The Call
2020 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 1,003 votes
Connected by phone in the same home but 20 years apart, a caller puts a woman’s past — and life — on the line to change her own fate. 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.
Peppermint
2018 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 2,266 votes
A grieving mother transforms herself into a vigilante following the murders of her husband and daughter, eluding the authorities to deliver her own personal brand of justice. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
To Catch a Thief
1955 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 1,693 votes
When a string of jewel robberies hits the French Riviera, suspicion falls on retired thief John “The Cat” Robie. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Frailty
2002 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 1,362 votes
A mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to kill people who were in fact "demons." This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Level 16
2018 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 744 votes
The teenage girls of Vestalis Academy are meticulously trained in the art of being “clean girls,” practicing the virtues of perfect femininity. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Nell
1994 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 556 votes
In a remote woodland cabin, a small town doctor discovers Nell — a beautiful young hermit woman with many secrets. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Beasts
2022 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 953 votes
Antoine and Olga, a French couple, have been living in a small village in Galicia for a long time. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Escape from Pretoria
2020 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,515 votes
South Africa, 1978. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Project Silence
2024 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 411 votes
Due to sudden deteriorating weather conditions, visibility on the Airport Bridge is severely impaired, leaving people stranded and at risk of the bridge collapsing due to a series of chain collisions and explosions. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
11:14
2004 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 971 votes
Tells the seemingly random yet vitally connected story of a set of incidents that all converge one evening at 11:14pm. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Blood Simple
1985 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,655 votes
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Killer
2022 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 431 votes
While his girlfriend is away on a trip, retired assassin Bang Ui-kang is tasked with looking after her friend's 17-year-old daughter. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Emily the Criminal
2022 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 1,041 votes
Desperate for income, Emily takes a shady gig buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a charismatic middleman named Youcef. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Set It Off
1996 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 404 votes
Four inner-city Black women, determined to end their constant struggle, decide to live by one rule — get what you want or die trying. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Dragonfly
2002 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 952 votes
A grieving doctor is being contacted by his late wife through his patient's near death experiences. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Nowhere
2023 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 1,597 votes
A young pregnant woman named Mia escapes from a country at war by hiding in a maritime container aboard a cargo ship. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Crush
1993 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 564 votes
A precocious and obsessive teenager develops a crush on a naive writer with harrowing consequences. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Midnight
2021 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 323 votes
A serial killer ruthlessly hunts down a deaf woman through the streets of South Korea after she witnesses his brutal crime. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Thesis
1996 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 960 votes
While working on a thesis about audiovisual violence, film student Ángela finds a snuff video where a girl is tortured until death. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
1956 · TMDB 7.4/10 · 1,575 votes
An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.