The 10 Most Thrilling Movies in Film History

1 week ago 20

Published Aug 29, 2026, 5:55 PM EDT

Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel.

A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated.

Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point.

The thriller genre has been one of cinema's most prolific and popular since the art form's silent days, and even though it's a genre that has evolved so dramatically that much older thrillers are usually not all that thrilling by modern standards, that's only a good thing. Thanks to that evolution, throughout history, we've been treated to several of the most thrilling films ever created.

We're not just talking about excitement, suspense, or enjoyment here: We're talking about thrills. Movies that generate deep, visceral emotions in the viewer, waves of excitement and tension and sharp emotion that are as deep as sensations generated by films can possibly come. From classics like North by Northwest to modern gems like The Dark Knight, the most thrilling movies in film history are the kinds of films that no one can possibly feel indifferent toward.

10 'Oldboy' (2003)

Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) holding a hammer at the camera in Oldboy

No one does thrillers quite like South Korea, whose filmmakers have been making legendary thriller films since several decades ago. It was the South Korean New Wave of the '80s and '90s that really started to popularize South Korean cinema around the world, however; and it was Park Chan-wook's 2003 masterpiece Oldboy that catapulted South Korean thrillers into true mainstream prominence.

This cult classic is one of those R-rated thriller movies that are absolute masterpieces, and even though some may find it a bit too brutal and shocking, it's a must-see for thriller fans nonetheless. Full of perfectly directed and perfectly choreographed action sequences, genuinely shocking plot twists, and hugely effective suspense, Oldboy really is one of the most exciting movies of the 21st century so far.

9 'The Dark Knight' (2008)

Christopher Nolan is nowadays well-known as one of the modern kings of Hollywood blockbusters, but one should nevertheless always remember that it was the Dark Knight trilogy that really enshrined him in that throne. Most of all, it was thanks to The Dark Knight, an action thriller so legendary that many still remember it as the greatest comic book and superhero movie ever made—an by a decent margin, at that.

At the very least, The Dark Knight is one of the most intense superhero movies of all time, and that's all because Nolan is far more concerned with making a genuinely thrilling action epic here than he is with making a cartoonish superhero spectacle. It works wonderfully. With its many stunning set pieces (many of them relying on groundbreaking practical effects) and its fast-paced narrative, as well as Heath Ledger's masterfully unpredictable antagonistic performance, The Dark Knight has aged like fine wine.

8 'Die Hard' (1988)

Bruce Willis, playing John McClane, crawls through a duct with a lighter in Die Hard.

Many people don't actually know that John McTiernan's Die Hard is based on a novel titled Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, and that's because this is the sort of '80s blockbuster so beloved that it has completely transcended the boundaries of its own popularity. A pillar of pop culture as crucial as any other of history's best action thrillers, Die Hard is the very definition of a legendary motion picture.

Based on one of the most perfect thriller movie plots, Die Hard is so confident in the simplicity of its single-location premise that all it has to focus on from there is being as thrilling as possible. Bruce Willis' John McClane is such a relatable hero, Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber is such an effective villain, and McTiernan has such a perfect understanding of pacing and tension that it's impossible not to watch Die Hard from the very edge of one's seat.

7 'North by Northwest' (1959)

Roger and Eve embracing in North by Northwest

Even to this day, Alfred Hitchcock is still deemed to be the Master of Suspense, and it isn't the least bit hard to see why. Those who have somehow still not explored the director's filmography, however, could start with what's widely considered one of his greatest masterpieces: North by Northwest, an adventure spy thriller which Ernest Lehman specifically wrote to be "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures."

In more ways than one, Lehman succeeded, because even those who don't consider North by Northwest Hitchcock's sole magnum opus would still be willing to recognize that it's probably the most quintessentially Hitchcockian film the world ever saw. Relentlessly paced and armed with sky-high stakes, a lighthearted tone, and all sorts of iconic set pieces, North by Northwest is a Golden-Age Hollywood classic that should be considered essential viewing for anyone who loves cinema.

6 'Hard Boiled' (1992)

Chow Yun-Fat aiming a rifle in HARD-BOILED

No conversation about the most thrilling movies in film history could ever possibly be complete without talking about the many gun fu masterpieces that have been made in Hong Kong, and no conversation about those masterpieces could be complete without talking about John Woo. The director's magnum opus is generally agreed to be Hard Boiled, the peak of what the gun fu subgenre has to offer.

Aside from having some of the best movie shootouts of all time (the bare minimum you'd expect from a gun fu masterpiece), Hard Boiled is incredibly exciting thanks to the way Woo treats these adrenaline-pumping gun battles as a sort of blend between a ballet performance and a martial arts display. The director's visual flair, as well as the film's relentless pacing, make this a movie whose two-hour runtime feels like it flies right by in half of that amount of time.

5 'Parasite' (2019)

Park Chan-wook may have launched South Korean thrillers into the international mainstream, but it was Bong Joon Ho who proved that South Korean cinema as a whole could be worthy of exactly the same amount of prestige as Hollywood's greatest masterpieces. Parasite, on top of being the first non-English-language film ever to win the Best Picture Academy Award, is now widely regarded as one of the best thrillers of the 21st century so far.

For people who love great thriller movies with stunning plot twists, Parasite should prove to be absolutely irresistible. From the brilliant ways in which Bong blends genres to the way the dynamics between the characters keep escalating up to an absolutely explosive point, Parasite remains surprisingly thrilling for a film that doesn't contain any proper action scenes.

Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz Which Oscar Best Picture
Is Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country

Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.

🪜Parasite

🌀Everything Everywhere

☢️Oppenheimer

🐦Birdman

🪙No Country for Old Men

FIND YOUR FILM →

What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don't just entertain — they leave something behind.

ASomething that pulls the rug out — that makes me think I'm watching one kind of film and then reveals I'm watching another entirely. BSomething overwhelming — funny, sad, absurd, and genuinely moving, all at once. CSomething grand and weighty — a film that makes me feel the full scale of what I'm watching. DSomething formally daring — a film that pushes what cinema can even do. ESomething lean and relentless — pure tension with no wasted frame.

NEXT QUESTION →

Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What's yours?

AClass, inequality, and what people are willing to do when desperation meets opportunity. BIdentity, family, and the chaos of trying to hold your life together when everything is falling apart. CGenius, moral responsibility, and the catastrophic weight of a decision you can never take back. DEgo, legacy, and the terror of becoming irrelevant while you're still alive to watch it happen. EEvil, chance, and whether moral order actually exists or if we just tell ourselves it does.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.

AGenre-twisting — I want it to start in one lane and migrate into something completely different. BMaximalist and genre-blending — comedy, action, drama, sci-fi, all in one ride. CEpic and non-linear — cutting between timelines, building a mosaic of cause and consequence. DA single unbroken flow — I want to feel like I'm living it in real time, no cuts to safety. ESpare and precise — every scene doing exactly what it needs to do and nothing more.

NEXT QUESTION →

What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?

AA system — invisible, structural, and almost impossible to fight because it has no single face. BThe self — the ways we sabotage, abandon, and fail the people we love most. CHistory — the unstoppable momentum of events that no single person can stop or redirect. DThe industry — the machinery of culture that chews up talent and spits out irrelevance. EPure, implacable evil — a force so certain of itself it becomes almost philosophical.

NEXT QUESTION →

What do you want from a film's ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?

AShock and inevitability — a conclusion that recontextualises everything that came before it. BEarned emotion — I want to cry, laugh, and feel genuinely hopeful, even if the world is a mess. CDevastation and grandeur — an ending that makes me sit in silence for a few minutes after. DAmbiguity — something that leaves enough open that I'm still thinking about it days later. EBleakness — an honest refusal to pretend the world is tidier than it actually is.

NEXT QUESTION →

Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what's even possible.

AA gleaming modern city with a hidden underside — beauty masking rot, wealth masking desperation. BA collapsing suburban life that opens onto something infinite — the multiverse of a single ordinary person. CThe corridors of power and science at a world-historical turning point — where decisions echo for decades. DThe grimy, alive chaos of New York and Hollywood — fame as both destination and trap. EVast, indifferent landscape — desert and highway where violence arrives without warning or reason.

NEXT QUESTION →

What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.

AProduction design and mise-en-scène — every frame composed to carry meaning beneath the surface. BEditing and tonal control — the ability to move between registers without losing the audience. CScore and sound design — music that becomes inseparable from the dread and awe of what you're watching. DCinematography as performance — the camera not recording events but participating in them. ESilence and restraint — what's left unsaid and unshown doing more work than any dialogue could.

NEXT QUESTION →

What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.

ASomeone smart and resourceful who makes increasingly dangerous decisions under pressure. BSomeone overwhelmed and ordinary who turns out to be capable of something extraordinary. CA brilliant, tortured figure whose gifts and flaws are inseparable from each other. DA self-destructive artist whose ego is both their superpower and their undoing. EA quiet, principled person trying to make sense of a world that has stopped making sense.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.

AI love a slow build when I know the payoff is going to be seismic — patience for a devastating reveal. BGive me relentless momentum — I want to feel breathless and emotionally spent by the end. CEpic runtime doesn't scare me — if the material demands three hours, give me three hours. DI want it to feel propulsive even when nothing is technically happening — restless energy throughout. EDeliberate and unhurried — I want dread to accumulate in the spaces between the action.

NEXT QUESTION →

What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?

AUnsettled — like I've just seen something I can't fully explain but can't stop thinking about. BMoved and energised — like the film reminded me what actually matters and gave me something to hold onto. CHumbled — like I've been in the presence of something genuinely important and overwhelming. DExhilarated — like I've just seen cinema doing something it's never quite done before. EHaunted — like a cold, quiet dread that stays with me for days.

REVEAL MY FILM →

The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is…

Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.

Parasite

You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho's Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it's ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn't want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it's about.

Oppenheimer

You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.

Birdman

You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it's about. Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor's ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn't be possible. Michael Keaton's performance and Emmanuel Lubezki's restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.

No Country for Old Men

You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.

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4 'The Terminator' (1984)

James Cameron went into making The Terminator knowing that the only feature film he had under his belt at that point was the universally-panned Piranha II: The Spawning, aware that he needed a serious hit if he wanted to establish himself as a director worthy of Hollywood taking chances on him. The Terminator ended up being not just a hit, but a legendary classic that immediately proved this Canadian visionary really was a director to be taken seriously.

The film's sequel, the incredible Terminator 2: Judgment Day, may arguably be more broadly exciting. But thrilling? Not just adrenaline-pumping, but the sort of experience that keeps you biting your nails throughout the entirety of its runtime? That's The Terminator, a thriller so tense that it at times may even feel like more of a sci-fi horror movie.

3 'Uncut Gems' (2019)

Adam Sandler turning around smiling in Uncut Gems - 2019

Josh and Benny Safdie broke onto the scene with their crime thriller Good Time, itself also one of the most thrilling movies in film history; but there's just no matching Uncut Gems in terms of quality, suspense, or thrills. It's easily one of the most stress- and anxiety-inducing movies the world has ever seen, as well as one of the most intense movies released since 2000.

It's precisely that intensity, however, that makes Uncut Gems such a potently thrilling and nail-biting experience that you simply can't look away from at any point. Further bolstered by the greatest performance of Adam Sandler's awfully underrated career, the film is an undeniably exhausting experience purely because of how thrilling its relentlessly-paced narrative is.

2 'The Wages of Fear' (1953)

A wounded man leaning on another one in The Wages of Fear

Sometimes, the tensest thrillers are the ones that tell a story so perfectly structured in a non-linear way that they manage to scramble the viewer's brain without ever feeling suspenseful. However, back in 1953, French filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot proved with The Wages of Fear, one of the most linear thrillers ever made, that you didn't need a mind-bending structure in order to deliver timeless thrillers.

And indeed, there's nothing that Wages of Fear is if not timeless. It's a high-octane adventure pairing deeply affecting existential dread with agonizing, non-stop suspense in a way which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that even the simplest of premises can produce legendary classics. Gritty, psychologically oppressive, absolutely nerve-racking, and free from the constraints that often limited Hollywood thriller filmmakers back in the '50s, it's a French masterpiece that every thriller fan should watch at least once.

1 'Jaws' (1975)

Three men in a boat on the water looking tense in Jaws

Nowadays, with their being the entire film industry's bread and butter, it's easy to take blockbusters for granted. Back in 1975, however, it was Steven Spielberg who pretty much fathered the concept we now understand as a blockbuster with Jaws, which quickly became the highest-grossing film of all time at that point. Since then, it has remained the gold standard for horror survival thrillers.

Jaws is one of the best American movies of the '70s, a testament to the groundbreaking boldness that characterized filmmakers back during the New Hollywood film movement. Spielberg saw himself forced to show the actual shark as little as possible, since the mechanical prop kept breaking down in the water, which ended up being one of the most serendipitous accidents in film history. With the monster lurking in the audience's minds much more often than onscreen, Spielberg is able to craft such an effective level of suspense and thrill that Jaws is still the most thrilling film ever made over 50 years after its release.