Curated by SceneIt · United States
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
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.
1983 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 1,022 votes
When a young rape victim takes justice into her own hands and becomes a serial killer, it's up to Dirty Harry Callahan, on suspension from the SFPD, to bring her to justice. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1996 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 586 votes
When an inner-city Miami schoolteacher gets her knee broken after standing up to the school's gang leader, her mercenary combat specialist boyfriend goes undercover as a substitute teacher to take down the punk. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2013 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 876 votes
An operative for an elite private intelligence firm finds her priorities irrevocably changed after she is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1983 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 2,212 votes
High school student David Lightman has a talent for hacking. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1999 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 505 votes
The Limey follows Wilson, a tough English ex-con who travels to Los Angeles to avenge his daughter's death. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2018 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 717 votes
Barents Sea, August 12th, 2000. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1980 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 1,133 votes
After witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2021 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 303 votes
Cheung Sung-bong is a highly respected cop with a long history of success in dangerous cases. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1980 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 641 votes
When New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who preys on patrons of the city's underground bars, rookie cop Steve Burns infiltrates the S&M subculture to try and lure him out of the shadows. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2014 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 1,413 votes
Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24 hours into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1988 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 647 votes
The Hong Kong super-cop must stop a group of blackmailing bombers at the same time that the villains of the first Police Story are out for revenge. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2023 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 859 votes
Reporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole bravely pursue the story of the Boston Strangler at great personal risk, putting their own lives on the line in their quest to uncover the truth. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2012 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 1,166 votes
The true story of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2000 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 1,017 votes
The story of two outcast sisters, Ginger and Brigitte, in the mindless suburban town of Bailey Downs. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2017 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 779 votes
Honed from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited with the promise of freedom after ten years of service. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2018 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 358 votes
A widower suspects that his seemingly perfect adolescent daughter is a heartless killer. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1980 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 437 votes
In the late 1970s, Cockney crime boss Harold Shand, a gangster trying to become a legitimate property mogul, has big plans to get the American Mafia to bankroll his transformation of a derelict area of London into the possible venue for a future Olympic Games. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1949 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 548 votes
A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and then leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1944 · TMDB 8.1/10 · 2,063 votes
An insurance representative is seduced by a dissatisfied housewife into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, a claims investigator. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2023 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 337 votes
An emotional journey of a prison warden, driven by a personal vendetta while keeping up to a promise made years ago, recruits inmates to commit outrageous crimes that shed light on corruption and injustice, in an attempt to get even with his past, and that leads him to an unexpected reunion. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.