25 GREAT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS THAT ARE WORTH YOUR TIME
Described as a story which emphasizes the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states, the following films are benchmarks for what a successful psychological thriller should aspire to be. Instead of displaying legions of gore and violence, their main objective is to play with your mind. To leave it up to you to construct the tension of what you have just witnessed. As the great perplexer David Lynch once said: “when you are spoon-fed a film, more people instantly know what it is. I love things that leave room to dream and are open to various interpretations. It’s a beautiful thing.” So read on and enjoy the ride.
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- DirectorOliver HirschbiegelStarsMoritz BleibtreuChristian BerkelOliver StokowskiFor two weeks, 20 male participants are hired to play prisoners and guards in a prison. The "prisoners" have to follow seemingly mild rules, and the "guards" are told to retain order without using physical violence.A gruelling yet compelling watch, what makes Das Experiment even more powerful, is the fact that it is based on actual events. Known as the Stanford Prison Experiment, this was concocted as a study of the psychological ramifications of becoming a prisoner or guard.
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsNeil MaskellMyAnna BuringHarry SimpsonNearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.From English director, Ben Wheatley, in just his second feature film, Kill List is a formidable beast that contains graphic scenes and is not for the faint-hearted.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsMickey RourkeRobert De NiroLisa BonetIn 1955 New Orleans, small-time private investigator Harry Angel is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cypher to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite, but the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn.With Rourke in top form, giving possibly his best performance and the genius casting of DeNiro in his role, Angel Heart is an atmospheric, intelligent, bloody horror, with much duplicated but never surpassed twists. An unforgettable classic.
- DirectorGuillaume CanetStarsFrançois CluzetMarie-Josée CrozeAndré DussollierAn accidental discovery near a doctor's estate stirs up some painful memories eight years after his wife's hideous murder, and now, things are bound to take a turn for the unexpected. Does the good doctor know more than he's letting on?With an excellent supporting cast of Marie-Josee Croze, Andre Dussollier and Kristin Scott Thomas, this suspenseful tale is comparable to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. Full of twist and turns, with such a well-executed plot, Tell No One is a frantic, edge of your seat chef-oeuvre.
- DirectorNacho VigalondoStarsKarra ElejaldeCandela FernándezBárbara GoenagaA man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences.Certainly a prime example of cinema where the less known is for the better, Timecrimes will continuously keep you on your toes and have you doubting your own thoughts, much like our Hector.
- DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLim Soo-jungYum Jung-ahKim Kap-suAfter being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.A gut-wrenching, modern day horror, this 2003 gem is a tour de force of Korean cinema, by director Kim Jee-Woon.
- DirectorJuan José CampanellaStarsRicardo DarínSoledad VillamilPablo RagoA retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later.Revealing incredible, gut-wrenching outcomes and a thrilling finale, this is a truly touching, emotional masterpiece of world cinema.
- DirectorAdrian LyneStarsTim RobbinsElizabeth PeñaDanny AielloMourning his dead child, a haunted Vietnam War veteran attempts to uncover his past while suffering from a severe case of dissociation. To do so, he must decipher reality and life from his own dreams, delusions, and perceptions of death.In what is considered by many to be Tim Robbins best performance, Jacob’s ladder can leave you depressed, heartbroken and confused. Nonetheless, with such a strong, atmospheric plot, you’ll want to watch this one again.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsCatherine DeneuveIan HendryJohn FraserA sex-repulsed woman who disapproves of her sister's boyfriend sinks into depression and has horrific visions of rape and violence.It leaves the viewer not knowing exactly what is real and what is purely imaginative in the claustrophobic, sexually repressed mind of Carol.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsWilliam PetersenKim GreistJoan AllenFormer FBI profiler Will Graham returns to service to pursue a deranged serial killer dubbed "the Tooth Fairy" by the media.Based on the novel Red Dragon, Manhunter contains some great performances, most notably Brian Cox and Tom Noonan. If you are a fan of the Hannibal Lecter series and are yet to see this, you are in for a suspenseful, atmospheric treat.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJames WoodsDebbie HarrySonja SmitsA programmer at a Toronto TV station that specializes in adult entertainment searches for the producers of a dangerous and bizarre broadcast.So sit back, relax and enjoy the visceral experience of Cronenberg’s 1983 mind-trip masterpiece, Videodrome.
- DirectorRobert AldrichStarsBette DavisJoan CrawfordVictor BuonoA former child star torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.Both Davis and Crawford play the feuding sisters impeccably as they argue back and forth. (Mainly due to the well-documented tale that they actually loathed each other)An important and distinguished piece of Hollywood history, Whatever happened to Baby Jane is a riveting drama that is an absolute must see for all film fans.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanTodd FieldA Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.Sadly, Eyes Wide Shut was to be Stanley Kubrick’s final film, being released just several months following his death.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsRoman PolanskiIsabelle AdjaniMelvyn DouglasA bureaucrat rents a Paris apartment where he finds himself drawn into a rabbit hole of dangerous paranoia.The Tenant will leave you with more questions that it does answers but nevertheless, another Polanski masterpiece in my opinion.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsGene HackmanJohn CazaleAllen GarfieldA paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.Containing superb performances by none other than John Cazale, Harrison Ford and an electrifying cameo from Robert Duvall, The Conversation is a haunting thriller that lingers long in the mind.
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowLiv UllmannGertrud FridhWhile vacationing on a remote German island with his younger pregnant wife, an artist has an emotional breakdown while confronting his repressed desires.This gothic horror is a chilling, claustrophobic journey, which displays the psychological torment one man suffers. A gritty, surreal work of art from a genius director, Hour of the Wolf is a beautiful but bleak movie that easily stands the test of time.
- DirectorRobin HardyStarsEdward WoodwardChristopher LeeDiane CilentoA puritan police sergeant arrives in a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl, who the pagan locals claim never existed.Those viewers in search of a gore-laden action flick will be disappointed, for this is a much more intelligent, thought-provoking, brutal-beast of cinematic brilliance.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJeremy IronsGeneviève BujoldHeidi von PalleskeTwin gynecologists take full advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, until their relationship begins to deteriorate over a woman.This emotionally-charged, grim, mutation of a film becomes even more shocking upon discovery of the fact that it is very loosely based on real life twins. (Be sure to watch the film before researching the story)
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsIsabella RosselliniKyle MacLachlanDennis HopperThe discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.Blue Velvet is a chilling, uncomfortable viewing and with scenes of sadomasochism, violence and drug abuse, it’s a dark and disturbing experience. Nevertheless, it’s a brilliant, compelling piece of cinema that should not be missed.
- DirectorCharles LaughtonStarsRobert MitchumShelley WintersLillian GishA self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.With Mitchum giving such a skin crawling and menacing performance, Night of the Hunter is now known to be one of the most frightening movies around, for its time. Containing possibly the most notoriously twisted, on-screen villain in cinematic history, this is a film you will either LOVE or HATE.
- DirectorJack ClaytonStarsDeborah KerrPeter WyngardeMegs JenkinsA young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.Whatever rationale you may come up with, the result is a breathtakingly disturbing translation of a classic ghost story, written by Henry James.
- DirectorNicolas RoegStarsJulie ChristieDonald SutherlandHilary MasonA married couple grieving the recent death of their young daughter are in Venice when they encounter two elderly sisters, one of whom is psychic and brings a warning from beyond.Director Nicolas Roeg creates an extremely chilling atmosphere with the tension building up to a ghastly, grotesque climax.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsMia FarrowJohn CassavetesRuth GordonA young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.Mia Farrow produces the performance of a lifetime in Polanski’s brilliant psychological horror. Released in 1968, this truly terrifying film effortlessly stands the test of time.
- DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsSimone SignoretVéra ClouzotPaul MeurisseThe wife and mistress of a loathed school principal plans to murder him with what they believe is the perfect alibi.Legend has it that Alfred Hitchcock was first approached to direct Les Diaboliques, however, when the deal came to nothing, Henri-Georges Clouzot was the inheritor.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.With a fantastic backdrop of San Francisco, this fable of romance and obsession is a stunning piece of work that should be ranked as highly in another 50 years’ time, as it is today.