Thrillers The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time  

Ranker Film
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List Rules Psychological thriller movies and psychological horror films only--no slasher flicks

What are the best and scariest psychological thrillers and psychological horror  movies of all time? If you consider yourself a fan of psychological thrillers, browse through this list of the scariest psychological thrillers of all time to find a movie that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat the entire time. Listed in order of the most popular scariest psychological thrillers to the least popular , you can easily see which scary psychological horror movie was good enough to earn top ranking. If a particular favorite is on the bottom of the list, go ahead and vote for it so that it can be raised higher on the list.

If you know of a great psychological thriller that isn’t listed, add it to the list so that others can begin watching it too. Horror movies with plenty of blood and gore are fairly easy to find, but it can sometimes be difficult to find just the right scary movie that has more of a psychological plot. With this handy list, you will be able to pick some great psychological thrillers and psychological horror movies for a scary movie marathon.

Movies like Sixth Sense and the Secret Window keep the viewer guessing until the end, with plenty of thrills along the way. And, there are many other great psychological thrillers to choose from as well. Go ahead and look through the list. You may just find a new favorite for the best psychological horror or thriller movie that you’ll never tire of watching!
list ordered by

1
1,651 417
The Silence of the Lambs is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best and Scariest 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
1,384 428
The Shining is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best and Scariest 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

3
1,215 368
Seven is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best and Scariest 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

4
815 283
Psycho is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
oldrocker added 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 taking money from ...more

5
728 258
Misery is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
gigantricks added 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

6
565 171
The Exorcist is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added 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

7
607 193
The Sixth Sense is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added 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 (Haley Joel Osment), a troubled, isolated boy who ...more

8
766 372
The Others is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
MarialVadskaer 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

9
774 367
Sinister is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
MarialVadskaer added Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Fred Thompson Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. It stars Ethan Hawke as fictional true writer Ellison Oswalt who ...more

10
375 156
Rosemary's Baby is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added Mia Farrow, Tony Curtis, John Cassavetes Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the bestselling 1967 novel of the same name by Ira Levin. The cast includes Mia ...more

11
704 340
The Ring is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Naomi Watts, Pauley Perrette, Brian Cox The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring, which was based on the novel Ring ...more

12
318 126
The Thing is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added Kurt Russell, Keith David, John Carpenter The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a ...more

13
418 205
Donnie Darko is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added Drew Barrymore, Ashley Tisdale, Jake Gyllenhaal Donnie Darko is a 2001 American supernatural drama film written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena ...more

14
459 238
Carrie is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
gigantricks added John Travolta, Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie arrie is a 1976 American supernatural horror film based on Stephen King's first major 1974 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and written by Lawrence D. Cohen. The ...more

15
419 213
Jacob's Ladder is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Macaulay Culkin, Tim Robbins, Jason Alexander Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 American psychological horror film directed by Adrian Lyne, written and produced by Bruce Joel Rubin and starring Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña and Danny Aiello. ...more

16
257 118
Zodiac is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added 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. Zodiac tells the story of the manhunt for a person ...more

17
449 230
1408 is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
KaseyStieber added Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack, Kate Walsh 1408 is a 2007 American psychological horror film based on the Stephen King 1999 short story of the same name directed by Swedish director Mikael Håfström. The movie stars John ...more

18
290 138
Frailty is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
MarialVadskaer added 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

19
404 207
Red Dragon is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton Red Dragon is a 2002 American psychological thriller film based on Thomas Harris' novel of the same name. It is a prequel to The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. The novel was originally ...more

20
469 251
Requiem for a Dream is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best and Scariest 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

21
358 189
What Lies Beneath is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
MarialVadskaer added Michelle Pfeiffer, Harrison Ford, Amber Valletta What Lies Beneath is a 2000 American psychological thriller film directed by Robert Zemeckis. It is the first film by ImageMovers. It stars Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a well-to-do ...more

22
509 301
Black Swan is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best and Scariest 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

23
385 177
The Strangers is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Liv Tyler, Gemma Ward, Scott Speedman The Strangers is a 2008 American horror film written and directed by Bryan Bertino and starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a young couple who are terrorized by three masked assailants, who ...more

24
427 206
The Machinist is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best and Scariest 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

25
218 91
No Country for Old Men is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best and Scariest 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. Mayhem ensue after a hunter (Josh Brolin) ...more

26
209 101
What Ever Happened to Baby Jan... is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
gigantricks added Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Robert Aldrich What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a 1962 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford about an actress who holds her ...more

27
208 88
Cape Fear is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added 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
586 388
The Babadook is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Sploich added Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman The Babadook is a 2014 Australian psychological horror film, written and directed by Jennifer Kent, in which a woman and her son are tormented by a "boogie-man" type monster. The film ...more

29
323 200
The Omen is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
MarialVadskaer added Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Mia Farrow The Omen is a 2006 remake of Richard Donner's The Omen. Directed by John Moore and written by David Seltzer, the film stars Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber, and Mia Farrow. It was released ...more

30
168 73
Rear Window is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added 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. Originally released by Paramount ...more

31
310 185
The Bone Collector is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
MarialVadskaer 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 novel ...more

32
311 178
Hard Candy is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Ellen Page, Sandra Oh, Patrick Wilson Hard Candy is a 2005 vigilante thriller film focusing on the a 14-year-old female vigilante. The film was directed by David Slade, written by Brian Nelson, and starred Ellen Page and Patrick ...more

33
312 180
The Game is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best and Scariest 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

34
424 235
The Butterfly Effect is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
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. The title refers to the butterfly effect, a popular ...more

35
269 154
Taxi Driver is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best and Scariest 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

36
232 157
One Hour Photo is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
willyboymcoy added Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Clark Gregg One Hour Photo is a 2002 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, and Eriq La Salle. ...more

37
307 170
Cube is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Nicole de Boer, Julian Richings, David Hewlett Cube is a 1997 Canadian science fiction psychological horror film, directed and co-written by Vincenzo Natali. The film was a successful product of the Canadian Film Centre's First Feature

38
158 89
Fallen is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
arun added Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland Fallen is a 1998 American fantasy action film directed by Gregory Hoblit, and starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman and Donald Sutherland. It was the only Turner Pictures film to receive an R ...more

39
203 121
The Uninvited is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
OscarLedezmaEscamilla added Elizabeth Banks, Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel The Uninvited is a 2009 American psychological horror film directed by the Guard Brothers, and starring Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel and David Strathairn. It is a remake of ...more

40
143 73
Fatal Attraction is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Jane Krakowski This film 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 who has a ...more

41
184 113
Copycat is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Harry Connick Copycat is a 1995 American psychological thriller, starring Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter and Dermot Mulroney. The film was directed by Jon Amiel, with a score composed by Christopher Young.

42
217 151
Hide and Seek is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
OscarLedezmaEscamilla added Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Janssen Hide and Seek is a 2005 American horror film starring Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning. It was directed by John Polson. The film opened in the United States on January 28, 2005 and was a ...more

43
200 109
Scream is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Courteney Cox Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette. Released on ...more

44
118 58
Vertigo is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added 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

45
276 178
Secret Window is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best and Scariest 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

46
114 62
When a Stranger Calls is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Rachel Roberts When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 psychological horror film. It was directed by Fred Walton and stars Carol Kane and Charles Durning. The film derives its story from the classic folk legend of ...more

47
155 100
Hostel is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
Julie MamaSpitta Parks added Eli Roth, Ashley Robbins, Jay Hernandez Hostel is a 2005 American horror film written, produced, and directed by Eli Roth and starring Jay Hernandez. The film tells the story of two college students traveling across Europe, who find ...more

48
161 107
Disturbia is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
persongee added Shia LaBeouf, Viola Davis, Carrie-Anne Moss Disturbia is a 2007 American thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso. The film follows a teenager (Shia LaBeouf) who is placed on house arrest and begins to spy on his neighbors, thinking one of ...more

49
134 90
High Tension is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
gigantricks added Cécile de France, Philippe Nahon, Maïwenn Besco High Tension is a 2003 French psychological suspense and slasher film that was later released in 2004 in the UK and 2005 in the US and Canada. The film, directed by Alexandre Aja, stars ...more

50
120 72
Joy Ride is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best and Scariest Psychological Thrillers of All Time
but chickens double d added Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, Walton Goggins Joy Ride, also known as Roadkill, is a 2001 American thriller road film. The film was written by J. J. Abrams and Clay Tarver and directed by John Dahl and starring Steve Zahn, Paul Walker and ...more