9 Greatest Hidden-Gem Thrillers of the 21st Century, Ranked

Since the turn of the century, there have been too many exceptional thriller films to count. From action epics like The Dark Knight to mystery stories like Prisoners, several of the greatest thrillers of all time have come out throughout the 21st century. Naturally, however, there are plenty of other top-tier examples of the genre that end up slipping under most people's radars for one reason or another.

These are movies from all over the world of varying sizes, from big Hollywood productions like the Liam Neeson-starring Cold Pursuit to international indie gems like Sleep Tight. Thrillers are all about tension, suspense, and excitement, and plenty of movies that have offered those things from 2001 to the present deserve far more love than they typically get.

9 'Killer Joe' (2011)

Best-known for hugely acclaimed productions on the level of The Exorcist and The French Connection, the late William Friedkin was one of the greatest filmmakers of his time, a leading voice of the New Hollywood movement. He kept making great movies all the way until 2011, when he released the Southern Gothic thriller Killer Joe.

Starring Matthew McConaughey and released at the height of the McConaissance, Killer Joe further contributed to proving the actor was capable of far more than just rom-coms. But aside from having a great and darkly comic lead performance, Killer Joe is also one of the most violent thrillers of the 2010s, which made it receive an NC-17 rating in the U.S. Despite that, as well as its kinetic and irresistibly entertaining tone, the movie still hasn't been able to garner the cult following that it so clearly deserves.

8 'The Stanford Prison Experiment' (2015)

At Stanford University in 1971, one of the most controversial psychological experiments in American history was performed, where a two-week simulation of a prison environment was held to examine its effects on participants. 44 years later, the best movie ever made on the subject came out, The Stanford Prison Experiment, whose star-studded cast would have anyone believe it was one of the most notorious thriller docudramas of the 2010s.

That's not the case, though. On the contrary, The Stanford Prison Experiment isn't talked about nearly enough nowadays. Psychologically complex and deeply thought-provoking, this chilling recreation of the titular events packs quite a wallop. It's as nuanced a story of dehumanization as any movie of its kind, and it's a must-see for all those with the stomach for it.

7 'The Tunnel' (2001)

Many Cold War films have been made on the general subject of the Berlin Wall, and the German-made-for-television historical thriller The Tunnel is one of the best. It's one of the most perfect forgotten thrillers of the 2000s, with a theatrical cut that's around 20 minutes shorter. Nail-bitingly tense yet with an admirably humanist heart, it approaches its story about the closing of the East German border in August 1961 and the subsequent construction of the Wall with both accuracy and a great sense of suspense.

With all the excitement and thrill of the best prison break films ever, this film about one of the many escape attempts under the Wall is both a fantastic history lesson and a touching tale about the human yearning for connection. It's absolutely gripping and surprisingly raw, but all that brutality is intelligently balanced with more than enough heart and emotion to keep audiences engaged but not put off.

6 'Sleep Tight' (2011)

Spanish cinema is filled to the brim with underrated thrillers, and Sleep Tight is one of the most criminally underseen. This psychological thriller is about an unhappy apartment building concierge on a mission to make tenants' lives miserable, and it's one of the best thrillers of the 2010s. Bolstered by Luis López Tosar's powerhouse lead performance and Jaume Balagueró's engrossing direction, Sleep Tight is one unforgettable thriller.

Smart, unsettling, and full of plot twists that are often nothing short of genius, Sleep Tight proves that looking beyond Hollywood for great thrillers is an incredibly rewarding endeavor. It's a mean-spirited affair that borders on being horror, there's no doubt about that, but it's the kind of film that's impossible to take one's eyes off of, a home invasion thriller like few others.

5 'The Treatment' (2014)

The Belgian crime thriller The Treatment is a masterpiece so obscure that it doesn't even have a Wikipedia page, but it's a must-see nonetheless. In it, a police inspector haunted by the childhood abduction of his brother becomes obsessed with the disturbing case of a dangerous serial kidnapper. The result is an incredibly bleak and disturbing movie, one that definitely demands a strong stomach.Yes, it's a heavy and emotionally draining film that shows the darkest pits of cruelty that the thriller genre can reach, but it's so well-made and so well-acted that it's difficult to look away from. People who like other 21st-century thrillers that leave them gutted, such as Prisoners or Zodiac, really ought to check this one out. It's well-written, profoundly atmospheric, and an unforgettable experience.

4 '1987: When the Day Comes' (2017)

There are plenty of South Korean movies everyone should watch at least once in their lives, most of them well-known and undeniably mainstream. There are plenty of underappreciated ones, however, and 1987: When the Day Comes is one of the best in that category. Based on the true events that led up to the June Democratic Uprising in Korea, it's one of the best Asian political thrillers of the 2010s.

The concept of a social uprising to force a regime change in a country poisoned by dictatorship is an ambitious thing to try and capture in a single film — and, sadly, ever relevant in today's world — but 1987 tries its damnedest to thrilling effect. It's an impressive, sprawling, and horrifyingly timely film, founded on strong shaky-cam cinematography and some of the best performances of any South Korean thriller of the 2010s.

3 'Cold Pursuit' (2019)

Hans Petter Moland is one of the very few filmmakers throughout history who have remade their own movies. In 2014, the director made the Norwegian action thriller In Order of Disappearance, starring Stellan Skarsgård. Five years later, Liam Neeson put on Skarsgård's shoes to star in Cold Pursuit, playing a snowplow driver who starts killing the members of a drug cartel following the murder of his son.

It's an unexpectedly exciting, action-packed, and even occasionally darkly hilarious thriller. Neeson is fantastic in it, and Moland's refreshingly cold (pun only partly intended) approach to the story makes for an entirely and delightfully unique experience. There are those who prefer the Norwegian original, but either way, these are two highly underrated thrillers.

2 'Color Out of Space' (2019)

Yet another criminally underrated genre film starring a big-name actor, the Nicolas Cage sci-fi thriller Color Out of Space is one of the best H. P. Lovecraft movies ever. Richard Stanley's first feature film since his firing from the infamous 1996 disaster The Island of Dr. Moreau, the movie makes the idea of a color being a horror movie villain seem not just entirely plausible, but genuinely chilling.

Aside from benefiting from one of Cage's best performances in years, Color Out of Space is also boosted by Stanley's colorful and vibrant direction and the pulpy, gonzo tone that makes it so hard to watch from anywhere but the edge of one's seat. Visually striking and perfectly slow-burning, it works as both a B-horror masterpiece and an arthouse gem. All those who love sci-fi, horror, thrillers, and the intersection of all three should give themselves the treat of checking Color Out of Space out.

1 'Love Exposure' (2008)

There are those who might say Sion Sono is a bit of an acquired taste, and certainly, the Japanese auteur's dramedy thriller Love Exposure, four hours long and one of the grossest movies of the 2000s, isn't exactly designed for mass mainstream appeal. Incredibly transgressive and thematically sprawling, this tremendous cinematic achievement has become one of the biggest Japanese cult classics of the 21st century, and for good reason.

The comedy always lands, and Sono's use of melodrama is constantly engaging. Funny, moving, and confident in its exploration of sexual behavior, Love Exposure is one of the most complex thrillers of the century thus far, making the fact that it doesn't usually receive more love an absolute tragedy. It's not for everyone, but it's the kind of bombastic extravaganza that's impossible to feel indifferent toward. Love it or hate it, it's an unforgettable experience.