If they pull off this balancing act, they can be simultaneously unsettling, insightful, and highly entertaining.
With this in mind, this list considers some of the thrillers that cinephiles justhaveto see.
Im an advertising man, not a red herring.
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What follows is one ofAlfred Hitchcock’s most entertaining stories - and one which has aged remarkably well.
Sure, some scenes strain credulity, but that’s part of the fun.
9’Chinatown' (1974)
Directed by Roman Polanski
“Forget it, Jake.
Image via MGM
From here,the film morphs into a broader study of power, cynicism, and moral decay.
Although set in the 1930s,Chinatownworks as a commentary on the malaise and disillusionment of Watergate-era America.
Aside from the themes, the movie is simply entertaining, with a suspenseful atmosphere and ever-ratcheting tension.
Robert Towne’s Oscar-winning screenplay is sharp and memorable, handing the stars many quotable liens.
The period recreation is also terrific, down to the costumes, homes, and classic cars.
Originally released in 1974, Chinatown is an American neo-noir mystery movie starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
The events that follow test his loyalty to his friend, as well as his survival skills.
I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
The lynchpin of the film is the towering performance by Hopkins, easily ranking among cinema’sall-time finest villains.
He’s complemented byJonathan Demme’s taut, confident direction and a killer score by the legendaryHoward Shore.
Indeed,The 39 Stepscontains flashes ofthe grander Hitchcock masterpiecesthat would follow.
I need to stand there.
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I need to look him in the eye.
“Zodiacchronicles the real-life investigation into the Zodiac Killer, who terrorized San Francisco in the 1960s and 70s.
The case drags on without resolution, causing their lives to unravel, consumed by the mystery.
Originally released in 1974, Chinatown is an American neo-noir mystery movie starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Its story was inspired by the California water wars, a series of conflicts between the city of Los Angeles and the people of Owen’s Valley around the beginning of the twentieth century. The movie received 11 Academy Award nominations in total, with Robert Towne winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
He hasdescribedthe Zodiac as “the ultimate boogeyman.”
Its ideas are only more relevant now.
Hackman rises to the occasion with one of his most restrained and compelling performances.
For this reason, it’s one of his most personal projects.
The films unique narrative structure immerses viewers in Leonard’s fragmented experience, creating a tense, disorienting journey.
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife’s murderer.
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Christina’s guilt and fear intensify, and she begins to suspect that Michel may still be alive.
Although it opened to mixed reviews,Les Diaboliqueshas since been canonized as a thriller classic.
It was deeply influential, with countless movies borrowing its ideas and style.
Even Hitchcock himself took a few notes.
While most thrillers from the 1950s feel completely dated now, this one still hits hard.
1’Psycho' (1960)
“We all go a little mad sometimes.”
Image via Orion Pictures
No list of essential thrillers would be complete withoutPsycho, the genre’sCitizen Kane.
Marions fate takes a shocking turn, setting off a terrifying chain of events.
The story is similarly creative, famously killing off the apparent main character early on.
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
For all these reasons and more,Psychorepresents the pinnacle of the genre.
This remake stays true to the original’s plot while updating the setting and style for a modern audience.
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Between 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.
Image via Paramount Pictures
A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.
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A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife’s murderer.
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Set in a boarding school, a psychological thriller unfolds as two women, the wife and mistress of the school’s tyrannical principal, plot to murder him. Their plan, executed under the cover of darkness, spirals into chaos when his body mysteriously vanishes, leading to a tense and eerie investigation.
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A psychological horror film retelling the story of Marion Crane, who steals a significant amount of money and seeks refuge at the remote Bates Motel. The motel is run by the enigmatic Norman Bates, whose peculiar behavior hints at deeper, more sinister secrets. As Marion becomes entangled in the unsettling environment of the motel, she faces terrifying revelations that lead to a shocking conclusion. This remake stays true to the original’s plot while updating the setting and style for a modern audience.