The thriller is one of the more versatile and widely expressive genres in cinema, with its expressive exploration of grittier, more adult, and tense topics. Each era of cinematic history has an ingrained selection of classic thrillers that have elevated the genre, from all-time classics like Heat to hidden gems like Miracle Mile. This has, in turn, continued into the modern era of cinema, with the past 6 years having a great selection of well-crafted thrillers to choose from.
With cinema itself being more experimental and diverse than ever before, thriller filmmaking is at an all-time high, offering banger after banger. From classic action thrillers that bring audiences to the edge of their seat to striking psychological thrillers that delve deep into their themes and messages, several of these thrillers are among the absolute best films of the modern era.
10
‘Nightmare Alley’ (2021)
While visionary director Guillermo del Toro is more often celebrated for his fantasy filmmaking, his signature gothic style lends itself seamlessly to the neo-noir crime thriller of Nightmare Alley. The film stars Bradley Cooper as an ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulation, using his silver tongue to hook up with and form a partnership with a female psychologist (Cate Blanchett) who proves herself to be even more dangerous than he is.
The film features a stacked cast and a lot of del Toro’s classic filmmaking strengths, such as top-notch visual design and worldbuilding, to concoct an exceptional story of greed and humanity amidst the dangerous underground of crime, manipulation, and carnies. Despite a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards, Nightmare Alley is wildly underrated compared to the rest of del Toro’s filmography, a genuine shame considering just how impactful and striking its story and characters are.
9
‘Bugonia’ (2025)
Adapting and remaking a cult classic South Korean sci-fi black comedy to achieve worldwide mass appeal, Bugonia ramps up the thriller potential of this premise to make a highly tense yet simultaneously endearing and hilarious take on psychotic conspiracy mindsets. The film follows a duo of conspiracy-obsessed young men (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company (Emma Stone), believing her to be an alien queen with a secret agenda of destroying the Earth.
Much like many of Yorgos Lanthimos‘s previous films, Bugonia strikes a fine balance between the ruthless, bleak nature of its premise and a striking and unrestrained sense of humor that never lets up, even in the darkest of moments. The film is further elevated by some great performances, constantly having the audience guessing as to the logistical truth of the conspiracy as a whole and the ramifications of whether it is or isn’t true.
8
‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ (2023)
Combining the heightened tension of a heist film with the weight and emotional prospects of its eco-terrorism premise, How to Blow Up a Pipeline fully lives up to its exceptional, instantly engaging title. The film follows a crew of young environmental activists, who, believing there to be no other option in a world where corporations continue to destroy the Earth, take it upon themselves to execute a daring mission to sabotage and destroy an oil pipeline.
Despite being a massively overlooked thriller, How to Blow Up a Pipeline does an exceptional job not just with its central message but in executing a fast-paced, incredibly tense rendition of the classic heist film setup. It sees a wide cast of distinct and memorable characters, each adding their own strengths and personality quirks to this overarching goal, almost acting like a renegade revolutionary version of Ocean’s Eleven.
7
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ (2023)
Since its release in 2014, the original John Wick has stood as a defining pillar of action thriller filmmaking that pushed the genre forward with its stylish and well-crafted choreography. While many other attempted action franchises simply lose steam with subsequent entries, John Wick is one of the rare cases where each sequel manages to be better than the last, with John Wick: Chapter 4 being one of the absolute best action thrillers of the 21st century.
The action is more bombastic and enthralling, the setpieces are highly memorable and each more expressive than the last, and the story does an exceptional job of wrapping up Wick’s long journey of bloodshed and fighting for freedom. Chapter 4 acts as a glorious display of everything that director Chad Stahelski and the rest of the John Wick production team have learned about action filmmaking over the series. It doesn’t lose a second of impact in its nearly 3-hour runtime and is a must-watch for all action thriller fans.
6
‘Juror #2’ (2024)
Clint Eastwood has been at the forefront of compelling thriller filmmaking for his entire career, whether it be as a leading man in the likes of Dirty Harry or behind the camera for films like Mystic River. However, this Hollywood legend proved that he still has what it takes to create a layered and intelligent thriller in the modern day with Juror #2. This powerful courtroom drama follows a juror who, in the middle of a high-profile murder case, begins to realize that the man on trial is not only innocent, but that he himself is guilty of the murder.
Eastwood’s timeless craft and finesse behind the camera work wonders for this exceptional story of philosophical pain, forcing the audience to question if they themselves would be comfortable condemning an innocent man to save their own life. Juror #2 is not only Eastwood’s best film in decades, but it speaks volumes that his style of thriller filmmaking can still have a sizable impact, being about as perfect a final film as a filmmaking legend could ask for.
5
‘No Other Choice’ (2025)
A black comedy thriller about the difficulties of self-worth in a seemingly impossible job market, No Other Choice sees a desperate family man going to massive extremes to secure a job so that his family can return to their previous luxurious life. Park Chan-wook‘s exceptional class thriller is filled with many of his trademark strengths as one of South Korea’s best thriller directors, further amplified by some striking comedy and a near-perfect lead performance from Lee Byung-hun.
No other thriller in recent memory has been this exceptionally entertaining while still feeling wholly important, striking at the heart of painful experiences caused by the current state of capitalism and impossible-to-navigate job markets. It goes to not only comedic satirical extremes, but also moments of pure tension as the snowball of crimes committed goes well past the point of no return. It’s an exceptional feat of South Korean cinema and arguably the best thriller to come out of the region since Parasite.
4
‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)
Building upon decades’ worth of exceptional thriller filmmaking and standing as what could arguably be considered Christopher Nolan‘s magnum opus, Oppenheimer took the world by storm, becoming one of the most iconic and revered blockbuster thrillers ever. The Oscar-winning biopic amplifies Nolan’s strengths to new heights, utilizing a massive cast of talent at every corner and fully delivering on its promise of mesmerizing, breathtaking visuals.
However, the real strength of the film comes from its pacing and use of tension, not losing any impact despite being a dialogue-focused dramatic thriller with an over 3-hour runtime. It’s a feat of cinematic beauty and perfect pacing that Oppenheimer can maintain its strengths and interest for the entire runtime, keeping audiences captivated and enthralled in its story of power and its looming ramifications. Oppenheimer will only continue to be celebrated more and more in the coming years as one of the defining cinematic achievements of the 2020s.
3
‘Conclave’ (2024)
An insightful and well-paced political thriller about the infighting and battle for power within the upper ranks of the Catholic Church, Conclave follows the world’s topmost bishops converging in Vatican City following the death of the Pope, vying for the spot to be elected as the next pontiff. However, as drama and infighting begin to consume the election process, the ritual’s mediator (Ralph Fiennes) uncovers more and more dirt on his fellow bishops.
Conclave sets itself up with the utmost gravitas and weight for its election and its consequences, which makes it all the more satisfying and effective when this election quickly devolves into maddening infighting and catty gossip from these elderly gentlemen. With a wide array of compelling twists and one of the most shocking yet effective final twists in a recent thriller, Conclave keeps the audience guessing and has them wholly satisfied by its ending.
2
‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (2023)
A murder-mystery film that places much more emphasis and importance on the process of uncovering the murder over the actual murder itself, Anatomy of a Fall is one of the most intelligent and insightful takes on a murder-mystery thriller to date. The film follows the fallout and court case surrounding the mysterious murder of a man who fell out of his attic window, with his wife (Sandra Hüller) being the prime suspect of this supposed murder. At the center of this case, their blind son is faced with a painful moral dilemma as the sole witness.
Anatomy of a Fall certainly gets a great deal of mileage out of the intricacies and questions surrounding its central death. However, the real strength and brilliance come from how the investigation uncovers the painful difficulties of a relationship where every little thing is picked apart as motivation for murder. It’s not only one of the best murder mystery films in recent memory, but an exceptionally layered thriller that grows more compelling with each rewatch.
1
‘One Battle After Another’ (2025)
Despite the film coming out last year, it’s difficult to look back at the last 6 years of thriller filmmaking and award any film other than One Battle After Another as the absolute best that the genre has had to offer. This exceptional tour de force from Paul Thomas Anderson does just about everything one wants out of a great modern thriller, featuring compelling characters, high tension, and electrifying sequences that completely overwhelm the audience.
It’s the type of modern-day masterpiece that only grows more impressive in its scope and execution with each passing day, the type of film that will be reflected upon and studied for generations as one of the new pillarstones of thriller filmmaking. Even as it balances a wide variety of different genres and tones, One Battle After Another remains a compelling thriller through the entire runtime, culminating in one of the all-time great finales in the genre’s history.
