18 Must-Watch Thrillers on HBO Max Right Now (September 2025)

In 1930s Mississippi, identical twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore (played by Michael B. Jordan in a dual role) leave their criminal life in Chicago behind to return to their hometown and open up a juke joint. But complications arise for the brothers’ grand opening that are more pertinent than ex-girlfriends and estranged wives: there are vampires on their doorstep, and they’d love to be invited inside.

Sinners marks Ryan Coogler’s first feature since directing Black Panther and its sequel for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he surely came back with a bang. The action horror is a stylish, western-tinged homage to ‘30s gangster flicks that relies heavily on blues music in its themes and content. It infuses several unforgettable musical sequences along with great character development, shocking violence, and kinetic action scenes. It’s no wonder the film was a box office smash, exceeding expectations for an original, R-rated film.

When a brutal serial killer emerges who bases all his murders on the seven deadly sins, two disparate detectives find themselves at odds as they struggle to bring the criminal to justice. While veteran Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is determined to understand the machinations of the killer’s mind, the much younger Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) scoffs at his attempts. Little do they know, the two detectives are in a race against time to stop the perpetrator’s final and most horrific kill.

After the arguably disastrous Alien 3, David Fincher returned three years later with the film that would establish him as a directing force to be reckoned with in the crime thriller genre. Seven may be more of a crime film than a horror, but it features a slew of genuinely chilling setpieces that are guaranteed to give you nightmares. It also doesn’t hurt that the film’s conclusion has one of the most iconic plot twists of all time.

Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) has just fled a cult after two years, and she’s finding it hard to adjust to her old, normal life. Her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and Lucy’s husband, Ted (Hugh Dancy), do their best to help her readjust by letting her live with them in their remote cabin, but Martha’s fragile mental state begins to deteriorate as she remembers all the reasons why she left. 

The cult’s charismatic leader, Patrick (John Hawkes), is never far from her thoughts, and she is still in contact with some of its members. Does Martha have the strength to fully break away from her traumatic past? Even if she does, will Patrick and the rest of the cult members let her?

Martha Marcy May Marlene is a different kind of thriller — while the threat is very real, it’s also unnerving and ambiguous. Olsen is terrific as a young woman who knows her past life with the cult isn’t good for her, but still longs for the protection and sense of identity it gave her. The movie’s tension stems from Martha’s mental state — is she strong enough to stand on her own or does she place herself in situations that will make it easier for her to go back to the cult that once tried to destroy her? Martha Marcy May Marlene is worth watching to find out the answer.

It’s hard to classify Freaky Tales. The anthology film contains elements of science fiction and action, but it’s an undeniably effective thriller, too. The story focuses on Clint (Pedro Pascal), a former criminal trying to reform. When his pregnant wife is killed, he vows revenge, but his quest is complicated by a roving band of Nazis, two female would-be rappers and Sleepy Floyd (Running Point’s Jay Ellis), who can move objects with his mind. 

Freaky Tales is very weird, but it’s also very entertaining. With a cast consisting of pop singer Normani, the late Angus Cloud of Euphoria fame and Tom Hanks, the movie has enough star power to keep you interested and more than a few wild narrative swings to hold your interest. If you’re craving a different kind of thriller, watch Freaky Tales.

Belinda (Brandy) is a pregnant university professor with more problems than she’d like. Frustrated by her job and nervous about her pregnancy, she’s further aggravated by her husband’s mother, Solange (Kathryn Hunter), moving in. Solange disapproves of Belinda and begins to undermine her at every turn. Belinda’s protests fall on deaf ears and she’s soon left to deal with a mother-in-law who could be deadlier than anyone realizes.

The Front Room was marketed as a horror film, but it’s more of a psychological thriller than anything else. Solange’s threats aren’t supernatural — instead, they stem from her being a flat-out racist. The Front Room tackles real-world issues like microaggressions and misogyny, but it also works as a woman-in-peril thriller similar to the suspense classic The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

Katja’s (Diane Kruger) life is picture perfect — she has a great marriage and loves her 6-year-old son, Rocco. But that picture is shattered when both her husband and child are killed in a nail bomb explosion. Katja saw the people who planted it, but the law is no help. As a result, the grieving mom and widow decides to take matters into her own hands and find the justice that’s eluded her. 

In The Fade is a revenge tale that’s less concerned with action and more focused on Katja’s fragile state of mind. Her transformation from a happy mother and wife to a gun-happy vigilante is often painful to watch and involves her taking drugs and contemplating suicide to dull her pain. It’s a tough film to take, but an undeniably rewarding one you won’t shake anytime soon.

Writer, comedian and director Richard Ayoade helms this darkly comic thriller starring Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska. Loosely based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novella of the same name, The Double delves into themes of identity, isolation and duality. It follows Simon James (Eisenberg), a timid and overlooked man, and his charismatic, confident doppelgänger, James Simon (also Eisenberg), who begins to take over his life.

The movie blends dark humor and psychological tension as James interferes in Simon’s personal and professional life, leading to an intense confrontation. The film’s atmospheric setting, dynamic cinematography and haunting score contribute to a sense of unease and anticipation — and Eisenberg’s dual performance is remarkable.

Possibly one of the best and most impactful movies of the 2010s, Get Out combines suspense and horror elements with intricately plotted details and intelligent social commentary. The movie follows Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), a young Black man who visits the family estate of his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). What initially seems like a warm welcome quickly descends into a nightmare as Chris begins to uncover unsettling secrets about the Armitage family and their mysterious guests. 

You’ll be on the edge of your seat in every scene — except for when you’re laughing at writer-director Jordan Peele‘s brilliant dialogue. With layered performances from Kaluuya, Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Lil Rel Howery and more, Get Out is a movie that sticks with you.

Master of thrills Steven Soderbergh directs this Zoë Kravitz gem, which explores themes of surveillance and technology that feel more relevant with each passing year. Kravitz plays Angela Childs, a tech worker grappling with agoraphobia during a pandemic, who discovers evidence of a violent crime while analyzing data streams from a smart device. Struggling with both her personal fears and her skeptical work superiors, Angela decides to seek justice — a choice that draws her into a web of danger and conspiracy. 

Kimi has a tightly woven narrative that fills the movie with tension and a sense of high stakes. The character-driven story makes it engaging, while the themes make the viewer reflect on the consequences of technology in our personal lives. If you liked Soderbergh’s recent hit Black Bag, this is a must-watch.

Fritz Lang‘s M is one of the most seminal, influential thrillers ever made. (If you ever took a film class in college, it may well have been on the syllabus.) Don’t let the German language or the black-and-white cinematography scare you off — M is as engaging and exciting as any current Hollywood blockbuster. The story revolves around Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre), a serial killer who preys on children in Berlin. When the police fail to capture him, the criminals of the city take matters into their own hands.

Lorre’s portrayal of Beckert is both haunting and surprisingly sympathetic, adding layers to the character. It’s a visually striking examination of humanity’s darkest impulses that will stun you.

What made Parasite so special that it became the first non-English-language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture? Perhaps it’s the relatable story of a family trying desperately to stay afloat, combined with a considerably less relatable story of the twisted steps they’ll take to get there. Perhaps it’s the brilliant class commentary, the comedic performances that you don’t need to speak Korean to laugh at or the confident direction from Bong Joon-ho. 

The Kim family’s lives take a turn when they cunningly infiltrate the wealthy Park family’s household, securing various jobs under false pretenses. The cast members — Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam — brilliantly shift between humor and tension as the Kims become more entangled in the Parks’ lives. It’s an unforgettable comedic thriller.

Curt (Don Cheadle) and Ronald (Benicio del Toro) are small-time gangsters in 1950s Detroit who are hired to intimidate a General Motors executive so he can give them a mysterious document. After some hiccups and one unexpected death, the two men are successful. Unfortunately, they quickly realize the document they now possess is far more valuable — and dangerous — than they could’ve imagined. Now on the run from the cops as well as their fellow gangsters, they must try to find a way out of the mess they’re in without losing their lives.

No Sudden Move is perhaps the only thriller whose plot hinges on a car part. That’s the movie’s MacGuffin, but whether it’s a catalytic converter or a 24-karat diamond, it’s merely the excuse for these characters to run around shooting at each other. 

It’s all great fun, and that’s due to Steven Soderbergh’s stylish direction and the effective performances by Cheadle, del Toro and Jon Hamm. No Sudden Move is a throwback thriller with a modern polish, and it runs as smoothly as the Buicks and Cadillacs the robbers drive to avoid getting caught.   

Is there a summer thriller more appropriate than The Swimming Pool, which is set in or around a private pool in the French countryside? The late ‘60s movie stars Alain Delon as Jean-Paul, a writer who is spending his vacation with his longtime girlfriend, Marianne (Romy Schneider). Their romantic bliss is disturbed by the arrival of Harry (Maurice Ronet), Jean-Paul’s old friend and ex-lover of Marianne, and his teenage daughter, Penelope (Jane Birkin). 

Tensions soon rise as Jean-Paul becomes jealous of Harry, Penelope flirts with Jean-Paul and Marianne becomes fed up with all of them. When someone dies, the survivors must figure out who is responsible and who will be the next victim. 

The Swimming Pool is a slow-burn thriller that takes its time setting up its central mystery and leaving it for the viewer to solve. The killer is pretty obvious, but his or her intentions aren’t, and the beauty of The Swimming Pool is how it forces you to judge a set of characters who are neither completely good nor irredeemably evil. 

Ellie (Eliza Scanlen) is vacationing with her family at Caddo Lake near the Texas/Louisiana border when her stepsister, Anna (Caroline Falk), disappears. Meanwhile, Paris (Dylan O’Brien) is investigating why his mother drove off a bridge near the lake. At first, Ellie and Paris have nothing to do with each other, but as they try to solve their mysteries, they separately realize the answer to all their problems lies in Caddo Lake.

A thriller with some sci-fi elements, Caddo Lake has a twisty plot that is almost too complex to follow. But it manages to make sense in the end, and it’s the rare thriller that’s surprisingly moving. Caddo Lake is produced by M. Night Shyamalan, so that should give you a hint about what you should expect.

Cooper (Josh Hartnett) seems like your ordinary, everyday guy. A firefighter and devoted dad, he takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to a pop concert in Philadelphia. Something’s slightly off about the whole thing, though, and he discovers that it’s an elaborate ploy by the FBI to catch a serial killer named “The Butcher.” That’s a big problem for Cooper because he’s The Butcher, and he’ll do anything to keep his double life a secret. 

Director M. Night Shyamalan takes his irresistible premise and runs with it throughout Trap, placing Cooper in one tense situation after another as he tries to find a way to escape the intricate trap the authorities have set for him. Hartnett is effective as the charismatic killer, who always tries to do what’s best for his kid, even when he’s trying to kill people to get away. Coop may be a killer, but no one can convict him of being a bad dad.  

In 1890s New England, Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) arrives at an isolated lighthouse for what’s supposed to be a short stint as a “wickie” before leaving. But the days seem endless due to the harsh weather and harsher supervision by Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), who orders him to do menial tasks. Soon, the two men are at war with one another, and Winslow’s sanity begins to unravel. Will the two men kill each other? Or will the raging sea drown them before they even have a chance?

Robert Eggers (Nosferatu) specializes in atmospheric, esoteric nightmares, and The Lighthouse is arguably his best attempt at conveying an ancient, almost mystical sense of fear and dread. He also crafts a tense thriller by effectively exploiting his single location — the titular lighthouse — and letting his two talented actors let their freak flags fly. The Lighthouse is a beautiful nightmare, one that you won’t want to wake up from anytime soon.

Lou (Kristen Stewart) is wasting her life in a small New Mexico town until bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brien) walks into her gym one day. The two begin a passionate love affair, but their dreams of running away to Las Vegas together are sidelined when Lou becomes involved in a family affair that leaves one person dead. With the cops closing in and Lou’s crime boss father (Ed Harris) angry that his criminal empire could be exposed, the two lovers must think fast before time runs out for both of them.

Directed by Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding is a superb crime noir movie with a thrilling plot line that is never predictable. Stewart and O’Brien are believable as an odd couple who risk everything to be with one another, and Harris gets some nice moments to shine as a father who loves his daughter, but loves his illegal business even more. There’s a “WTF?” moment at the end that is never explained, but that only enhances the movie’s weird, gonzo appeal.

Jonathan Demme’s masterful thriller creeped people out in 1991 and is still scary today, but its real power lies in the oddly intimate relationship between Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter. She needs his help to capture Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), a serial killer who likes to wear the skin of his victims. But Lecter’s help comes with a price — he wants to know everything about Clarice, including the traumatic event that still haunts her. Can Clarice trust a sociopathic serial killer to end Buffalo Bill’s reign of terror for good?

Hopkins is only on screen for 16 minutes in The Silence of the Lambs, but he dominates the movie with his seductive, sophisticated monster. Foster has a trickier role, but she turns her character’s vulnerability into an asset. Tiny in stature and underestimated by her male coworkers, Clarice is the only one smart enough to piece together clues that lead to Buffalo Bill. The movie is one of the best thrillers ever made and fully deserved its five Oscars.

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