Some movies just get under your skin, and you can't stop thinking about them for days after. As well as making your brain work, psychological thrillers are usually fast-paced films filled with unexpected twists and turns, and it's impossible to look away. From abusive exes recast as invisible men to prolific serial killers out for blood to dangerous cults it's impossible to escape from, the thriller genre literally has something to interest everyone. Here, we round up 22 of the best psychological thrillers you can watch right now.
After escaping an abusive relationship, Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) discovers that her ex-boyfriend committed suicide and left her his estate. There's only one catch to the inheritance, and it's that Cecila must remain sane. Before long, she suspects she's being stalked by her ex-boyfriend, and that he somehow has the ability to become invisible. Inspired by the classic H. G. Wells novel, The Invisible Man is a visceral examination of emotional and physical abuse, with an incredible central performance from Moss.
Based on the bestselling book by Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train stars Emily Blunt as Rachel, an alcoholic woman traumatized by a messy divorce. Every day she takes a commuter train, despite having lost her job, and fixates on her ex-husband and his new wife. However, when she wakes up covered in blood one day, she's thrown into a complicated mystery story that she's desperate to solve.
Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star in Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals, the designer's second feature film. Adams plays Susan, the owner of an art gallery, who receives the manuscript of her ex-husband's new book, which seems to be inspired by their relationship. Nocturnal Animals is visually sumptuous, violently bleak, and incredibly tense, led by some of Hollywood's finest acting talent.
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Whether you love or hate Adam Sandler, it's impossible to deny that his performance in Uncut Gems is pretty legendary. Directed by the Safdie brothers, Sandler plays Howard, the owner of a jewelry store who has some serious gambling debts. When he gets hold of a rare opal, he thinks he can finally pay off his loan shark, who also happens to be his brother-in-law. Unfortunately, Howard's life gets progressively worse from there, and the movie is a relentless and heart-stopping thriller that doesn't let up until the very end.
Ben Affleck stars as Nick Dunne, a man whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) has mysteriously gone missing. Nick's strange behavior during the search for his wife doesn't help matters, nor does the incriminating treasure hunt she's organized for their wedding anniversary. Neil Patrick Harris makes a wonderfully surprising appearance in David Fincher's slick adaptation of Gillian Flynn's popular book.
Jordan Peele's second film may sit pretty comfortably in the horror category, but it's also a twisted psychological thriller that'll keep you thinking long after the credits roll. After a traumatizing encounter at a funhouse as a child, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) returns to the beach where it all started with her family. The vacation is cut short, however, when a gang of doppelgängers with murderous intent invade their home.
The studio wanted Leonardo DiCaprio for the lead role, but it's hard to imagine anyone other than Christian Bale playing Patrick Bateman. Mary Harron's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel is an '80s-set masterpiece about a New York banker, who's also a prolific serial killer. Alongside committing a series of extremely bloody murders, Bateman is very specific about his business cards. A 2002 sequel starring Mila Kunis is completely unrelated, but a fun watch nonetheless.
Black Swan stars Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis as rival ballet dancers competing for the leading role in a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The intense pressure forces Nina (Portman) to push herself beyond her limits in order to obtain the role, while facing off against her double. However, Nina's obsession with perfection leads to her losing grip on reality and descending into madness.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. co-star in David Fincher's Zodiac, a true crime adaptation about the real-life Zodiac killer. Throughout the late '60s, a series of brutal murders took place in the San Francisco Bay Area. The murderer subsequently sent letters and ciphers to the police and local newspapers, along with bloody clothing, hinting at his identity. 2007's Zodiac explores the terrifying hunt for one of America's most infamous killers.
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The police are searching for the "Merry Widow Murderer" when Charlie finds out her favorite uncle, Charles, is coming to stay. Charles brings gifts for the whole family, including a ring featuring some random initials, and he appears to have come into quite a lot of cash. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Shadow of a Doubt is a tense thriller filled with paranoia, which the director considered his best work.
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman star as a pair of detectives working together to investigate a serial killer who is inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins. While Freeman's Detective Somerset is reaching retirement, Pitt's Detective Mills is new to the city, having just moved with his wife (played by Gwyneth Paltrow). Despite their differences, Mills and Somerset find themselves in the middle of a gruesome race against time.
Jordan Peele's directorial debut is a tense and terrifying psychological thriller, which follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a Black photographer visiting his girlfriend's very white family for the first time. After Chris agrees to a hypnotherapy session to help him quit smoking, he inadvertently finds out what the Sunken Place is, and starts to understand why the Armitages have so many racist friends.
Bong Joon Ho's South Korean thriller garnered international attention upon its release, taking home four Oscars. Parasite focuses on the Kims, a family struggling to pay their bills, when an unbelievable opportunity presents itself. Despite not having the necessary qualifications, the Kims infiltrate the household of a very rich family. However, an unexpected parasite within the property threatens to ruin everything.
The always wonderful Michael C. Hall stars as a family man drawn into a dangerous underworld. After shooting an intruder, Richard (Hall) is targeted by the victim's father, but this thriller is packed with twists, turns, and cases of mistaken identity. The '80s is an additional character, so expect videotapes and neon signs galore.
Directed by Drive's Nicolas Winding Refn, The Neon Demon is a visually stunning exploration of the fashion scene, with an occult undercurrent. Elle Fanning stars as an aspiring model whose arrival in Los Angeles seriously irks the competition. Lauded for her youth and beauty, she's forced to deal with raging envy, while fighting off predatory men within the industry. Ultimately, the search for eternal youth and beauty wins out.
Martha Marcy May Marlene helped establish Elizabeth Olsen as a force to be reckoned with. Olsen plays Martha, a young woman who's recently escaped from a cult in the Catskill mountains, in this tense thriller. Returning home, she's extremely paranoid, and eternally scarred by the overarching reach of the cult's lead, Patrick (John Hawkes).
What starts as a fun college party quickly turns into a nightmare. Sean and Kunle are about to be the first Black men to ever complete the so-called "Legendary Tour," which involves attending seven frat parties in one night, when they discover a white woman passed out in their living room. Deciding it's too risky to call the police, they attempt to take the woman to hospital, without realizing her sister is hot on their heels. This fast-paced thriller balances comedic moments with the harsh realities of being a Black person on a college campus, and in the world.
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Chloe (Kiera Allen), a disabled teenager who has been homeschooled, is preparing to leave for college. However, her overbearing mom (Sarah Paulson), has controlled every aspect of Chloe's life. Slowly realizing that her life is not her own, Chloe becomes suspicious of her mother's influence on her life and body, and discovers some terrifying truths about the reality she's grown up in.
Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly star in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller about a photographer who believes he's witnessed a murder from his window. After breaking his leg, Jeff (Stewart) is forced to recover at home, meaning that he has far too much time on his hands. With his camera and a pair of binoculars, Jeff starts rigorously watching his neighbors, and becomes an armchair detective in the process.
Patrick Wilson plays Jeff, a 32-year-old photographer who meets 14-year-old Hayley (Elliot Page) online. He convinces the teen to come back to his house, they both drink cocktails, and Jeff pulls out his camera. However, the photographer quickly falls unconscious and is wholly unprepared for the events that follow. Let's just call this an early exploration of the dangers of the internet and the predators that lurk there.
Regina Hall stars as Gail Bishop, the first Black master of an elite New England university. Her story is told alongside that of a Black student who grapples with the almost exclusively white student body and the way she's treated by her peers. Coupled with rumors of witchcraft and haunted dorm rooms, Master is a gritty thriller filled with shocking revelations and damning social commentary.
Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Noa, a young woman who is sick of internet dating, when she meets a hot doctor called Steve (Sebastian Stan) in a grocery store. Noa agrees to go away for the weekend, but the trip is anything but romantic. As it turns out, Steve is hungry for human flesh, and Noa's vacation is about to get much, much worse.
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.