So what defines a good thriller movie? A horror film is more likely to be called such if it is too terrifying. It became an action picture because it was too heroic. It's challenging to navigate this delicate balance. In that hazy in-between ground, the best thriller movies seem to thrive. Despite their ominous tone, they are packed with exciting plot twists.
Take a look at the best thriller movies in 2025, for instance. Both "Presence" and "Black Bag" were directed by Steven Soderbergh. Both are family dramas with a horror twist, but one is more like a Mr. and Mrs. Smith than a spy flick. Both films, while bordering on action and horror, excel as suspenseful thrillers. Last Breath with Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu, Bring Them Down starring Christopher Abbot and Barry Keoghan, and Opus, an independent success starring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich, are just a few of the thrilling submissions this year. And this is just the beginning of the roster of the best thriller movies of 2025!
Ronth
The latest police procedural from writer-director Shahi Kabir, Ronth, draws on Kabir's extensive experience in the field. Nighttime patrol finds two officers, newbie Dinanath (Roshan Mathew) and veteran Yohannan (Dileesh Pothan), encountering and smoothing out several wrinkles until their (and our) luck runs out. The gradual burn reaches full blaze in the last act, making it a masterclass in rhythm and world-building. This is one of the best new thriller movie to watch!
Where to watch: JioHotstar
The Gorge
A young lady, portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy, sets out on a perilous adventure in The Gorge as she explores a mysterious canyon with a reputation for lethal charm. As she searches for long-forgotten truths, she finds herself caught in a complex web of paranormal and psychological influences, where the lines between truth and delusion begin to blur. A race against the clock ensues as danger lurks around every turn. This is one of the best thriller movies to watch!
Where to watch: AppleTV
Companion
In Companion, Jack Quaid portrays a disturbed man who has an app on his phone that controls his artificial intelligence lover, Sophie Thatcher. When his new AI companion learns to regulate her IQ and hostility, their relationship takes a nosedive. This is an amazing cautionary tale about the unchecked power of AI! It is chillingly relevant. Truly, one of the best thriller movies to watch!
Where to watch: Amazon Prime video
Presence
A married couple, Rebekah (Lucy Liu) and Chris Payne (Chris Sullivan), deal with the burdens of raising two teenagers and other issues in their lives. Rebekah (Lucy Liu) and Chris Payne (Chris Sullivan) experience a fresh start when they move to a new house, but they swiftly discover that it lacks tranquilly. Ty (Eddy Maday) battles with an explosive temper, while Chloe (Callina Liang), their daughter, is mourning the death of a dear friend. A 'presence' in the home, which no one can explain, adds to the family's problems and threatens to break their already tenuous relationships. One of the best new thriller movies to watch!
Where to watch: Amazon Prime video
Stay Online
In Stay Online, we follow the story of Liza Zaitseva, a young lady who volunteers in Kyiv and receives a laptop as a gift to aid the war effort in Ukraine. A little child unwillingly asks her for assistance after he gets an enigmatic video call, claiming that his father went missing during the Russian invasion of Bucha. She sets off on a perilous journey, putting her loved ones in jeopardy as she seeks answers.
Where to watch: AppleTV
Opus
Opus, starring Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) and John Malkovich, is an independent thriller about a writer who goes to the isolated estate of a famous pop artist to find out what happened to them when they vanished from the spotlight 30 years ago. Her predicament is far more terrifying than she had anticipated. This is one of the best thriller movies of 2025!
Where to watch: AppleTV
Stolen
In its chaotic narrative, Stolen weaves its urban look and blind spots into what is essentially a deconstructed survival thriller. Actor Abhishek Banerjee performs his career as a city dweller caught up in a web of rural decline, who worries about eating like the wealthy. But his spiral is unlike any other. Even more so, the character seems ashamed and ill-prepared as she diverts the focus from the real heroine, a mother from a lower caste whose infant is abducted from a train station. Stolen humanises the genre by not passing judgment on any of the Indians it traverses; otherwise, the film might have easily fallen into urban-saviour clichés. On top of that, it's a polished and scathing critique of how we react to these kinds of stories.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime video