8 International Thrillers You'll Wish You Watched Sooner

2 weeks ago 16

Lee Sun-kyun standing in a bright room, holding a piece of paper with a person's information on it

Published May 30, 2026, 1:58 PM EDT

Anja Djuricic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1992. Her first interest in film started very early, as she learned to speak English by watching Disney animated movies (and many, many reruns). Anja soon became inspired to learn more foreign languages to understand more movies, so she entered the Japanese language and literature Bachelor Studies at the University of Belgrade.

Anja is also one of the founders of the DJ duo Vazda Garant, specializing in underground electronic music influenced by various electronic genres.

Anja loves to do puzzles in her spare time, pet cats wherever she meets them, and play The Sims. Anja's Letterboxd four includes Memories of Murder, Parasite, Nope, and The Road to El Dorado.

We all love a slick Hollywood thriller, but some of the most inventive, tense, and unpredictable films in the genre never see a wide American release. They win awards in their home countries and earn rave reviews at international festivals, from Cannes to Toronto, before almost always disappearing into the ether.

You don't need a passport to watch some of the greatest international thrillers; all you need is some popcorn, a free night in, and one of these eight gems. From Argentina to Japan, these films will grip you, surprise you, and leave you wondering why you didn't find them years ago. Clear your schedule — you're about to discover your new favorite international thriller you'll wish you watched sooner.

1 'Nine Queens' (2000)

'Nueve Reinas'—Argentina

Two men looking at a newspaper cut in Nine Queens

Nueve Reinas, also known as Nine Queens, is a staple of "greatest heist films" lists, but it never quite broke into the mainstream; it's the Argentinian cousin of Ocean's Eleven and Snatch, a genre masterpiece with a complex plot, tight script, and legendary performance by Ricardo Darín. Nine Queens is a masterclass in creating and releasing tension; it's sharp, cynical, and completely engrossing — the type of film that reminds you why you love movies. The film received critical praise and numerous awards, including the Silver Condor Awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor (Darín). It was also nominated for a BIFA for Best International Independent Film.

Nine Queens takes place in Buenos Aires and follows two con artists, Marcos (Darín) and Juan (Gastón Pauls), who form a sudden partnership one afternoon. Marcos teaches Juan how to swindle in style until they discover a common target: a wealthy collector looking to purchase a sheet of nine rare stamps known as the "Nine Queens." The film takes place over the course of one day, and just as we think we understand what's going on, the plot shifts. It's a brilliant piece of cinema with a quintessential 2000s vibe; if you're nostalgic, this is the film for you.

2 'A Hard Day' (2014)

'Kkeutkkaji ganda'—South Korea

Lee Sun-kyun wearing a suit and a black and white mourning ribbon on his right arm, leaning toward a closed casket with his left ear

Fans of South Korean cinema are aware that their movie landscape is rife with intense, bloodcurdling thrillers, but even among the most well-known, there are incredible hidden gems waiting to be discovered. A Hard Day, starring the late, great Lee Sun-kyun, is one of those; it is a fast-paced, darkly comic thriller in which the action never stops. The plot is a masterpiece of escalation, turning a simple hit-and-run into a sprawling, violent conspiracy that takes place over one (hard) day. The chase sequences are jaw-dropping, and the movie features a memorable and creepy villain. The film won the Grand Prix at the Chunsa Film Art Awards and Best Director at the Grand Bell Awards and was featured in the Directors' Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival.

A Hard Day follows Detective Go Geon-soo (Lee), who appears to have the worst day of his life. Reeling from his mother's recent funeral, he accidentally hits a man with his car and panics, stuffing the body into a coffin; he then believes his nightmare has ended. But then a mysterious blackmailer starts calling, forcing him to dig up the grave — only to find the corpse replaced by evidence linking him to a completely different, far more dangerous crime. The film never takes a breather as it rushes from one disaster to another. A Hard Day is sharp, clever, and brutally efficient — exactly what a great thriller should be.

3 'The Guilty' (2018)

'Den skyldige'—Denmark

Jakob Cedergren as Asger talking on headset in The Guilty (2018)

If you're looking for expertly crafted minimalist tension, the Danish film The Guilty is the ideal choice. The Guilty delivers a more gripping experience than most big-budget thrillers, despite having only one actor, one location, and no visual spectacle. The film forces you to listen, imagine, and question everything you hear. There is an American remake with Jake Gyllenhaal, and it's fine, but the original is essential. The Guilty won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Robert Awards for Best Danish Film, Best Director, and Best Actor (Jakob Cedergren).

The Guilty follows Asger Holm (Cedergren), a demoted police officer who is transferred from his field job to an office, leaving him to man the emergency dispatch line while waiting for a verdict on his use of deadly force on duty. Asger's desk shift appears to be uneventful until he receives a frantic call from a terrified woman who claims she has been abducted. With only his wits, a phone, and an increasing sense of desperation, Asger must solve the crime and save her — all from his chair. The entire film takes place in real time inside the dispatch room, with time moving slowly yet quickly at the same time. The Guilty is an exciting thriller you won't be able to stop raving about.

Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt

Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn't work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.

🎖️Rambo

🍸James Bond

🏺Indiana Jones

🔧John McClane

🎭Ethan Hunt

FIND YOUR PARTNER →

You're dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.

ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them. BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy. CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart. DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we're walking into. ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged.

NEXT QUESTION →

You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.

AOn foot through terrain no one else would attempt — I move where vehicles can't follow. BOn a motorcycle, a cargo plane, or anything else that gets me there before I think too hard about it. CIn something that belongs to someone else — borrowed, stolen, or improvised under fire. DFirst class, with a cover identity and a gadget that does something I won't explain until it's needed. EBy whatever means are available — I've driven, flown, and once arrived by camel. The destination matters, not the method.

NEXT QUESTION →

You're pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.

ADisappears into the environment, flanks them silently, and ends it before I've reloaded. BCracks a one-liner, grabs a fire extinguisher or a chair, and improvises something that somehow works. CProduces a gadget specifically designed for this exact scenario and uses it with infuriating precision. DPulls out a whip, a pistol, and an archaeological insight that somehow gets us out alive. ENeutralises the threat with maximum efficiency and minimum words — they were already three moves ahead.

NEXT QUESTION →

The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.

AA bar with terrible lighting, cold beer, and absolutely no questions about feelings. BThe finest restaurant in the city, a bottle of something expensive, and a conversation that is equal parts brilliant and exhausting. CA local dig site, a museum after hours, or a long story about why that particular artefact matters to human civilisation. DPizza. Bad TV. Falling asleep halfway through a movie neither of you were watching anyway. EA debrief that turns into three hours of contingency planning that somehow becomes the most fun you've had all week.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.

APrecise and minimal — tell me what I need to know and nothing else. Every word has a cost. BDeadpan and dry — keeping it light keeps me sharp, even when everything is on fire. CEnthusiastic and slightly chaotic — but always with useful information buried somewhere in the noise. DCalm and controlled through an earpiece, with a plan that covers every variable I haven't thought of yet. EBarely at all — silence is a language and they speak it fluently.

NEXT QUESTION →

Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.

AInfiltrate their inner circle, learn everything, and dismantle them from inside out before they know we're there. BStudy the historical pattern — every villain of this type has a weakness written somewhere in the past. CGet them talking. The more they monologue, the more time I have to figure out how to beat them. DGo through them. Directly. With as much force as the terrain allows. EFind the one thing they haven't accounted for — there's always one thing — and make sure we're holding it.

NEXT QUESTION →

Things go badly wrong and you're captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.

ACome in alone, quietly, and get me out before anyone knows they were there. BHave already been working on the extraction since the moment I disappeared — the plan is already running. CCome in loud, come in fast, and worry about the collateral damage later — I'd do the same for them. DUse every resource, every contact, and bend every rule until I'm out — they don't leave people behind. ECharm their way in somehow, bluff through the hard part, and still manage to look good doing it.

NEXT QUESTION →

What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn't replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn't know you had.

ATechnology that shouldn't exist yet and the training to use it under any conditions. BSurvival instinct so refined it borders on supernatural — and the scars to prove it's been tested. CKnowledge of history, language, and culture that makes them invaluable in places where force is useless. DThe ability to walk into any room in the world and immediately become the most trusted person in it. EStubbornness that refuses to accept a situation is hopeless — and the improvisational skill to back it up.

NEXT QUESTION →

Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.

AA partner who never fully switches off — always watching exits, always calculating threats, even at dinner. BA partner who gets the job done brilliantly but has the emotional availability of a locked filing cabinet. CA partner who makes everything ten times more complicated than it needs to be — but who always comes through. DA partner who gets personally attached to every relic, ruin, and artefact we encounter, which slows everything down. EA partner who was not built for this and knows it — but shows up anyway, every time, without being asked.

NEXT QUESTION →

It's the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.

AOne line. Absolutely dry. Delivered like the world isn't ending. Then we move. BNothing said at all — just a look that means we both already know what has to happen. CA plan I don't fully understand that somehow accounts for everything, delivered in thirty seconds flat. DA piece of historical context that reframes the entire situation and tells us exactly what to do next. ESomeone who steps forward instead of back — because that's who they've always been.

REVEAL MY PARTNER →

Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…

Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.

Rambo

Your partner doesn't talk much, doesn't need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you've finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You'll never need to ask if he has your back. You'll just know.

James Bond

Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it'll take you a moment to remember what's actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You'll never be bored. You'll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.

Indiana Jones

Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar's eye and a brawler's instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn't matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you'll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.

John McClane

Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren't so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.

Ethan Hunt

Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you've finished reading the briefing, and the plan he's settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn't exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

4 'Marshland' (2014)

'La Isla Mínima'—Spain

Raúl Arévalo and Javier Gutiérrez standing in a desolate area and talking to someone off screen in Marshland

Marshland is one of the most awarded international thrillers, and if you enjoy films like Chinatown or TV shows like True Detective, this stunning Spanish neo-noir rivals them. Marshland shares their lyrical visual language, as well as an unflinching look at moral decay; it boasts stunning cinematography, raw, emotional performances, and a slow-burning tension that becomes unbearable at times. It's a masterpiece of atmosphere and dread that swept Spain's Goya Awards for good reason, winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor (Javier Gutiérrez), among other things. It received 10 awards out of 16 earned nominations.

Marshland takes place in 1980, in Andalusia's desolate marshlands. Two homicide detectives, Pedro (Raúl Arévalo) and Juan (Gutiérrez), investigate the disappearance of two teenage sisters, but their investigation leads them to a world of exploitation and corruption, where they uncover a serial killer whose death spree has gone unnoticed for decades. The suffocating heat of the marshlands and the eerie, endless landscape emerge as characters in their own right, while the investigation forces Pedro and Juan to confront the ghosts of Spain's fascist past, as well as their own buried secrets. Marshland is a gloomy, stunning, and captivating film that you should watch next.

5 'Sirāt' (2025)

'Sirāt'—Spain / France

Sirāt, Spain's official Oscar submission and winner of the 2025 Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, is a masterful apocalyptic road thriller. The film is a visceral audiovisual experience that has received accolades for its overwhelming sensory power and haunting soundscapes. It's a rare gem that has received numerous awards but has gone unnoticed by global audiences, showcasing genre filmmaking at its most daring. Sirāt will leave you breathless, disturbed, and deeply moved. (Bonus points if you have a great speaker system, as the film's Best Sound nod at the Oscars is one of its biggest and most powerful selling points.)

Sirāt follows a father, Luis (Sergi López), and his young son Esteban, who arrive at an illegal rave hidden in the mountains of southern Morocco. They're looking for Mar, their daughter and sister, who disappeared months ago at one of these never-ending, sleepless parties. At the same time as the illegal desert raves take place, reports of a war between two unnamed countries emerge, indicating a World War III-scale emergency. When Luis and Esteban follow those who ignore the war warnings and descend deeper into the desert, the line between rescue mission and living nightmare blurs. The film is a disorienting collection of pounding sounds, haunted landscapes, and mounting dread that culminates in a cathartic and devastating finale. Kangding Ray, a French DJ and producer, created the original music that will find itself on your playlists long after the film ends.

6 'The Invisible Guest' (2016)

'Contratiempo'—Spain

Contratiempo, aka The Invisible Guest, may not be the least famous film in Spanish cinema, but it is one of the most underappreciated internationally. The Invisible Guest is a sharp, elegant thriller built entirely on narrative sleight of hand. It plays with the unreliable narrator device, layering flashbacks within flashbacks and forcing you to constantly reassess your beliefs. It's the type of film that makes you want to rewatch it right away to catch up on all the clues you missed and then revisit it now and then to marvel at the craftsmanship. Interestingly, this film is one of the highest-grossing Spanish films in China, having received a theatrical run after people pirated it and spread positive word of mouth.

The Invisible Guest follows Adrián Doria (Mario Casas), a businessman who is out on bail after being charged with murdering his lover. With a new witness scheduled to testify against him in just three hours, his lawyer hires Virginia Goodman (Ana Wagener), a legendary witness preparation expert with an impeccable track record. As she questions Adrián about the affair, blackmail, and locked-room killing, the narrative shifts and fractures. Goodman exposes contradictions and gradually reveals that there may be more than one version of the truth; as the clock ticks, Adrián's story falls apart, leaving us to wonder, "What is going on?" (But in a good way). The original word "contratiempo" translates more directly to "setback."

7 'Confessions' (2010)

'Kokuhaku'—Japan

Takako Matsu as Yuko looking at the camera in a classroom with other students in Confessions

Kokuhaku, aka Confessions, is a devastating, coldly beautiful revenge thriller that defies all expectations. The first act reads like a 40-minute monologue, with each character's role in the devastating events gradually becoming clear. The cinematography is stark, and the score is haunting, creating a uniquely Japanese masterpiece of tone and tension, as well as one of the most disturbing films ever made about the consequences of cruelty. Confessions was an instant success with critics and audiences, winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Editor at the Japanese Academy Awards. It was also Japan's official Oscar submission, making the January shortlist.

Confessions follows Yuko Moriguchi (Takako Matsu), a middle school teacher, whose four-year-old daughter is discovered dead in the school pool. The police believe it was an accident, but she knows the truth: two of her own students committed the murder. Yuko, unable to prove their guilt legally or have them tried, engages in mind games with the students, forcing them to destroy each other and themselves. The film follows the students' perspectives, revealing a spiral of guilt, paranoia, and escalating psychological horror, all caused by a single, terrifying confession from their teacher. Confessions is a haunting and grim revenge thriller that can be watched whenever you need something intriguing on your screen.

8 'Andhadhun' (2018)

'Andhadhun'—India

Tabu and Ayushmann Khurrana walking together in Andhadhun

Andhadhun is a wild, unpredictable black comedy that joyfully defies traditional suspense formulas. It's audacious, twist-driven, and outrageously fun, keeping you guessing until its brilliantly ambiguous ending. Sriram Raghavan's direction is fun and confident, and the soundtrack is memorable. Andhadhun is one of the most inventive Indian movies of the last decade, blending Coen-esque chaos with a distinctive Indian sensibility. It received three nominations for National Film Awards (Best Hindi Film and Best Actor), five Filmfare Awards (Best Film Critics), and an AACTA nomination for Best Asian Film.

Andhadhun follows Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana), a pianist who pretends to be blind in order to improve his piano skills; when he is discovered, he doubles down and makes it seem like he actually is blind in order to be hired for a private performance at the home of a retired acting legend. When he arrives, he comes across a murder scene, but because everyone assumes he can't see, he is forced to play while the killer cleans up the evidence. What follows is a wild, escalating game of deception in which virtually everyone lies. Andhadhun is two and a half hours that never let up despite twists, dark comedy, and somewhat shocking violence. It's definitely an interesting thriller.