Blood and Black Lace
1964 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 475 votes
Isabella, a young model, is murdered by a mysterious masked figure at a fashion house in Rome. 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 2026-08-05 · 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.
Niagara
1953 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 447 votes
Rose Loomis and her older, gloomier husband, George, are vacationing at a cabin in Niagara Falls. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Suicide Room
2011 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 489 votes
Moody, dark and handsome Dominik is terrorized at school after video footage of his drunken kiss with classmate Aleksandr goes viral. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Stepfather
1987 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 381 votes
Seemingly mild-mannered Henry Morrison has just murdered his entire family. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Julia's Eyes
2010 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 865 votes
Julia, a woman suffering from a degenerative sight disease, finds her blind sister Sara hung in a basement. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
White Dog
1982 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 305 votes
Samuel Fuller’s throat-grabbing exposé on American racism was misunderstood and withheld from release when it was made in the early eighties.Today, the notorious film is lauded for its daring metaphor and gripping pulp filmmaking. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
UFO
2018 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 450 votes
A college student, who sees a UFO, uses his exceptional math skills to investigate the sighting with his friends while the FBI follows closely behind. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Safety Last!
1923 · TMDB 7.7/10 · 594 votes
When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Insomnia
1997 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 327 votes
Detectives Jonas and Erik are called to the midnight sun country of northern Norway to investigate a recent homicide, but their plan to arrest the killer goes awry, and Jonas mistakenly shoots Erik. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
In the Arms of an Assassin
2019 · TMDB 7.8/10 · 434 votes
Victor (William Levy) is one of the world’s most handsome men, but he has a deep secret – he is a cold blooded assassin. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Stranger
1946 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 646 votes
An investigator from the War Crimes Commission travels to Connecticut to find an infamous Nazi, who may be hiding out in a small town in the guise of a distinguished professor engaged to the Supreme Court Justice’s daughter. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Salesman
2016 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 942 votes
Forced out of their apartment due to dangerous works on a neighboring building, Emad and Rana move into a new flat in the center of Tehran. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
V/H/S/Beyond
2024 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 315 votes
The infinite playground of forbidden worlds and dangerous lifeforms offered by the sci-fi horror genre will lead to the biggest, maddest, bloodiest V/H/S ever. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Parallax View
1974 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 375 votes
An ambitious reporter gets in trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the world's headlines. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Time to Hunt
2020 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 349 votes
Four young men want to leave their dystopian world behind and go to a distant paradise to execute a money robbery, a daring act that will have unexpected consequences. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Tideland
2005 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 629 votes
Because of the actions of her irresponsible parents, a young girl is left alone on a decrepit country estate and survives inside her fantastic imagination. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
A Fall from Grace
2020 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 992 votes
When a law-abiding woman gets indicted for murdering her husband, her lawyer soon realizes that a larger conspiracy may be at work. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Advent Calendar
2021 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 409 votes
Eva, an ex-dancer, is now living in a wheelchair, unable to walk. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Southern Comfort
1981 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 363 votes
A squad of National Guards on an isolated weekend exercise in the Louisiana swamp must fight for their lives when they anger local Cajuns by stealing their canoes. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Lords of Chaos
2018 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 559 votes
A teenager's quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the 1990s results in a very violent outcome. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.