The thriller genre implies a tense course of events in the film. Often these films border on detectives or action, because in both, the tension builds steadily, peaking closer to the very end. But no matter how the genres are mixed, it is the development of events, the atmosphere surrounding the main characters that distinguishes thrillers.
In an ideal case, the viewer is grabbed by the arms and legs somewhere at the beginning of the film and is not released until the very credits. Isn’t that why this genre has so many fans?
Unlike horror movies, the tension in a thriller is mostly psychological, not so much physical. The heart is pounding, not from the sudden appearance of the monster in front of the camera, the fists are clenched, not from the sharp sounds.
The director plays a psychological game with the viewer, just like, for example, a criminal plays detectives or a maniac plays another victim in the same thriller. The director’s task is difficult, not only to tell the story, but also to do it in such a way that the audience does not have time for boredom. But when it succeeds, we get exactly those thrillers that should be considered among the best.
So, we present to you 7 of the best thrillers of all time.
Seven (Se7en) 1995
David Fincher made one of the darkest thrillers and one of the best movies in movie history. Detective in which two police partners (Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt) search for a maniacal killer.
This is not just a psychopath, but a person of great knowledge and a subtle, albeit perverted mind. He links each new murder to the seven deadly sins. The action of the picture takes place in dark gray tones against the background of constant rain. A must watch if you haven’t seen this movie yet.
Perfect Crime 2007
It’s not a well-known movie, even though it stars Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. The difficulty in punishing the criminal on the tape is not catching him. As you know, in order to put a murderer behind bars, it is still necessary to prove his guilt in court. And this is sometimes very difficult to do if the criminal understands the law and court procedures. That is why the detective is built not only around the determination of guilt, but also around all the tricks that the modern legal system allows. The battlefield is the human mind, which is very strong in the criminal. It is almost impossible to deal with it.
Flashbacks of a Dead Man (2005)
Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kris Kristofferson and Daniel Craig in a magnificent thriller that, due to the balance between the rational and the mystical, makes it impossible to predict how it will all end.
A classic story: the patient only thinks that everything around him is the spawn of evil, or is he really right and must continue fighting? In an ordinary linear world, it is easier to come to a conclusion. But if a mystical component enters the scene, it is much more difficult to decide. The story of a soldier who once nearly died and again finds himself in a deadly situation unfolds in circles around a psychiatric clinic, the victim, the killer, and random acquaintances they meet on the way home.
Perfume: The Story of a Killer (2006)
Patrick Suskind’s novel of the same name inspired Kurt Cobain’s song “Scentless Apprentice” and the film adaptation by director Tom Tykwer. Among other things, Tom Tykwer previously shot films like “Run, Lola, Run” and “Cloud Atlas” (in cooperation with Wachowski), and is also a composer, including for “Cloud Atlas.”
The production of the novel in 1985 was sumptuous, both from the point of view of the story and from the point of view of the visual series. Bright colors, costumes, lush landscapes of France and Italy – sometimes everything is too saturated. But most importantly, the director managed to convey the elusive material for the cinema, the smell. This tragic story is based on smells.
A boy was born in Paris, right in the market of a fishmonger. His mother abandoned him, but she survived and mastered the uncanny ability to pick out the subtlest nuances of scent from everything around her. The only scent he couldn’t make out was his own. It was to find his own scent that he went to learn from an experienced perfumer…
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
The film tells the story of a journalist’s investigation commissioned by a respectable wealthy old man. The niece of a businessman (Henrik Wagner, played by Christopher Plummer) disappeared 40 years ago under mysterious circumstances. Everyone accepted her death a long time ago, but Wagner received pressed flowers from the killer every year as a sign.
Finding the killer is the mission of journalist Blomkvist (Craig). In this he is helped by the unbalanced Lisbeth (Mara / Rapas). In addition to serious twisted intrigue and mounting tension, it is worth noting a large amount of brutality and frank scenes, especially in the Swedish version.
zodiac 2007
David Fincher as director, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chloe Sevigny and part of the Avengers team: Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo. The film is based on true events: the search for a serial killer nicknamed “Zodiac”, which exhausts investigators and journalists as much as the victims themselves.
A long, disturbing and very interesting film with a careful elaboration of details and wonderful actors.
Lost (2014)
Taking into account the fashion for films based on comics and reboots of popular franchises of the past, the appearance of this type of thriller today cannot but please.
The movie could hardly be bad, because it was directed by David Fincher. A story based on a book in which a man searches for his missing wife. Their relationship went through all the stages, from the first love and the romantic period to the harsh everyday life. The investigation finds the wife’s diary, in which this evolution is described, and now everything does not seem as it seems at first glance.
A perfectly twisted plot, with a convincing performance from Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. A striking appearance by Neil Patrick Harris. A beautiful movie that is definitely recommended to watch, one of the best movies of 2014.