The best thriller movies of all time for a suspense-packed film night
A great thriller is something you experience as much as watch. When done right, a thriller provokes a physical response more than almost any other film genre. You feel it in your palms as they grow increasingly clammy and your teeth as you grind away the enamel. Your heart starts pumping and your leg begins shaking uncontrollably. That may not sound like fun, but they don’t call them ‘thrillers’ for nothing.
Not every thriller takes the same path in initiating those reactions, though. In the pantheon of the best thrillers ever made, you’ll find murder, political intrigue, espionage, conspiracy, manipulation, gaslighting and, of course, lots and lots of crime. You’ll also find examples of science fiction, horror, heists, action, even comedy, along with sex-crazed ‘erotic thrillers’ and the ever-nebulous ‘psychological thriller’ subdivision. But no matter how they go about it, the best thrillers will always grab your attention, make you sweat and leave you breathless. Here are the 100 greatest thriller movies ever, ranked by our TimeOut editors.
Written by Abbey Bender, Joshua Rothkopf, Yu An Su, Phil de Semlyen, Tom Huddleston, Andy Kryza, Tomris Laffly & Matthew Singer
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