There is nothing better than a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, keeps you guessing to the end, and also leaves you a little shocked and afraid. If you also love these types of movies, then check out our list of the 20 best thrillers currently available on Netflix.
We’ve got psychological thrillers, crime escapades, and murder mysteries, all of which you won’t be able to switch off until the secrets are revealed.
If you want even more great titles to choose from, you can also check out our lists of the best thrillers on Amazon Prime and the best horror movies and thrillers on Hulu.
93 Days (2016)
This Nigerian thriller looks at the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the health workers in Lagos trying to contain it. The story is character-driven, with great performances from Bimbo Akintola, Seun Ajayi, and Danny Glover. Knowing that it is a true story adds to the tension and drama.
Burning (2018)
This South Korean psychological thriller starts when a young delivery man runs into an old friend. Through them, he meets an enigmatic young man with an unusual hobby that he decides he would like to share with our protagonist. Great performances from Too Ah-in, Steven Yeun, and Jeon Jong-seo.
Drive (2011)
Ryan Gosling leads this thriller about a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. A man who thought he had nothing to lose, this all changes when he falls for his neighbor (Carey Mulligan). When her husband gets out of prison, Gosling’s character finds he must do unthinkable things to protect the people he loves.
Fractured (2019)
This Netflix Original stars Sam Worthington as a man involved in an accident with his wife and daughter. But when he wakes up in hospital after a blow to the head, he is told that he doesn’t have a family. Is his mind playing tricks on him, or is there something more sinister at work?
Gerald’s Game (2017)
The always fantastic Carla Gugino stars in this horror thriller based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. She goes to a deserted house with her husband for a holiday, but he dies of a heart attack, leaving her chained to the bed. She must fight her way to freedom, while also fighting her inner demons.
Gone Girl (2014)
This thriller will keep you guessing to the end, as long as you haven’t read the book! Ben Affleck stars as a man whose wife, played by Rosamund Pike, goes missing. The police suspect him of being involved, while he believes that this is all part of an elaborate final marital revenge.
Good Time (2017)
Robert Pattinson stars as a bank robber in this crime thriller. He is on a mission to free his developmentally disabled brother after he is arrested and committed to a mental institution. They must then use every trick in the book as they go on the run, but you can’t unrun your past.
Inception (2010)
Leonardo DiCaprio leads an all-star cast in this film about a group of criminals that make a living by entering the subconscious through dreams, to either gain information or plant ideas. But things get messy when it becomes difficult to distinguish dream and reality. Also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, and Tom Hardy.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman star in this Irish-British psychological horror based on the ancient Greek tragedy of Iphigenia at Aulis. Farrell plays a cardiac surgeon who befriends a boy with a secret connection to his past. As he brings the boy into his life, the members of his family suddenly start falling ill.
Lila and Eve (2015)
In this underrated crime thriller, Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez star as two mothers who have lost children to violent crime. Failing to get justice through the police, these two grieving mothers decide to take matters into their own hands. It doesn’t take long for the police to turn their attention to the vigilante pair.
Molly’s Game (2017)
Jessica Chastain stars as the titular character in the Aaron Sorkin thriller. Molly runs an underground poker ring for celebrities and tycoons. This brings her into contact with the Russian mob, and suddenly the FBI is very interested in Molly. How can she play all sides and still come out on top?
The Perfection (2018)
Allison Williams stars in this twisted thriller about an elite music academy. At first, we see her as someone who is willing to do anything to be the best, even if it means hurting the people around her. But as the story unfolds, we begin to question whether she is the villain of the piece, or if something much more sinister is at work behind the academy.
Secret Obsession (2019)
Brenda Song stars in this Netflix Original. The beginning of the story is familiar. A young woman suffers a trauma and forgets who she is. As she is sent home with the people who are supposed to love her, she begins to question if they are who they say they are. Is she just being paranoid, or is this all part of an elaborate trap?
Seven (1995)
Still one of the best thrillers ever made, Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt star as a pair of cops on the trail of a serial killer who is killing people based on the seven deadly sins. Unpredictable until the end, and still harrowing viewing even if you have seen it before.
Shutter Island (2010)
Leonard DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo star as US Marshalls called in to investigate a psychiatric facility when one of the patients goes missing. DiCaprio’s character believes that he has uncovered a dark secret on the island facility, but is it real, or all in his head?
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The original Hannibal Lector movie starring Antony Hopkins in the defining role. Jodi Foster is a young FBI agent who consults with Lector to find a serial killer. But she soon discovers that he is just as dangerous when he is behind bars and falls into his web.
Sweetheart (2019)
A harrowing survival thriller, Kiersey Clemons stars as a young woman who finds herself stranded on a deserted island. She must struggle to survive, but things get even more serious when she realizes that she might not be alone after all.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Robert De Niro gives a stellar early career performance in this psychological thriller that centers on a lonely taxi driver disillusioned with the world. He thinks that New York has lost its heart and morals in the wake of the Vietnam War. He begins to think that he can change the world with a few well-chosen assassinations.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)
Gary Oldman stars as a very non-James Bond spy in this Cold War thriller. He is George Smiley, a veteran espionage agent brought in from semi-retirement in order to find a Soviet double agent. But when everyone is a master of deception, who can you trust? Also starring Colin Firth and Tom Hardy.
Zodiac (2007)
Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, and Jake Gyllenhaal star in this mystery thriller about the hunt for the Zodiac killer in the 1960s and 1970s. We see things from the perspective of journalists investigating, and perhaps getting too close for comfort to one of America’s most infamous killers.
What To Watch Next?
Once you have made it through these 20 bad boys, there is plenty of other great content waiting for you on Netflix. Like a good scare? Check out this list of the 10 best scary movies on Netflix. Like your mysteries to be true life? Then you’ll enjoy these 10 best murder documentaries on Netflix.