Not every movie that someone has watched is going to immediately ring a bell in their head. That’s because there’s so much content to consume, and it’s hard to remember everything that is seen. But there are kinds of movies that are definitely remembered. They are the ones that make people feel a certain way.
Thrillers tend to have that effect on people. These are movies that are meant to cause a visceral reaction and keep the audience on the edge of their seat. A lot of times, a thriller can be undone by some over-the-top, kitschy acting that takes the seriousness of the film and makes it seem a bit desperate to connect with viewers. But then there are thrillers that are engrossing, and the performances are lauded for being spot on to match the level of severity of the situations.
Those 10 thrillers that feature amazing performances are must-watches as soon as possible.
‘Nightcrawler’ (2014)
A thief decides to become a freelance news stringer, searching for stories at night in order to sell the footage to news stations. But, when someone with a bad moral compass wants to take on that role, not everything is going to add up in those videotapes. Nightcrawler stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom, a man who is looking to make the most of his situation and earn more respect in his professional life. He starts working as a stringer but begins doctoring crime scenes to make the footage more realistic and sensational.
The head of the news division at the station he’s working for (Rene Russo) has to balance her feelings on ethics with wanting the radical footage. Riz Ahmed stars as a homeless man who is hired by Lou to be his driver around Los Angeles at night, trying to find car crashes, ambulance rides, and other scenes to film. Those three are particularly special in the film, as is Bill Paxton, who plays a fellow stringer. Gyllenhaal’s Bloom is hard to look away from, as his entire personality becomes about getting the best footage. It’s an engrossing performance that steers the entire uneasy feeling of the film.
‘Misery’ (1990)
Some people take book series very seriously. It’s why authors have to be careful when building out a world on the page. They have to be able to justify the artistic choices that they make, because people like Annie Wilkes could be out there wanting an explanation. Misery stars James Caan as Paul Sheldon, a romance novelist who hates the series that he’s most known for. He wants to be taken more seriously and writes a final book to end the series. As he’s heading from Colorado to New York to deliver the manuscript, a storm causes him to crash. He’s pulled out of the wreckage by Annie (Kathy Bates), who says she’s a nurse and will care for him until power lines are back up. With bad injuries from the accident, Paul is bedridden and forced to comply.
What Paul discovers is that Annie is an obsessed fan who reads his manuscript and acts out in a fit of rage when she finds out he’s ending the series. Paul must deal with what unfolds next while trying to survive Annie’s obsession with him. Both Caan and Bates are terrific in this Stephen King adaptation directed by Rob Reiner, shedding light on the relationship between celebrity and fan. The film earned $61 million at the box office, and Bates won an Academy Award for her performance.
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)
Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a Swedish editor of an online magazine hired by a rich magnate named Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to try to solve the disappearance of his niece. Blomkvist is paired up with hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) and the two dig into the Vanger family history to unlock clues to the mystery. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was directed by David Fincher and is based on the hit novel by Stieg Larsson.
The film is dark and features fantastic performances by Mara and Craig, as well as from Stellan Skarsgård, Yorick Van Wageningen, and Robin Wright. As Salander and Blomkvist continue to look into the Vangers, sinister things come to light. Mara earned an Academy Award nomination for her role and the movie grossed nearly $240 million at the box office.
‘Rear Window’ (1954)
Nobody did suspense quite like Alfred Hitchcock and Rear Window is one of his finest and most acclaimed films. It features James Stewart as L.B. Jefferies, a photojournalist recovering from a work accident and stuck in a lower body cast that forces him into a wheelchair during the day. To pass the time, he looks out his window at the apartment building across the street, observing his neighbors during a heat wave in New York City. He’s visited by his nurse (Thelma Ritter) and his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) frequently. When he thinks he’s witnessed a man killing his wife, Jefferies tries to do all that he can to investigate it from his window.
Stewart and Hitchcock worked together often and this is one of their best collaborations. Stewart and Kelly are excellent, bringing real tension to the plot as Jefferies’ suspicions are taken more seriously. It was a huge hit, earning $38 million against a $1 million budget. It was nominated for four Academy Awards.
‘The Game’ (1997)
What do you get the man who has everything? That’s loosely the premise of The Game, the 1997 thriller by David Fincher starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. Douglas is Nicholas Van Orton, a wealthy businessman whose singular focus has been to make money. This has cost him his personal relationships with his wife and family. As his 48th birthday approaches, the same age at which his father committed suicide, he’s visited by his brother Conrad (Penn). Conrad offers him a voucher for a “game” from a mysterious company. Intrigued, Nicholas goes to visit the company, and his life is turned upside-down.
Through the many twists and turns of the film, the audience is put inside the head of Nicholas, who is trying to wrap his mind around what is taking place. From death-defying stunts to happenstance run-ins with people on TV, Nicholas can’t tell what’s real and what’s not. The ending twist gives the only bit of reprieve from the tension, and it still feels incredibly tense. Douglas nails the cold and angry nature of Van Orton, and Penn is perfectly cast as the younger, estranged brother. Deborah Kara Unger gives a strong supporting performance as well.
‘Gone Girl’ (2014)
Okay, one more David Fincher film. In all seriousness, Fincher is a master at directing thrillers and gets some terrific work out of his actors. Gone Girl features one of the coldest and most calculated performances in the 21st Century, delivered by Rosamund Pike. She plays Amy, a woman who goes missing, and the nationwide search for her seems to point to her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) as the culprit for her disappearance. With Nick vehemently denying his involvement and the media scrutiny building, he tries desperately to figure out where she went.
The film is adapted from Gillian Flynn’s smash-hit novel and is told by two narrators, as audiences get Nick and Amy’s side of the situation. The twist is a breathtaking one, as Amy is one of the most complex characters found on page and screen. Gone Girl earned rave reviews and made $370 million at the box office. Pike was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)
Joel and Ethan Coen have been making films for decades, many of which have been critically acclaimed. Arguably, their best film is No Country for Old Men, the 2007 thriller that won the Oscar for Best Picture. The film is based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy and stars Tommy Lee Jones as a county sheriff in Texas, Josh Brolin as a hunter who comes across a bag of cash in the wilderness, and Javier Bardem as a psychotic hitman.
The film drips with intensity, which is fascinating because none of the three main stars ever actually meet on screen. The movie connects the three of them, as they try to meet up to discuss this floating bag of money. The chase of Bardem’s Anton Chigurh to find Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss is riveting. Bardem’s portrayal is one of the best villains of the past 25 years. He won an Academy Award for his role, and the cold, calculating killer’s line deliveries are iconic, creeping out audiences for years.
‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)
David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive is widely recognized as one of the best films of the past 25 years. The New York Times recently rated it as the second-best movie of the 21st century. It is an incredibly trippy film, and it’s hard to tell what’s really happening at any given moment. Naomi Watts stars as an aspiring actress looking for her big break. She meets Laura Herring’s amnesiac, and Watts tries to help her remember who she is. That right there highlights just how unsure anyone can be that what they’re watching is actually true.
In another plotline, Justin Theroux is a director trying to cast his next film, but the mob wants to have its say. The movie shifts, but the performances are fantastic. Watts and Herring were lauded for their performances, as they encapsulated the twisted tale that Lynch spun. Mulholland Drive should not just be read about. It needs to be experienced.
‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)
Adam Sandler has had some great dramatic performances. Obviously known for his comedy, films like Reign Over Me and The Meyerowitz Stories have showcased his talents. But nothing has done so like Uncut Gems. Sandler is a force of nature in the film directed by the Safdie brothers. He plays Howard Ratner, a New York jeweler with a gambling addiction. He borrows money from a loan shark to buy a rare opal and hopes to sell it for much more than the money he’s owed. He believes it’s going to get him out of his debts and square him up with everyone he owes.
As the movie unfolds, it becomes obvious that things might not go as cut and dry as Howard hopes. The final act of the film is chaotic and intense, and by the time the film ends, nobody can possibly feel good. Audiences want to root for Sandler’s Ratner. But it’s hard to, and Sandler’s charms are perfect for the role. The role won him an Independent Spirit Award.
‘Prisoners’ (2013)
The thought of a child going missing is the most gut-wrenching thought a parent can have. That’s the premise of Prisoners, where parents Maria Bello and Hugh Jackman experience this horrifying event. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective assigned to the missing person’s case. Terrence Howard and Viola Davis as friends of the family. As the investigation plays out, Jackman starts to think about taking matters into his own hands.
The film comes from dramatic master Denis Villeneuve and a script by Aaron Guzikowski. Gyllenhaal is terrific as a neurotic cop. Jackman bears his soul as a panicked father searching for answers. Paul Dano is great as a person who Jackman is convinced had something to do with the disappearance. The final twist of the film needs to be seen to be believed. Audiences will have a hard time forgetting it after watching.
