Stress test your brain’s capacity to withstand tension with Netflix’s best thrillers.

The 18 best thriller movies on Netflix right now

Stress test your brain's capacity to withstand tension with Netflix's best thrillers.

By Ilana Gordon,

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

EW's editorial guidelines

James Mercadante,

on February 2, 2026 7:26 a.m. ET

Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery'; Matt Damon as Tom Ripley in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'; Jude Law as Dr. Jonathan Banks in 'Side Effects'. Credit:

Kobal/Shutterstock; John Wilson/Netflix; Everett

The Olympic Games take place from Feb. 6–22 (with the Paralympic Winter Games running March 6–15), but on Netflix, the mind games never end. The characters in these thriller films are experts at psychological manipulation; gold medal winners in power plays, skulduggery, and other nefarious events. They prefer unconventional methods, possess seemingly unclear motivations, and their morality is fluid. But their commitment to entertaining and exciting is unwavering, and viewers everywhere should take advantage.

Ready to Netflix and thrill? Read on for the 18 best thrillers on the platform.**

22 July (2018)

Isak Bakli Aglen as Torje Hanssen and Jonas Strand Gravli as Viljar Hanssen in '22 July'. Erik Aavatsmark/Netflix

The United States’ problem with gun violence is not an issue shared overseas, which is why the 2011 terrorist attack in Norway remains so memorable. A massacre in two parts, the terror inflicted caused 77 deaths, 69 of whom were teenagers attending a leadership camp. Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, *22 July *is a chilling film that chronicles Norway’s deadliest terrorist attack, as perpetrated by a far-right extremist. But it’s also the story of a survivor’s journey to heal his body and move forward.

EW’s critic calls the film “harrowingly effective,” but trigger warnings abound. The gun violence showcased in the film is deployed for narrative purposes, but the historical context doesn’t make the movie any easier to watch. What makes the film worth sticking around for is the perspective it offers on the aftereffects of a terrorist act, as told through the eyes of the politicians, lawyers, and survivors who experience it most profoundly. —*Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *22 July*: Netflix

**Director: **Paul Greengrass

**Cast: **Anders Danielsen Lie, Jon Øigarden

Creep (2014)

Mark Duplass as Josef in 'Creep'. Desiree Akhavan

In this found-footage two-hander, a young videographer named Aaron (Patrick Brice) is hired by Josef (Mark Duplass) to record a day of his life. Josef explains that he has an inoperable brain tumor and wants to leave something behind for his soon-to-be-born son, but his eccentric behavior becomes increasingly concerning, and Aaron needs to decide whether to continue filming — assuming Josef will let him leave.

*Creep's* continued success depends on whether Josef can keep finding fresh ways to be unnerving, and he does. (Things get even creepier in *Creep 2*, which documents another video project gone terribly wrong.) —*Danny Horn*

Where to watch *Creep*: Netflix

**Director: **Patrick Brice

**Cast:** Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice

The Good Nurse (2022)

Eddie Redmayne as Charlie Cullen and Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren in 'The Good Nurse'. Courtesy of TIFF

Nurses are angels with the power to do the work of demons. In the Netflix original psychological thriller *The Good Nurse*, Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) is a night nurse with a work husband: Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne). A single mom with a serious heart condition, Amy is shocked to learn that the recent death of one of their hospital's patients is thought to have occurred intentionally, and that Charles might be involved. And the more Amy digs, the more she realizes the co-worker she trusts is actually someone far more nefarious.

Based on the true story of how the real-life Amy Loughren helped authorities take down serial killer Charles Cullen, *The Good Nurse *is good old-fashioned, ripped-from-the-headlines cinema with a story made all the more terrifying because so little of it is exaggerated. Trust us — you've never seen Eddie Redmayne like this before. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Good Nurse*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Tobias Lindholm

**Cast: **Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne

Hell or High Water (2016)

Jeff Bridges as Marcus Hamilton and Gil Birmingham as Alberto Parker in 'Hell or High Water'.

Lorey Sebastian/CBS Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

Before Taylor Sheridan built his *Yellowstone* empire, he wrote *Hell or High Water*. This neo-Western crime thriller stars Ben Foster and Chris Pine as brothers who rob a series of Texas banks to keep their family’s ranch from being foreclosed. They are dogged in their financial pursuit by Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), a Texas Ranger on the brink of retirement.

Brothers Tanner (Foster) and Toby (Pine) are perfect contrasts, with Tanner being a reckless hothead, and Toby playing the part of the responsible father hoping to pull his family out of poverty. Sheridan is known for keeping his plots simple in favor of more complicated character development, which *Hell or High Water *delivers in spades. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Hell or High Water*: Netflix

**EW grade: **A

**Director: **David Mackenzie

**Cast:** Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Jeremy Renner as Staff Sergeant William James in 'The Hurt Locker'. Summit Entertainment

When your job requires you to disable bombs in the heat of battle, you suit up for work each day like it might be your last. In the second year of the Iraq War, Staff Sergeant James (Jeremy Renner) arrives to fill a vacancy in the Bravo Company, but finds that his unwillingness to communicate his plans and gonzo method of defusing bombs doesn't always jive with the rest of his company — especially Sergeant J. T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie).

From former reporter and screenwriter Mark Boal (*Zero Dark Thirty*) and director Kathryn Bigelow, whose work on this film made her the first woman to walk away with the Best Director Oscar, *The Hurt Locker* is realistic, intense, and action-packed, chronicling the many effects war has on the people who fight it. As EW's critic at the time says, "This ain't no war videogame, no flashy, cinematic art piece; there's nothing virtual about this reality." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Hurt Locker*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Kathryn Bigelow

**Cast: **Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes

I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

Elijah Wood as Tony and Melanie Lynskey as Ruth in 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore'. Allyson Riggs

After *Yellowjackets*, *Togetherness*, and *Mrs. America, *we'd straight-up watch Melanie Lynskey in anything, but even we missed Macon Blair's 2017 sleeper. Lynskey plays Ruth, a down-on-her-luck nursing assistant who decides after her house gets broken into that she's fed up. She hooks up with her odd neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood) to go out on a quest to get her stuff back, leading to a quirky journey that's both suspenseful and inspiring for the downtrodden.

Second only to Lynskey in luminescence in this movie is Wood, whose Tony named his dog Kevin and specializes in nunchucks and ninja stars. And Jane Levy is unrecognizable as one of the unsavory thieves. As EW*'*s critic points out, the film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for its reconfiguration of "the buddy-cop film — at one point, Ruth even flashes a toy police badge." —*Gwen Ihnat*

Where to watch *I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+

**Director: **Macon Blair

**Cast: **Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, Jane Levy

Match Point (2007)

Scarlett Johansson as Nola Rice and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Chris Wilton in 'Match Point'. Clive Coote

Woody Allen’s work usually centers around the neuroticisms of wealthy New Yorkers, but in *Match Point*, he deviates in almost every regard. A psychological romantic thriller, the film is the story of Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a former professional tennis player turned social climber who marries a wealthy woman (Emily Mortimer), only to enter into an affair with an aspiring American actress (Scarlett Johansson).

When Chris’ lust threatens to derail his marriage and financial stability, the former tennis star struggles to keep his life from combusting. Those looking for Allen’s traditional comedic stylings are sure to be disappointed, but the film is a tight, taut thriller that EW’s critic calls a “serious and lusciously entertaining adultery drama driven by a lust that turns into authentic compulsion.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Match Point*: Netflix

**Director:** Woody Allen

**Cast: **Brian Cox, Matthew Goode, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

The Mauritanian (2021)

Tahar Rahim as Mohamedou Ould Slahi in 'The Mauritanian'.

Graham Bartholomew/STXfilms

Detainees began arriving at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in January 2002, and since then, the prison and its occupants have remained a mystery. Former detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi helped illuminate some of the camp’s secrets with his bestselling memoir, *Guantánamo Diary*, which was later adapted into this powerful legal thriller.

*The Mauritanian* tells the story of how Slahi (Tahar Rahim) spent almost 15 years in Guantanamo Bay without ever being charged with a crime. Jodie Foster and Shailene Woodley appear in supporting roles as Slahi’s American legal team, and Benedict Cumberbatch plays the Marine lawyer pressured to prosecute him. The film asks hard questions about the United States’ use of torture and treatment of prisoners, but makes the abstract personal by centering Slahi's humanity. —*I.G.*

Where to watch *The Mauritanian*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B

**Director:** Kevin Macdonald

**Cast:** Tahar Rahim, Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch

Molly’s Game (2017)

Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom and Idris Elba as Charlie Jaffey in 'Molly's Game'.

Courtesy of STXfilms

Generally critiqued for his struggles in writing complex female characters with agendas independent of the men they work with, Aaron Sorkin strikes a commendable balance in *Molly’s Game*. The story follows Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a young skier who, after her Olympic dreams end in injury, uses her athletically earned gifts of confidence and composure to run an exclusive underground poker ring.

Based on Bloom’s real-life memoir, the film races by in a series of flashbacks and narration as she relays her riches-to-rags story to her lawyer (Idris Elba). Despite being Sorkin’s directorial debut, EW’s critic calls *Molly’s Game* a “cool, crackling, confident film that appeals to your intelligence instead of insulting it.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Molly’s Game*: Netflix

**EW grade: **A–

**Director:** Aaron Sorkin

**Cast: **Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong

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Oxygen (2021)

Mélanie Laurent as Elizabeth 'Liz' Hansen in 'Oxygen'. Netflix

A nightmare come to life for claustrophobics everywhere, *Oxygen *is a French-language sci-fi film that thinks outside the box in terms of action. At the genesis, an unidentified woman (Mélanie Laurent) awakens in an airtight medical unit, unsure of who or where she is. Interactions with the system's AI — dubbed M.I.L.O. (Medical Interface Liaison Officer) — provide some clarity as to her identity, but no matter what she tries, she cannot escape her prison.

As she seeks to understand who placed her in the box and why, truths about her personal life and the current state of the world come into focus — but her search for context is actually a race to outwit the slowly depleting oxygen levels. Laurent is excellent, and despite being forced to perform on her back, she manages to imbue the film with a strong sense of determination and humanity. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Oxygen*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Alexandre Aja

**Cast: **Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi

The Platform (2019)

Alexandra Masangkay as Miharu in 'The Platform'.

Netflix/Everett Collection

In this Spanish dystopian thriller, prisoners are trapped in a "Vertical Self-Management Center," a towering structure of stacked cells featuring a large hole in the floor. Every day, a platform loaded with food descends the tower, pausing at each level for the prisoners to eat. Those at the top feast heartily, while those below get the leftover table scraps. If everyone only took what they needed, there would be enough for all, but the greedy folks don't care about those suffering beneath them. (FYI: *The Platform 2* is also available to watch on Netflix.) —*D.H.*

Where to watch *The Platform*: Netflix

**Director: **Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

**Cast: **Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor**

Pulp Fiction (1994)

John Travolta as Vincent Vega and Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in 'Pulp Fiction'. Everett Collection

One of Quentin Tarantino's many seminal works, *Pulp Fiction* isn't so much a film as it is an experience. Set in Los Angeles, the movie follows four intersecting stories, all centered around violent crime. Rife with loquacious hitmen, boxers past their prime, cocaine-fueled trophy wives, and assorted criminals from all walks of life, *Pulp Fiction* was lauded upon its release for successfully employing a circular narrative structured with overlapping timelines told from multiple points of view.

The screenplay is brilliantly written, subversive — especially for the '90s — and violent with a capital V. EW's critic at the time describes it as "new punk virtuoso," writing, "It is, quite simply, the most exhilarating piece of filmmaking to come along in the nearly five years I've been writing for this magazine." And if that's not enough to sell you, Samuel L. Jackson's triumphant performance while wearing a Jheri curl wig might put you over the edge. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Pulp Fiction*: Netflix through Feb. 28

**Director: **Quentin Tarantino

**Cast:** John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth

Side Effects (2013)

Jude Law as Dr. Jonathan Banks in 'Side Effects'.

Di Bonaventura Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock

Mental health treatment has become so normalized in the last few years that it’s easy to forget that even a decade ago, antidepressants were still considered somewhat suspect to the general population. And it’s this kind of pharmaceutical side-eye that propels the plot of Steven Soderbergh’s psychological thriller, *Side Effects*.

Rooney Mara stars as Emily, a socialite with depression and a white-collar criminal for a husband (Channing Tatum), who attempts suicide upon his release from prison. After Emily’s new psychiatrist (Jude Law) prescribes an experimental drug as part of her treatment plan, she finds herself succumbing to the medication’s side effects — some of which prove more dangerous than others. EW’s critic describes the film as “a lavishly dread-fueled suspense movie full of twists, reversals, double crosses, and dangerous liaisons,” and asserts that Soderbergh “wants to do for SSRIs what Hitchcock did for psychoanalysis in *Spellbound*.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Side Effects*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Steven Soderbergh

**Cast: **Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Society of the Snow (2023)

Matías Recalt as Roberto Canessa and Enzo Vogrincic as Numa Turcatti in 'The Society of the Snow'.

In 1972, the Andes Mountains became a crucible of survival when a Uruguayan flight crashed en route to Santiago, Chile. Sixteen remaining passengers found themselves stranded in one of Mother Nature's most life-threatening terrains, pushing them to take ineffable means to find their way back. While Hollywood attempted to soften this tragedy with a more glossy depiction in *Alive* (1993), *Society of the Snow* delivers a far more raw and emotive experience — enriched by the director's conversations with the real-life survivors — that sinks viewers into the gut-wrenching terror of the situation without being overly insensitive.

"A story that is based on humanism," J.A. Bayona (the director who also helmed another intense disaster film, 2012's *The Impossible*) describes the story as "more about emotional survival. It's not only physical survival. It's to understand that there's something bigger than yourself." *—James Mercadante*

Where to watch *Society of the Snow*: Netflix

**Director:** J.A. Bayona

**Cast: **Enzo Vogrincic, Matías Recalt, Agustín Pardella, Felipe González Otaño, Luciano Chatton

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'. Everett Collection

If you enjoy the financial excess and social intrigue of *The Great Gatsby*, consider watching *The Talented Mr. Ripley*. Adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel, this late-‘90s thriller stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, a social-climbing scammer who befriends Dickie Greenleaf, a shipbuilding heir (played by Jude Law), only to become overly attached to him and his lifestyle.

Set primarily in Italy in the late 1950s, *The Talented Mr. Ripley* is a character study of wealthy people and those who envy them. Damon gives a thoughtful, layered performance as Tom, and he and Law have excellent chemistry in their roles as cinematic foils. And if the film isn’t enough to satisfy, in 2024, Netflix also released *Ripley*, a miniseries adaptation of Highsmith’s novel with Andrew Scott in the titular role. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Talented Mr. Ripley*: Netflix

**EW grade: **A–

**Director: **Anthony Minghella

**Cast: **Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

John Boyega as Fontaine, Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, and Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles in 'They Cloned Tyrone'.

Parrish Lewis/Netflix

A single genre isn't enough to contain one of Netflix's 2023 releases, *They Cloned Tyrone**. *A sci-fi comedy that combines '70s Blaxploitation with mystery and social satire, the film has similar vibes to movies like *Get Out* (2017) or *Sorry to Bother You* (2018) while employing a far more absurd premise. Fontaine (John Boyega) is a drug dealer living in an impoverished area called the Glen. While trying to collect funds owed to him by a local pimp named Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), Fontaine is shot and killed — but that doesn't stop him from showing up on Slick's doorstep the next day to collect his money.

Joined by a sex worker named YoYo (Teyonah Parris), the trio attempts to get to the bottom of what appears to be a massive government conspiracy aimed at exploiting their disenfranchised community as medical subjects. A satirical romp that has as much to say about class and racial injustices as it does about mystery movie tropes, *They Cloned Tyrone *is smart, silly, and uniformly well-acted. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *They Cloned Tyrone*: Netflix

**Director: **Juel Taylor

**Cast: **John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx**

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

Josh Brolin as Monsignor Jefferson Wicks in 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery'.

John Wilson/Netflix

In the third installment of the *Knives Out* franchise, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) travels to upstate New York to solve a murder disguised as a miracle. After the controversial leader of an ill-attended parish is killed during services, Detective Blanc is brought in to determine which of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks’ co-workers and loyal followers orchestrated his demise.

Writer-director Rian Johnson works his misdirection magic, and *Wake Up Dead Man* is just as satisfying as *Knives Out* (2019) and *Glass Onion* (2022). Josh O’Connor joins the cast as a young priest who is transferred to the church after punching a former parishioner, and Glenn Close is a lovely addition in her role as Martha, a longtime congregant and Wicks’ chief confidant. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery*: Netflix

**Director: **Rian Johnson

**Cast: **Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Jessica Chastain as Maya in 'Zero Dark Thirty'.

*Zero Dark Thirty* isn’t a historically accurate account of the decade during which Osama bin Laden was hunted and killed, but it is an unquestionably gripping thriller. Written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the film’s release prompted controversy on all sides, with some arguing that it propagandized the Obama administration and others claiming it glorified the CIA’s use of torture tactics.

The one thing all sides can agree on is that Jessica Chastain delivers a standout performance as Maya, a CIA analyst tasked with finding bin Laden. While Maya’s character serves as a composite of the many people who contributed to the terrorist’s capture and killing, Chastain plays her with a restrained, obsessive fervor. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Zero Dark Thirty*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Kathryn Bigelow

**Cast:** Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton

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