Psychological thrillers are some of my favorite films to indulge in. But it feels like every list has the same movies. So, I created this list of 12 outstanding psychological thriller films that nobody talks about anymore.
1. Compliance (2012)
Based on a real-life incident, Compliance explores how a prank call from a fake police officer makes a fast-food restaurant worker perform unsettling tasks with Becky, her co-worker. It stars Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, and Pat Healy in lead roles. The film features disturbing visuals and hence is not talked much about anymore.
2. Body Heat (1981)
Body Heat tells the story of a lawyer’s affair and how he strategizes against his lover’s wealthy husband to kill him. People don’t discuss the film in this era because its theme isn’t as groundbreaking for modern cinema. The star cast of this psychological thriller encompasses Willian Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Mickey Rourke.
3. The Last Seduction (1994)
An alluring female’s greed shapes the plot of The Last Seduction. She first cons her husband and runs away all the way to Chicago. There, she has eyes on her next prey – an insurance man. With her notorious intentions, she traps the guy in a deadly scam. Linda Florentino, Peter Berg, and Bill Pullman play leading roles in this movie.
4. Cure (1997)
Cure is another forgotten thriller that combines crime and philosophy perfectly. Its plot outlines how a detective investigates a series of identical murders.
But there’s nothing that connects the cases, which adds more to his frustration. Koji Yakusho plays the central role of Kenichi Takabe, while you can see Anna Nakagawa, Masato Hagiwara, and Tsuyoshi Ujiki as the supporting cast.
5. Memories of Murder (2003)
Memories of Murder explores the journey of two detectives, Park (Song Kang-ho) and Cho (Kim Roi-ha), who are tackling a double murder case in South Korea. Their lives take a twisted turn when multiple murders with the same pattern are committed, indicating serial killing. It’d be interesting to see how they solve this complicated case with their basic skills.
6. Red Eye (2005)
The not-so-well-known suspense-thriller Red Eye narrates how a flight turns Lisa’s life upside down. On the plane, she meets a terrorist named Jackson, who plots to assassinate a government official.
Lisa is forced to help him for the sake of her father’s life. It’s quite interesting to see how she emerges as the savior in the end. Rachel McAdams enacted the role of Lisa, while Cillian Murphy plays Jackson.
7. The Conversation (1974)
In the movie The Conversation, a mysterious client hires a surveillance expert to track a young couple and record their conversations. Remembering his previous failed case, he becomes obsessed with the tape to track whether the couple’s life is in danger or not. This psychological thriller stars Gene Hackman, Harrison Ford, John Cazale, Phoebe Alexander, and more.
8. Frantic (1988)
Frantic explores the journey of Dr. Richard (Harrison Ford), whose wife Sondra (Betty Buckley) gets kidnapped in Paris from their hotel room. Being unaware of the French language, culture, and laws, the man has to put real effort into saving his better half. This even included teaming up with a young local, Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner), to uncover the truth of the criminal underworld.
9. China Moon (1994)
Based on a thrilling plot, China Moon tells the story of Rachel, who accidentally murders her abusive husband. To dispose of his body, she asks for help from Kyle, an honest homicide detective, who also turns out to be her lover.
As Kyle’s partner investigates the case, evidence points towards him as the murderer. Starring Ed Harris, Madeleine Stowe, and Benicio del Toro, the movie isn’t widely recognized now because of its old age.
10. Shattered (1991)
Shattered digs into Dan Merrick’s life, who’s suffering from amnesia after surviving a car accident. He is on a journey to unveil his past by putting puzzles together. But the stories he’s told don’t align with his vague memories, which forces him to hire a private detective. It stars Tom Berenger, Greta Scacchi, and Bob Hoskins in lead roles.
11. Malice (1993)
Malice starts with a suburban couple inviting their old classmate, Dr. Jed, to be their tenant, who is a trauma surgeon. Their once peaceful life is trapped in a web of never-ending troubles as the husband is framed in a physical assault case.
Problems don’t stop here as the wife has to undergo an emergency surgery performed by Jed. Bill Pullman, Nicole Kidman, and Alec Baldwin make up the movie’s star cast.
12. Magic (1978)
Based on a strange plot, Magic explores Corky’s (Anthony Hopkins) journey of developing a ventriloquist act with a dummy named Fats. However, problems arise when the show he has grabbed demands participants to pass a mental exam. Corky, fearing his unbalanced mind, runs away with Fats.
Soon, he reconnects with Peggy (Ann Margret), his high school love, who is in a loveless marriage. While Corky convinces her to leave her husband, Fats, who has now developed a mind of its own, opposes their relationship.
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