of which is arguably Vertigo.
Everyone may point to a different Hitchcock outing as his most flawless psychological thriller, and that’s okay; but throughout history, Vertigo has remained one of the most universally acclaimed movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age. It’s one of the most genius mystery movies of all time, a visually striking and brilliantly meta study on themes of romantic delusion and psychological obsession. No self-proclaimed fan of the genre can be a true fan if they haven’t watched Vertigo at least once.
4
‘Memento’ (2000)
Today, he’s widely seen as one of the undisputed kings of the box office and one of the leading voices in modern Hollywood filmmaking, but back in the day, Christopher Nolan was an up-and-coming indie filmmaker like any other. It was the massive success of his sophomore directorial effort, Memento, that earned him international acclaim and put his name on the map. To this day, many would confidently say that it’s still his magnum opus.
Brilliantly structured in reverse chronological order in a way that invites multiple re-watches, but is never hard enough to follow to make the film frustrating, Memento is easily one of the best mystery movies released since 2000. Anchored by Guy Pearce‘s exceptionally underrated lead performance and what’s far and away the boldest, most daring script in Nolan’s whole filmography, it’s one of the most timeless psychological thrillers of the 2000s.
3
‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)
Throughout the latter decades of the 20th century, David Lynch kept further cementing himself not just as one of the most fascinating arthouse filmmakers of his generation, but as one of the most important and influential surrealist auteurs in the history of cinema. However, not even his biggest fans could have predicted the level of quality of what would soon come to be hailed as the crown jewel of his filmography: Mulholland Drive, one of the most beloved thrillers of the 21st century.
An absolute head-scratcher through and through, Mulholland Drive is perhaps not the most accessible introduction to surrealist cinema for those unfamiliar; but for those who enjoy mind-bending extravaganzas like this, it should prove to be a hell of an unforgettable trip. Simultaneously a powerful critique of the dark side of the Hollywood Dream and a deeply humanist study of identity, duality, and sexuality, it’s a must-see gem for those who prefer their psychological thrillers thought-provoking.
2
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)
Jonathan Demme‘s The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological thriller so terrifyingly bleak and violent that it’s typically also labeled as psychological horror; and with that, it’s the only horror film ever to have won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Based on the book by Thomas Harris, it introduced the big screen to Anthony Hopkins‘ Hannibal Lecter, far and away one of the best movie villains of all time.
On top of Hopkins and Jodie Foster‘s career-defining and Oscar-winning performances, The Silence of the Lambs continues to shine over three decades after its release as one of the scariest, most suspenseful, and most impeccably made thrillers in film history. Rarely have cat-and-mouse games been this psychologically intense on the big screen, and rarely will a psychological thriller ever reach this level of incredible quality.
1
‘Se7en’ (1995)
David Fincher has repeatedly established himself as one of the greatest thriller filmmakers working today, one of the directors most deserving of carrying Hitchcock’s torch as today’s Masters of Suspense. However, after the failure that was his directing debut, Alien 3, he desperately needed a hit to show the world what he was capable of. In came his sophomore effort, Se7en, still remembered as one of the most suspenseful mystery movies of all time.
Never has a darker, crueler, or more nihilistic Hollywood film ever made over $300 million dollars at the box office internationally. It’s precisely that bleak tone that makes Se7en so special, though, serving as the scaffolding for its hard-hitting sense of oppressive moral decay and existential helplessness. It’s the closest that a psychological thriller has ever come to true flawlessness, with some of the greatest directing, best performances, tightest writing, and most impeccably production values that the genre has ever seen or will ever see.
Se7en
- Release Date
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September 22, 1995
- Runtime
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127 minutes
