While some thrillers can make for fun yet disposable blockbusters to enjoy with popcorn and then forget, others have lasted the test of time to become iconic and essential works of art. The main factor that can influence this is the quality of a film’s directing, with schools of critical thought like ‘auteur theory’ going as far as to argue that a film’s director is the equivalent of a novel’s author, making all the most vital artistic decisions about a project.
A well directed thriller can thrill, intrigue and psychologically unsettle its audience through elements such as its use of pacing, its visual style and the quality of its acting, creating a truly excellent film in the process. From classic Hollywood to the modern day, these are our picks of 10 fantastic thrillers that stand out due to the skill and effort of their directors.
10’The Invitation' (2015)
Directed by Karyn Kusama
The Invitationis a 2015 psychological horror-thriller film directed byKaryn Kusama. The film follows Will (Logan Marshall-Green), a bereaved father, who attends a dinner party with his girlfriend Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) at the house of his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard). The situation becomes increasingly unsettling as the night progresses, with things taking a particularly sinister turn when Eden and her husband David (Michiel Huisman) reveal their involvement in a mysterious cult.
The film is a meditation on grief and the vulnerability it can cause, with its uncomfortable and melancholy atmosphere serving to emphasize these themes effectively. Taking aslowburn approach to the thrillergenre, Kusama’s directing is controlled and at times intentionally cold and clinical in order to perfectly characterize the creeping dread experienced by its protagonist.The Invitationis an intelligent and mature thriller brought to life through pitch-perfect directing from Karyn Kusama.
The Invitation
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9’The Skin I Live In' (2011)
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
The Skin I Live Inis a 2011 Spanish thriller film written and directed byPedro Almodóvarand adapted fromThierry Jonquet’s novel Tarantula. The film follows Robert (Antonio Banderas), an innovative plastic surgeon dedicated to developing a new form of human skin. However, Robert has a dark secret - he holds a mysterious young woman, Vera (Elena Anaya), prisoner in his house to conduct his medical experiments on her.
Controversial due to its unflinching depiction of difficult subjects like sexual violence and misogyny, the film shines due to Almodóvar’s mastery of tone, seamlessly blending the film’s thriller and melodrama elements together withinits body horror premise. The film’s locations are unique and eye-catching, and Almodóvar’s framing is precise and often clinical, mirroring Robert’s medical profession and his constant voyeurism towards Vera. Disturbing and strangely beautiful,The Skin I Live Inis one of Spain’s most memorable and artistic thrillers.
The Skin I Live In
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8’American Psycho' (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron
Based on the novel byBret Easton Ellis,American Psychois a 2000 satirical horror-thriller film directed byMary Harronand co-written by Harron andGuinevere Turner. Set in the late 1980s, the film follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), an insecure and psychologically unstable investment banker who lives a secret double life as a serial killer. Narrating directly to the audience, Patrick’s grip on reality begins to loosen as the threat of his crimes coming to light intensifies.
Perfectly capturing the spirit of Ellis' novel while including a greater focus on the themes of the toxically patriarchal values of 1980s Wall Street culture,American Psychois an excellent adaptation. Through the use of narration and montage, Harron allows the audience to become intimately familiar with Patrick’s intense daily routine, making the film’s explosions of violence all the more shocking and powerful as he loses control. Visually distinctive,darkly comedic and sharply satirical,American Psychois an immaculately directed thriller.
American Psycho
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7’Cure' (1997)
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Cureis a 1997 Japanese supernatural crime thriller written and directed byKiyoshi Kurosawa. The film centers on the investigation into a mysterious series of murders committed by seemingly unwilling killers, all of which are marked by the victims having an X cut into their necks. As Detective Takabe (KōjiYakusho) becomes increasingly personally invested in the case, it begins to put himself and those he cares about in grave danger.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa is an immensely talented director in the realms of thriller and horror cinema, with a perfect mastery of creating tension and unsettling atmospheres. The performances he elicits from his actors, with Kōji Yakusho andMasato Hagiwarabeing the film’s standouts, are incredibly powerful and made even stronger by the film’s unique visual framing that allows the actors to really command the space.Creepy, disturbing and thrilling,Cureis perfectly directed.
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6’Memento' (2000)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Adapted from a short story byJonathan Nolan,Mementois a 2000 experimental psychological thriller written and directed byChristopher Nolan. Told in reverse chronological order interspersed with linear black and white sequences,Mementofollows Leonard (Guy Pearce), a man with short-term memory loss who seeks to uncover the truth behind his wife’s death.
Known for his innovative and intelligent plots, Christopher Nolan’s work onMementois so bold and confident it is hard to believe it was only his second feature film. The film’s non-linear storytelling structure was a perfect choice to convey the internal experience of Leonard’s condition, in which hecannot even trust his own recollections, with Nolan’s directing working in perfect tandem withDody Dorn’s editing to present the film’s central mystery. Clever, thrilling and emotionally resonant,Mementois one of the 21st century’s most memorable thrillers.
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5’Gone Girl' (2014)
Directed by David Fincher
Adapted for screen from the 2012Gillian Flynnnovel by the author herself,Gone Girlis a 2014 psychological mystery thriller directed byDavid Fincher. The film is told in two timelines through the alternating perspectives of Amy (RosamundPike) and Nick (Ben Affleck), a troubled married couple. When Amy mysteriously disappears, the suspicion of her kidnap or murder falls onto Nick’s shoulders as he continuously makes himself appear more guilty in the eyes of the media and public.
Famous for itsexcellent lead performancesfrom Pike and Affleck,Gone Girlis a highly compelling domestic noir thriller that seeks to consistently shock and subvert audience expectations. David Fincher is one of the most acclaimed directors currently working, having a perfect grasp on thriller filmmaking and thus being able to execute unique and surprising twists in the film with seeming ease. The film is visually striking and immaculately paced, establishing itself as one of the best directed thrillers of the 2010s.
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4’Sexy Beast' (2000)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
The feature directorial debut ofJonathan Glazer,Sexy Beastis a 2000 British black comedy thriller. The film follows a retired criminal, Gal (Ray Winstone), whose attempt to live a quiet life in Andalusia is interrupted by the arrival of Don (Ben Kingsley), a violent and unpredictable gangster. As Don inserts himself into Gal’s life in order to force him to return to his criminal past, the tension between the two men escalates to a boiling point.
Jonathan Glazer is one of the UK’s most acclaimed working directors, being adept in a wide variety of genres and providing unique and fascinating takes on each.Sexy Beastthrives due to a perfect marriage of performances, screenplay and directing, with Glazer creating an electrifying nervous energy to the film that contrasts with its calm and idyllic setting in a way that exactly mirrors Don’s intrusion into Gal’s life. An excellent, darkly funny thriller featuring anall-time best performance from Ben Kingsley,Sexy Beastis an underrated masterpiece.
Sexy Beast
3’Eyes Wide Shut' (1999)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Based onArthur Schnitzler’s 1926 novellaTraumnovelle,Eyes Wide Shutis a 1999psychological erotic thrillerdirected byStanley Kubrick. The film centers on marital troubles within the relationship of Bill (Tom Cruise) and Alice (Nicole Kidman) after Alice confesses that she has fantasized about infidelity. Shaken by this revelation, Bill explores the seedy underbelly of New York City, discovering a world of corruption and perversion, including a menacing organization that hosts ritualistic masked orgies and greatly jeopardizes Bill’s view of his own safety.
The film is the last directorial effort of the late Stanley Kubrick and truly demonstrates why he was such a visionary and vital filmmaker. Kubrick creates adisturbing and dark atmospherewithin the film that contrasts deliciously with its Christmastime setting, conjuring the sense that there is something deeply rotten underneath the festive joy and colorful lights of the city. The film’s most memorable element - the sequence at the masked orgy - is one of the most striking and unsettling in Kubrick’s catalog, featuring instantly iconic imagery and deeply unsettling pacing. A fantastic final film for Kubrick’s filmography,Eyes Wide Shutis perfectly directed.
Eyes Wide Shut
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2’Psycho' (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Psychois a 1960 psychological horror-thriller directed byAlfred Hitchcockand based on the 1959 book by Robert Bloch. The film follows Marion (Janet Leigh), a woman who steals from her workplace and hides out at a small motel run by a shy and awkward young man named Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). When Norman explains his difficult relationship with his domineering mother to Marion, a disturbing chain of events begin.
Considered to be the ‘master of suspense’,Hitchcock was an iconic thriller filmmakerwith an exceptional ability to build tension and deliver explosive and satisfying pay-offs, and Psycho is arguably his strongest example of this ability. The film’s most pivotal sequence, the conversation between Marion and Norman at the Bates Motel, is a masterclass in creating unsettling character dynamics that is emphasized by Leigh and Perkins’ excellent performances. One of the most acclaimed films ever made despite its initially lackluster reception,Psychois a classic thriller.
1’No Country For Old Men' (2007)
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Adapted from the 2005Cormac McCarthynovel,No Country For Old Menis a 2007 neo-Western thriller written and directed byJoel and Ethan Coen. Set in the 1980s, the film centers on the discovery of an illicitly obtained briefcase containing $2 million and the three men whose lives are affected by it - war veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), assassin Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones).
The film was nominated for eight Oscars, winning four including Best Director and Best Picture due to its critical and commercial acclaim, and is notable for its controlled and minimalistic filmmaking and the highly tense atmosphere created the Coen Brothers. The film makes great use of McCarthy’s source material, creating a film that oscillates masterfully between comedic moments and sequences of darkly nihilistic threat. Famous for its unique tone and thephenomenal performance of Javier Bardem,No Country For Old Menis a modern classic of the Western and thriller genres.
