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 2026-08-05 · 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.
2000 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 536 votes
A Japanese Yakuza gangster's deadly existence in his homeland gets him exiled to Los Angeles, where he is taken in by his little brother and his brother's gang. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2010 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 449 votes
A trapeze artist must decide between her lust for Sergio, the Happy Clown, or her affection for Javier, the Sad Clown, both of whom are deeply disturbed. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2013 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 376 votes
Terror strikes the underground train system in Moscow in the form of a flood from a collapsed tunnel. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2002 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 379 votes
Arnold and his friends must recover a stolen document in order to prevent the neighborhood from being bulldozed. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2022 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 521 votes
A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called "Spider Killer", who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1969 · TMDB 7.8/10 · 637 votes
A prominent politician is murdered during a demonstration. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 332 votes
Pablo, a successful film director, disappointed in his relationship with his young lover, Juan, concentrates in a new project, a monologue starring his transgender sister, Tina. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1973 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 451 votes
Inquisitive journalist Grace Collier is horrified when she witnesses her neighbor, fashion model Danielle Breton, violently murder a man. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2014 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 1,062 votes
The Spanish Deep South, 1980. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1953 · TMDB 7.4/10 · 326 votes
In New York City, an insolent pickpocket, Skip McCoy, inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he targets ex-prostitute Candy and steals her wallet. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2019 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 1,435 votes
Palermo, Sicily, 1980. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1962 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 481 votes
On their way to an afternoon on the lake, husband and wife Andrzej and Krystyna nearly run over a young hitchhiker. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2021 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 346 votes
Four brilliant university students are forced to confront themselves in terrifying ways when their Quantum Physics experiment leads to an entangled parallel existence that leaves them questioning who they are and what is real. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1977 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 450 votes
Tom Ripley, an American who deals in forged art, is slighted at an auction in Hamburg by picture framer Jonathan Zimmerman. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2008 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 956 votes
After nearly two decades of legendary criminal feats, making him France's most notorious criminal while simultaneously feeding his desire for media attention and public adoration, Mesrine becomes increasingly paranoid and isolated, leading to a dramatic confrontation with the law that ultimately seals his fate as the nation's most infamous public enemy. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2016 · TMDB 6.6/10 · 496 votes
When a zombie virus erupts from Seoul Station, a young woman fights to survive on the streets while her boyfriend and father track her down. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1955 · TMDB 7.8/10 · 650 votes
Out of prison after a five-year stretch, jewel thief Tony turns down a quick job his friend Jo offers him, until he discovers that his old girlfriend Mado has become the lover of local gangster Pierre Grutter during Tony's absence. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1959 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 317 votes
The only son of wealthy widow Violet Venable dies while on vacation with his cousin Catherine. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2006 · TMDB 6.9/10 · 312 votes
DCP DeSilva sees a way to bring to justice the feared head of a criminal empire by recruiting a man named Vijay, who looks exactly like the crime boss. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2013 · TMDB 6.5/10 · 361 votes
An enigmatic vagrant cons himself into the home life of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.