The 22 best thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your pulse racing

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The 22 best thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your pulse racing Looking for some cinematic excitement? Add these heartpounding action films and psychological slowburns to your watchlist. By Ilana Gordon, Kevin Jacobsen, and Hayley Arnold on October 29, 2025 6:55 a.m. ET :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/BestThrillersonAmazonPrimeVideo072102725af73aafcfe4247cf86e1478c64fbd8a1.jpg) Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean in 'Black Bag'; Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence in 'Conclave'; Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'.

The 22 best thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your pulse racing

Looking for some cinematic excitement? Add these heart-pounding action films and psychological slow-burns to your watchlist.

By Ilana Gordon, Kevin Jacobsen, and Hayley Arnold

on October 29, 2025 6:55 a.m. ET

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean in 'Black Bag'; Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence in 'Conclave'; Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean in 'Black Bag'; Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence in 'Conclave'; Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'. Credit:

Claudette Barius/Focus Features; Courtesy of Focus Features; Columbia Pictures

In a genre saturated with formulaic, predictable plots, sifting through thrillers to find gems takes time. So, we took the guesswork out of your next movie night. Featuring directorial debuts and staples from seasoned pros, this list highlights the best thrillers on Amazon Prime to satisfy lovers of action, mystery, horror, and foreign flicks. Each one brings a breath of fresh air to the genre while offering *just* enough suspense to kick your heart rate up a notch.

Here are the 22 best thriller movies streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle and John Goodman as Harold Stambler in '10 Cloverfield Lane'

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle and John Goodman as Harold Stambler in '10 Cloverfield Lane'. Michele K. Short/Paramount Pictures

Released eight years after the first *Cloverfield* movie hit theaters, *10 Cloverfield Lane* takes a more psychological — and minimalist — approach to the sci-fi horror franchise. Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) awakens after a car accident to find herself injured and chained to a wall inside a bunker. Her captor (or savior, depending on who you ask), Howard (John Goodman), explains that Earth has been attacked, the outside world is poisonous and uninhabitable, and the only way to survive is to remain in the bunker with him and his fellow doomsday roomie, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), for the next few years.

Slowly, Michelle begins to adapt to life underground — until she discovers clues that suggest that Howard may not have been honest with her about the world's circumstances. The second of three films in the franchise — with *The Cloverfield Paradox* following in 2018 — *10 Cloverfield Lane* is only tangentially related to its predecessor, but the film's lean cast and terse plot make it an entertaining addition to the series. *—Ilana Gordon***

Where to watch *10 Cloverfield Lane*: Amazon Prime Video**

**EW grade:** B**

**Director: **Dan Trachtenberg **

**Cast: **Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr., Bradley Cooper

Argo (2012)

Bryan Cranston as Jack O'Donnell and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in 'Argo'

Bryan Cranston as Jack O'Donnell and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in 'Argo'.

Claire Folger/Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy Everett

*Argo*, the thriller about the CIA's attempt to free six hostages from the 1979 Iran hostage crisis using a fake Hollywood movie, is one of Ben Affleck's career highlights. Affleck directs and stars as Tony Mendez, a CIA exfiltration specialist who comes up with a cockamamie scheme to free a group of hostages hiding in the home of a Canadian diplomat. To pull off his human heist, Mendez must develop and try to sell a *Star Wars*-esque sci-fi film, in the hopes of tricking the Iranians into believing the American hostages are part of a Canadian film crew.

Based on a true story, *Argo *combines the best elements of a heist movie with some Hollywood magic, all set against the backdrop of an international conflict. EW's critic gives *Argo* an "A", writing "The film has an explosive '70s vibe: Even when you're laughing (mostly out of uneasiness), the stakes couldn't be higher." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Argo*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Ben Affleck

**Cast: **Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman

Baby Driver (2017)

Ansel Elgort as Baby in 'Baby Driver'

Ansel Elgort as Baby in 'Baby Driver'.

Wilson Webb/Sony

An action crime thriller two decades in the making, director Edgar Wright puts the pedal to the metal with *Baby Driver*, transforming what could have been just another heist film into a stylistic masterpiece with a soundtrack to match. The movie follows a young getaway driver named Baby (Ansel Elgort) whose attempts to extricate himself from a life of crime go awry after he is forced to participate in a post office robbery.

Baby is a fantastic character — a young, Southern kid with tinnitus and a tragic past — surrounded by violent sadists, and the film is part mixtape, part love story, and part *Reservoir Dogs*-style murder romp. EW's critic writes that *Baby Driver* "is a candy-colored action movie opera, where the music doesn't just accompany the action — it fuels it." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Baby Driver*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **A–

**Director: **Edgar Wright

**Cast: **Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Andy Hanson and Marisa Tomei as Gina Hanson in 'Before the Devil Knows You'e Dead'

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Andy Hanson and Marisa Tomei as Gina Hanson in 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead'.

Money is the root of all evil, and in Sidney Lumet's 2007 crime thriller, *Before the Devil Knows You're Dead*, money rots the Hanson family from the inside out. After finance executive Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman) realizes his embezzling activities are on the cusp of being discovered, he convinces his similarly cash-strapped younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), to rob their parents' jewelry store.

The siblings' "victimless" crime does not work out as hoped, and as their father seeks revenge on the mysterious perpetrators, his two sons struggle to clean up the mess they left behind. The last film Lumet made before his death in 2011, *Before the Devil* is arguably his best. EW's critic at the time writes, "Lumet's camera has become an invisible cage, inviting us to study the behavior of the human animals trapped inside." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Before the Devil Knows You're Dead*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **A

**Director: **Sidney Lumet

**Cast: **Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, Marisa Tomei

Black Bag (2025)

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean and Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse in 'Black Bag'

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean and Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse in 'Black Bag'.

Claudette Barius/Focus Features

You're cordially invited to a night of fun and games with Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. The A-list stars play married intelligence officers in this stylish spy thriller from director Steven Soderbergh.

After MI6 tasks George (Fassbender) with investigating a group of suspected turncoats, he is alarmed to discover his wife is among the list. This leads to an eventful dinner in which George invites all the suspects in the hope of sussing them out. Lots of fun twists and turns occur following the dinner, and Soderbergh's knack for tightly paced editing and assembling a great cast to bounce off of one another remains as strong as ever. *—Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Black Bag*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Steven Soderbergh

**Cast: **Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in 'The Bourne Identity'

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in 'The Bourne Identity'.

The first of five films in the Jason Bourne franchise, this action film serves as the origin story for the man who goes from government agent to government target. After an unidentified male is fished out of the water with two gunshots in his back and a total lack of memory or identity, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) goes on a mission to find out who he is, where he came from, and why so many shadowy operatives are hunting him.

A spycraft thriller that doesn't skimp on chase scenes or fight sequences, *The Bourne Identity *might not be the best the franchise has to offer, but it possesses a magic all its own. As EW's critic says in a 2022 rewatch of the film, "How can you not celebrate an action thriller that shows protagonists acting like actual, recognizable humans in the face of random self-defenestration?" *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Bourne Identity*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Doug Liman

**Cast: **Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Casino Royale (2006)

Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'

Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'.

Columbia Pictures

As the sixth actor to assume the mantle of James Bond, expectations for Daniel Craig's first attempt as the sophisticated and deadly intelligence agent were high — and he delivered. Inhabiting the role with a smugness that belies the murderous look in his eyes, Craig manages to make 007 as much of a brawler as he is a modern man of mystery.

In his first mission, Bond engages in a high-stakes poker game with bankrupt terrorist Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) but falls tragically in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), the British treasury agent bankrolling his game. Credited with reviving interest in the long-standing franchise,* Casino Royale*, as an EW reviewer puts it, "turns Bond into a human being again." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Casino Royale*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Martin Campbell

**Cast:** Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Isaach de Bankolé

Coherence (2013)

Emily Foxler as Em in 'Coherence'

Emily Foxler as Em in 'Coherence'. Everett Collection

A comet in the sky plunges a dinner party into chaos, and eight friends fall deep into paranoia when they discover identical versions of themselves across the street. This sci-fi mind-bender from James Ward Byrkit follows the crew as they grapple with what's real, who's real, and good ol' Schrödinger's cat.

Byrkit's style is understated, making the viewer feel like a fly on the wall as the setting oscillates between the kitchen and dining room for the bulk of the film. But this singular approach delivers striking intensity, with a palpable pressure pulsing throughout the home and frenetic dialogue dialing up the tension. —*Hayley Arnold*

Where to watch *Coherence*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** James Ward Byrkit

**Cast:** Emily Foxler, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Lorene Scafaria

Conclave (2024)

Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence and Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini in 'Conclave'

Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence and Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini in 'Conclave'.

Courtesy of Focus Features

Edward Berger's religious thriller *Conclave *premiered less than a year before Pope Francis passed away in May of 2025, giving audiences prescient — albeit fictitious — insight into the opaque process by which the Catholic Church selects its leader. Peter Straughan's Oscar-winning screenplay positions the papal conclave as a war between factions: the conservative and the progressive sides, both of which are wrestling for control of the church's future.

Ralph Fiennes leads the cast as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the liberal cardinal tasked with overseeing the papal election. EW's senior writer credits him with providing the film with its emotional anchor, writing that he brings "an elegant world-weariness to a man wrestling with the institution and its faults." The film's final twist isn't for everyone, but *Conclave *made a big impression with filmmakers, earning eight Academy Award nominations and generating plenty of industry buzz . *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Conclave*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A–

**Director: **Edward Berger

**Cast: **Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

The Conversation (1974)

Gene Hackman as Harry Caul in 'The Conversation'

Gene Hackman as Harry Caul in 'The Conversation'.

FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty

Francis Ford Coppola meditates on the question of who is watching the watchmen in *The Conversation*, a neo-noir mystery thriller about the human side of surveillance. Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is known in the industry as the best bugger on the West Coast, capable of capturing even the most private conversations. But when he overhears the subjects of one of his bugging assignments discussing their fear of being murdered, Harry worries for their safety, and attempts to investigate.

More than 50 years after its release, *The Conversation*'s alarmist attitude towards privacy concerns is still valid. Hackman is excellent as the withdrawn, paranoid Harry, whose professional and moral instincts become muddled as he seeks to protect two strangers and pinpoint which entities are surveilling him. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Conversation*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Francis Ford Coppola

**Cast: **Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest

Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis as John McClane in 'Die Hard'

Bruce Willis as John McClane in 'Die Hard'. Twentieth Century Fox

Fans have debated whether *Die Hard* is a Christmas movie for more than three decades, but it's an agreed upon fact that the film launched one of the most beloved action thriller franchises of all time. The first of five installments introduces audiences to the series' hero — New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) — who has traveled to Los Angeles hoping to rekindle a romance with his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). After German terrorists — led by the nefarious Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) — take control of the building where Holly's company's Christmas party is being held, McClane must work to take down the bad guys from the inside in order to save his family.

The world has *Die Hard* to thank for elevating both Willis' and Rickman's careers, and while Willis' 2022 retirement due to his aphasia diagnosis brought an end to the franchise, *Die Hard* will always be remembered as the movie that helped cement his legacy as one of the foremost action stars of all time.* —I.G.***

Where to watch *Die Hard*: Amazon Prime Video**

**Director:** John McTiernan**

**Cast:** Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia

Donnie Darko (2001)

Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie Darko in 'Donnie Darko'

Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie Darko in 'Donnie Darko'.

Mary Evans/Pandora Cinema/Flower Films/Adam Fields Productions/GA/Ronald Grant/Courtesy Everett Collection

Sleep disorders, hallucinations, and rabbit costume-clad figures prophesying humanity's imminent destruction are just a few of the treats provided in *Donnie Darko*, a trippy sci-fi thriller with a stacked cast. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Donnie, a teenager struggling with his mental health, who begins sleepwalking and experiencing visions that take a toll on his everyday life. Also starring Jake's real-life sibling Maggie Gyllenhaal as Donnie's sister, the film was quickly adopted by college kids and film students as the movie to watch in the early aughts.

*Donnie Darko* struggled at the box office primarily due to bad timing: The film's theatrical release was scheduled for shortly after the 9/11 attacks, and the movie — which features a plane crash — suffered accordingly. Regardless, the film quickly achieved cult classic status, and, according to EW, is one of Gyllenhaal's best performances. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Donnie Darko*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Richard Kelly

**Cast: **Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Seth Rogen, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, Ashley Tisdale

The Handmaiden (2016)

Kim Tae-ri as Sook-Hee and Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko in 'The Handmaiden'

Kim Tae-ri as Sook-Hee and Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko in 'The Handmaiden'. Everett Collection

It's no surprise that this film from Park Chan-wook — about a handmaiden who is hired to interfere with the marriage of a wealthy heiress for a hefty payout — is visually dazzling, and the costuming and cinematography alone are enough to bewitch. Then, Chan-wook tosses in a twist, and then another, and the film's handsome veneer is removed to unveil the wickedly sinister tones lurking beneath.

Ravishing and exhilarating, *The Handmaiden* is about both intimate love and crude obscenity, which Chan-wook expertly balances to complement each other well. —*H.A.*

Where to watch *The Handmaiden*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Park Chan-wook

**Cast:** Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong

The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

Frank Lovejoy as Gilbert Bowen and Edmond O'Brien as Roy Collins in 'The Hitch-Hiker'

Frank Lovejoy as Gilbert Bowen and Edmond O'Brien as Roy Collins in 'The Hitch-Hiker'.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Ida Lupino made history as the first female director to helm a Hollywood film noir with this gripping thriller, which takes inspiration from real-life spree killer Billy Cook. Roy (Edmond O'Brien) and Gilbert (Frank Lovejoy) are driving through California where they unwittingly pick up a murderous hitchhiker, Emmett Myers (William Talman), who is wanted by police. Myers holds the two men at gunpoint and instructs them to transport him to a specific location to evade capture.

Lupino makes the most of a low budget, crafting a genuinely suspenseful thriller with potent emotional resonance. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Hitch-Hiker*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Ida Lupino

**Cast:** Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman

The Infiltrator (2016)

Bryan Cranston as Robert Mazur in 'The Infiltrator'

Bryan Cranston as Robert Mazur in 'The Infiltrator'.

Liam Daniel/Broad Green Pictures

Behind the scenes, the biographical crime drama thriller *The Infiltrator* is actually a family affair. Written by Ellen Brown Furman and directed by her son, Brad Furman, the movie is set in the 1980s and follows the infiltration and dissolution of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar's money laundering business. Three years after *Breaking Bad* went off the air, Bryan Cranston switches sides from meth maker to cartel breaker, starring as real-life U.S. Customs Special Agent Robert Mazur, whose undercover work was crucial in exposing Escobar's far-reaching financial misdeeds.

Pivoting effortlessly from family man to ruthless felon, Cranston once again puts his acting range on full display, with a nuanced performance that is underscored by the knowledge that the slightest misstep could cost him — and his family — their lives. The film may have premiered a year after Netflix released *Narcos*, but Cranston's efforts are enough to distinguish the project and make it a must-watch. *—I.G.   *

Where to watch *The Infiltrator*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **B+

**Director:** Brad Furman

**Cast: **Bryan Cranston, Diane Kruger, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt, Yul Vazquez, Amy Ryan

Memento (2001)

Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby in 'Memento'

Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby in 'Memento'.

Danny Rothenberg/Newmarket

Christopher Nolan emerged as one of the most inventive mainstream directors of his generation with this cerebral crime thriller. Guy Pearce stars as Leonard, a man with amnesia struggling to put the pieces together of who killed his wife. Unable to store new memories, Leonard develops an elaborate system of documentation involving photographs and tattoos to provide connective tissue to his future self.

"*Memento* has a spooky repetitive urgency that takes on the clarity of a dream," writes EW's critic. "It's like an Oliver Sacks case study played as malevolent film noir." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Memento*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Christopher Nolan

**Cast:** Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano

The 40 best thriller movies of all time, ranked

Janet Leigh as Marion Crane in 'Psycho', Mima Kirigoe (voice: Junko Iwao) 'Perfect Blue', and Mark Ruffalo as Inspector Dave Toschi in 'Zodiac'

The 25 best thrillers to watch on Netflix right now

Sandra Bullock as Malorie Hayes in 'Bird Box'; Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in 'El Camino'; Allison Janney as Lou Adell in 'Lou'

Monster (2003)

Christina Ricci as Selby Wall and Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in 'Monster'

Christina Ricci as Selby Wall and Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in 'Monster'. Everett Collection

Almost 15 years before Patty Jenkins was recognized in the superhero sphere for her work on *Wonder Woman*, she wrote and directed her first feature film, *Monster*, following the origin story of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Starring Charlize Theron in the titular role that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, *Monster* is the gripping tale of Wuornos' romance with her girlfriend, Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), her descent into sex work, and subsequently, murder.

Theron's physical transformation for the role is well-documented — she gained 30 pounds, changed her hair, wore prosthetic teeth, and shaved her eyebrows — but what makes her performance one of cinema's most memorable is the way she uses her physical and emotional choices to bolster the effect of that external metamorphosis. *—I.G. *

Where to watch *Monster*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Patty Jenkins

**Cast: **Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen

Saltburn (2023)

Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick in 'Saltburn'

Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick in 'Saltburn'.

Courtesy of MGM/Amazon Studios

Combine the obsession featured in *The Talented Mr. Ripley* with *Brideshead Revisited*'s commentary on privilege and you get *Saltburn*, directed by Oscar-winning writer Emerald Fennell.

Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver, an outcast Oxford student who befriends uber-rich classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi). After Felix invites him to his family's palatial country house over summer break, Oliver weasels his way into their good graces and turns their world upside down. Nasty yet perversely funny, *Saltburn* is, as EW's critic describes it, "a gothic thriller dusted with poisonous candy-pop glitter," —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Saltburn*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Emerald Fennell

**Cast:** Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe

Thief (1981)

James Caan as Frank and Tuesday Weld as Jessie in 'Thief'

James Caan as Frank and Tuesday Weld as Jessie in 'Thief'.

United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock

The age-old criminal desire for "one last big score" is too much for Frank (James Caan) to resist. A career safe cracker and thief, Frank spent over a decade behind bars and is now attempting to rebuild his life and settle down — a mission complicated by Leo (Robert Prosky), a criminal puppeteer who pulls Frank into his orbit.

*Thief* showcases one of Caan's most powerful and memorable performances, and he is equally matched by Tuesday Weld in the role of his wife, Jessie. The film also represents Michael Mann's cinematic directorial debut, and introduced audiences to several little-known actors. (Willie Nelson co-stars in one of his early film roles, and his performance as Frank's incarcerated mentor was so captivating, he left audiences and critics wondering where he went in the latter half of the film.) *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Thief*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Michael Mann

**Cast: **James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson

The Vast of Night (2020)

Jake Horowtiz as Everett Sloan, Mark Banik as Gerald, and Cheyenne Barton as Bertsie in 'The Vast of Night'

Jake Horowtiz as Everett Sloan, Mark Banik as Gerald, and Cheyenne Barton as Bertsie in 'The Vast of Night'. Amazon Studios

Made for under $1 million, director Andrew Patterson gifted Amazon Prime with one of the best sci-fi movies of 2020. *The Vast of Night *follows Everett (Jake Horowitz) and Fay (Sierra McCormick), who discover a mysterious sound frequency while the entire town is attending a high school basketball game. Though the movie calls back to *The Twilight Zone,* the supernatural subject matter is explored through an entirely fresh lens. "

We wanted to immediately make it clear [in the film] that the things you're about to see in this story are very much the same things you've seen before in this story, but we're going to do this in a new way," Patterson said in an interview with EW. It's an honest and subdued approach to sci-fi, and the minimalism yields time for Patterson's craft to shine. —*H.A.*

Where to watch *The Vast of Night*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Andrew Patterson

**Cast:** Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Tilda Swinton as Eva and John C. Reilly as Franklin in 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'

Tilda Swinton as Eva and John C. Reilly as Franklin in 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'.

Everett Collection

A mother fears her child may be a psychopath in this unnerving thriller drama. Eva (Tilda Swinton) struggles to fully connect with her son, Kevin (Ezra Miller), who torments her without apparent reason or remorse. Making matters worse is the affection Kevin shows to his father, which only increases the distance between them. It all leads up to a horrifying incident that irrevocably changes Eva and Kevin's lives forever.

*We Need to Talk About Kevin* is one of those films you may never want to watch again, but its impending sense of doom is bracingly effective, as are the performances by Swinton and Miller. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *We Need to Talk About Kevin*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Lynne Ramsay

**Cast:** Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller

You Were Never Really Here (2018)

Joaquin Phoenix as Joe and Ekaterina Samsonov as Nina Votto in 'You Were Never Really Here'

Joaquin Phoenix as Joe and Ekaterina Samsonov as Nina Votto in 'You Were Never Really Here'. Alison Cohen Rosa/Amazon Studios

Lynne Ramsay crafts a lone wolf story in a gritty arthouse fashion, with Joaquin Phoenix as Joe, a war vet with PTSD who saves runaway girls from the sex trade. Though his personal life is already splitting apart at the seams, Joe plunges into further danger when a routine rescue goes awry.

Ramsay speeds through many of the action shots to instead focus on Joe's psyche. Images from his past are spliced together abruptly and rather awkwardly, an apt representation of the way his trauma continues to torment him. The result serves as a visual representation of Joe's disjointed mind, resulting in a film as emotionally arresting as it is dark and thrilling. —*H.A.*

Where to watch *You Were Never Really Here*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Lynne Ramsay

**Cast:** Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov, John Doman, Alex Manette, Dante Pereira-Olson, Alessandro Nivola

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Movies"

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Source: Movies

Published: October 31, 2025 at 02:37AM on Source: COSMOPOLITE

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