True movie thrillers occasionally appear to be out of style these days. Perhaps television and true-crime documentaries have monopolised the genre. These are excellent, but occasionally you want a fictional, suspenseful story in two hours or less. You can watch or rewatch a tonne of exciting movies on HBO Max, which is a blessing. The titles that follow are but a small selection of the thrillers that the streaming service currently has to offer.
You couldn’t find what you were looking for. Check out our list of the top dramas and horror movies on the network, as well as the best movies of all genres on HBO.
Editor’s note: Pulp Fiction was added to this article in January 2023.
A Most Violent Year (2014)
Runtime: 2 hours and 5 minutes | J.C. Chandor, director
Cast: David Oyelowo, Jessica Chastain, and Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac (X-Men: Apocalypse) and Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) feature in A Most Violent Year as a loving couple motivated by their desire to save their family and company during a turbulent and perilous period in New York City history. J.C. Chandor, who also wrote and directed the film, brings an amazing tale to life, garnering A Most Violent Year numerous nominations for acting awards. Through their compelling performances, Isaac and Chastain steward the suspenseful crime drama with heart and grit. Yael Tygiel.
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American Psycho (2000)
1 hour 42 minutes total | Mary Harron as director
Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, and Reese Witherspoon are among the actors in the cast.
Ironically, when American Psycho was first criticised for encouraging “toxic masculinity,” Mary Harron was satirising that very thing with her grotesque portrayal of Wall Street bro culture. As Patrick Bateman, a character that was first offered to Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale turns in one of the most memorable performances of his career. Harron does a fantastic job of making the movie both brutally gruesome and repulsively humorous. Bateman is arguably the next anti-hero after Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. The legendary “It’s Hip To Be Square” segment from American Psycho, which features Jared Leto in a particularly entertaining way, also deserves praise. [Liam Gaughan]
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Blood Simple (1984)
picture from Circle Films
1 hour and 39 minutes long | Joel Coen as director
Cast: John Getz, Samm-Art Williams, Dan Hedaya, Frances McDormand, and M. Emmet Walsh
The Coen Brothers were first introduced to the world in Blood Simple, and they make a strong first impression. The movie already exhibits all of those traits. Its characters are likeable, but bumbling, people who find themselves into trouble. The Coen brothers have a tremendous ear for dialogue and an eye for detail even at this early stage. The mere listening to the movie is enjoyable. Additionally, there is all that insane Coen violence, which can be both hilarious and scary. Additionally, the movie features a very early Frances McDormand performance.
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Chinatown (1974)
Runtime: 2 hours and 11 minutes | Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston
Chinatown is still considered to be one of the best screenplays in cinema history. It’s a detective story full of twists that follow genre norms but also twists that unquestionably defy assumptions. And at the centre of it all was a legendary performance by Jack Nicholson. Chinatown, like many detective stories, keeps building on its plot until it’s difficult to recall which thread you’re even following at any given time, but it manages to be constantly interesting throughout. Pair that with Who Framed Roger Rabbit for a very wild night.
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Confidence (2003)
1 hour and 37 minutes long; James Foley directed it
Cast includes Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, and Edward Burns.
A con artist and his gang rush to pull off another con after taking advantage of the wrong target. The fast-moving criminal drama Confidence, starring Edward Burns, features a cast full of award-winning actors, such as Dustin Hoffman (Hook) and Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven). Confidence is supported by a gripping story written by Doug Jung (The Cloverfield Paradox), whose lines perfectly complement the performances, despite the film’s abundance of powerful actors. A playful and exciting adventure, Confidence is full of tension and unexpected turns. Yael Tygiel.
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Dark Places (2015)
1 hour and 53 minutes long | Gilles Paquet-Brenner, director
Cast: Corey Stoll, Christina Hendricks, Nicholas Hoult, Charlize Theron
Dark Places by writer/director Gilles Paquet-Brenner raises intriguing issues of memory, innocence, and inner monsters. Dark Places, which is based on the Gillian Flynn novel, tells the tale of the Day family, who were murdered in their Kansas home. A frightening Charlize Theron as the survivor daughter in “The Long Shot” hesitantly revisits the life-altering incidents over 30 years after the catastrophe. Dark Places, which stars Corey Stoll (Ant-Man), unveils tragic realities as the story develops while captivating viewers with a gripping mystery to be solved. Yael Tygiel.
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Death on the Nile (2022)
2 hours and 7 minutes in length | Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Emma Mackey, Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, and Kenneth Branagh
Death on the Nile, an Agatha Christie adaptation, is an entertaining and suspenseful mystery featuring a diverse ensemble of eccentric (and surprising) people. Hercule Poirot, a renowned detective, is drawn into Linnet “Linny” Ridgeway-(Gal Doyle’s Gadot) secret existence because she suspects the people who have accompanied her on her honeymoon are up to no good. From there, theft, deceit, and murder are involved. The movie is a non-stop adventure that takes the audience on a crazy trip while diving into the history (and intentions) of each character. Even the impressive cast of this movie seems to be enjoying it as much as the audience.
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Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
Runtime: 2 hours and 3 minutes | Olivia Wilde as director
Cast: Gemma Chan, Chris Pine, KiKi Layne, Harry Styles, and Florence Pugh
Director Olivia Wilde’s thriller Don’t Worry Darling is a suspense-filled mystery about a utopian community that, in reality, is anything but, and is one of the most dramatic movies of the year, both on and off screen. As the ideal loving and devoted housewife named Alice, Florence Pugh (Black Widow) continues to fascinate viewers as she unravels under the suspicion that her world is not what it seems. Pugh is great as she keeps the movie together, especially in difficult situations against Chris Pine, when paired with Harry Styles (My Policeman) (Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves). Don’t Worry Darling introduces a mountain of mystery and poses a barrage of intriguing questions. Yael Tygiel.
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Ex Machina (2014)
Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes | Alex Garland, director
Ex Machina is an intriguing and dark science-fiction thriller that explores the junction of solitude, obsession, and technology. It was written and directed by Annihilation’s Alex Garland. Caleb, a scientist asked to take part in a rare opportunity to interact with synthetic intelligence, is portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson (The Rise of Skywalker), but nothing is what it seems. While the renowned Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight) and underrated Gleeson both give outstanding performances, Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider), who plays an artificial named Ava, is the real star of Ex Machina. Vikander is mesmerising in the part, heightening the suspense for viewers and enabling this fascinating movie about clever people considering the nature of humanity to succeed. Yael Tygiel.
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Kimi (2022)
1 hour, 29 minutes, with Steven Soderbergh directing
Cast: Rita Wilson, Byron Bowers, and Zo Kravitz
Kimi is a brilliant contemporary thriller that is set in Seattle and further establishes Steven Soderbergh as one of the best directors to have ever worked in the industry. The movie follows Zoe Kravitz as a tech worker named Angela and expertly captures the city. During the course of her work, Angela learns that there is a coverup that, in order to expose, requires her to leave the security of her apartment. The experience that ensues is incredibly tense as she must flee through the city’s hidden passageways while dodging a plethora of pursuers who would do anything to ensure she stays silent. Not only is Kravitz flawless in the part, but she also fully engages with the movie’s kinetic energy, which keeps things moving along smoothly. One of the most thoroughly enjoyable movie experiences you’ll ever have culminates in one of the most satisfying and cathartic conclusions. Chas Hutchinson
A journey, Last Night in Soho. The main character of the movie is Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), an aspiring fashion designer who is totally enamoured with the 1960s style. Eloise’s mother contemplated suicide when she was a youngster, and Eloise occasionally sees her ghost in mirrors. Eloise was raised by her grandmother. Eloise discovers she can travel back in time to the glitzy 1960s after meeting a stunning singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). However, when reality and dreams converge and the past and present clash, things take a tragic turn. Wright’s signature slick design and the great performances in Last Night in Soho have received high praise. (Taylor Gates)
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Memento (2000)
1 hour 53 minutes long | Christopher Nolan is the director
Cast: Joe Pantoliano, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Guy Pearce
Memento, one of writer-director Christopher Nolan’s earlier films, is a still sharp thriller about morality and history presented from the unreliable perspective of a man suffering from short-term memory loss. Leonard (Guy Pearce) has key details regarding the murder of his wife tattooed on his body so he won’t forget them. The film’s storyline is purposefully skewed to represent two timelines of events occurring concurrently. One moves along in black and white over the course of multiple phone calls. The other, which is in colour, is displayed in reverse order and makes sure that important truths are revealed gradually and just when you least expect them. It is a movie that provides an early indication of Nolan’s interest in time and the way the mind perceives it, lifting the veil on one man’s psyche as he decides how he wants to live the remaining years of his life. Chas Hutchinson
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Nightmare Alley (2021)
Runtime: two hours and thirty minutes | Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro creates monsters in Nightmare Alley who are not supernatural but rather all too human, earning it much more recognition when it initially came out for how well-constructed it all is. It does so after a deceptive Bradley Cooper plays Stanton Carlisle, a broken guy who learns mentalism as a member of a touring circus and realises he can trick others. He succeeds in making this a successful career, but he is willing to gamble all when he receives an offer for a sum of money that beyond his wildest expectations. Cooper gives one of his best performances in this tale of avarice, which takes us further and further inside the mind of a man who wants it all. The narrative demonstrates how he turns into a self-destructive force for both himself and others unlucky enough to be caught in his wake. It is a remake of the same-named classic that takes a different path, uncovering both arresting aesthetics and catastrophic devastation in the exploration of its own depravity. Chas Hutchinson
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Old (2021)
Runtime: one hour and forty-eight minutes | M. Night Shyamalan
Vicky Krieps, Gael Bernal, and Rufus Sewell make up the cast.
Old is horror mastermind M. Night Shyamalan at his absolute best and most focused—and it’s still a really decent movie in and of itself. It relates the horrific tale of a beach that ages you, as you might have imagined. When an unexpected cast of characters shows up on the beach, they initially find it hard to accept what is happening before quickly realising there is no way to avert their seeming impending doom. Children grow into teens, then into adults, and adults become elderly people, then into death. Everything is exceedingly gloomy and frequently gory, resulting for a disconcerting experience that is carefully calibrated to elicit the greatest feeling of smothering anxiety. The nightmare voyage is undoubtedly unusual in that it sometimes turns fairly meaningful when you least expect it, even though there are times when it loses its edge toward the finish. Because of how deeply it hurts, the resulting movie transcends its appearance in memes. Chas Hutchinson
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Pulp Fiction (1994)
Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction” Quentin Tarantino, 2 hours, 34 minutes
Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, and Uma Thurman
But naturally. Pulp Fiction, the movie that simultaneously made Tarantino a “superstar” and inspired a plethora of copycats that would pour out of Hollywood over the following ten years. Look no farther than the fact that non-linear storytelling is now not just prevalent but also a mainstay of high-end television to determine the degree of Tarantino’s effect. Throughout the awards season, Tarantino and Forrest Gump were neck and neck, and while Robert Zemeckis’ story won Best Director and Best Picture, Tarantino at least won Best Original Screenplay. Regardless of the Oscars, Pulp Fiction is a timeless masterpiece that has cemented its status as a hugely influential—and just plain cool—work of art in cinema history. A. Chitwood
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The Bourne Identity (2002)
Duration: 1 hour, 59 minutes | Doug Liman
Cast: Julia Stiles, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Matt Damon, and
The groundbreaking action franchise’s debut film permanently altered the way the genre was perceived. Doug Liman’s brutal CIA thriller brought a gritty intensity that action movies have been mimicking ever since as the Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises sank into more absurd plotlines. Anyone who had doubts about Matt Damon’s potential as an action star had to retract their statements. The Bourne Identity stands as a fantastic genesis story for one of the greatest movie heroes of the twenty-first century, even though Paul Greengrass elevated the franchise with the subsequent two films. [Liam Gaughan]
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The Card Counter (2021)
1 hour 51 minutes long | Paul Schrader is the director
Cast: Tye Sheridan, Tiffany Haddish, and Oscar Isaac
In The Card Counter, where he portrays a traumatised former military interrogator who is now surviving as a professional card player, Oscar Isaac keeps wowing audiences. Paul Schrader, the writer and director of Taxi Driver, uses his signature wounded and imperfect characters, giving Isaac room to deliver a hauntingly nuanced performance. Isaac stoically carries The Card Counter, maintaining its tense ferocity while revealing a thrillingly intense spectacle, helped by an unexpected performance from Tiffany Haddish (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), as well as an exquisite supporting cast that includes Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One), Willem Dafoe, and others. Yael Tygiel.
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The Departed (2006)
Runtime: 2 hours and 31 minutes | Martin Scorsese
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio
The Departed, a 2006 crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese, is the movie that ultimately brought him the Best Director Oscar, but he was only wanting to have fun. Scorsese acknowledged that he decided to make a commercial movie after making serious epics like The Aviator and Gangs of New York and chose to remake the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs with an all-star cast. As a result, a brilliantly performed criminal drama with some of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best-ever acting is produced. The movie also took home awards for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing in addition to Best Director. A. Chitwood
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The Dead Zone (1983)
Photograph from Paramount Pictures
1 hour 43 minutes in length | David Cronenberg as director
Cast: Anthony Zerbe, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom, and Christopher Walken
Names like David Cronenberg, Stephen King, Christopher Walken, and Martin Sheen ought to be enough to convince any movie enthusiast that this psychic mystery merits their attention. A guy named Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) awakens from a coma in the 1983 film adaptation of The Dead Zone as a kinesthetic psychic, a person who can receive psychic visions through physical contact with others. He is compelled to get involved in the lives of his neighbourhood by visions of tragedy. While Martin Sheen excels as the focused and fanatical Greg Stilson, hellbent on seeing his vision of the future come to pass, Walken is tender and dedicated as a man bent on changing the future. Following their collaboration on Scanners and Videodrome, director David Cronenberg and cinematographer Mark Irwin achieve success once more. One of the more established and effective Stephen King adaptations is The Dead Zone, which shouldn’t be lost in the sea of other King ideas generated in the nearly 40 years after its publication.
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Thoroughbreds (2017)
1 hour 32 minutes long; directed by Cory Finley
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Paul Sparks, Anton Yelchin, and Olivia Cooke
Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy (The New Mutants) portray Amanda and Lily, two upper-class suburban adolescent friends who plot to fix their issues by killing Lily’s stepdad, among other things, in Cory Finley’s (Bad Education) new film, Thoroughbreds (Paul Sparks). Thoroughbreds deftly crafts an unexpected dark comedy by deftly placing enigmatic puzzle pieces and slashing tension with hilarious dialogue. Cooke and Taylor-subtle Joy’s harmonies throughout the narrative enable backup from Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) to amplify already outstanding sequences. The gorgeous movie Thoroughbreds combines elements of Mini’s First Time, Heathers, and American Psycho. Yael Tygiel.
