PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS (my Top 20 list)
by creekgeek | created - 07 Sep 2012 | updated - 22 Feb 2022 | Publicmy favorite movie genre ever!
Psychological Thriller movies are suspenseful movies emphasizing the psychology of its characters rather than the plot.
In a psychological thriller, the characters are exposed to danger on a mental level rather than a physical one.
I have a huge dvd collection of psychothrillers.
These are the most unforgettable ones.Addicted to this genre :)
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1. The Good Son (1993)
R | 87 min | Drama, Thriller
A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and becomes friends with his cousin, a boy of the same age who shows increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior.
Director: Joseph Ruben | Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood, Wendy Crewson, David Morse
Votes: 45,776 | Gross: $44.59M
probably his best movie... next to Home Alone of course :)
2. Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
R | 99 min | Drama, Thriller
A young woman fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her nightmarish marriage, but discovers it is impossible to elude her controlling husband.
Director: Joseph Ruben | Stars: Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin, Kevin Anderson, Elizabeth Lawrence
Votes: 65,196 | Gross: $101.60M
My other favorite Julia Roberts movie... next to My Best Friends Wedding :)
3. Stonehearst Asylum (2014)
PG-13 | 112 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
An Oxford graduate takes up a job in a mental asylum, only to discover that the "revolutionary" new treatments are inhumane, and that there is more going on than meets the eye.
Director: Brad Anderson | Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson
Votes: 60,395
4. Panic Room (2002)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A divorced woman and her diabetic daughter take refuge in their newly-purchased house's safe room when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam
Votes: 297,032 | Gross: $96.40M
awesome classic!
5. Shutter Island (2010)
R | 138 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 1,457,916 | Gross: $128.01M
Martin Scorsese-awesome Director! Leonardo....Leonardo... Leonardo....!!!!!
6. Awake (2007)
R | 84 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A wealthy young man undergoing heart transplant surgery discovers that the surgical team intend to murder him.
Director: Joby Harold | Stars: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin
Votes: 80,612 | Gross: $14.38M
added on the list... anesthetic awareness. :)
7. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Votes: 1,549,213 | Gross: $130.74M
Hannibal Lecter. Cannibalistic Psycho/serial killer. My favorite psychopath of all time :p
8. What Lies Beneath (2000)
PG-13 | 130 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
The wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost - or that she is losing her mind.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katharine Towne, Miranda Otto
Votes: 135,784 | Gross: $155.46M
9. Identity (2003)
R | 90 min | Mystery, Thriller
Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes
Votes: 267,361 | Gross: $52.16M
10. Derailed (I) (2005)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When two married business executives having an affair are blackmailed by a violent criminal, the two must turn the tables on him to save their families.
Director: Mikael Håfström | Stars: Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, Addison Timlin
Votes: 76,403 | Gross: $36.02M
Intense!!!! great twist.
11. Cold Creek Manor (2003)
R | 118 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A family relocates from the city to a dilapidated house in the country that was once a grand estate. As they begin renovations, they discover their new home harbors a secret and may not be completely free of its former inhabitant.
Director: Mike Figgis | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 24,744 | Gross: $21.38M
12. The Glass House (2001)
PG-13 | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An orphaned teenager is taken in by a Malibu couple but discovers they aren't the caring friends they seemed to be.
Director: Daniel Sackheim | Stars: Diane Lane, Leelee Sobieski, Stellan Skarsgård, Bruce Dern
Votes: 39,855 | Gross: $18.00M
13. The Butterfly Effect (2004)
R | 113 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Evan Treborn suffers blackouts during significant events of his life. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life by reading his journal.
Directors: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber | Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Melora Walters, Elden Henson
Votes: 521,399 | Gross: $57.94M
his blackouts... great concept.
14. The Prestige (2006)
PG-13 | 130 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
After a tragic accident, two stage magicians in 1890s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine
Votes: 1,442,080 | Gross: $53.09M
15. Mr. Brooks (2007)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A well-respected businessman is sometimes controlled by his murder and mayhem-loving alter ego.
Director: Bruce A. Evans | Stars: Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, William Hurt, Dane Cook
Votes: 156,349 | Gross: $28.48M
Twisted
16. Lord of the Flies (1990)
R | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Stranded on an island, a group of schoolboys degenerate into savagery.
Director: Harry Hook | Stars: Balthazar Getty, Chris Furrh, Danuel Pipoly, James Badge Dale
Votes: 33,633 | Gross: $13.99M
Classic! Gives me the best goosebumps
17. Untraceable (2008)
R | 101 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
FBI agent Jennifer Marsh is tasked with hunting down a seemingly untraceable serial killer who posts live videos of his victims on the Internet. As time runs out, the cat and mouse chase becomes more personal.
Director: Gregory Hoblit | Stars: Diane Lane, Colin Hanks, Joseph Cross, Billy Burke
Votes: 52,836 | Gross: $28.69M
Cyber killer!!! Awesome!!
18. Along Came a Spider (2001)
R | 104 min | Drama, Thriller
When a senator's daughter under Secret Service protection is kidnapped from a private school, detective Alex Cross investigates the case even though he's recovering from the loss of his partner.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Michael Wincott, Monica Potter, Dylan Baker
Votes: 95,918 | Gross: $74.08M
Freeman!!!!
19. The Game (1997)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn
Votes: 429,680 | Gross: $48.32M
20. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
R | 139 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
In late 1950s New York, a young underachiever named Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures.
Director: Anthony Minghella | Stars: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett
Votes: 243,675 | Gross: $81.30M
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