The 12 Best Suspense Movies Of All Time, Ranked

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There's something so exciting about watching suspense movies. Much like horror cinema, suspense films allow viewers to experience uneasy and even downright harrowing emotions in a controlled space. In the real world, endless uncertainty about horrifying circumstances can drive a person mad. In suspense movies, however, even the most grueling exercise eventually ends after two or three hours. 

The finite nature of these productions, as well as having all the unpredictability confined to a screen, means viewers can revel in the fun of never knowing where a story goes next. Ominous tones are more digestible in this format, while the often grimy aesthetic of these stories frequently inspires striking visuals from filmmakers that you wouldn't find in any other genre. There's certainly no end to all the great entries in the suspense film space, but there are some especially standout examples of these movies.

The 12 best suspense movies exemplify the greatest qualities of this genre, not to mention the way it can incorporate any kind of atmosphere or filmmaking style under the sun. These films range from a French tale about the everyday horrors of people going missing to twisting sagas dealing with revenge gone awry to absolutely bleak stories about doomed attempts to make money. Few of them are easy watches, but all of them, ranked from least best to greatest, make it abundantly clear why people can't get enough of this genre.

Susy Hendrix (Audrey Hepburn) doesn't want trouble. A young blind woman living a quiet suburban existence, Hendrix has her life tossed upside down when a trinket her husband brought home turns out to be stuffed with heroin. A couple of robbers soon break into her home to procure these drugs. What follows is a cat-and-mouse-game with an incredibly limited narrative scope that smartly accentuates all the suffocating tension of this story.

Even while working with so few different backdrops, the visuals in "Wait Until Dark" are stunning. Sharply detailed and composed shots abound in this project, working like gangbusters to make the stakes of Susy's plight oppressively tangible. On top of all that, "Dark" is headlined by cinematic legend Audrey Hepburn. Compelling under any circumstances, Hepburn makes for an engrossing leading lady who constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat. An unfortunately dangerous and busy night for Susy is a win for suspense-loving moviegoers when it comes to "Wait Until Dark."

Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna

Director: Terence Young

Rating: Not rated

Runtime: 108 minutes

Where to Watch: Available to rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV

She's gone. That's what Rex (Gene Bervoets) constantly hears about his girlfriend Saskia (Johanna ter Steege), who vanished at a service station three years ago. Director George Sluizer's "The Vanishing" chronicles both that fateful last day these two spent together and the machinations of Raymond (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) with equally unhurried pacing. Some thrillers resort to nauseating shaky-cam or incoherent editing to simulate a "tense" atmosphere. "The Vanishing," meanwhile, expertly draws out an ominous tone just from everyday reality. 

Evil and trauma are lurking in plain sight and don't tend to announce themselves with bombastic music or visual cues. The careful and precise sense of timing, not to mention the quietly eerie atmosphere of "The Vanishing," are utterly remarkable to behold. Actors like Donnadieu are also tremendous to watch with their naturalistic performances that make this fictional world extra absorbing. All these sublime details collide to create a French-language thriller that wrings towering suspense out of subdued imagery.

Cast: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege

Director: George Sluizer

Rating: Not rated

Runtime: 110 minutes

Where to Watch: Available to rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV

Mother (Kim Hye-ja), doesn't believe her son, Yoon Do-joon (Won Bin), is a murderer. That's what the police think, but the resilient Mother refuses to accept it. She proceeds to pursue the truth herself in this Bong Joon-ho directorial effort, which keeps unveiling new layers of moral complexity in its fascinating story.

Naturally, since Bong's films always feature unforgettable twists and turns, Mother's perception of everyday reality is not quite right. "Mother" further captivates moviegoers with its immersive camerawork, which often places audiences directly into rooms and even characters' points of view. These carefully designed visuals are outstandingly realized and work wonders in taking already conceptually riveting sequences to another level.

The true miracle of this film, however, is Kim Hye-ja. Her depiction of a woman's fierce loyalty to her son is fascinating, as is her depiction of Mother gradually realizing the wider, thornier world that Yoon Do-joon was involved in. The final scene relies heavily on Kim's physical acting chops, and it's a task she's more than up for in her extraordinary interpretation. The twists in "Mother" will undoubtedly inspire thriller fans to give this feature a look, but Kim Hye-ja's rich performance will keep them glued to the screen.

Cast: Kim Hye-ja, Won Bin

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Rating: R

Runtime: 128 minutes

Where to Watch: Tubi and Peacock

Lana and Lilly Wachowski became overnight sensations in 1999 after directing "The Matrix," but the pair didn't start their filmmaking careers with a big-budget action film. Instead, the siblings' directorial debut was 1996's "Bound," in which a woman named Corky (Gine Gershon) strikes up a relationship with Violet (Jennifer Tilly), the partner of devious mobster Caesar (Joe Pantoliano). 

The pair concoct a scheme that will deprive Caesar of $2 million and allow them to live together happily. Of course, like all great crime thrillers, the best-laid plans never go as expected. The Wachowskis craft a deviously playful script in "Bound" that keeps surprising viewers with each curveball that the film's two leads encounter in their pursuit of freedom and stability. 

It's a fun film, even as it inspires viewers to curl up their toes in dread over the next scene. Happily, the screenplay's engaging nature is rooted in how much the filmmakers love these characters. Corky and Violet are not lovers doomed to die or exist solely for cis-het male exploitation. They're rich, compelling personalities who audiences are encouraged to root for, with Tilly and Gershon's lived-in performances accentuating their dramatic believability. Even before "The Matrix," the Wachowskis were firing on all cylinders creatively with a movie as grand as "Bound."

Cast: Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano

Director: Lana and Lilly Wachowski

Rating: R

Runtime: 106 minutes

Where to Watch: Paramount+, Pluto TV, and Prime Video

Sometimes, being popular in the mainstream consciousness means trading out artistry to satisfy all audiences. That's not the case with Steven Spielberg's "Jaws." This game-changing blockbuster, about a shark terrorizing a beachside town, is just as captivating now as it was back in 1975. Among its many ingenious qualities is how it draws out suspense from the fact that nature is something man cannot ultimately control. These waters belong to the sharks and other natural elements, and no human efforts can counter that.

The grisly killings perpetrated by the shark in "Jaws" constantly reinforce this truth. Speaking of that shark, keeping the critter off-screen and using an unforgettable John Williams score to signify its presence was a stroke of thrilling cinematic genius. These qualities really make the central foe of "Jaws" extra sweat-inducing, given that viewers never know where it's going to pop up. Decades of evolution in film and technology can't compete with the masterful, compelling thrills that "Jaws" created in 1975 and continues to deliver today.

Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

Director: Steven Spielberg

Rating: PG

Runtime: 130 minutes

Where to Watch: Peacock and Prime Video

While writing and directing duo Joel and Ethan Coen garnered their most famous hits with comedies like "Raising Arizona," "The Big Lebowski," and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," one of their greatest accomplishments was a 2007 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's bleak novel "No Country for Old Men." 

Ordinary man Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles onto a bag of money, immediately putting him on the radar of relentless killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Set in Texas, this story of normal humanity colliding with the very embodiment of evil also involves a lawman, Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), who is grappling with aging and a changing world. Grim mortality seeps into the film's ornately composed frames, while a refusal to give audiences exactly what they want makes this a tremendously unpredictable picture.

Life is chaotic, and any given day can go in unexpected directions that none of us can imagine when we wake up in the morning. "No Country for Old Men" mirrors that reality with its gripping narrative. Though much darker than many Coen brothers outings, "No Country for Old Men" vividly extends the duo's penchant for projects jam-packed with filmmaking finesse.

Cast: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

Rating: R

Runtime: 122 minutes

Where to Watch: Prime Video and Paramount+

There's one entry in almost every genre which stands so tall artistically that all other films in its category seek to emulate it. "Double Indemnity" is just that movie for the film noir space. One of the pillars of this cinematic strain, "Indemnity" contains so many staples of the genre that it's still fresh and engrossing even watching it decades after its release. 

Legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder helms this story of insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), whose services are procured by one Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). Neff quickly deduces that this scheming lady, who wants accident insurance for her unknowing husband, is plotting his murder. A forbidden romance blossoms between the two from there (who on Earth could resist Barbara Stanwyck, after all?) and Neff becomes immersed in a world of treachery and murder.

MacMurray and Stanwyck share the kind of riveting chemistry that doesn't come around every day in movies. Their rapport would make watching them lightly chat while buttering toast a captivating sight. Pairing them up with the consistently surprising and transfixing screenplay by Wilder and Raymond Chandler makes for a thriller you can't tear your eyes away from. Full of seedy behavior, striking, shadow-heavy imagery, and gloriously distinctive acting, the status of "Double Indemnity" as the champion of film noir is indisputable. 

Cast: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson

Director: Billy Wilder

Rating: PG

Runtime: 108 minutes

Where to Watch: Available to rent or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV

Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) awakens one day in a room. He has no idea what he's doing there or who put him in these confines, but they become his prison for decades. When he's finally freed, Oh Dae-su seeks out the truth. Finding out answers, though, just inspires more traumatic twists and shocking developments in Park Chan-wook's skillful thriller "Oldboy." It's one of many features in this auteur's filmography that keeps audiences guessing about where this warped and visually stunning plot will go next.

"Oldboy" is perhaps the pinnacle of Park's creative sensibilities. Rarely has his filmmaking been this well-paced or so delicately balanced between staggering artistry and stomach-churning nastiness. It's doubtful any first-time viewer can witness the ending of "Oldboy" without constantly gasping and gagging. That's a testament to what a committed and engaging thriller Park has concocted. Searching for answers often doesn't bring the closure we want. It can, however, produce great movies like "Oldboy."

Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung

Director: Park Chan-wook

Rating: R

Runtime: 120 minutes

Where to Watch: Paramount+ or Prime Video

While Joaquin Phoenix garnered his first Oscar win and immense acclaim for headlining the "Taxi Driver"-influenced "Joker" in October 2019, Phoenix delivered his actual career-best work just 18 months earlier in another feature made in the shadow of "Taxi Driver," "You Were Never Really Here." Director Lynne Ramsay's film follows Joe (Phoenix), a man plagued by endless trauma from his abusive childhood and military experience. Now a shell-shocked, suicidal mercenary, he's hired to rescue Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov), the daughter of a U.S. senator, from child traffickers. 

Accepting this mission just leads Joe down a road of unexpected betrayal and conspiracies, though the primary focus remains on his traumatic psyche. Ramsay and editor Joe Bini realize this man's fractured interior through masterfully disorienting editing, blurring the lines between past and present. The chaotic whirlwind Joe lives with every day is vividly reflected in this visual motif, while Thomas Townend's cinematography realizes Joe's world with striking compositions. 

Being a feature from the "Ratcatcher" and "We Need to Talk About Kevin" mastermind, "You Were Never Really Here" keeps subverting viewer expectations of just where the film is going as well as what it shows on-screen. Far from an easy watch, "You Were Never Really Here" builds on cinema's past (including hallmarks of classic suspense films) to craft something unforgettably idiosyncratic. 

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Rating: R

Runtime: 90 minutes

Where to Watch: Prime Video

William Friedkin's 1977 film "Sorcerer," a remake of the 1953 feature "The Wages of Fear," is the very definition of bleak cinema. The "French Connection" and "Exorcist" helmer delivered a microcosm of the grimy, morally dirty films that defined the first half of 1970s American cinema with this drab odyssey. The story concerns a quartet of shady characters, including protagonist Jackie Scanlon (Roy Scheider), being hired in Central America to move two trucks stuffed with dynamite and nitroglycerin. They all desperately need the money, but one wrong bump in the road and they'll perish when their trucks explode. 

"Sorcerer" is not a tale of redemption, but of navigating hell on Earth. That thematic fascination underlines truly remarkable, suspenseful set pieces that will leave any moviegoer on the edge of their seat. That includes a now iconic sequence of these characters trying to get a precarious truck across a rickety bridge. Realized through practical effects work and on-location shooting, it's a sight to behold, especially since Friedkin's sense of timing in this scene is pivotal to making it unspeakably absorbing. 

Friedkin also imbues the production with an unshakable dedication to misery that's similarly captivating and underscores some of the film's most unforgettable imagery. "Sorcerer" is a must-watch for any film fan, particularly those wanting to see the pinnacle of grimy suspense storytelling.

Cast: Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal

Director: William Friedkin

Rating: R

Runtime: 121 minutes

Where to Watch: Digital rental or purchase from Prime Video and Apple TV

After all its historic Oscar wins and endless pop culture parodies, writer-director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" being a masterpiece is as commonly accepted as the sky being blue or the sun rising each day. However, it's important to still remember that this movie is a truly tremendous accomplishment that doesn't just excel in its artistry or social commentary. 

The saga of the Kim family, including father Kim Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) and son Kim Ki-jung (Park So-dam), is also riveting entertainment. Bong's gift for conjuring up exciting new storytelling twists has never been so refined as it is in "Parasite." Every new scene brings out some new wrinkle in this fictional universe, while the ever-shifting power dynamics between characters make it forever uncertain what could happen next.

The excellence of "Parasite" as an acting showcase also often gets forgotten in all the hype over its greatness. Song Kang-ho, in one of his many outstanding leading man turns, is phenomenal as the lived-in, angsty protagonist. Meanwhile, actors like Lee Sun-kyun and Cheo Yeo-jeong deliver both depth and opulence-informed obliviousness as members of the wealthy Park family. Engrossing as a thriller while insightful on capitalism-informed misery, "Parasite" rocks in every conceivable way, and keeps viewers guessing until the very last frame.

Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Rating: R

Runtime: 132 minutes

Where to Watch: Netflix or Max

Charles Laughton's lone directorial effort, "The Night of the Hunter," was inexplicably lambasted by critics when it first hit theaters. This game-changing take on the suspense thriller shattered so many rules for how American movies could operate, particularly in their visual schemes, that it just broke people's brains. However, those negative notices don't mitigate the film's towering accomplishments.

James Agee's script and Laughton's direction dove head-first into incredibly dark material, exploring the odyssey of serial killer Preacher Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) as he tries to procure $10,000 belonging to Willa Harper (Shelley Winters) and her two kids, John (Billy Chapin) and Pearl Harper (Sally Jane Bruce). What follows is a nasty tale of murder that keeps going down gripping, unexpected roads, including the late introduction of the shotgun-wielding Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish). 

The story's unpredictability is amplified by the reliance on dreamlike, expressionistic imagery, as Laughton's use of shadow-heavy and flowery visuals inspires some of the greatest shots in the history of cinema. Never before have sights like a corpse in a lake or a woman cradling her gun on the porch at night ever looked so glorious. Embracing heightened imagery makes it extra hard to tell where "The Night of the Hunter" is going next. What initially turned off critics and audiences in 1955 solidified this sublime film as one of the best of all time.

Cast: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish

Director: Charles Laughton

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 92 minutes

Where to Watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, or Apple TV