2024 has proven to be a banner year for thrillers, delivering a pulse-pounding mix of gripping psychological dramas, twisty murder mysteries, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that redefine the genre. From the eerie glamour of Hollywood in MaXXXine to the chilling non-linear storytelling of Strange Darling, and the tense, darkly comedic hostage drama The Last Stop in Yuma County, this year’s best thrillers offer something for every fan craving heart-racing cinematic experiences. Dive into our curated guide to the standout thrillers of 2024 that will keep you guessing-and gasping-long after the credits roll.
All hail Jaume Collet-Serra, king of the mid-budget transportation thriller.
After a few years in blockbuster Dwayne Johnson movie jail with Jungle Cruise and Black Adam, the Spanish filmmaker has returned to his wheelhouse with Carry-On, a TSA-themed Christmas thriller with shades of Phone Booth and Die Hard. It’s in conversation with Collet-Serra’s previous solid work in the niche genre of transportation thrillers: the Liam Neeson Air Marshal thriller Non-Stop and the Liam Neeson train thriller The Commuter. But Collet-Serra also borrows from his great work on The Shallows, using that movie’s fresh approach to displaying digital text on screen to add visual dimensionality to this twisty thriller. The movie is tense and exciting, and features strong leading performances from both Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman. It’s exactly the kind of holiday-tinged genre fare Netflix should be putting out each December. –Pete Volk
Conclave
Conclave is a slow-burning political thriller set within the secretive and tension-filled environment of the Vatican, following Cardinal Lawrence as he navigates the complex and high-stakes process of electing a new pope after the sudden death of his predecessor. The film blends elements of character-driven drama and a whodunit mystery, exploring themes of faith, power, doubt, and human vulnerability. Its atmosphere recalls paranoid 1970s thrillers, with a focus on psychological and political chess games among the cardinals, heightened by exceptional performances, especially from Ralph Fiennes. While deliberately paced, Conclave offers a thoughtful and immersive experience that challenges traditional thriller conventions and leaves a lasting impression on questions of leadership and conviction.
Where to watch: Peacock
A movie about a papal election in the Vatican may sound stodgy by definition, but director Edward Berger and writer Peter Straughan (adapted from a novel by Robert Harris) find a way to turn Conclave into an electric political thriller instead. The movie follows Cardinal Lawrence, played wonderfully by the ever-excellent Ralph Fiennes, who is charged with overseeing the election of the next pope after the previous one has died.
While the movie opens with this past pope’s death, his presence as a titan looms over the entire movie, making it clear that whatever decisions he made in his term at the head of God’s table have had a profound impact on those who served under him around the world. Most importantly, his polarizing choices created factions: those who agreed with his radical (by papal standards) views, and conservative cardinals who thought he brought the church too far into the modernity of the world. This is where Conclave finds its true tensions, in meting out the petty backbiting and backroom dealings of the cardinals as they each seek to navigate that balance between a hunger for the greatest earthly power in all organized religion and a true desire to carry out God’s will as they feel it’s been translated to them.
The movie’s frequent scenes of voting give definitive punctuation to all the wheeling and dealing that goes on behind the scenes, and gives the entire movie a knife’s-edge tension that crackles in every conversation and wayward glance between warring church factions. It’s the kind of thriller that, looking back, feels like it was coming out every few weeks in the 1990s, but today it feels like a rare triumph of tension. –Austen Goslin
Rebel Ridge
Rebel Ridge is a gripping 2024 action thriller directed by Jeremy Saulnier, featuring Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who confronts deep-seated corruption in a small Louisiana town. When Terry attempts to post bail for his cousin, local law enforcement unjustly seizes his life savings, thrusting him into a dangerous battle against a corrupt police force led by Don Johnson’s character. The film combines intense, bone-breaking action with sharp political commentary, exploring themes of justice and morality through a tightly crafted narrative and standout performances. Released on Netflix, Rebel Ridge has been praised for its suspenseful storytelling, grounded approach to action, and compelling lead performance, making it one of the standout thrillers of 2024.
Where to watch: Netflix
Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier might be one of the best thriller directors working today, and his latest movie, Rebel Ridge, is no exception to his brilliance. The movie follows Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), a Marine who gets assaulted by police and has his cousin’s bail money seized through civil asset forfeiture. With his family member’s life on the line, Terry sets out to get his money back and ends up uncovering a police corruption scandal in the process.
Few things are as important to a thriller as its pacing, and Rebel Ridge shows off why Saulnier is a master of the genre. Every character feels tightly wound, like springs contracting on themselves for an inevitable release of energy and collision. Even those moments of release come at exactly the right moments. The script, which Saulnier also wrote, feels economically precise, without a single wasted word as it builds toward its inevitable showdown.
Add all of this together and the result is a movie that feels like the perfect balance of tension, action, and barely concealed rage, which, it turns out, makes for a pretty excellent thriller. –Austen Goslin
Red Rooms
Red Rooms
Red Rooms stands out as one of 2024’s most disturbing and psychologically intense thrillers, delving deep into the toxic subculture surrounding true crime fandom. Directed by Pascal Plante, the film explores the dark web’s anonymity and how it enables viewers to consume horrific real-life violence with chilling detachment, raising questions about empathy and exploitation. The story follows Kelly-Anne, a disturbed protagonist obsessed with a serial killer trial, whose eerie detachment and interactions reveal a broader commentary on society’s morbid fascination with true crime and its impact on victims’ families. With its minimalist cinematography, haunting sound design, and slow-burn tension, Red Rooms creates a uniquely unsettling atmosphere that lingers long after viewing, making it a standout psychological thriller of the year.
Where to watch: For digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV
Red Rooms rivals Longlegs as one of the sicker serial killer tales of the year, but it charts an entirely different path to get there. The thriller opens in a Canadian courtroom during the opening remarks in a case against Ludovic Chevalier, who is accused of kidnapping and slaying three young women during a livestream on the dark web. The horrors of the crime are elaborated on in long, uncut takes that will make even the steeliest stomach squirm. As it goes on, director Pascal Plante slowly drifts past the lawyers, the jurors, and the chilling Chevalier himself to home in on the movie’s actual lead character: fashion model/hacker hobbyist Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy), who sits in the back of the spectator seats, mesmerized by it all.
Combining the precision and punk ambience of David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with the melodramatic bursts of Brian De Palma, Plante delivers a heart-palpitating commentary on internet life, true crime, and parasocial relationships that rarely relies on gore to make its disturbing points. Enveloped by Dominique Plante’s score, which hums then explodes at all the right horrific moments, Gariépy’s performance is a remarkable feat of emotional distance and unraveling. So much has been said about the transformative power of the computer screen, but few movies take that conversation to its strangest, bleakest endpoints. Red Rooms doesn’t skip a beat. –Matt Patches
Strange Darling
Strange Darling is a standout 2024 thriller that defies genre conventions with its nonlinear narrative and intense psychological depth. Set in rural Oregon, the film follows a one-night stand that spirals into a deadly cat-and-mouse game between a relentless serial killer and his injured prey. Praised for its suspenseful storytelling, striking cinematography by Giovanni Ribisi in his debut, and powerful performances from Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, Strange Darling delivers a gripping blend of horror and thriller elements. Its innovative structure and dark exploration of toxic relationships and power dynamics have earned it critical acclaim and a devoted following, making it one of the year’s most thrilling cinematic experiences.
Where to watch: For digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV
One of the most underrated, underseen thrillers of 2024 gets better the longer you stick with it – and the less you know about it going in. Suffice to say that two people (played by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, styled in the credits as “The Lady” and “The Demon”) meet for a hotel tryst, and they each get a lot more than they bargained for. Strange Darling is a bloody, intense tête-à-tête, beautifully shot and with plenty of surprises and two tremendous performances. It’s a hell of an unpredictable roller coaster, right up to the extended, memorable final shot. –Tasha Robinson
Trap
“Trap,” directed by M. Night Shyamalan, stands out as one of 2024’s most compelling psychological thrillers. The film follows a father and his teenage daughter who attend a pop concert, only to find themselves ensnared in a dark and sinister event involving a serial killer and a tense police pursuit. Josh Hartnett delivers a gripping performance as a master manipulator trying to protect his daughter while outwitting his pursuers. The movie is further enriched by authentic concert scenes featuring Saleka Shyamalan, who not only acts but also wrote the haunting soundtrack, adding emotional depth and a unique layer of authenticity. With Shyamalan’s signature twists and exploration of identity and deception, “Trap” is a must-watch thriller that lingers in the mind long after viewing.
Where to watch: Max
We finally got a great Hitman movie.
M. Night Shyamalan has been on fire recently, with Old, Knock at the Cabin, and now Trap reminding audiences why he’s a master of the thriller genre. While he’s popularly known for his plot twists, he’s a formal master, carefully constructing every image and moment in his movies for maximum efficiency, and an expert at plot constructions with mass appeal.
Trap is perhaps the best of his latest period, with a great premise (a concert set up to trap a serial killer), one of the best leading performances this year, and constant flexes from Shyamalan in his image construction, including his signature uncomfortable straight-on close-up shots of actors talking to the camera. It’s also just a goofy fun time, building a tense environment out of its zany premise, then dissipating it with funny gags or clever solutions to the problems the narrative presents for its evil protagonist.
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Josh Hartnett is a revelation as Cooper, a devoted dad whose only greater devotion in life is to his serial killer side hustle. Hartnett’s Cooper is loving but off-putting, charming but insincere. Shyamalan adds to the effect by occasionally placing Hartnett on the edges of the frame, making his face only half visible and therefore his expression only half discernible.
Like many of Shyamalan’s movies, Trap has received mixed reviews and some pans from critics. As a culture, we don’t know what to do with deeply silly movies executed at a high formal and technical level. But I’ll tell you what I did: enjoyed the hell out of it. –Pete Volk
The Bikeriders
The Bikeriders (2024), directed by Jeff Nichols, is a gripping crime drama that chronicles the rise and transformation of the Vandals, a Midwestern motorcycle club, over a decade. Through the eyes of Kathy, a strong-willed member married to the reckless biker Benny, the film explores the club’s evolution from a tight-knit group of outsiders bonded by loyalty and camaraderie into a dangerous, more sinister gang. With a cast including Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy, the movie immerses viewers in the gritty, authentic subculture of 1960s motorcycle riders, highlighting themes of loyalty, rivalry, and the cost of rebellion. Praised for its nuanced storytelling and atmospheric visuals, The Bikeriders offers a humanizing and intense look at a world often misrepresented on screen.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Writer-director Jeff Nichols excels at small, intimate portraits of people with close emotional ties and deep conflict (Mud, Take Shelter, Midnight Special), and The Bikeriders does all that while also offering a historical portrait of a very specific, insular scene. Based on Danny Lyon’s book of the same name, The Bikeriders follows various members of a Chicago motorcycle club in the 1960s, primarily two men played by Austin Butler (Elvis, Dune: Part Two) and Tom Hardy. As the culture around motorcycle clubs changes, they both fight to not change with it, which puts them in conflict with other bikers and the people closest to them. It’s a nostalgic, sometimes joyous, sometimes thrilling movie, but mostly, it’s a hell of a vibe. –TR
Property
2024 has proven to be an exceptional year for thriller films, offering a diverse range of gripping stories that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. From intense action-packed narratives to psychological and horror-infused thrillers, the genre continues to evolve and captivate. Notable films like MaXXXine, Strange Darling, and The Last Stop in Yuma County showcase the genre’s versatility, blending suspense with unique storytelling techniques such as non-linear narratives and confined settings that heighten tension. These movies not only deliver adrenaline-pumping moments but also explore deeper themes like fame, corruption, and human psychology, solidifying 2024 as a standout year for thrillers.
Where to watch: For digital rental or purchase on Amazon and Apple TV
In yet another year marked by prominent eat-the-rich movies, Daniel Bandeira’s Brazilian thriller Property stands out, both because of its shifting sympathies and because of its unpredictable, tense cat-and-mouse action. Tereza (Malu Galli) is the wife of a rich landowner who’s decided to sell his rural estate for development, in the process casually booting off all the residents, some of whom have worked the land their whole lives and most of whom are in debt due to low wages and predatory practices. The film’s sympathies might be with them as they fight back, but when they trap Tereza in her car and try to kill her, the movie becomes a gripping standoff where no one’s really the hero. The ending will stay with you for a long time. –TR
The Last Stop in Yuma County
The Last Stop in Yuma County is a gripping neo-Western crime thriller set in 1970s rural Arizona, where a traveling knife salesman becomes an unwilling hostage at a remote diner after two ruthless bank robbers arrive fleeing with stolen cash. As tensions escalate in the isolated location, the film expertly builds suspense through a tense standoff involving a diverse cast of characters, culminating in a violent and unpredictable climax. Praised for its atmospheric setting, strong performances, and homage to 1970s American crime thrillers, it showcases director Francis Galluppi’s skill in crafting a small-scale yet intense thriller that explores desperate choices and fragile alliances under pressure.
Where to watch: For digital rental or purchase on Amazon and Apple TV
A down-and-dirty, lean thriller mostly set in one location, The Last Stop in Yuma County flew under a lot of people’s radars when it came out in May. It’s a small project made on a budget of around $1 million without any A-list stars – but if you’re a fan of small-budget genre fare, you owe it to yourself to catch up with this one.
Yuma County has an attractively simple premise: A group of people are stuck together at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, and at least one of them just robbed a bank. While the movie spends less time than you might expect on the whodunit element, the premise lends itself to a tense pressure-cooker environment inside the restaurant, ably communicated by first-time feature director Francis Galluppi. (Next up for him: an untitled seventh movie in the Evil Dead series.)
While there were some narrative choices I wasn’t fully on board with, Yuma County is an effective “Coen bros. lite” filled with game character actors, like frequent Rob Zombie collaborator and Game of Thrones’ Night King Richard Brake. –PV
Civil War
“Civil War,” directed by Alex Garland, is a gripping 2024 dystopian thriller that follows a team of war journalists as they navigate a fractured United States engulfed in a brutal civil conflict. The story centers on their perilous journey from New York City to Washington, D.C., where they aim to interview the embattled president before rebel forces seize the capital. With intense action and a haunting depiction of a nation divided, the film explores the vital role of journalists amid chaos and the ethical challenges they face while capturing the truth in a war-torn landscape. Praised for its compelling narrative and tense atmosphere, “Civil War” stands out as one of 2024’s most powerful thrillers.
Where to watch: Max
Alex Garland’s portrait of an imagined future American civil war, seen through the eyes of the journalists covering it, has been one of 2024’s biggest non-blockbuster hits, and one of its most-debated movies, thanks to its notably measured approach to the politics that led to its violently divided America. Kirsten Dunst stars as Lee, a drained, jaded photojournalist who winds up reluctantly mentoring eager up-and-comer Jessie (Priscilla star Cailee Spaeny) on a cross-country road trip to interview the embattled president (Nick Offerman). Whether or not you agree with its politics (overt or otherwise), it’s a rich visual experience with plenty of intense moments – and a subtler message than “this side of the American divide is good, and this one is bad.” –TR
Love Lies Bleeding
“Love Lies Bleeding” is a gripping neo-noir crime thriller directed by Rose Glass that stands out in 2024 for its intense portrayal of a queer love affair intertwined with violence and obsession. The film follows Lou, a shy gym manager played by Kristen Stewart, who falls for Jackie, a steroid-fueled aspiring bodybuilder, whose rage leads to a deadly incident connected to Lou’s criminal family. With its neon-drenched aesthetic and raw performances, the movie subverts traditional thriller tropes by presenting a female-driven, LGBT+ perspective on crime and passion, making it a bold and memorable entry in this year’s thriller lineup.
Where to watch: Max
Kristen Stewart continues her streak of interesting projects with this romantic crime thriller from director Rose Glass (Saint Maud), which would make a great double feature with the Wachowskis’ classic Bound. Love Lies Bleeding follows a thorny romance between an outcast gym manager (Stewart) and a nomadic bodybuilder (Katy O’Brian). The two fall hard for each other, but when that passion results in one of them committing a serious crime, the pair have to scramble to cover their tracks, all while avoiding the watchful eye of the gym manager’s criminal father (Ed Harris).
Stewart is great, as always, playing the reclusive Lou as a deeply inward person, isolated from the people who are supposed to love her. She’s distrustful of others after years of betrayal and loneliness, and Stewart is able to bring history to the character through her mannerisms and posture alone. But it’s O’Brian who shines brightest, giving the kind of breakout star performance that makes you wonder why she’s been long relegated to supporting parts. Ed Harris also adds to his collection of excellent villainous performances, and the supporting cast features strong turns from Jena Malone, Dave Franco, and Anna Baryshnikov.
Which 2024 thriller will keep me on the edge of my seat all year
The 2024 thriller most likely to keep you on the edge of your seat all year is Blink Twice, the directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz. This psychological thriller stars Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum and follows a cocktail waitress invited to a tech billionaire’s private island, where nothing is as it seems and survival becomes a desperate fight. Its tense atmosphere and unsettling twists have made it a standout thriller of the year, praised for its gripping and intense storytelling.
What unique twists does “Blink Twice” offer in psychological thrillers
“Blink Twice” offers several unique twists that elevate it within psychological thrillers:
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The film uses subtle but significant foreshadowing, such as the opening shot of a lizard and repeated motifs like red flowers and the phrase “Red Rabbit,” which hint at the dark secrets of the island and Frida’s hidden past.
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A key twist involves a perfume made from the island’s red flowers that causes the women to forget the traumatic events they endure each night, effectively erasing their memories and enabling ongoing abuse.
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The housekeeper repeatedly tries to help Frida by using the phrase “Red Rabbit” and providing snake venom, which counteracts the memory-wiping effects of the perfume, allowing Frida to recall the horrific abuse and plot revenge.
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The film’s narrative structure gradually reveals the sinister nature of the island and the tech billionaire Slater King’s dark intentions, combining suspense with a social commentary on abuse and power, culminating in a chilling and gruesome revenge climax.
These twists, combined with the film’s atmospheric tension and layered storytelling, make “Blink Twice” a psychologically complex and uniquely unsettling thriller.
