10 Thrillers That Are Perfect From the Opening Shot to the Last

The thriller is one of the most versatile film genres out there. There are political thrillers, noir thrillers, sci-fi and supernatural thrillers, action thrillers…the list goes on and on. Within this massive net of films, there are, subjectively, a wide swath of truly fantastic ones. And then, there is la crème de la crème; an ultra-elite brand of thriller — the thriller that is pitch-perfect from its opening frame to its final shot.

Regardless of sub-genre, here are the thrillers that thrill from the moment they begin to their stunning finales. Some examine deep elements of the human psyche, like Straw Dogs, and others, well, they do that too, but also add some boldly compelling visuals that universally leave audience’s jaws agape, like Black Swan. So, prepare yourself for a little slice of cinematic heaven and let these exhilarating screen gems fully engulf you.

10

‘Straw Dogs’ (1971)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Some films peel back the layer of civility that most humans operate under, and expose the raw nerves underneath with brutal honesty. Director Sam Peckinpah’s masterwork of rising tension and unmitigated rage, Straw Dogs, was one of the first films to bring this level of harsh realness to American audiences. The way the plot weaves and twists, deliberately drawing primal instincts out of the protagonist, is masterful, thus prompting oodles of much deserved praise.

The tale begins with David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman, full immersion method acting on display), an egghead who’s married to a striking British woman, Amy (Susan George). They move to a remote area of Cornwall, England (it’s Britain, what could possibly go wrong?). Well, some local rednecks (yes, they have them in the U.K., too) do not take too kindly to David’s book-learnin’ ways, and they become envious, etc. etc. Eventually Amy is attacked, savagely… Then, David elects to protect a wrongfully accused man from a mob of torch-wielding villagers, and David’s true nature is exposed (in a vengeful, but quite satisfying way). The slow-burn pacing of this film really pays off, and Hoffman’s examination of a man pushed to his breaking point is a thing of sheer (brutal) beauty.

9

‘Black Swan’ (2010)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Darren Aronofsky has a penchant for crafting extremely tight, well-paced thrillers in a host of sub-genres. His films like Requiem for a Dream and Mother! exquisitely tell captivating, entirely unique stories, but none of his other works are as remarkably, painstakingly executed as Black Swan.

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman, pushed to the very brink of physical and mental exhaustion, with the best possible outcome…an Oscar win) is a prima ballerina looking to take the coveted duel roles of The White Swan and The Black Swan in the famed ballet masterpiece Swan Lake. Her biggest competitor for the part just so happens to be her only friend in the dance company, Lily (Mila Kunis, also delivering a career-high performance at the time). Lily is much more of a free-spirit than the straight-laced Nina, and she does a nice little job of corrupting Nina in the slightest bit…or so it seems. Nina’s relationship with her mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey), is toxic, at best, as Erica reinforces the pressure that Nina places on herself to be “perfect.” Nina’s journey from frilly white swan to devious black swan is remarkable…even if the end result is a bit grisly. The whole movie is a disorienting swirl of dream-like terrors mixing with real-life horrors. Every scene is nuanced, imbued with ineffable meaning — and breathtaking to behold.

8

‘The Fugitive’ (1993)

Image via Warner Bros.

Harrison Ford was already an international superstar when he was cast as Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive. The addition of Tommy Lee Jones as Samuel Gerard, the unrelenting U.S. Marshal, cemented this adrenaline-fueled action thriller as a film with two of the best lead characters ever. Andrew Davis’s sharp direction coupled with a stylishly adapted script (it was originally a TV series) elevate this movie to one of the most heart-pumping, awesomely executed thrillers ever.

The story begins with Kimble, a man in a “happy marriage.” When his wife, Helen (Sela Ward), is murdered by a one-armed man, but Kimble is framed for the attack, he has no choice but to go on the run (after a convenient little prison break). The ensuing chase, with some of the most jaw-dropping cat-and-mouse set pieces featuring the wily Kimble and surprisingly spry Gerard, is one for the ages. As Kimble pieces together a conspiracy plot, involving illicit pharmaceuticals (…of course…), he leaves Gerard clues, and the plot keeps on thickening until the thrilling conclusion.

7

‘The Night of the Hunter’ (1955)

Image via United Artists

This film strikes many cords of originality. Famed actor Charles Laughton directed this chilling classic, and broke all kinds of conventions. Focused on a villain as the actual protagonist, The Night of the Hunter cracked the mold of the typical hero story, presenting a very strange type of hero. This look into the mind of a pseudo-religious zealot left audiences aghast, but also, pleasantly shocked by an expertly woven tale.

The plot, especially for the time period, is wild. Morally lax (read: serial killer, focused on slaughtering promiscuous women) reverend Harry Powell (a eerily convicted Robert Mitchum) is sent to jail for a minor infraction. His death row-bound cellmate, Ben Harper (Peter Graves), divulges the secret that he’s stashed ten grand somewhere in his hometown. Naturally, when Powell is freed, he travels to the town and creates a charming facade to get close to Harper’s wife, Willa (Shelley Winters), and family. As Powell’s insidious nature seeps through, the fam begins to suspect him of, er, malfeasance. So, mom ends up dead in the river, and Powell pursues the two tykes who know where the cash is (spoiler: it’s in the little girl’s doll). The ensuing chase is a surreal trip down the (actual) river, with Powell unraveling even more. Structurally, the movie is extraordinarily tight and engaging throughout. Stylistically, it set the stage for many a boldly bizarre thriller to come.

6

‘Fatal Attraction’ (1987)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Some stories have such a tight structure that they inevitably will make good films. Then, there is the brand of expertly crafted tales that are coupled with some of the most intense performances ever found in the thriller genre. Welcome to the anxiety-inducing Fatal Attraction, director Adrian Lyne’s magnum opus.

Poor Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas). He made one little tiny mistake (that of infidelity) and then had his entire world rocked. That’s what happens when you mess with the feelings of the wrong person, and in this case, Alex Forrest (Glenn Close, Oscar-nominated (again) for this role) was definitely the worst person to attempt to have a casual fling with (…she will not be ignored). The reason this movie is so good is that the tension just keeps escalating, as Alex’s behavior becomes more and more erratic (and eventually, lethal — RIP bunny). As Dan’s wife, Beth (Anne Archer), eventually is made aware of the severity of the situation (beyond just Dan’s flippant philandering), the creeping sense that this will end in tragedy feels completely justified. Lyne’s direction of the brutality inherent to rejection is palpable the entire runtime of this classic.

5

‘The French Connection’ (1971)

Image via 20th Century Studios

This “loosely based on a true story” masterpiece truly reinvented the American crime thriller. The car chase scene alone was one of the most revolutionary new aspects of modern cinema of the time. This, and other crazy action scenes, help land The French Connection on many a “best films ever” list, but it’s so much more than just cars racing around New York City. The precise direction provided by William Friedkin, including the cinéma-vérité manner of shooting the high-octane sequences, is really what makes this such a gritty classic — along, of course, with the intense performances of virtually the whole cast.

Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman, in the role that made him a star — and got him an Oscar) and Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider, pre-Jaws) are two narcotics narcs working a major drug smuggling case in New York. It’s an international affair (hence the title), involving beret-wearing, wine-swilling criminals. The big fromage is Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), who has been operating with impunity for years. Jimmy and Buddy need to stop a massive shipment of heroin from becoming available to the smack-doing public, and Jimmy especially will stop at nothing (even, heaven forfend, break the law himself) to intercept the drugs. This kind of “anti-hero” was seen before in noirs, but not so much in contemporary detective roles, so it was a refreshing take for audiences to consume. Every scene in this film is a banger, and that’s precisely why it took home five Oscars.

4

‘Taxi Driver’ (1976)

Image via Columbia Pictures

With a long, long list of sensational films to choose from, spanning many decades, Taxi Driver may hold up as Martin Scorsese’s finest film. It’s a film in the truest sense, in that it’s a “story told with pictures” more than anything else. While Goodfellas is arguably more entertaining, The Departed is more action-packed, and Raging Bull is more real, Taxi Driver is simply a work of high art. That is, one that is focused on some of the most depraved aspects of humanity imaginable.

Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro, in hands-down one of his best roles ever) is in a bit of an existential pickle. While soft-spoken, he’s got a lot of feelings leftover from serving in the Vietnam War, and he doesn’t really know where to place them. He drives his cab around NYC at night (not the most uplifting setting for a sensitive person, especially in the 70s), searching for fare, but really more for a purpose. A brief stint trying to “help out” a politician’s campaign, and the pulchritudinous visage of Cybill Shepherd (as Betsy), just aren’t cutting it. When he encounters the wily street-child Iris (Jodie Foster), he finally figures out what he’s meant to do: go on a killing spree of the vile offenders of this innocent, naturally. The way Scorsese shot this thing is mind-blowing, and De Niro’s commitment to this tricky part is astounding. This movie is highly disturbing, but it’s certainly thrilling from the first murky shot to the bitter last.

3

‘Seven’ (1995)

Image via New Line Cinema

Or Se7en, as it was originally titled, is the prime example of using every single frame of a film to aid in the overall story. It’s so precisely constructed that it leaves the viewer longing for the next scene, all while reveling in the current moment. When the end credits first rolled, most audiences found their jaws on the floor, and could only sit and marvel at what the heck they just witnessed.

Inchoate Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) is partnered with long-time veteran Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) to try to crack a new serial killer case that looks like it’s just taking off. It appears that some sort of religious nut is enacting the seven deadly sins (listed in your handy bible), utilizing (murdering) “sinners” to illustrate his point. The thing is, this guy, John Doe (Kevin Spacey) is quite creative. And patient. And, well, genius. Most of the movie-going world is aware of how this film concludes (with a very special delivery), but just in case, no spoiling here. Just be aware that what’s in the box is quite heady. Overall, Seven contains one of the best plot lines in cinematic history, some of the strongest performances of any thriller ever, ironically wonderful direction by David Fincher, and the grandest finale ever. Still, this is some dark stuff.

2

‘Vertigo’ (1958)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The phrase “Hitchcockian” was really born out of the film Vertigo. His use of unsettling angles, twirling cameras, and unconventional filming techniques in general were completely innovative at the time (and have since inspired countless imitators). The way that Mr. Alfred Hitchcock made the viewer actually feel like they had an inner ear infection (or any other condition that would cause vertigo) was unprecedented in filmmaking. The final result is an absolutely thrilling picture that is made up of one genius shot after the next.

The disorienting story is (off-) centered on John “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart, who worked with Hitchcock on four films, and could thank the English director for helping shed his squeaky clean image). Scottie was a detective, but after a harrowing incident, he came to suffer from acrophobia (fear of heights) and a nasty case of vertigo (y’know, the spins). He’s hired as a private dick to follow this dude’s gorgeous but weird wife, Madeleine (drop-dead gorgeous Kim Novak). Scottie thinks she’s a hottie, but that doesn’t help him prevent her death (again, involving heights)…or so it seems. Scottie eventually meets Madeleine’s doppelgänger, and falls for her…but forces her to dress and act like Madeleine… Things spiral further out of control, and the movie culminates in a twist that will have you falling over in shock. Laden with themes of identity-crisis, unresolved trauma, and unrelenting obsession (your welcome, Obsession), this stunning film laid the groundwork for many thrillers to come. It’s a masterpiece from frame one to the final credit (probably a grateful gaffer).

1

‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

Image via Orion Pictures

Perfection. Really the only adjective appropriate to describe this thriller. From the opening scene where soon-to-be agent Clarice Starling’s drive and determination is shown as she navigates a woodsy FBI training obstacle course (a metaphor itself for emerging “out of the woods”) to the final, deliciously ironic wordplay spoken on the phone by the good doctor Lecter — and, of course, literally every scene in between — this masterpiece doesn’t miss a single, tasty beat.

Starling (Jodie Foster, in probably her best role ever) is tasked with interrogating a genius, lunatic serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Sir Anthony Hopkins, in definitely his best role ever), to garner info on a newly risen killer, deemed Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) by the media. Every scene between Foster and Hopkins is fraught with tension, intrigue, and, oddly enough, charm. The rest of Starling’s quest is expertly laid out by director Jonathan Demme, as he fills each set piece with anxiety, guile, and bone-chilling mystery. The atmosphere is rich, fecund even; the sound editing is razor sharp, the scoring terrifying. Every other detail of this film combines to provide a work of cinema that doesn’t have a single lagging moment. The Silence of the Lambs (which, incidentally, swept all the major Oscars) deserves an annual watch, just to appreciate every little nuance. So, sit back, pop open a bottle of nice chianti and enjoy…