The thriller genre is difficult to nail down because the genre itself is so broad. Where does the thriller genre end and horror begin? Are all action movies thrillers, but not all thrillers action movies? While the definition isn't exact, there are a few constants: red herrings, plot twists, cliffhangers, and, of course, suspense.

Best Thrillers of the Decade (a running list)

? Browse by year: 2010 – 2013 | 2014 – 2016 | 2017 – 2019 | 2020 – present

Gone Girl (2014)

Crime thrillers are probably the most common kind of thriller and offer up the best of the genre. From red herrings to cliffhangers and plot twists, the melodramatic undertones of this subgenre is what makes it so appealing. However, no director does crime thriller quite like David Fincher. With Zodiac and Seven being among my favorite movies of all time, his 2014 adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel was bound to make the list. While Gone Girl, is a thriller that completely stands on its own as a book, Fincher is able to make the plot even more effective in the film. All those genre conceits like plot twists and red herrings come a diffidence as well. But Fincher doesn't let the audience feel cheated when the mid-movie shock comes. In fact, he leaves us wanting more, and he certainly delivers.

Rosamund Pike anchors the film with a lead performance that few actors would be able to pull off. Her chilling looks and deliberate physicality make Amy one of the most interesting characters in movie history, in my opinion. But what makes this movie my second favorite Fincher film (the first being The Social Network) are the various undertones he is able to strike – a critique of marriage, a disavowment of the media and its ability to sway the public – and his embrace of the genre, for best or for worst. Gone Girl is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

A Most Violent Year (2014)

2014 was a phenomenal year for film. However, there was a clear outlier in A Most Violent Year. In a callback to the mob films of the 70s (with The Godfather and Taxi Driver being the nearest comparisons), J.C. Chandor's third film shows the same slow-building tension of Margin Call and All Is Lost without relying on grandiose style. Everything in this film is minimally but beautifully done from the natural dialogue to the 80s set and costumes.

Yes, the film may be slow, but you'll never be bored. J.C Chandor controls the screen with his gripping atmosphere that keeps you guessing. You can never truly rest because the stakes are never lessened, the threats never dissipated, and the enemies never eliminated. What I've continually noticed from Chandor is that he doesn't need a lot to speak thousands in his films. He thrives on the simplicity of dialogue and the simplicity of direction. However, he never shies away from the occasional moments of high-intensity action. Plus, bolstered by two career highlight performances by Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac, the story's tension carries into their personal lives as well. While it lacks the loud noises and epic imagery of some thrillers, its nail-biting tension is there all the same. Check out my review here! A Most Violent Year is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

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Blue Ruin (2013)

More than any movie on this list, Blue Ruin proves that you don't need to be loud to make a tense movie. Over its short 90 minute running time, Blue Ruin never really gets as crazy as its premise suggests. However, when it does flirt with action, Jeremy Saulnier is able to use the space his scenes inhabit to build tension slowly, which makes the movie an almost excruciating watch. And while Saulnier's direction is a real high point here — as well his symbolic cinematography — Macon Blair's performance as the main character — a father seeking revenge on a man that wronged him — is what makes the movie great.

He is not your typical thriller hero. He doesn't have “a special set of skills” that will help in this situation. He's completely out of his depths. However, it's an increasingly charming performance that makes you really root for him all the way until the final beats of the movie. Blue Ruin is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

Captain Phillips (2013)

Paul Greengrass is a proven thriller director with the Bourne franchise, Green Zone, and my personal favorite, United 93. This decade, he went back to directing a film based on a true event with Captain Phillips. By taking place in a single, isolated, and claustrophobic setting, the film introduces an innate uneasiness. It makes the cat-and-mouse setup of the film all the more menacing. As the film progresses and the darkness of the ship becomes an ally to the crew you are able to breathe a sigh of release. That is until the climactic finale.

However, like with many thrillers, the impressiveness of the film comes from the climax which features truly incredible performances by Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. Greengrass so adroitly turns a two-person scene in one space into a truly epic end that has the same melancholic gravitas that the ending of United 93 and Seven had. Captain Phillips is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

Enemy (2013)

Pretty much as psychological of a thriller as a film can get, Denis Villeneuve's Enemy is a masterclass in the sub-genre. The dark and neutral color palette, which is a nice homage to many David Fincher films, adds to the mystery of the film. But it's the Hitchcockian base of the film that bolsters it onto this list. The motif of mistaken identity is Hitchcockian in particular, but it quickly diverts into the labyrinth mystery that we have to solve and ultimately interpret.

Jake Gyllenhaal's dual performance as a depressed college professor and a bored actor is him nearly at the top of his game (see further down the list for the top). It's those small distinctions in tone and physicality that makes his performance so impressive and really elevates the film past its premise. He has so much on his shoulders in this role. He has to carry the narrative without giving too much away. However, he gets some help from the always wonderful Mélanie Laurent. The reason this movie is on this list and is arguably one of the best psychological thrillers of all time is that it is so unbiased in its presentation of the facts of the film. It allows the viewer to make their own interpretations from beginning to end, which ends up being a gift with the final shock. Enemy is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

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Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

In terms of political thrillers, this decade seems to have had a lack of choices. The height of the genre came during the Cold War era with The Manchurian Candidate and All the President's Men. While the 2000s brought a resurgence with Syriana and Munich, but that hasn't carried over. That was until Kathryn Bigelow's follow-up to her Best Picture-winning The Hurt Locker came along. Zero Dark Thirty tackles “the greatest manhunt in history,” the search for Bin Laden. The chase is epic in scope and covers nearly a decade. However, she filters it through the view of a young upstart CIA agent, Maya. Jessica Chastain's performance in the role not only grounds the film and humanizes a subject that could easily be politicized, she adds an emotional depth.

However, this is a list of thrillers and what makes Zero Dark Thirty such an effective thriller is that you know the outcome. You know we get the guy. But Bigelow frames it as the puzzle that has the answers constantly shifting away and uses red herrings not as a plot device, but as a character motivator. It, of course, comes with its own set of political intrigue that sets back the hunt, but that's what makes it so thrilling. You want to know how we got the guy and when we finally get to the climactic 20-minute raid scene, you know it's worth the wait. Zero Dark Thirty is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

Take Shelter (2011)

The very best psychological thrillers leave you guessing until the end. However, Jeff Nichols' Take Shelter will have you guessing even at the end. That's the beauty of his slow-burning, but effective thriller about a man experiencing troubling and increasingly violent apocalyptic dreams. So much of the reason why this movie works is because of Michael Shannon's performance in the central role. Not only does he sell you on his mental turmoil, he also makes you feel empathetic towards him. It's a particularly hard job considering some of the decisions the character makes throughout the movie.

Though Nichols is usually a quiet filmmaker — he doesn't often through overzealous flourishes into his films — the visions that Curtis, the main character, experiences are thrilling to see despite their shortness. When you get to the end, you feel as if you earned the right towards it. It's a hard thing to do for a movie that has little payoff throughout. Take Shelter is available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD on Amazon ➤

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Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.

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Karl Delossantos

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Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

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