This has been a fantastic year for thrillers that captivate global audiences by making them question everything that they are viewing. While some of the best thriller films allow the viewer to think, there are also films that use predictable scare tactics in order to enhance the viewing experience.
Characterized by a dark tone and a feeling of suspense of surprise, the thriller genre leaves the viewer feeling anxious or pensive as they consider where the story on-screen will go next. Notable thriller directors in recent times include Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, Chad Stahelski, and Lynne Ramsey to name a few. To celebrate the wide variety of the cinematic thriller genre in just this year alone, this list contains some of the many films that subverted cinematic expectations.
8 The Contractor
An intriguing take on the action thriller, Chris Pine stars in The Contractor, where he acts as discharged Special Forces agent who risks everything in joining a private 'black ops' organization. Although the pace of the film gets off to a shaky start, director Tarik Saleh redeems himself with the second act which is steeped in action, antagonisms, and anticipation for what is to come next.
With many of the fast chase scenes and gun fights located in Berlin, the European edge certainly elevates what could have very much have been just another dull action movie. Following shots in the larger scenes are well contrasted with more brutal scenes pulled together effectively with a handheld camera in an effort to be unpredictable. With Chris Pine shining in the lead role, The Contractor is certainly a curious watch.
7 The Good Nurse
The Good Nurse is a low-burning thriller film based on the true story of a serial killer nurse, Charles Cullen, portrayed by Eddie Redmayne. Its accuracy to real-life events is terrifyingly horrific as Cullen's friend, Amy Loughren, played by the incredible Jessica Chastain, helps expose the murderer working in the midst of a busy hospital.
Cautiously made to avoid re-traumatizing the families of the victims, the film is scary but also sympathetic in its retelling of what happened to the patient victims. It does well to convey the challenges that nurses face when fighting to save patients every day in a bustling hospital. Yet, what is most chilling of all is the viewer must accept that seeking to understand Cullen's motivations for his crimes is futile.
6 Decision To Leave
One of the best films to come out of Korean cinema this year, Park Chan-wook's Decision to Leave is a modern romantic thriller taken to the total extreme. Filmed in Busan, South Korea, the story follows a detective who seeks to solve the suspicious death of a man on a mountainside. As a result, he grows close to the man's wife and a chaotic yet completely enthralling romance ensues.
With breathtaking visuals and stellar cinematography, Chan-wook completely immerses the viewer in a mystery that is nearly impossible to solve and manages to reveal plot twists slowly and flawlessly. Acting performances are stunning as each actor effortlessly portrays the psychological journey that each character embarks upon. This film is certainly one to watch out for.
5 The Wonder
Unsettling in every sense of the word, The Wonder is Florence Pugh's latest role is her as an English nurse sent to Ireland to observe an eleven-year-old girl, Anna, who has not eaten for four months. Sebastián Lelio's direction ensures that the film remains enthralling throughout and is characteristic of a psychological thriller that grows with suspense slowly and yet with plenty of shocking surprises.
Much like every role she performs, Florence Pugh shines as Nurse Lib as she seeks to solve the mystery of Anna's prolonged fast. In the wake of The Great Famine that plagued Ireland, the film handles many complicated ideas of faith and reminds us that it is a story. With many wide-angled shots spread among the glorious gray-skied landscapes of Ireland, the film is aesthetically beautiful to behold, yet also chilling in its steadfast quietness.
4 Orphan: First Kill
Audiences can't help but look away in fear at this horror prequel designed to convey that not everything is as it first appears. After escaping from a psychiatric facility in Estonia, Esther impersonates a missing American child and gets taken in by the wealthy family who misses her. A plot full of terrifying and traumatic twists, Orphan: First Kill is an introspective look into the psychology behind Esther's motivations as she and the family who adopted her seek to survive.
Isabelle Fuhrman's unsettling presence on camera gives the audience incredible insight into the troubled Esther. Her subtle mannerisms and cold stare captivate the camera and make her fascinating to watch. With the script providing plenty of horrific and unbelievable twists, this is a prequel well done by William Brent Bell.
3 Nope
Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings who attempt to capture evidence of a UFO, Nope is the long-anticipated latest Jordan Peele film that woos with its ambition and camerawork. With the suspected alien ruling the skies above them, and questions over who the true villain of the film is, Nope begs the question: what exactly are they up against?
Viewers were on the edges of their seats throughout this 130-minute epic thriller, as characters begin to act in unusually dark ways as they seek to defeat a monster. Despite the script obtaining a mixed reaction, Peele's film exceeds in every other way. It is ultimately a true spectacle and fits well into the horror/thriller genre.
2 Smile
Terrifying and insidious of equal measure, Parker Finn's Smile places Doctor Rose Cotter in the center of a series of troubling scenarios that she is forced to make sense of. Governed by an anonymous villain that exists purely in the form of a smile, this film is unsettling and certainly an intense experience in the movie theater.
As the film is both sadistic and satirical in the form of absolute horror, it must come with a trigger warning for suicide and gore as the villain feeds on other people's trauma and suffering. Tilted dutch angles and jump scares wreak havoc in the majority of scenes and makes for very uncomfortable and immersive viewing.
1 Everything Everywhere All At Once
Arguably one of the best films to be released this year, this sci-fi action thriller was released to huge critical acclaim. Frontlined by Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu, this mother-and-daughter story takes many thrilling twists and turns as Yeoh's character, Evelyn, must tackle the multiverse and various versions of herself to save the existence of her world.
A powerful film with many exhilarating and heartfelt moments at its core, directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert play around with many characteristics of the action-thriller genre and turn this film into something entertaining, energetic, and emotional all in its own right. With its fight sequences and complex editing and camera effects, this is one for the big screen as it is a joy to witness. Yet, a family dynamic trying to redeem its relationship is the true crux of the film.