Best Movies The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time  

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Ranker Video The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time

A list of the best psychological thrillers of all time, ranked by fans who may or may not be trying to mess with your head! Though a variety of definitions for the "psychological thriller" genre have been offered, there is no universally accepted set of guidelines. In general, psychological thrillers integrate personal character elements into mystery and suspense films, essentially toeing the line between a dramatic character study and the sort of plot structure you'd expect from a detective movie. With that in mind, what do you think are the best psychological thriller movies? Could some even be considered the best thriller movies ever?

Many of the top psychological thrillers resemble traditional thrillers or suspense films, only with a personal, internal antagonist rather than a traditional movie villain. (For example, Repulsion or The Conversation, in which the plot is moved forward by the main character's growing paranoia and madness.) In many films of this type, the solution to the main character's conflict comes in the form of altering their perspective or discovering some buried truth about themselves and their past, rather than winning a fight or battling an opponent.

Many psychological thrillers play around with the main character's back story, or make use of an unreliable narrator. Films like Christopher Nolan's Memento present the audience with one perspective on the story, and then generate suspense by showing the ways in which "reality" contrasts to this perspective. (This sometimes, but not always, results in a "twist" or surprise ending based on the difference between the main character's perception and that of outside observers.) Several Alfred Hitchcock movies utilize this technique, particularly movies like Spellbound and Marnie, in which the story concerns a character becoming mentally well after years of madness and confusion.

This list contains the best thriller movies of all time. It is open and vote ranked, so be sure to vote for your favorites and add any other movies that may be missing at the bottom of the page. Got an opinion on great thriller movies? Vote for your favorite psychological suspense movies ever! And, if you love scary material, check out this list of the best current crime shows as well. 

list ordered by

1
10,482 2,197
The Silence of the Lambs is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Chris Isaak The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres. Directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Scott ...more

2
9,111 1,894
Seven is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Morgan Freeman Seven is a 1995 American psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher. The film stars Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, with Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, John C. McGinley, and Kevin ...more

3
6,952 2,201
The Sixth Sense is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Bruce Willis, Mischa Barton, Haley Joel Osment The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American supernatural thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear, a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and ...more

4
5,945 1,360
The Shining is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers The Shining is a 1980 British-American psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, ...more

5
8,234 2,010
Shutter Island is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo Shutter Island is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel of the same name. Production started in March 2008. ...more

6
5,464 2,166
Memento is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan. The screenplay was written by Nolan based on his younger brother Jonathan Nolan's short story ...more

7
4,826 1,464
Psycho is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Alfred Hitchcock, Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins Psycho is a 1960 American horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film centers on an encounter between a secretary, Marion Crane, who ends up at a secluded motel after stealing money from ...more

8
7,071 2,166
Fight Club is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Brad Pitt, Jared Leto, Helena Bonham Carter Fight Club is a 1999 film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher, and stars Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton ...more

9
4,507 1,387
The Usual Suspects is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Kevin Spacey, Benicio del Toro, Gabriel Byrne The Usual Suspects is a 1995 German-American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del ...more

10
5,778 1,721
Inception is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard Inception is a 2010 science fiction heist thriller film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film stars a large ensemble cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, ...more

11
3,924 1,014
Misery is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Lauren Bacall, Kathy Bates, James Caan Misery is a 1990 American psychological thriller film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name and starring James Caan, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Richard Farnsworth, and Frances ...more

12
2,553 1,133
Rear Window is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Grace Kelly, James Stewart, Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window is a 1954 American mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by John Michael Hayes based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder". ...more

13
3,571 1,436
American Psycho is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Reese Witherspoon, Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe American Psycho is a 2000 American psychological thriller comedy film co-written and directed by Mary Harron, based on Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel of the same name. It stars Christian Bale, ...more

14
2,070 1,014
Vertigo is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
James Stewart, Kim Novak, Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo is a 1958 American psychological thriller film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock. The story was based on the 1954 novel D'entre les morts by Boileau-Narcejac. The screenplay was ...more

15
2,986 1,210
The Game is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Sean Penn, Michael Douglas, Spike Jonze The Game is a 1997 American mystery thriller film directed by David Fincher, starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, and produced by Propaganda Films and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. It tells ...more

16
3,528 1,645
Black Swan is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller-horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, and Mila Kunis. The plot revolves around a production ...more

17
2,257 1,071
Taxi Driver is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Martin Scorsese Taxi Driver is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in New York City soon after the end of the Vietnam War, the film ...more

18
3,642 1,024
Gone Girl is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
ryanmcw added Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry Gone Girl is a 2014 American psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher and adapted by Gillian Flynn from her 2012 novel of the same name. It stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Set ...more

19
1,772 933
Fatal Attraction is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Jane Krakowski Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer. The film centers on a married Manhattan man ...more

20
2,057 722
Primal Fear is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Edward Norton, Richard Gere, Laura Linney Primal Fear is a 1996 American neo-noir crime-thriller film, based on William Diehl's 1993 novel of the same name and directed by Gregory Hoblit. The film tells the story of Chicago defense ...more

21
2,813 1,113
Zodiac is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo Zodiac is a 2007 American mystery-thriller film directed by David Fincher and based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction book of the same name. The Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. joint ...more

22
2,027 882
Mystic River is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
AndrewW.Curley added Emmy Rossum, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon Mystic River is a 2003 American mystery drama film directed and scored by Clint Eastwood. It stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. ...more

23
2,416 996
The Machinist is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Ironside The Machinist is a 2004 English-language Spanish psychological thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Scott Kosar. The film stars Christian Bale with Jennifer Jason Leigh, John ...more

24
2,293 723
No Country for Old Men is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American neo-western neo-noir thriller film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter ...more

25
2,019 599
The Others is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
drkaramaniac added Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Michelle Fairley The Others is a 2001 horror-thriller film written, directed and scored by Alejandro Amenábar. It stars Nicole Kidman and Fionnula Flanagan. It won eight Goya Awards, including awards for ...more

26
1,924 697
Identity is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
ChangesDownClub added Amanda Peet, John Cusack, Alfred Molina Identity is a 2003 American psychological thriller film directed by James Mangold from a screenplay written by Michael Cooney. The film stars John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, ...more

27
1,654 620
Cape Fear is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange Cape Fear is a 1991 American psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and a remake of the 1962 film of the same name. It stars Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and ...more

28
1,554 883
The Talented Mr. Ripley is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1999 American psychological thriller written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella. An adaptation of the 1955 Patricia Highsmith novel of the same name, ...more

29
1,273 712
Falling Down is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Robert Duvall, Michael Douglas, Tuesday Weld Falling Down is a 1993 drama film directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Ebbe Roe Smith. The film stars Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster, a divorcé and unemployed ...more

30
1,651 831
Oldboy is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Oh Dal-su Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean mystery thriller neo-noir film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. ...more

31
2,741 1,041
The Butterfly Effect is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
ChangesDownClub added Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Logan Lerman The Butterfly Effect is a 2004 American psychological thriller film that was written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, starring Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart. The title refers to ...more

32
1,409 922
Mulholland Drive is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Naomi Watts, Billy Ray Cyrus, Melissa George Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir mystery film written and directed by David Lynch and starring Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, and Justin Theroux. It tells the story of an aspiring ...more

33
1,037 605
Dial M for Murder is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Grace Kelly, Alfred Hitchcock, Ray Milland Dial M for Murder is a 1954 3-D American crime thriller film in Warnercolor directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. The screenplay and the ...more

34
1,319 685
Insomnia is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
ChangesDownClub added Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank Insomnia is a 2002 American crime thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank. It tells the story of two Los Angeles homicide detectives ...more

35
940 642
The Manchurian Candidate is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury, Janet Leigh The Manchurian Candidate is a 1962 American Cold War suspense thriller directed by John Frankenheimer that stars Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh and co-stars Angela Lansbury, ...more

36
1,638 417
The Exorcist is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Max von Sydow, Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name. The book, inspired by the 1949 ...more

37
1,617 565
Red Dragon is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
KeshanHareshu added Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton Red Dragon is a 2002 American psychological thriller film based on Thomas Harris' novel of the same name, featuring psychiatrist and serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. It is a prequel to The ...more

38
1,810 510
Prisoners is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello Prisoners is a 2013 crime drama thriller film written by Aaron Guzikowski and directed by Denis Villeneuve.

39
1,232 406
12 Monkeys is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
jared-telsa added Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Christopher Plummer 12 Monkeys, also known as Twelve Monkeys, is a 1995 American science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam, inspired by Chris Marker's 1962 short film La Jetée, and starring Bruce ...more

40
695 594
Rebecca is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Laurence Olivier, Alfred Hitchcock, Joan Fontaine Rebecca is a 1940 American psychological thriller-drama film. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it was his first American project, and his first film produced under contract with David O. Selznick. ...more

41
1,147 248
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nes... is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
DonnyCillianoMcCarthyMcCarth added Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 drama film written by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman and directed by Miloš Forman.

42
1,058 496
Stir of Echoes is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Jennifer Morrison, Kevin Bacon, Illeana Douglas Stir of Echoes is a supernatural horror-thriller released in the US in 1999, starring Kevin Bacon and directed by David Koepp. The film is loosely based on the novel A Stir of Echoes by Richard ...more

43
1,283 636
Secret Window is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Johnny Depp, Maria Bello, John Turturro Secret Window is a 2004 American psychological thriller film starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro. It was written and directed by David Koepp, based on the novella Secret Window, Secret Garden ...more

44
1,670 502
Hannibal is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins Hannibal is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. It is the sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The ...more

45
1,491 986
Signs is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
AndrewW.Curley added Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Abigail Breslin Signs is a 2002 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Executive producers for the film comprised Shyamalan, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and Sam ...more

46
1,542 542
Requiem for a Dream is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Jennifer Connelly, Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn Requiem for a Dream is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans. The film is based on ...more

47
1,029 510
Frailty is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe Frailty is a 2002 psychological thriller film, directed by and starring Bill Paxton, and co-starring Matthew McConaughey. It marks Paxton's directorial debut. The plot focuses on the strange ...more

48
1,043 351
The Bone Collector is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
ImaadShahrukh added Angelina Jolie, Denzel Washington, Queen Latifah The Bone Collector is a 1999 psychological thriller film starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, directed by Phillip Noyce and produced by Martin Bregman. The movie was based on the crime ...more

49
828 504
Mr. Brooks is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Demi Moore, Kevin Costner, Danielle Panabaker Mr. Brooks is a 2007 American psychological thriller film directed by Bruce A. Evans starring Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, and William Hurt. It was released on June 1, 2007. The film ...more

50
826 379
Unbreakable is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
looksharp added Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Unbreakable is a 2000 American superhero drama film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. The film tells the story of ...more