Unsparing films that look into the unknowns and shadows of the human psyche are some of our favorites. Here is a list of the best psychological thrillers of all time, composed of films that successfully make the internal thrilling on the big screen. Characters’ internal struggles with issues like paranoia, trauma, delusions, bigotry, addictions, and abuse provide much of the drama and drive in psychological thrillers.
1. The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower was Stephen King’s magnum opus: a genre-hopping epic about a gunslinger battling his way through alternate realities to a mystical tower. Unfortunately, its sequels came at distressingly long intervals, and it looked like it might never be finished. Luckily, it is now getting a chance to shine on the big screen again with this upcoming adaptation, directed by Nikolaj Arcel. Starring Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Taylor, it aims to kickstart an ambitious multiplatform franchise.
Its opening title sequence reveals that the tower is an artifact of darkness, and the film focuses on a young boy named Jake who has visions that might help him battle Walter (Matthew McConaughey) for control of the tower. However, the movie tries to build the world through exposition that comes awkwardly and with little if any poetic resonance.
2. The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs may be an old movie, but it still holds up as one of the most powerful psychological thrillers ever made. Based on Thomas Harris’s best-selling novel, the film centers on FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), who is sent to elicit clues from incarcerated cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The story of a woman trying to save the life of another is not something you see everyday on screen, but Jodie Foster gives an incredibly strong and truthful performance as Clarice. It is also a groundbreaking feminist thriller that set a new standard for female cops and agents on screen.
Director Jonathan Demme expertly showcases how Clarice is subjected to the sinister male gaze at every turn as she goes about her job. This makes the solarmovie even more powerful than it was when it first arrived in theaters on Valentine’s Day 1991.
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a neo-noir thriller directed by David Fincher. The movie is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. The film stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara. The film features a number of technological feats and is quite a bit of fun. The most impressive is probably the opening sequence which involves the most complex computer graphics to date.
The film is a must-see for anyone who enjoys a good crime fiction tale. The story focuses on Mikael Blomkvist (Craig), a journalist who is aided by Lisbeth Salander (Mara), a hacker with a hefty talent pool. The film also has some of the best action scenes ever captured on celluloid. The movie encapsulates the best of both worlds: a sexy crime drama tinged with edgy humor.
4. The Silence of the Lambs
Jodie Foster’s character Clarice Starling – the new FBI trainee whose job it is to go toe-to-toe with Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) – changes the game for female characters in detective stories. She’s smart, inquiring and on her feet constantly. The Silence of the Lambs is a crime/horror film that takes big risks. But it succeeds on almost every front, combining the psychological and dramatic gravitas to stand among the greats.
As well as the Oscar-winning performance of Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster’s strong and vulnerable interpretation of Agent Starling – the heroine who gets little respect from her peers – adds a sense of dread to the proceedings. The movie’s climax, involving the confrontation between Clarice and Buffalo Bill (a serial killer who dances in women’s clothing) shifts the film from a police procedural to a horror film.
5. The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower is Stephen King’s epic fantasy series, and it’s probably his most popular work. In the multiverse, The Dark Tower is the nexus point of all universes and it’s in danger from the Great Old Ones. The first film based on The Dark Tower was in 2017 starring Idris Elba. It was a good attempt, but it failed because it tried to be a sequel rather than a retelling.
Luckily, there’s now another chance for The Dark Tower to get its due in the big screen. Mike Flanagan’s Prime Video adaptation may be the best way to bring this massive series back to the big screen.
