Lock Up
1989 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,342 votes
Frank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Curated by SceneIt · United States
Tense Movies
This SceneIt list helps you quickly choose thrillers with sustained tension and strong audience response. Results are selected for the United States and balance audience response with practical watchability.
Updated 2026-08-04 · Ratings from TMDB
How we chose these titles
We rank eligible titles using TMDB audience ratings, vote confidence, relevance to the theme, and current popularity. Ratings can change as new votes are added.
Stonehearst Asylum
2014 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 1,619 votes
An Oxford Medical School graduate takes a position at a mental institution and soon becomes obsessed with a female mental patient, but he has no idea of a recent and horrifying staffing change. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Wild at Heart
1990 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 1,939 votes
Young lovers Sailor and Lula hit the road to start a new life together away from the wrath of Lula’s deranged, disapproving mother, who has hired a team of hitmen to cut the lovers’ surreal honeymoon short. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Spy Who Loved Me
1977 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 2,276 votes
Russian and British submarines with nuclear missiles on board both vanish from sight without a trace. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
For Your Eyes Only
1981 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 2,119 votes
A British spy ship has sunk and on board was a hi-tech encryption device. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Kickboxer
1989 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,601 votes
If your enemy refuses to be humbled... This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Fatal Attraction
1987 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,715 votes
A married man's one-night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Margin Call
2011 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 2,130 votes
Set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry, involving the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
John Q
2002 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 2,661 votes
John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Boondock Saints
1999 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 2,743 votes
Tired of the crime overrunning the streets of Boston, Irish Catholic twin brothers Conner and Murphy are inspired by their faith to cleanse their hometown of evil with their own brand of zealous vigilante justice. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
2005 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 3,103 votes
When a younger girl called Emily Rose dies, everyone puts blame on the exorcism which was performed on her by Father Moore prior to her death. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Rumble in the Bronx
1995 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 1,204 votes
Keong comes from Hong Kong to visit New York for his uncle's wedding. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Escape from Alcatraz
1979 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 3,224 votes
San Francisco Bay, January 18, 1960. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Gosford Park
2001 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,264 votes
In 1930s England, a group of pretentious rich and famous gather together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Shoplifters
2018 · TMDB 7.8/10 · 2,331 votes
In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Swimming Pool
1969 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 574 votes
Set in a magnificent villa near a sun-drenched St. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Ring
1998 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,695 votes
A mysterious video has been linked to a number of deaths, and when an inquisitive journalist finds the tape and views it herself, she sets in motion a chain of events that puts her own life in danger. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Skeleton Key
2005 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 2,334 votes
A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Lincoln Lawyer
2011 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 3,701 votes
Mick Haller is a charismatic defense attorney who does business out of his Lincoln Continental sedan. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Those Who Wish Me Dead
2021 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 1,881 votes
A young boy finds himself pursued by two assassins in the Montana wilderness, with a survival expert determined to protect him, and a forest fire threatening to consume them all. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.