Amazon Prime has a great selection of thrillers available to stream with a Prime subscription. Here are my favourites, award winners, critically acclaimed and cult favourites.
WYALAN Ranked, Rated and Recommended
WYALAN star rating explained:
- 5 stars – Highly enjoyed and would highly recommend as a must watch
- 4 stars – Enjoyed and would watch again in the future
- 3 stars – Glad I watched it once, but I’ll probably never watch it again
- 2 stars – Watched to the end, but I wouldn’t watch it again
- 1 star – DNF (did not finish)
Fargo (1996) – Crime/Thriller
For fans of: No Country for Old Men, Wind River, The Killing
Frances McDormand won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and the Coen brothers took home Best Original Screenplay for this darkly comic Midwestern noir. WYALAN Rating – 5/5
Knives Out (2019) – Mystery/Thriller
For fans of: Clue, Gosford Park, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Saturn Award for Best Thriller Film for its sharp, satirical whodunnit. WYALAN Rating – 5/5
The Bourne Identity (2002) – Spy/Thriller
For fans of: Ronin, Jack Ryan, The Recruit
Won three Empire Awards including Best Actor for Matt Damon and Best Director for Doug Liman, launching a new era of grounded action thrillers. WYALAN Rating – 5/5
Reservoir Dogs (1992) – Crime/Thriller
For fans of: Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects, Killing Them Softly
Won the Critic’s Award at the Sitges Film Festival and became a cult classic for its nonlinear storytelling and razor-sharp dialogue. WYALAN Rating – 5/5
The Nice Guys (2016) – Comedy/Thriller
For fans of: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Inherent Vice, L.A. Confidential
Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling shine in Shane Black’s 1970s-set buddy mystery, praised for its sharp writing and chemistry. WYALAN Rating – 5/5
Award-Winning Thriller Films
The Lighthouse (2019) – Psychological/Horror
For fans of: The Witch, Eraserhead, The Shining
Willem Dafoe won Best Supporting Male at the Independent Spirit Awards, and the film received Best Cinematography at the same ceremony for its stark, surreal visuals.
Take Shelter (2011) – Psychological/Drama
For fans of: The Babadook, Martha Marcy May Marlene, A Serious Man
Michael Shannon’s performance earned Best Actor from the Chicago Film Critics Association, and the film won the Grand Prize at Cannes Critics’ Week.
The Ides of March (2011) – Political/Thriller
For fans of: House of Cards, The Contender, Michael Clayton
Won the Brian Award at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) – Crime/Drama
For fans of: A Simple Plan, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Drop
Sidney Lumet won Best Director at the San Sebastián International Film Festival for this tense, tragic tale of a robbery gone wrong.
Crash (2004) – Drama/Thriller
For fans of: Magnolia, Babel, Traffic
Won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing for its interwoven stories of race and redemption in Los Angeles.
Thelma & Louise (1991) – Crime/Drama
For fans of: Bonnie and Clyde, Promising Young Woman, Wild
Callie Khouri won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and both leads were nominated for Best Actress for their iconic road trip rebellion.
Ex Machina (2014) – Sci-Fi/Thriller
For fans of: Her, Annihilation, Under the Skin
Won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay, blending AI ethics with eerie intimacy.
Contagion (2011) – Medical/Thriller
For fans of: Outbreak, Children of Men, The Constant Gardener
Named AFI Movie of the Year and won Best Ensemble at the Hollywood Film Awards for its eerily prescient pandemic narrative.
Zodiac (2007) – Crime/Procedural
For fans of: Mindhunter, Se7en, Prisoners
Won Best Director from the Austin Film Critics Association and was named one of the top ten films of the year by the National Board of Review.
The Night of the Hunter (1955) – Noir/Thriller
For fans of: Cape Fear, The Innocents, The Third Man
Won Best Foreign Actor at the BAFTAs and is now considered a landmark in expressionist horror and Southern Gothic suspense.
The Constant Gardener (2005) – Political/Thriller
For fans of: Syriana, The Interpreter, The Quiet American
Rachel Weisz won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in this gripping tale of pharmaceutical corruption and personal loss.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) – Mystery/Thriller
For fans of: Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, The Snowman
Won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing and was nominated for four others, with Fincher’s icy adaptation praised for its atmosphere and intensity.
The Long Good Friday (1980) – Crime/Thriller
For fans of: Layer Cake, Sexy Beast, Get Carter
Nominated for multiple BAFTAs and won Best Actor at the Evening Standard British Film Awards for Bob Hoskins’ powerhouse performance.
The Wicker Man (1973) – Folk/Horror
For fans of: Midsommar, Apostle, The Ritual
Won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and remains a defining entry in British horror with its eerie pagan mystery.
Critically Acclaimed Thriller Films
The Cabin in the Woods (2012) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: Scream, Evil Dead, The Babadook
Drew Goddard’s genre-savvy deconstruction of horror tropes blends satire, gore, and cosmic dread, earning widespread critical acclaim for its originality.
The Invitation (2015) – Psychological/Thriller
For fans of: The Gift, Coherence, The Night House
A dinner party spirals into paranoia and dread in Karyn Kusama’s slow-burn thriller praised for its tension and final twist.
[REC] (2007) – Found Footage/Horror
For fans of: Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, Quarantine
This Spanish horror film set in a quarantined apartment building is considered one of the best found-footage thrillers of its era.
The Endless (2017) – Sci-Fi/Thriller
For fans of: Primer, Resolution, Annihilation
Two brothers return to a cult they escaped years earlier in this mind-bending indie praised for its ambition and eerie atmosphere.
The Strangers (2008) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: Hush, Funny Games, The Purge
A couple is terrorised by masked intruders in this minimalist home invasion thriller that became a sleeper hit with critics.
Lake Mungo (2008) – Psychological/Horror
For fans of: The Blair Witch Project, The Others, The Medium
This Australian mockumentary explores grief and supernatural mystery with haunting realism and emotional depth.
Eden Lake (2008) – Survival/Thriller
For fans of: The Descent, Straw Dogs, Them
A couple’s weekend getaway turns into a brutal fight for survival in this British thriller praised for its social commentary and intensity.
Triangle (2009) – Psychological/Thriller
For fans of: Timecrimes, Coherence, The Machinist
Melissa George stars in this time-loop thriller aboard a mysterious ship, lauded for its structure and eerie ambiguity.
Ronin (1998) – Action/Thriller
For fans of: Heat, The Bourne Identity, The French Connection
Robert De Niro leads a team of mercenaries in this gritty, European-set thriller known for its realistic car chases and espionage intrigue.
Margin Call (2011) – Drama/Thriller
For fans of: The Big Short, Glengarry Glen Ross, Inside Job
A financial firm faces collapse in this ensemble drama that earned critical acclaim for its performances and timely relevance.
The Ritual (2017) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: The Witch, The Descent, Blair Witch
A group of friends encounter ancient evil in the Swedish wilderness in this atmospheric thriller praised for its mood and creature design.
The Rover (2014) – Post-Apocalyptic/Thriller
For fans of: Mad Max, The Road, Children of Men
Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson star in this bleak, slow-burning thriller set in a collapsed future Australia.
Free Fire (2016) – Action/Thriller
For fans of: Reservoir Dogs, Shoot ’Em Up, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Ben Wheatley’s warehouse shootout comedy-thriller earned praise for its pacing, dialogue, and ensemble cast.
Pontypool (2008) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: The Signal, Coherence, The Thing
A radio host reports on a linguistic virus in this cerebral Canadian thriller praised for its concept and claustrophobic tension.
Attack the Block (2011) – Sci-Fi/Thriller
For fans of: Shaun of the Dead, Cloverfield, Super 8
Aliens invade a South London estate in this cult favourite praised for its energy, humour, and social edge.
The Guest (2014) – Mystery/Thriller
For fans of: Drive, It Follows, The Bourne Identity
Dan Stevens plays a mysterious visitor in this stylish, synth-scored thriller that earned strong reviews for its genre-blending flair.
Spy Game (2001) – Spy/Thriller
For fans of: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Body of Lies, The Recruit
Robert Redford and Brad Pitt star in this slick espionage drama praised for its pacing and flashback structure.
The Chaser (2008) – Crime/Thriller
For fans of: Memories of Murder, I Saw the Devil, Oldboy
This Korean thriller about a pimp tracking a serial killer was hailed for its suspense, performances, and social critique.
The Girl on the Train (2016) – Mystery/Thriller
For fans of: Gone Girl, The Woman in the Window, Sharp Objects
Emily Blunt’s performance anchors this adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ bestseller, praised for its psychological tension.
Cult Favourite Thriller Films
The Booth at the End (2011) – Psychological/Mystery
For fans of: Black Mirror, The Twilight Zone, The Man from Earth
A mysterious man in a diner offers deals that test morality in this minimalist, dialogue-driven cult series.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: Scream, Evil Dead, The Babadook
A genre-savvy deconstruction of horror tropes that blends satire, gore, and cosmic dread, now a cult classic.
Drag Me to Hell (2009) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: Evil Dead II, The Babadook, The Ring
Sam Raimi’s return to horror delivers campy scares and moral punishment with gleeful energy and lasting fan devotion.
Dark Crimes (2016) – Crime/Drama
For fans of: Prisoners, The Snowman, Zodiac
Jim Carrey’s dramatic turn in this bleak Polish-set thriller has divided critics but gained cult interest for its tone and casting.
The Ninth Configuration (1980) – Psychological/Drama
For fans of: Jacob’s Ladder, Apocalypse Now, The Exorcist III
A surreal military asylum drama from William Peter Blatty that blends theology, madness, and dark humour.
Possession (1981) – Psychological/Horror
For fans of: Antichrist, The Brood, Repulsion
Isabelle Adjani’s performance and Andrzej Żuławski’s direction fuel this intense, allegorical breakdown of love and sanity.
Night of the Living Dead (1968) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, The Crazies
George A. Romero’s low-budget zombie film redefined horror and became a foundational cult text.
Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007) – Action/Thriller
For fans of: Planet Terror, Kill Bill, Vanishing Point
Quentin Tarantino’s half of the Grindhouse double feature celebrates exploitation cinema with car chases and sadistic charm.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) – Found Footage/Horror
For fans of: Megan Is Missing, The Blair Witch Project, V/H/S
This disturbing faux-documentary about a serial killer was shelved for years but gained notoriety and underground fandom.
The Strangers (2008) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: Hush, Funny Games, The Purge
A minimalist home invasion thriller that became a sleeper hit and inspired a loyal horror following.
The VelociPastor (2018) – Comedy/Horror
For fans of: Sharknado, Kung Fury, Turbo Kid
A priest gains the ability to turn into a dinosaur and fights ninjas—pure cult chaos with intentional absurdity.
Incident in a Ghostland (2018) – Horror/Thriller
For fans of: Martyrs, The Babadook, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Pascal Laugier’s brutal psychological horror divided audiences but built a niche fanbase for its intensity and twist.
The Borderlands (2013) – Found Footage/Horror
For fans of: The Blair Witch Project, Noroi, The Last Exorcism
A team investigates a haunted church in this British cult favourite praised for its ending and atmosphere.
Triangle (2009) – Psychological/Thriller
For fans of: Timecrimes, Coherence, The Machinist
Melissa George stars in this time-loop thriller aboard a mysterious ship, lauded for its structure and eerie ambiguity.
Lake Mungo (2008) – Psychological/Horror
For fans of: The Others, The Medium, The Blair Witch Project
This Australian mockumentary explores grief and supernatural mystery with haunting realism and emotional depth.
Eden Lake (2008) – Survival/Thriller
For fans of: The Descent, Straw Dogs, Them
A couple’s weekend getaway turns into a brutal fight for survival in this British thriller praised for its social commentary and intensity.
Ronin (1998) – Action/Thriller
For fans of: Heat, The Bourne Identity, The French Connection
Robert De Niro leads a team of mercenaries in this gritty, European-set thriller known for its realistic car chases and espionage intrigue.
Spy Game (2001) – Spy/Thriller
For fans of: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Body of Lies, The Recruit
Robert Redford and Brad Pitt star in this slick espionage drama praised for its pacing and flashback structure.
The Chaser (2008) – Crime/Thriller
For fans of: Memories of Murder, I Saw the Devil, Oldboy
This Korean thriller about a pimp tracking a serial killer was hailed for its suspense, performances, and social critique.
The Guest (2014) – Mystery/Thriller
For fans of: Drive, It Follows, The Bourne Identity
Dan Stevens plays a mysterious visitor in this stylish, synth-scored thriller that earned strong reviews and cult status.