10 Best Thriller Movies, According to Letterboxd

Known for their intense, suspenseful narratives that keep audiences invested and inevitably questioning what happens next, the thriller genre is understandably a fan-favorite in film. Its appeal is undeniable, especially to audiences who are particularly keen on brainy premises that provide food for thought.

Throughout the years, several thriller movies have captured the attention of worldwide viewers. However, some have stood out among the rest, whether because of their critical acclaim or popularity among general cinephiles. Considering that there is no better platform for moviegoers to log and rate their favorite films than Letterboxd, we gather what seems to be the consensus on what are the best films in the genre. From A Man Escaped to High and Low, these are the best thriller movies of all time, according to Letterboxd users.

10 ‘A Man Escaped’ (1956)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.34

This 1956 film is directed by Robert Bresson and based on a thoroughly intriguing memoir by a member of the French Resistance, André Devigny. A Man Escaped centers around a captured French Resistance fighter during World War II, played by François Leterrier, who comes up with a plan to escape from a German prison in France.

Featuring an impressive Letterboxd score, this critically acclaimed work by the trailblazing director is not only an essential in the thriller genre, but also an incredible pick for war film enthusiasts. Over time, the black-and-white featureA Man Escaped has earned a spot among the best thriller movies of all time, sending out thought-provoking messages about overcoming challenges in the face of aversion and the consequential, suffocating despair that comes.

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9 ‘Rear Window’ (1954)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.38

Alfred Hitchcock‘s iconic thriller had to make it to this list, as it is a landmark in cinema and Hitchcock’s filmography, as many consider it the filmmaker’s best. Rear Window stars James Stewart in the lead role. The story follows his character, a photographer in a wheelchair confined to his apartment in Manhattan. Jefferies’s hobby? He watches his neighbors through his window and eventually begins to suspect one of them has committed murder.

Also starring the lovely Grace Kelly opposite Stewart’s lead, Rear Window is a beloved film for plenty of reasons; one of them being its flawless execution. As such, it’s not the least surprising that Letterboxd users would rank Hitchcock’s creation as one of the best thrillers of all time. Examining psychological storytelling in a thoroughly compelling manner, Rear Window ultimately resulted in a surveillance masterpiece.

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8 ‘Oldboy’ (2003)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.39

Next up is Oldboy, an utterly twisted and dark tale of vengeance directed by the one and only Park Chan-wook. The 2003 feature sees Oh Dae-Su, played by Choi Min-sik on a staggering tour de force, as he is released after being mysteriously kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen long years, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days. In the meantime, he meets the kindhearted Mi-do (Kang Hye-jeong), with whom he develops an intimate connection.

The Letterboxd rating of Park Chan-wook’s astoundingly disturbing movie is not surprising considering how the film has become such a fan-favorite among general audiences. Whether we’re talking about its editing, performances, or the absorbing premise that keeps audiences guessing, it is impossible to be indifferent to this 2003 revenge feature, as it is the kind of movie that sticks with audiences long after the credits roll. Oldboy is a masterpiece of a thriller film audiences will probably never want to watch again.

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7 ‘Perfect Blue’ (1997)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.40

Blending the psychological horror and thriller genres, this Japanese 1997 film is not for the faint of heart. The story centers around a pop singer named Mima (JunkoIwao) who gives up her career to become an actress. However, things start to crumble when her mental health slowly deteriorates when she starts being stalked by an obsessed fan and what seems to be a ghost of her past.

Audiences should not be fooled by the fact that this is an animation film, as Perfect Blue is a rather dark thriller that delves deep into celebrity culture, worship, and the consequences of obsession. As users on Letterboxd would agree, Satoshi Kon‘s film is nothing short of incredible, exploring complex, psychological themes through its three-dimensional central character and offering audiences an intriguing narrative in the meantime.

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6 ‘Memories of Murder’ (2003)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.41

Memories of Murder is a gripping film of its genre, but viewers should be warned that it is a thoroughly violent film guaranteed to leave an impression. Directed by Parasite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, it follows two detectives (SongKang–ho and KimSang–kyung) struggling with the case of multiple young women being found sexually abused and murdered by an unknown serial killer in a small Korean province in 1986.

This 2003 thriller is genuinely chilling (shout out to the final scene) and equal parts entertaining, meditating on the societal causes and consequences of the real-life Hwaseong killings, satirizing the structures that allowed such a disturbing failure to take place. Memories of Murder is the kind of crime thriller audiences do not want to miss; it has been rightfully praised, time and time again, for its incredible directing, performances, and editing.

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5 ‘Le Trou’ (1960)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.44

While not as popular as other films on the list, Jacques Becker‘s Le Trou is an unmissable film from the 1960s, inviting audiences to indulge themselves in a character study involving four long-term inmates (MichelConstantin, MarcMichel, RaymondMeunier, JeanKeraudy) whose wariness and uncertainty arise after they cautiously induct a new prisoner into their elaborate prison-break scheme.

Based on José Giovanni‘s 1957 book The Break, the tense thriller Le Trou is simple yet well-crafted and beautifully filmed, with an entertaining premise to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The fact that it is often considered one of the best prison escape dramas of all time is very telling, and the majority of users on the cinephile platform seem to think so as well.

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4 ‘Woman in the Dunes’ (1964)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.44

Another overlooked movie on the list is the groundbreaking Japanese New Wave psychological thriller Woman in the Dunes, which centers around an entomologist (Eiji Okada) on vacation who is coerced by local villagers into living with a woman (Kyôko Kishida) whose life task is shoveling sand for them. It has cemented itself as Hiroshi Teshigahara‘s masterpiece through the years.

This avant-garde two-time Oscar-nominated film is not only the perfect choice for those getting into analyzing the history of cinema — it had a big influence over the first century of cinema and endures as a landmark today — but it offers a thoroughly intriguing commentary on alienation, loneliness, and isolation that makes it a captivating watch. The story was adapted by KōbōAbe from his 1962 novel with fascinating results.

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3 ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.47

Christopher Nolan‘s take on the iconic superhero Batman, played by Christian Bale, has been a fan-favorite ever since Batman Begins came out. However, The Dark Knight endures as the much-beloved installment in the franchise. The story introduces audiences to Heath Ledger‘s iconic Joker and sees the character wreak havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham. Vigilante Batman comes into the picture to fight injustice but finds himself forced to undergo one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability.

Action-packed and undeniably enjoyable, the epic The Dark Knight is guaranteed to keep viewers’ intrigue — part of that has to do with its thrilling narrative that fully grabs audiences’ attention. The late, talented Ledger was honored with an Oscar, accepted by his family, for his astounding performance in what has become one of the best superhero movies of all time. This made him only the second actor to win a posthumous Academy Award.

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2 ‘Parasite’ (2019)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.56

It’s not for no reason that Bong Joon-ho‘s movie is a fan-favorite among many users on Letterboxd. The groundbreaking Best Picture winner offers audiences an absorbing examination of greed and class discrimination in South Korea, as it follows the Kims, an impoverished family who slowly takes over the home of the wealthy Parks when the son (Choi Woo-shik) takes a tutor role to the family’s teenage girl.

Parasite‘s astounding performances in addition to its truly edge-of-your-seat narrative cement it as one of the best of its genre. It is no wonder that it managed to earn such a high qualification on the cinephile platform, as this masterfully directed, smooth-paced feature has captured the attention of general audiences and critics alike. Furthermore, Parasite is an extraordinary satire about wealth distribution and materialism.

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1 ‘High and Low’ (1963)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.59

This Japanese police procedural crime by Akira Kurosawa based on the 1959 novel King’s Ransom is one of Japan’s finest films from the mind of one of the country’s most illustrious filmmakers. The story follows a board member (Toshiro Mifune) facing a dilemma: should he use a vast amount of wealth to gain executive control or lend the money to his employee to free his child from kidnappers?

Kurosawa’s well-paced film noir High and Low takes the crown for the best thriller movie according to Letterboxd, and it’s not difficult to grasp why. This truly absorbing movie benefits from astounding cinematography, great acting performances, and a truly gripping, suspenseful narrative that explores class struggle and corporate greed. No doubt, King’s Ransom will certainly keep audiences involved.

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