Time for some Netflix and thrills: Check out these must-watch movies from the platform’s deep catalog of spine-tingling flicks.

The 28 best thriller movies on Netflix right now

Time for some Netflix and thrills: Check out these must-watch movies from the platform’s deep catalog of spine-tingling flicks.

By Ilana Gordon,

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

EW's editorial guidelines

James Mercadante,

on December 5, 2025 7:45 a.m. ET

Halle Berry as Jordan Turner in 'The Call'; Topher Grace as Seth Abrahms in 'Traffic'; Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton in 'Judas and the Black Messiah'. Credit:

Greg Gayne/TriStar Pictures/Everett; Bob Marshak/USA Films/Everett; Warner Bros./Everett

Behold, the talent: The films on this list feature some of the best actors from this generation and beyond. With scripts based on real stories and inventive flights of fancy, Netflix's deep catalog of thrillers includes the works of filmmakers who helped jumpstart the genre, those who advanced it, and those whose work serves as a pastiche to those who paved the way.

With so many compelling titles and gripping narratives available to stream, the hardest part is selecting the perfect film for your mood — but what a thrill when you get it right.

22 July (2018)

Isak Bakli Aglen as Torje Hanssen and Jonas Strand Gravli as Viljar Hanssen in '22 July'. Erik Aavatsmark/Netflix

The United States’ problem with gun violence is not an issue shared overseas, which is why the 2011 terrorist attack in Norway remains so memorable. A massacre in two parts, the terror inflicted caused 77 deaths, 69 of whom were teenagers attending a leadership camp. Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, *22 July *is a chilling film that chronicles Norway’s deadliest terrorist attack, as perpetrated by a far-right extremist. But it’s also the story of a survivor’s journey to heal his body and move forward.

EW’s critic calls the film “harrowingly effective,” but trigger warnings abound. The gun violence showcased in the film is deployed for narrative purposes, but the historical context doesn’t make the movie any easier to watch. What makes the film worth sticking around for is the perspective it offers on the after effects of a terrorist act, as told through the eyes of the politicians, lawyers, and survivors who experience it most profoundly. —*Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *22 July*: Netflix

**Director: **Paul Greengrass

**Cast: **Anders Danielsen Lie, Jon Øigarden

Bird Box (2018)

Sandra Bullock as Malorie Hayes in 'Bird Box'. Netflix

Sight becomes a handicap in *Bird Box*, a post-apocalyptic thriller where the enemy must go unseen, or else. Sandra Bullock stars as Malorie Hayes, a woman responsible for transporting two young children down a river while wearing blindfolds, a strategy intended to help the survivors avoid seeing the entities that attacked Earth five years earlier, and who cause those who look upon them to commit suicide.

Jumping between their present journey and the past events that led Malorie and the children to this point, director Susanne Bier leans into the tension of the unknown and relies on her talented but eclectic cast to do the rest. Released the same year as *A Quiet Place*, and possessing a somewhat similar premise, *Bird Box* received less attention when it first premiered, but this sci-fi horror film is a great option for fans of both genres. —*I.G.*

Where to watch *Bird Box*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Susanne Bier

**Cast: **Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Danielle Macdonald, Sarah Paulson

The Call (2013)

Halle Berry as Jordan Turner in 'The Call'.

Greg Gayne/TriStar Pictures/Everett

Emergency dispatchers take every call seriously, but some stay with you longer than others. For 911 operator Jordan Turner (Halle Berry), the call she can’t forget came from a 15-year-old named Leah who was murdered by a home intruder after Jordan accidentally gave away her location. Haunted by her role in the teenagers’ death, Jordan turns to training new operators — until a rookie responder receives a call from the same man who killed Leah. Now gifted with a second chance to save a kidnapped teenager (Abigail Breslin), Jordan is determined to find redemption by defeating the killer (Michael Eklund) and putting an end to his reign of terror.

The rare thriller that features two women playing opposite each other, *The Call* gets serious points for finding ways to keep viewers enthralled, even though the majority of the film’s action and dialogue takes place over the phone. Berry and Breslin are a powerful duo, but can they survive the deranged murderer hunting them? Don’t hang up and you might find out. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Call*: Netflix

**Director: **Brad Anderson

**Cast: **Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund, Michael Imperioli

Creep (2014)

Mark Duplass as Josef in 'Creep'. Desiree Akhavan

In this found-footage two-hander, a young videographer named Aaron (Patrick Brice) is hired by Josef (Mark Duplass) to record a day of his life. Josef explains that he has an inoperable brain tumor and wants to leave something behind for his soon-to-be-born son, but his eccentric behavior becomes increasingly concerning, and Aaron needs to decide whether to continue filming — assuming Josef will let him leave.

*Creep's* continued success depends on whether Josef can keep finding fresh ways to be unnerving, and he does. (Things get even creepier in *Creep 2*, which documents another video project gone terribly wrong.) —*Danny Horn*

Where to watch *Creep*: Netflix

**Director: **Patrick Brice

**Cast:** Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice

The Devil All the Time (2020)

Tom Holland as Arvin in 'The Devil All the Time'. Glen Wilson/Netflix

A Netflix original and period thriller, *The Devil All the Time *explores several interconnected groups of people living in two small towns in Southern Ohio between the end of World War II and the mid-1960s. Linked by religious evangelism, war, corruption, suicide, abandonment, and serial murder, the cast — which includes a host of young Hollywood heavy hitters — makes the most of the story's melodrama and dark subject matter.

Based on the 2011 novel and directed by Antonio Campos (*The Staircase*), *The Devil All the Time *takes the "all the time" portion of the film's title literally: the sins are multitudinous and the depths of human depravity on full display. Still, EW's critic writes that Campos' biggest accomplishment as the film's director is "toeing a tricky line between art-house atmosphere and Southern Gothic soap opera, and somehow still managing to land on the grim side of fascinating." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Devil All the Time*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Antonio Campos

**Cast: **Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, Riley Keough, Eliza Scanlen, Haley Bennett, Bill Skarsgård, Mia Wasikowska, Jason Clarke

El Camino (2019)

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in 'El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie'. Ben Rothstein/Netflix

The best meth cook in Albuquerque is back, bitch. *Breaking Bad'*s Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) return for *El Camino*, a film based on AMC's beloved show, with far more attention paid to Pinkman's character. Freewheeling through time and flashing back to events depicted in the series, *El Camino *picks up right where *Breaking Bad *left off, and includes a host of cameos from the show's five-season run.

Jane, Skinny Pete, and Badger are all back in one form or another, but it's Nazi Todd (Jesse Plemons) who informs most of the film's plot. *Breaking Bad *fans will be gratified to see Jesse Pinkman finally get the time to mentally process the last couple years of his life — even if Paul looks markedly older than he did when the show wrapped in 2013. —*I.G.*

Where to watch *El Camino*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Vince Gilligan

**Cast: **Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemons, Jonathan Banks, Matt Jones

Fair Play (2023)

Alden Ehrenreich as Luke and Phoebe Dynevor as Emily in 'Fair Play'. Courtesy of Sundance Institute

For newly engaged couple Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) and Emily (Phoebe Dynevor), their sizzling, can't-keep-their-hands-off-each-other love must remain discreet within their workplace. However, when Emily secures a managerial position at their dog-eat-dog hedge fund, the power shift within the bullpen begins to splinter their romantic bliss.

Praising its "lean, crackling script," EW's critic observes how *Fair Play*'s final act is "so freighted with increasingly unhinged possibilities" yet "both leads hang on, throwing themselves headlong into the tar pits of contemporary workplace politics and gender roles without being drawn into clumsy, one-dimensional ideas of victimhood or villainy." —*James Mercadante*

Where to watch *Fair Play*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+

**Director: **Chloe Domont

**Cast: **Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan, Rich Sommer

The Good Nurse (2022)

Eddie Redmayne as Charlie Cullen and Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren in 'The Good Nurse'. Courtesy of TIFF

Nurses are angels with the power to do the work of demons. In the Netflix original psychological thriller *The Good Nurse*, Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) is a night nurse with a work husband: Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne). A single mom with a serious heart condition, Amy is shocked to learn that the recent death of one of their hospital's patients is thought to have occurred intentionally, and that Charles might be involved. And the more Amy digs, the more she realizes the co-worker she trusts is actually someone far more nefarious.

Based on the true story of how the real-life Amy Loughren helped authorities take down serial killer Charles Cullen, *The Good Nurse *is good old-fashioned, ripped-from-the-headlines cinema with a story made all the more terrifying because so little of it is exaggerated. Trust us — you've never seen Eddie Redmayne like this before. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Good Nurse*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Tobias Lindholm

**Cast: **Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne

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The Hurt Locker (2008)

Jeremy Renner as Staff Sergeant William James in 'The Hurt Locker'. Summit Entertainment

When your job requires you to disable bombs in the heat of battle, you suit up for work each day like it might be your last. In the second year of the Iraq War, Staff Sergeant James (Jeremy Renner) arrives to fill a vacancy in the Bravo Company, but finds that his unwillingness to communicate his plans and gonzo method of defusing bombs doesn't always jive with the rest of his company — especially Sergeant J. T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie).

From former reporter and screenwriter Mark Boal (*Zero Dark Thirty*) and director Kathryn Bigelow, whose work on this film made her the first woman to walk away with the Best Director Oscar, *The Hurt Locker* is realistic, intense, and action-packed, chronicling the many effects war has on the people who fight it. As EW's critic at the time says, "This ain't no war videogame, no flashy, cinematic art piece; there's nothing virtual about this reality." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Hurt Locker*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Kathryn Bigelow

**Cast: **Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Guy Pearce

I Care a Lot (2021)

Rosamund Pike as Marla Grayson in 'I Care a Lot'.

Seacia Pavao/Netflix

Rosamund Pike builds on her *Gone Girl* villainess status to portray Marla Grayson, a con artist who fronts as a professional "legal guardian" to fleece the elderly of their life savings. But Marla takes it a step too far when she meets Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest), who seems infirm at first but actually has ties to important, dangerous people (like Peter Dinklage) who Marla would do well to stay clear of. Pike's duplicitous performance is a blast to witness, but seeing Marla meet her match is just as gratifying. As EW's writes in their review, "There's good fun in* I Care a Lot'*s setup, and in Marla's ruthless M.O." —*Gwen Ihnat*

Where to watch *I Care a Lot*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **J Blakeson

**Cast: **Rosamund Pike, Dianne Wiest, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, Chris Messina, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

Elijah Wood as Tony and Melanie Lynskey as Ruth in 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore'. Allyson Riggs

After *Yellowjackets*, *Togetherness*, and *Mrs. America, *we'd straight-up watch Melanie Lynskey in anything, but even we missed Macon Blair's 2017 sleeper. Lynskey plays Ruth, a down-on-her-luck nursing assistant who decides after her house gets broken into that she's fed up. She hooks up with her odd neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood) to go out on a quest to get her stuff back, leading to a quirky journey that's both suspenseful and inspiring for the downtrodden.

Second only to Lynskey in luminescence in this movie is Wood, whose Tony named his dog Kevin and specializes in nunchucks and ninja stars. And Jane Levy is unrecognizable as one of the unsavory thieves. As EW*'*s critic points out, the film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for its reconfiguration of "the buddy-cop film — at one point, Ruth even flashes a toy police badge." —*G.I.*

Where to watch *I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B+

**Director: **Macon Blair

**Cast: **Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, Jane Levy

Inside Man (2006)

Jodie Foster as Madeleine White and Denzel Washington as Det. Keith Frazier in 'Inside Man'.

David Lee/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

If you were to ask *Inside Man*’s lead character, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), he would say he committed the perfect bank robbery. Over the film’s 129-minute run time, Russell and his crew attempt to prove that thesis as they take a Manhattan bank hostage, and toy with the NYPD detective assigned to negotiate with them (Denzel Washington). Also keeping abreast of the robbery’s developments is bank founder Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), whose most secret possession is stored in a box located within the bank’s vault, and who dispatches professional fixer Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) to ensure its safety.

*Inside Man* was Spike Lee's first big-budget project, and the crime thriller earned him props for his plot twists and character development. EW’s critic writes, “Everyone’s complicated in this jam-packed, spring-loaded contraption, everyone’s sneaky, compromised, clever, nervous, mouthy, opinionated, and New Yorky.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Inside Man*: Netflix through Dec. 31

**Director: **Spike Lee

**Cast:** Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Christopher Plummer, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton in 'Judas and the Black Messiah'.

Glen Wilson/Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection

The revolution wasn’t televised, but it is streaming on Netflix. *Judas and the Black Messiah** *is the story of Fred Hampton, the leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, a revolutionary whose charisma and potential for leadership were so great, the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover ordered the chapter’s infiltration and Hampton’s assassination.

Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya is transformative in his role as Hampton, and he has an excellent scene partner in Dominique Fishback, who plays Deborah Johnson, Hampton’s girlfriend and fellow BPP activist. EW’s critic calls the film “a biography so fully, soulfully realized that it shakes the dust off of history” and credits the movie’s success to Kaluuya’s performance as Fred, describing him as “alternately raw, tender, and incendiary.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Judas and the Black Messiah*: Netflix through Dec. 31

**EW grade:** A–

**Director: **Shaka King

**Cast: **Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Martin Sheen

Limitless (2011)

Robert De Niro as Carl Van Loon and Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra in 'Limitless'.

John Baer/Rogue Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

In 2009's comedy *The Hangover*, Bradley Cooper's character uses seemingly 0 percent of his brain. Two years later, Cooper starred in the sci-fi thriller *Limitless*, where his character, Eddie, uses all 100 percent. Eddie is a struggling author (as evidenced by his unkempt hair) living in New York City whose life takes a 180-degree turn after a friend introduces him to a new drug called NZT.

An untested pill that allows users to tap into their entire brain's potential — as opposed to the usual 20 percent humans are supposedly able to access — NZT opens up Eddie's world. With the help of his supply, Eddie finishes his book and kills it on the stock market and in his relationship with Lindy (Abbie Cornish) — but his success doesn't go unnoticed, and soon everyone from finance tycoon Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro) to the Russian Mob wants a piece of him. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Limitless*: Netflix through Dec. 31

**Director: **Neil Burger

**Cast: **Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller and Ryan Phillippe as Louis Roulet in 'The Lincoln Lawyer'.

Before Matthew McConaughey became the face and voice of Lincoln cars, he starred in the legal thriller, *The Lincoln Lawyer*, a film based on the 2005 novel by Michael Connelly, which was later adapted into a Netflix series. A Los Angeles defense attorney who operates his practice out of the backseat of a Lincoln Continental, Mick Haller (McConaughey), tends to attract an eccentric breed of accused criminals — that is, until he is hired to represent Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a privileged playboy from Beverly Hills.

Roulet is accused of the rape and attempted murder of a sex worker, and his case is straightforward until it isn’t. Now caught in a legal predicament and moral crisis, Haller must figure out how to defend his current client, free a client who was wrongly convicted, and protect his daughter and ex-wife from outside forces. Featuring a top-notch cast, *The Lincoln Lawyer *is a classic legal thriller with a plot that drives as smoothly as the car after which it’s named. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Lincoln Lawyer*: Netflix through Dec. 31

**EW grade:** B

**Director: **Brad Furman

**Cast: **Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Peña, Frances Fisher, Bob Gunton, Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy

Molly’s Game (2017)

Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom and Idris Elba as Charlie Jaffey in 'Molly's Game'.

Courtesy of STXfilms

Generally critiqued for his struggles in writing complex female characters with agendas independent of the men they work with, Aaron Sorkin strikes a commendable balance in *Molly’s Game*. The story follows Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), a young skier who, after her Olympic dreams end in injury, uses her athletically earned gifts of confidence and composure to run an exclusive underground poker ring.

Based on Bloom’s real-life memoir, the film races by in a series of flashbacks and narration as she relays her riches-to-rags story to her lawyer (Idris Elba). Despite being Sorkin’s directorial debut, EW’s critic calls *Molly’s Game* a “cool, crackling, confident film that appeals to your intelligence instead of insulting it.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Molly’s Game*: Netflix

**EW grade: **A–

**Director:** Aaron Sorkin

**Cast: **Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, Bill Camp

Munich — The Edge of War (2021)

Jeremy Irons as Neville Chamberlain in 'Munich — The Edge of War'. Everett Collection

A thriller set in the years leading up to World War II, *Munich — The Edge of War* is a fictional account of a pivotal historical period. Based on Robert Harris’ best-selling novel, the film follows two old college friends — Hugh Legat, a British civil servant, and Paul von Hartmann, a German diplomat — as they find themselves drawn into the center of Europe’s political powder keg.

A good, old-fashioned spy story with deep stakes, the film examines Neville Chamberlain’s (Jeremy Irons) role in the time leading up to World War II in a new light. A historical thriller that is sure to captivate, you won’t regret devoting two hours of your time to *Munich — The Edge of War.* *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Munich — The Edge of War*: Netflix

**Director: **Christian Schwochow

**Cast: **George MacKay, Jannis Niewöhner, Jeremy Irons, Sandra Hüller, Liv Lisa Fries, August Diehl, Jessica Brown Findlay

Operation Finale (2018)

Oscar Isaac as Peter Malkin in 'Operation Finale'.

MGM/Courtesy Everett

As World War II drew to a close and the horrors inflicted during the Holocaust become public knowledge overseas, Adolf Hitler and his most trusted lieutenants systematically committed suicide rather than face justice for their atrocities. Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), Hitler's deadliest lieutenant and the man responsible for architecting the "final solution" survived, fleeing with his family to Argentina. *Operation Finale* picks up 15 years after the end of the war, as Mossad agent Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac) is assigned to infiltrate Argentina and extract Eichmann, handing him over to the Israeli government to stand trial.

A postwar thriller based on a true story, *Operation Finale*'s chief strength lies in its leads, who spend the film engaging in a psychological duel. EW's critic writes that Isaac proves himself to be a "bona fide movie star" and that the film reminds viewers of Kingsley's "ability to curdle your blood and freeze your veins." As far as World War II character studies go, this one is a must-watch. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Operation Finale*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Chris Weitz

**Cast: **Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Mélanie Laurent, Lior Raz, Nick Kroll, Haley Lu Richardson

Oxygen (2021)

Mélanie Laurent as Elizabeth 'Liz' Hansen in 'Oxygen'. Netflix

A nightmare come to life for claustrophobics everywhere, *Oxygen *is a French language sci-fi film that thinks outside the box in terms of action. At the genesis, an unidentified woman (Mélanie Laurent) awakens in an airtight medical unit, unsure of who or where she is. Interactions with the system's AI — dubbed M.I.L.O. (Medical Interface Liaison Officer) — provide some clarity as to her identity, but no matter what she tries, she cannot escape her prison.

As she seeks to understand who placed her in the box and why, truths about her personal life and the current state of the world come into focus — but her search for context is actually a race to outwit the slowly depleting oxygen levels. Laurent is excellent, and despite being forced to perform on her back, she manages to imbue the film with a strong sense of determination and humanity. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Oxygen*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Alexandre Aja

**Cast: **Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi

Parasite (2019)

Song Kang-ho as Ki Taek and Jang Hye-jin as Chung Sook in 'Parasite'.

The central question of Bong Joon Ho’s black comedy and thriller *Parasite* is who is the parasite? The film follows two families — the wealthy Parks and the broke Kims — as each member of the Kim family duplicitously obtains a job working for the Parks. A film that has a lot to say about class consciousness and late-stage capitalism, *Parasite *was the first foreign language film to take home the Best Picture Oscar.

The movie also secured trophies for Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, and Best Director, but the real win is the film’s ending. As EW’s critic writes “If the movie is a Rorschach of who you identify as parasite and host, it’s a test you’re just as likely to fail.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Parasite*: Netflix

**EW grade: **A–

**Director: **Bong Joon Ho

**Cast: **Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin

The Platform (2019)

Alexandra Masangkay as Miharu in 'The Platform'.

Netflix/Everett Collection

In this Spanish dystopian thriller, prisoners are trapped in a "Vertical Self-Management Center," a towering structure of stacked cells featuring a large hole in the floor. Every day, a platform loaded with food descends the tower, pausing at each level for the prisoners to eat. Those at the top feast heartily, while those below get the leftover table scraps. If everyone only took what they needed, there would be enough for all, but the greedy folks don't care about those suffering beneath them. (FYI: *The Platform 2* is also available to watch on Netflix.) —*D.H.*

Where to watch *The Platform*: Netflix

**Director: **Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

**Cast: **Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor**

Pulp Fiction (1994)

John Travolta as Vincent Vega and Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in 'Pulp Fiction'. Everett Collection

One of Quentin Tarantino's many seminal works, *Pulp Fiction* isn't so much a film as it is an experience. Set in Los Angeles, the movie follows four intersecting stories, all centered around violent crime. Rife with loquacious hitmen, boxers past their prime, cocaine-fueled trophy wives, and assorted criminals from all walks of life, *Pulp Fiction* was lauded upon its release for successfully employing a circular narrative structured with overlapping timelines told from multiple points of view.

The screenplay is brilliantly written, subversive — especially for the '90s — and violent with a capital V. EW's critic at the time describes it as "new punk virtuoso," writing, "It is, quite simply, the most exhilarating piece of filmmaking to come along in the nearly five years I've been writing for this magazine." And if that's not enough to sell you, Samuel L. Jackson's triumphant performance while wearing a Jheri curl wig might put you over the edge. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Pulp Fiction*: Netflix

**Director: **Quentin Tarantino

**Cast:** John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Bruce Willis

Red Dragon (2002)

Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in 'Red Dragon'.

Glen WIlson/Universal Studios

Hannibal Lecter is one of the all-time great characters, and in *Red Dragon*, he returns to engage in his favorite pastimes of drinking Chianti and mentally terrorizing law enforcement. A prequel to *The Silence of the Lambs *(1991), *Red Dragon* stars Edward Norton as Will Graham, an FBI agent assigned to profile a serial killer. Graham reluctantly recruits Lecter — with whom he has worked before — for help. But as the serial killer closes in on his next victim and Lecter finds ways to toy with Graham from inside his cell, Graham must find the killer to save his family and himself.

As a psychological thriller, *Red Dragon* is a marked improvement over *Hannibal* (2001), though less captivating than *The Silence of the Lambs*. Regardless, it’s always a treat to watch Anthony Hopkins in the Lecter role. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Red Dragon*: Netflix through Dec. 31

**Director: **Brett Ratner

**Cast:** Edward Norton, Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Society of the Snow (2023)

Matías Recalt as Roberto Canessa and Enzo Vogrincic as Numa Turcatti in 'The Society of the Snow'.

In 1972, the Andes Mountains became a crucible of survival when a Uruguayan flight crashed en route to Santiago, Chile. Sixteen remaining passengers found themselves stranded in one of Mother Nature's most life-threatening terrains, pushing them to take ineffable means to find their way back. While Hollywood attempted to soften this tragedy with a more glossy depiction in *Alive* (1993), *Society of the Snow* delivers a far more raw and emotive experience — enriched by the director's conversations with the real-life survivors — that sinks viewers into the gut-wrenching terror of the situation without being overly insensitive.

"A story that is based on humanism," J.A. Bayona (the director who also helmed another intense disaster film, 2012's *The Impossible*) describes the story as "more about emotional survival. It's not only physical survival. It's to understand that there's something bigger than yourself." *—J.M.*

Where to watch *Society of the Snow*: Netflix

**Director:** J.A. Bayona

**Cast: **Enzo Vogrincic, Matías Recalt, Agustín Pardella, Felipe González Otaño, Luciano Chatton, Valentino Alonso, Francisco Romero, Agustín Berruti, Andy Pruss, Simón Hempe, Juan Caruso, Esteban Bigliardi, Rocco Posca, Esteban Kukuriczka, Rafael Federman, Manuela Olivera, Agustín Della Corte, Tomas Wolf

Spy Game (2001)

Robert Redford as Nathan D. Muir and Stephen Dillane as Charles Harker in 'Spy Game'.

Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

What *Spy Game* lacks in heart, it makes up for in cleverness and mind games. Veteran CIA officer Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) is supposed to retire at the end of the day. But first, he has to save his protégé, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), who is scheduled to be executed in a Chinese prison within 24 hours. The only problem? The agency isn’t willing to save Bishop, so Muir is on his own.

To free his friend, Muir must become a spy within his own agency, using all his expertise gathered over a decades-long career. A movie that EW’s critic refers to as a “tensely jumpy and data-jangled espionage thriller,” *Spy Game* makes for a strong movie night selection. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Spy Game*: Netflix through Dec. 31

**EW grade:** B

**Director: **Tony Scott

**Cast: **Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Catherine McCormack, Stephen Dillane, Larry Bryggman

Taxi Driver (1976)

Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle in 'Taxi Driver'.

FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty

Martin Scorsese’s fifth film, *Taxi Driver*, is a gritty and graphic neo-noir crime thriller that stars Robert De Niro as an unstable Vietnam War veteran turned New York City taxi driver. Travis Bickle (De Niro) attempts to deal with his insomnia by sitting behind the wheel of a car, but what he observes on the city’s crime-ridden streets only reinforces his violent thoughts and dark obsessions.

De Niro is outstanding, artfully conveying the mental suffering and simmering anger that drives Travis’ plans to assassinate a political candidate and rescue a child sex worker (Jodie Foster). Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader’s collaboration is a culturally significant achievement, a violent fever dream that ruminates on heroism, vigilanteism, and the American obsession with violence. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Taxi Driver*: Netflix through Dec. 31

**EW grade: **A+

**Director: **Martin Scorsese

**Cast: **Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle, Cybill Shepherd

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

John Boyega as Fontaine, Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, and Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles in 'They Cloned Tyrone'.

Parrish Lewis/Netflix

A single genre isn't enough to contain one of Netflix's 2023 releases, *They Cloned Tyrone**. *A sci-fi comedy that combines '70s Blaxploitation with mystery and social satire, the film has similar vibes to movies like *Get Out* (2017) or *Sorry to Bother You* (2018) while employing a far more absurd premise. Fontaine (John Boyega) is a drug dealer living in an impoverished area called the Glen. While trying to collect funds owed to him by a local pimp named Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), Fontaine is shot and killed — but that doesn't stop him from showing up on Slick's doorstep the next day to collect his money.

Joined by a sex worker named YoYo (Teyonah Parris), the trio attempts to get to the bottom of what appears to be a massive government conspiracy aimed at exploiting their disenfranchised community as medical subjects. A satirical romp that has as much to say about class and racial injustices as it does about mystery movie tropes, *They Cloned Tyrone *is smart, silly, and uniformly well-acted. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *They Cloned Tyrone*: Netflix

**Director: **Juel Taylor

**Cast: **John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx**

Traffic (2000)

Topher Grace as Seth Abrahms in 'Traffic'.

Bob Marshak/USA Films/Everett

Almost three decades after America first declared its War on Drugs, Steven Soderbergh premiered his epic crime thriller *Traffic*, a powerful drama encompassing all parts of the drug trafficking process. Set in Mexico, Ohio, and San Diego, and weaving together three separate storylines told from the perspectives of the politicians who legislate the drug trade, the DEA agents who enforce it, and the traffickers who challenge the system, the film is high-stakes, compelling, and politically charged.

Featuring an impressive ensemble cast directed and shot by Soderbergh — who won an Oscar for his troubles, competing against himself with *Erin Brockovich* — the film questions the fruitfulness of the drug war and examines the ways that substances and the way we legislate them tear families apart. Thoughtful, tense, and provocative, *Traffic *is a turn-of-the-century thriller that stands the test of time. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Traffic*: Netflix through Dec. 31

**Director:** Steven Soderbergh

**Cast: **Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán

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Source: “EW Thriller”