Sign in to your Collider account
It sometimes seems like true cinematic thrillers have gone out of fashion lately. Perhaps the genre has been taken over by television and true-crime documentaries. Those are great, but sometimes you want a suspenseful, fictional story in two hours or less. Luckily, Max has a ton of thrilling movies for you to watch or rewatch as many times as you want. The following entries represent just a small sampling of thrillers the streaming service currently has to offer.
Don't see what you're looking for? Check out our list of the best horror films or dramas on the platform or the best movies across all genres on Max.
Editor's note: This article was updated in November 2024 to include Parasite and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
‘Parasite’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% | IMDb: 8.5/10
Release Date May 8, 2019
Director Bong Joon-ho
Cast Seo Joon Park , Kang-ho Song , Seon-gyun Lee , Yeo-Jeong Jo , Woo-sik Choi , Hye-jin Jang
Runtime 132 minutes
One of the greatest movies of all time, Parasite follows the Kims, a family living among the poorest in Seoul, who slowly infiltrate the wealthy Park clan by replacing their staff one by one. After successfully finding themselves in the trust of the family, everything changes for the Kims with one simple ring of a doorbell. Parasite is a truly funny black comedy, a desperately poignant drama, an intelligent social satire, and — perhaps most of all — a horrifically tense thriller. Featuring a set of stunning central performances and a story that feels more relevant by the day, Parasite more than deserved its Academy Award win for Best Picture — the first foreign language film to ever achieve this feat. - Jake Hodges
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 7.8/10
Release Date December 21, 2011
Runtime 158 minutes
Based on Stieg Larsson’s 2005 novel of the same name, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) as he teams up with computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) to investigate the disappearance of a girl four decades prior. In perhaps Mara’s best performance of her career so far, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo shines thanks to its central performances. One of David Fincher’s most underrated works, the film earned five Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Achievement in Film Editing. - Jake Hodges
‘Civil War (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 7.1/10
Civil War
Release Date April 12, 2024
Director Alex Garland
Alex Garland’s Civil War — production company A24’s second-biggest box office hit ever — follows a team of journalists who venture through an alternate America that has evolved into a combat zone, desperate to reach the White House before a rebel force brings it to the ground. Featuring immersive performances from the likes of Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Nick Offerman, Civil War is best loved for its immersive script that feels built on the foundations of the real fears that face modern America. A frightening look at a warped but scarily realistic future, Civil War is both a hellish nightmare and a gripping action flick, with thrills and spills aplenty helping line this deep-rooted political thriller. - Jake Hodges
'Midsommar' (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 7.1/10
Midsommar
Release Date July 3, 2019
Runtime 147 minutes
One of the most innovative minds in modern horror, Ari Aster’s mind-bending masterpiece Midsommar stars Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor as Dani and Christian, a young couple who are invited to join a midsummer Swedish festival in the countryside. However, what first begins as a refreshing and enigmatic trip away soon turns dark, with the depraved desires of the cult who reside there quickly twisting the fortunes of the couple seemingly fatal. Aesthetically gorgeous and terribly frightening, Midsommar is a triumph of modern horror with its dedication to finding scares in the most unlikely of places. Not only that, but the movie is very deliberately often comedic, with the consistent horror cut intelligently by biting moments of humor. - Jake Hodges
'Black Swan' (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Release Date December 3, 2010
Runtime 108 minutes
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan is a psychological horror film starring Natalie Portman as a ballerina who finds herself spiraling into madness as she competes for the coveted lead in a production of Swan Lake. The film’s screenplay was written by Andres Heinz, Mark Heyman, and John McLaughlin. Besides Portman in the lead role, the movie also stars Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder. Black Swan premiered at the 2010 Venice International Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim for its direction and performances. Shortly after, the film arrived in theaters and became a major global success as well, bringing in over $300 million on a budget of just $13 million. Natalie Portman delivers an Oscar-winning performance as a troubled artist on the brink of insanity — arguably one of the best of her career. Aronofsky’s masterful direction blends reality and illusion into a heady, surreal mix, which further highlights Portman’s performance and takes the viewer on a troubling, enthralling journey to the darkest corners of the human mind.
'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 63% | IMDb: 7.0/10
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Release Date November 3, 2017
Director Yorgos Lanthimos
Runtime 121 minutes
Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a psychological horror film that follows a surgeon who takes a young boy under his wing — only to find that he has a hidden agenda. The movie stars Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan, with Nicole Kidman, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, and Alicia Silverstone. The Killing of a Sacred Deer premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Screenplay award and competed for the Palme d’Or. The film has received critical acclaim and is regarded as a prime example of Lanthimos’ particularly idiosyncratic style, presenting an absurdist take on a simple enough premise. It’s very much a horror-thriller story, but it’s that off-beat sensibility that sets The Killing of a Sacred Deer apart from the herd. With brilliant performances by its ensemble cast, a surprising sense of humor, and a script that keeps you guessing, The Killing of a Sacred Deer isn’t just a great thriller — it’s great cinema.
'Meg 2: The Trench' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 73% | IMDb: 5.0/10
Release Date August 4, 2023
Runtime 116 Minutes
A sequel to the hit sharksploitation movie The Meg, Meg 2: The Trench follows Jason Statham’s Jonas and Jing Wu’s Jiuming Zhang as they lead a research team down into the dark depths of the unexplored ocean, only to be met by fears bigger than they ever could have imagined and a battle for survival just as great. With the original throwing almighty action-sequences and terrifying visuals in abundance, Meg 2: The Trench turns the dial up even more, with impressive cinematography from Haris Zambarloukos that manages to capture the sheer terror of the ocean. A wild ride from start to finish, Meg 2: The Trench is the perfect indulgence movie for those who want thrills and spills without necessarily any nuance. A fact fans of the series relish, Meg 2: The Trench is unapologetically in-your-face. - Jake HodgesWatch on Max
'Reality' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 67% | IMDb: 6.7/10
Reality
Release Date May 29, 2023
Director Tina Satter
Runtime 83 minutes
Director and playwright Tina Satter adapts her stage play Is This a Room, based on the real transcripts of an FBI investigation into leaked classified documents. At the center of the investigation is a young US Air Force member and NSA translator named Reality Winner, whose tense encounter with the FBI is masterfully captured by up-and-coming talent Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria). This docudrama is a wonderful showcase for Satter as her film directorial debut, and she couldn’t have picked a better lead in Sweeney, who is so real and grounded in this role it makes your heart race with every question she has to field, knowing a single misplaced word could mean the end for her.Watch on Max
'Kimi' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 60% | IMDb: 6.3/10
Release Date February 10, 2022
Director Steven Soderbergh
Runtime 2h 29m
Another film that proves Steven Soderbergh is one of the best to ever do it, Kimi is a masterful modern thriller set in Seattle that authentically captures the city as it follows Zoë Kravitz as a tech worker named Angela. In the course of her work, Angela discovers that there is a coverup that she will have to leave the safety of her apartment in order to uncover. What follows is a thoroughly tense experience that sees her having to flee through the nooks and crannies of the city while avoiding a whole host of pursuers who would want nothing more than to make sure she stays silent. Not only is Kravitz pitch-perfect in the role, but she also really embraces the kinetic energy of the film that keeps everything moving along smoothly. It all builds to one of the most satisfying and cathartic conclusions, making for one of the most thoroughly enjoyable cinematic rides you’ll find out there. — Chase HutchinsonWatch on Max
'Blood Simple' (1984)
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% | IMDb: 7.5/10
Release Date January 18, 1985
Director Joel Coen , Ethan Coen
Runtime 99 minutes
Blood Simple was the world’s introduction to the Coen Brothers, and they come out the gate swinging. The film has all their hallmarks, already formed. Its characters are dumb, but likable folks who get in over their heads and run directly into disaster. Even this early on, the Coens display a great eye for detail and ear for dialog. The film is a pleasure just to listen to. And also, there is all that crazy Coen violence, which can be funny and horrifying at the same time. On top of all that, the film boasts a super early Frances McDormand performance as well.Watch on Max
'The Lady Vanishes' (1938)
Rotten Tomatoes: 88% | IMDb: 7.7/10
The Lady Vanishes
Release Date October 7, 1938
Director Alfred Hitchcock
Run Time 1 hr 37 min
Actors Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave Paul, Lukas, Dame May Whitty
Max has a lot of older Alfred Hitchcock films from his black and white, pre-Hollywood, spy era. They are all pretty good, but among them, The Lady Vanishes is extra special. The film focuses on a train ride during which one passenger, a nice old lady, has seemingly ceased to exist. It’s up to a duo of travelers to solve the mystery. Face it, there’s nothing better than watching people solve a seemingly impossible puzzle while onboard a train. It also helps that the conclusion ends up being worth the wait conceptually and super fun as well.Watch on Max
'The Wages of Fear' (1953)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 8.2/10
Wages of Fear
Release Date April 22, 1953
Director Henri-Georges Clouzot
Cast Yves Montand , Charles Vanel , Folco Lulli
Runtime 153 minutes
One of the classic thrillers, The Wages of Fear offers a very simple premise. For desperate men must drive highly sensitive truckloads of nitroglycerine 300 miles over treacherous terrain. The trip is worth too much money to refuse, but just a couple good bumps will cause their payload to explode, killing them in a ball of fire. To call the film tense does it a disservice. Every mile these guys drive could be their last, and if you think an uneven dirt road filled with potholes is the worst they come up against, you haven’t seen enough movies. This was later remade by the great William Friedkin as Sorcerer in the 1970s. Together they make for a truly white-knuckled double feature.Watch on Max
English (US) ·