The creators of thrillers, covering many areas, tirelessly experimenting with style, but the fundamental genre values remain unshakable. The most interesting thrillers are an exciting and tough movie, whose weighty part of the fascination is created by analyzing the psychology of the main characters. This publication contains a list of the best genre samples recommended for viewing by connoisseurs of cinema.
On the verge of horror
As already mentioned, interesting thriller films often do not have an unambiguous genre policy, a striking example of this trend is the Stanley Kubrick project “Shine” (IMDb: 8.40), in which the thriller and horror merged harmoniously. According to many critics, the main character of the picture is the ominous Overlook Hotel, which has only three guests - the literary writer Jack Torrens, who is in a creative crisis, and his wife and son. Heroes are in complete isolation from the outside world. The antagonist of the King’s and Kubrick’s masterpiece prepared the family for a lot of trials in the form of ghosts of sinister twin girls, a dead lady in the bathroom, a chatty bartender, moving vegetation and more. Every self-respecting film fan must definitely get acquainted with the cult film, appreciate how skillfully Kubrick increases tension, gradually revealing to the beholder the most terrible corners of the structure, turning the Overlook into a bloodthirsty living being - an absolute evil in its pure form.
Hard candy go to battle
Unfortunately, Soviet cinema cannot boast a ton of interesting thriller films, however, like the Russian film industry. Nevertheless, there is still a noteworthy domestic film worthy of being included in this list. This is the work of Renat Davletyarov “Steel Butterfly” (IMDb: 7.20). The story is built on the hunt for a maniac who kills underage girls. Law enforcement agencies cannot find and detain the murderer with the help of scant evidence, so a decision is made to catch the killer "on live bait". They decide to use a street girl with the eloquent nickname Plague as bait. But the character played by Daria Melnikova is even more unpredictable than a rampaging maniac. So, the police operation turns into a complex psychological unit, and “Steel Butterfly” - into an interesting thriller.
The heroine of the picture "Lollipop" by David Slade is a minor girl. However, the development of events in a foreign project has a slightly different turn. The chamber, but extremely interesting thriller tells the story of photographer Jeff Cowler (Patrick Wilson), to whom his 14-year-old model (Ellen Page) pours sleeping pills into a drink. Recovering, the hero discovers that he is tied to a chair, and the girl accuses him of being addicted to pedophilia, as well as of rape and murder. Jeff is trying to prove his innocence. But which of the actors is sincere, can only be understood in the finale. “Lollipop” is a thriller with an interesting ending.
In pursuit of a maniac
Despite the fact that the Argentinean film industry is not very well known, it is able to give the world wonderful productions, for example, like Juan Jose Campanella's work “The Secret in His Eyes” (IMDb: 8.20). This interesting thriller was awarded an Oscar, although the Hollywood Film Academy rarely marks genre films with this award. The film is based on the story of the police hunting for a killer maniac during the period when the Argentine secret services resorted to the help of criminals in reprisal with persons undesirable to the government. The film has a non-bad Hollywood remake with a similar title, “The Secret in Their Eyes,” but it is unable to overshadow the excellent original.
David Fincher went much further in the investigation of the process of hunting a criminal for a criminal, and the movie masterpiece “Seven” appeared (IMDb: 8.60). In a grim but interesting thriller, Fincher examines the features of a detective investigation into the atrocities of a maniac who punishes his victims for biblical sins. Two detectives are working on the case: “veteran” William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and his young partner Mills (Brad Pitt). Detectives pretend to be hunters, but soon they become victims of a psychopath who knows how to manipulate police officers.
By the way, after the not very successful Alien 3, the interesting thriller Seven convinced critics and the audience that Fincher is a promising director whose career is worth watching, especially since he is the author of the legendary Fight Club, the most frank Zodiac and intriguing "Game".
Canonical swatches
Almost every second criminal thriller encourages law enforcement officers to think like a criminal. Jonathan Demme did this most convincingly in Silence of the Lambs (IMDb: 8.60). Demmy's work reveals the relationship between FBI intern Clarissa Starling (Jodie Foster) and the cannibal maniac and psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). An interesting thriller “Silence of the Lambs” was not the first film about Hannibal, but it was this impeccably stylish and amazing film that made him one of the most terrifying and charming antagonists of world cinema. The project deservedly received five Oscars.
The most interesting thriller is Alfred Hitchcock’s ageless brainchild, Vertigo (IMDb: 8.40). The amazing film screen demonstrates the intricate psychological game of malefactors with a private investigator tormented by guilt, fear of heights and dizzy spells. For some contemporary contemporaries, the 1958 tape narrative may seem slow. But this is a small tribute for the chance to partake of the most famous, significant and influential project in the history of the world film industry. It is also recommended that you familiarize yourself with the equally interesting thriller film by the author of “Window to the Courtyard”.
The strongest debut
Mad Dogs (IMDb: 8.30) Quentin Tarantino is one of the biggest debuts in big movies. The picture is impressive in that it is the work of a surprisingly gifted person who did not study at the film school and comprehend the wisdom of the profession already occupying the director's chair. Moreover, Tarantino not only put the tape, but also came up with a general plan for professional robbers who, after an unsuccessful attempt at a robbery, try to figure out who framed them and handed them over to the police. The next work of the director of “Pulp Fiction” is several times more famous, but the cult status of “Reservoir Dogs” is fully deserved. The main roles were played by H. Keitel, T. Roth and M. Madsen.
The most erotic thriller
Interesting thriller films with an exciting plot often use eroticism as an auxiliary effect. The most erotic project in this list is the picture of Paul Verhoeven “Basic Instinct”. The achievement of the tape is considered to be that the narrative does not lose its psychologism among the episodes of a rather frank “nudity”. The main character of the Dutch director’s work is police detective Nick Carren (Michael Douglas), who is investigating a sophisticated sexual assault. Among the suspects stands out the mistress of the murdered, not particularly hiding that she could commit a crime. But the more evidence the investigation reveals, the more difficult it becomes to believe that such an intelligent woman could be so stupid to substitute.
On the verge of losing your mind
Darren Aronofsky, following his unbridled imagination, was not afraid to remove the psychological thriller about the ballet Black Swan. In 2010, it was the most unexpected genre project, which became a rolling hit. The picture tells about the ballerina tormented by the complexes, who will play a double role in the production of Swan Lake. The choreographer is sure that the heroine will perfectly manage to play the White Swan, but the frank, passionate party of Black remains in doubt. Trying to get used to two radically opposite images, the heroine Natalie Portman is on the verge of a nervous breakdown and loss of mind.
Best among the best
Judging by the reviews, films also include thrillers with an interesting plot:
- “Remember” Christopher Nolan;
- "Fargo" of the Cohen brothers;
- "Leon" by Luc Besson;
- The Mind Games by Ron Howard;
- "American Psycho" by Mary Harron;
- The Sixth Sense M. Knight Shyamalan;
- The Island of the Damned by Martin Scorsese.
Of course, there are all new films of this genre that are interesting to watch.