The appeal of thriller films goes back many, many decades of film production. Groundbreaking filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, Brian De Palma, and David Fincher tweaked the rules and marked their eras as personal displays of the genre, laying out the blueprint for future thrillers. As much as it changes, the basics remain untouched, and everyone loves a good thrill.
As it happens with every other genre, the conversations about the best thrillers usually revolve around the same movies. North by Northwest, Chinatown, Se7en, Touch of Evil, and The Silence of the Lambs are some of the movies everyone hails as the best ever made, and they've become embedded in popular culture as such. But there's a whole world beyond the most popular ones—underrated thriller films that are as appealing as the favorites but which may have gone under the radar. Fortunately, streaming service Tubi has made these available for you to stream for free.
10 The Pledge (2001)
The Pledge
The Pledge follows a retiring detective who becomes deeply invested in solving the murder of a young girl, pledging to bring the perpetrator to justice despite growing complexities and personal toll. The film delicately balances themes of duty, obsession, and the search for truth, providing a compelling narrative set against a backdrop of moral ambiguity.
- Release Date
- January 19, 2001
- Cast
- Jack Nicholson , Helen Mirren , Aaron Eckhart , Robin Wright , Sam Shepard , Benicio Del Toro , Patricia Clarkson , Mickey Rourke , Vanessa Redgrave , Lois Smith , Eileen Ryan , Costas Mandylor , Harry Dean Stanton , Tom Noonan , Beau Daniels , Dale Dickey , Wendy Donaldson , Adrien Dorval , Shawn Henter , Michael O'Keefe , Kathy Jensen , Taryn Knowles
In The Pledge, a police detective named Jerry Black is celebrating during the eve of his retirement. However, a horrible murder interrupts the party, and Jerry is forced to investigate and find the little girl's killer. After Jerry realizes the police have caught the wrong suspect, he goes deeper into a conspiracy that will prove too hard for him to handle.
A Box Office Bomb That Gets Better With Time
Directed by Sean Penn, The Pledge stars Jack Nicholson in one of his great performances of the 21st century. The film was a box office bomb, but critics have seen in Nicholson enough of a reason to revisit it and give it the status it deserves. It's a bleak yet superb example of the "crime thriller" subgenre led by one of the best actors in Hollywood.
9 Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
- Release Date
- August 2, 1978
Eyes of Laura Mars follows a fashion photographer whose art is extremely controversial, even in 1970s New York City. However, Laura's run is cut short when she begins having visions of horrific crimes before they take place. It doesn't take long for her to realize she's able to see through a serial killer's eyes.
An Unrecognized "Slasher" Film
The same year he made Halloween, John Carpenter co-wrote this very underrated thriller with David Zelag Goodman. Directed by Irvin Kershner (of The Empire Strikes Back fame), Eyes of Laura Mars is a riveting American response to Italian giallo and a pretty successful film of its time. Its cast is one of the best in '70s horror: Faye Dunaway, Raul Julia, Tommy Lee Jones, and Brad Dourif, among others.
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8 Running Scared (2006)
- Release Date
- January 6, 2006
Running Scared follows Joey Gazelle, a minion in a New Jersey mobster family who finds himself in a pickle when he loses a very important gun that could be crucial evidence in a police corruption case. Joey, whose real role is ultimately revealed in the film, finds himself in a race against time, gangs, and police, to find the single piece of evidence that could save him.
A Unique Crime Thriller
Reminiscent of films like Snatch and Pulp Fiction, Running Scared is a great thriller that checks every box in the genre and still manages to be a very original film. Led by the late Paul Walker, the film's catalog of shady characters will leave you wishing they each had their own spin-off.
7 1BR (2019)
In 1BR, a young woman named Sarah moves to Los Angeles to follow her dreams of becoming a costume designer. Contrary to all expectations, Sarah finds a one-bedroom apartment in a complex where people are extremely friendly. It doesn't take long for her to realize she may have fallen in a lion's den.
The Most Obscure One is One of the Best
Directed by newcomer David Marmor, the film is an excellent approach to a horror thriller mashup with a "safe" start that transcends into a very dark execution of the "hysterical female" trope. What happens to Sarah is an unimaginable ordeal that the director forces within the lines of the realistic and the possible.
6 Side Effects (2013)
- Release Date
- February 7, 2013
Side Effects is the story of Emily Taylor, a New Yorker who tries her best to commit suicide. The antidepressants assigned by Jonathan, her psychiatrist, aren't enough, and one night, she stabs her husband to death while sleepwalking. After Emily gets acquitted of the murder, Jonathan finds that she may be hiding a darker secret.
A Nifty and Underseen Thriller
Undoubtedly one of Steven Soderbergh's best thrillers, the film stars a near-perfect cast that includes Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Ann Dowd, Channing Tatum, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It was a box office hit, and it received critical acclaim. Nevertheless, this spotless execution of the thriller genre is often overshadowed by Soderbergh's other "friendlier" movies.
5 The Good Son (1993)
The Good Son
In The Good Son, 12-year-old Mark Evans is forced to spend the winter break with his father's family after his mother dies. At first, Mark connects with his cousin, Henry, and they hit it off. But then, Henry shows his true nature: he's a very young sociopath who indulges in a whole lot of killing.
How to Get Rid of a Typecast
The film was Macaulay Culkin's endeavor to get rid of the "sweet boy" typecast (he plays Henry) that he had acquired worldwide with Home Alone. The result is a pretty effective thriller that has no boundaries in showing children in peril and being extremely violent. While it stars two young boys, it's far from being suitable for kids.
4 Hush (1998)
In Hush, Helen and Jackson are a New York City couple who get married in a rush after they find out Helen is pregnant. Jackson's mother, Martha, isn't very open to the idea of Jackson starting his own family, so she begins showing her true nature as one of cinema's worst mothers-in-law.
An Underrated 1990s Thriller
Starring Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Johnathon Schaech, the film had every potential to get the attention of audiences back in 1998, but it failed to gain back its production budget when it bombed at the box office. However, its extremely simple premise is effectively conducted by good performers and a linear script whose only flaw is not being darker when landing a few blows.
3 The Conspiracy (2012)
- Release Date
- August 23, 2012
- Director
- Christopher MacBride
- Cast
- Aaron Poole , James Gilbert , Ian Anderson , Peter Apostolopoulos , Roger Beck , Bruce Clayton
The Conspiracy follows Aaron and Jim, two filmmakers who start a project that doesn't initially seem very serious when they document a conspiracy theorist whose claims sound like a joke. The problem is that Terrance G. disappears without a trace, and the filmmakers are baffled. When they start studying the clues Terrance left, they notice something about his claims.
This small found footage thriller depends absolutely on the tone that's accomplished in the second half when the film acknowledges that the world it's depicting is actually real. The third act sees Aaron and Jim entering a secret event hosted by sketchy characters, and The Conspiracy quickly transcends into a terrifying thriller.
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2 Wicker Park (2004)
- Release Date
- September 3, 2004
Wicker Park is the story of Matt Simon, a young executive who randomly finds out that the woman he loved, and who vanished without a trace, is alive. He begins following her steps, only to find out the Lisa he has found is not the same Lisa he met before. As he goes deeper into what can only be described as a conspiracy, he unravels the game designed by a clever woman whose only goal is to keep (the real) Lisa and Matt apart.
What's Beyond Obsession?
Inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Wicker Park is a modern adaptation of a nightmarish situation that, if you really think about it, could happen to anyone. Starring Josh Hartnett, Diane Kruger, Rose Byrne, and Matthew Lillard, the film was a box office bomb that many felt was inconsistent, largely thanks to its troubled production.
1 A Horrible Way to Die (2010)
- Release Date
- September 14, 2010
Adam Wingard's A Horrible Way to Dieis the story of Sarah, a recovering alcoholic who has decided her life needs a fresh start after her boyfriend is discovered to be a serial killer and put in prison. However, Garrick escapes from police custody and goes on a murder rampage with a final objective: to find Sarah.
It Could Happen
A Horrible Way to Die made a big splash at Fantastic Fest 2010, and it circulated through the indie community before being released on home video. Regardless, it's a very distressing thriller experience that, halfway through, completely changes the angle of its story in one of those memorable plot twists that reeks of a screenwriting genius. Trust us when we say you won't be able to guess where this very underrated thriller goes.
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