The last couple of weeks, I’ve been diving into thriller books and TV series. What’s the best thriller film out there? Let us know what you think and a couple key reasons or details. They can be old or new and in any language. Even better if you can add a link where it’s streaming.
Thanks in advance for your viewing recs! Below, I’ve put trailers of a few of my favorites.
*Trigger warning: Dumplings (the last video) deals with abortion and fetuses (related to the China One Child Policy). The other films - by nature of being thrillers - of course have triggers, but not right front and center in the trailer like this one.
Lady From Shanghai by Orson Welles. Bizarre, and somewhat incoherent. It features Welles doing his best Irish accent. Although his performance isn’t the only distinctive one. One of my favorite Welles movie. The ending in the house of mirrors is great (would’ve been better if the studio hadn’t made Welles cut a lot of it). I will have to rewatch this again soon.
I had never heard of this film until a couple of years ago. I watched it while infected with Covid, and maybe it was the effect of the fever but I found it incredibly creepy.
Also, great opening titles with a creepy/sensual soundtrack by Henry Mancini.
I like the paranoia thrillers “All The President’s Men” and “The Parallax View.”
The Watergate movie is interesting because it’s based on the Woodward and Bernstein book, but the book about the real life events has little of the creepy paranoid atmosphere. The director Alan Pakula used film technique to layer that into the story.
In other words, the book isn’t really a thriller but the movie is, even though the details of the story are mostly kept intact.
"The Usual Suspects" popped straight into my mind - you've got it covered! How about "Klute" 1971. Fonda and Sutherland, dream team. Also "The Day of the Jackal" 1973 with Edward Fox. I haven't seen the remake but the original was perfect. Last but not least, "The French Connection" 1971 with Scheider and Hackman. They shot a high speed car chase through NYC without asking the permission of the authorities. If it happened now they'd all have gone to jail! Great article and thanks for sharing The Dialectic x
Love Rear Window and all those old Hitchcock-ian thrillers; Vertigo as well. There's no better way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon than cozying up with an old movie like that!
Your favorite thriller films
Lady From Shanghai by Orson Welles. Bizarre, and somewhat incoherent. It features Welles doing his best Irish accent. Although his performance isn’t the only distinctive one. One of my favorite Welles movie. The ending in the house of mirrors is great (would’ve been better if the studio hadn’t made Welles cut a lot of it). I will have to rewatch this again soon.
Trying to avoid "the usual suspects," I'll go for "Experiment in Terror" by Blake Edwards.
https://ok.ru/video/3742856579790
I had never heard of this film until a couple of years ago. I watched it while infected with Covid, and maybe it was the effect of the fever but I found it incredibly creepy.
Also, great opening titles with a creepy/sensual soundtrack by Henry Mancini.
I like the paranoia thrillers “All The President’s Men” and “The Parallax View.”
The Watergate movie is interesting because it’s based on the Woodward and Bernstein book, but the book about the real life events has little of the creepy paranoid atmosphere. The director Alan Pakula used film technique to layer that into the story.
In other words, the book isn’t really a thriller but the movie is, even though the details of the story are mostly kept intact.
Has to be Shutter Island. Genuinely creepy and doesn't go the way you think it might!
"The Usual Suspects" popped straight into my mind - you've got it covered! How about "Klute" 1971. Fonda and Sutherland, dream team. Also "The Day of the Jackal" 1973 with Edward Fox. I haven't seen the remake but the original was perfect. Last but not least, "The French Connection" 1971 with Scheider and Hackman. They shot a high speed car chase through NYC without asking the permission of the authorities. If it happened now they'd all have gone to jail! Great article and thanks for sharing The Dialectic x
Great!
Love Rear Window and all those old Hitchcock-ian thrillers; Vertigo as well. There's no better way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon than cozying up with an old movie like that!