John Wick
2014 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 21,082 votes
Ex-hitman John Wick comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. 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 2026-08-03 · 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.
The Equalizer
2014 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 10,071 votes
McCall believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
First Blood
1982 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 6,981 votes
When former Green Beret John Rambo is harassed by local law enforcement and arrested for vagrancy, he is forced to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Basic Instinct
1992 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 4,448 votes
Catherine, a novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite, becomes a prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered -- a crime she had described in her latest story. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Amateur
2025 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 1,685 votes
After his life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder takes matters into his own hands when his supervisors refuse to take action. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Prey
2022 · TMDB 7.7/10 · 7,860 votes
When danger threatens her camp, the fierce and highly skilled Comanche warrior Naru sets out to protect her people. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Scream VI
2023 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 3,275 votes
Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Matrix Reloaded
2003 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 12,127 votes
The Resistance builds in numbers as humans are freed from the Matrix and brought to the city of Zion. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Matrix Revolutions
2003 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 10,964 votes
The human city of Zion defends itself against the massive invasion of the machines as Neo fights to end the war at another front while also opposing the rogue Agent Smith. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Hereditary
2018 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 8,755 votes
Following the death of the Leigh family matriarch, Annie and her children uncover disturbing secrets about their heritage. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Prisoners
2013 · TMDB 8.1/10 · 13,287 votes
After his six-year-old daughter is abducted, a desperate father takes justice into his own hands when he loses faith in the detective leading the investigation, setting both men on a collision course as the search descends into obsession and moral compromise. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
28 Days Later
2002 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 8,682 votes
Twenty-eight days after a killer virus was accidentally unleashed from a British research facility, a small group of London survivors are caught in a desperate struggle to protect themselves from the infected. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Black Swan
2010 · TMDB 7.7/10 · 15,700 votes
A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
2011 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 12,901 votes
A highly intelligent chimpanzee named Caesar has been living a peaceful suburban life ever since he was born. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Mulholland Drive
2001 · TMDB 7.8/10 · 7,155 votes
Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Sixth Sense
1999 · TMDB 8.0/10 · 13,052 votes
Following an unexpected tragedy, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe meets a nine year old boy named Cole Sear, who is hiding a dark secret. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Beekeeper
2024 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 4,390 votes
One man's campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as Beekeepers. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Now You See Me
2013 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 16,963 votes
An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Perfect Blue
1998 · TMDB 8.3/10 · 3,276 votes
Rising pop star Mima Kirigoe quits singing to pursue a career as an actress. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
2014 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 12,352 votes
A group of scientists in San Francisco struggle to stay alive in the aftermath of a plague that is wiping out humanity, while Caesar tries to maintain dominance over his community of intelligent apes. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.