When it comes to watching movies, thrillers are a definite go-to for many of us out there. Moreover, when it gets coupled with mystery it gets even more intriguing. But given the number of mystery-thrillers, it often gets a little confusing what to choose. While many good ones are not streaming on any platform in India as of now, we have sorted out a list of 50 best mystery-thrillers online across platforms in India just for you.
Let’s begin…
50. Grand Piano(2013): Amazon Prime Video
Tom (Elijah Wood), a concert pianist was doing well until he developed stage fright while trying for a complex piece of music. Five years down the lane he is supposed to give his comeback performance. However, a sniper threatens to shoot him if he plays even one note wrong.
49. The Room(2019): Amazon Prime Video
After moving to their new house, the couple discovers a mysterious room that can grant any wish but with a catch of its own. The Couple just wants a child, will their wish be granted or will they fall prey to the catch? An engrossing story to look forward to.
48. Greta(2018): Netflix
Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young waitress living in New York, finds a handbag on the subway one morning. On the inside she finds the owner’s ID who is a woman named Greta Hideg (Isabelle Huppert) and goes to her house to return the bag. Frances and Greta soon become friends. But this friendship soon becomes horrifying for Frances when Greta becomes disturbingly obsessed with her.
47. In the Shadow of the Moon(2019): Netflix
An ambitious policeman, Thomas Lockhart (Boyd Holbrook), aims to be a detective and for this he pins his hope on catching a mysterious serial killer who appears sporadically after every nine years. The killings defies all scientific explanations and becomes an obsession for Lockhart which threatens everything around.
46. Oxygen(2021): Netflix
Oxygen is a sci-fi thriller drama film that follows Liz, a young woman who wakes up in cryogenic unit. With no recollection of who she is or how she got there, Liz tries to rebuild her memory and find a way out of the unit before her oxygen runs out.
45. Murder on the Orient Express(2017): Disney+Hotstar
A lavish trip through Europe quickly unfolds into a race against time to solve a murder aboard a train. When an avalanche stops the Orient Express dead in its tracks, the world’s greatest detective — Hercule Poirot — arrives to interrogate all passengers and search for clues before the killer can strike again.
44. Birdbox(2018): Netflix
Bird Box is an American horror-thriller film directed by Susanne Bier starring Sandra Bullock in the lead character as Malorie Hayes. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic situation where people need to be blindfolded to survive the extraterrestrial attack. A mother with her two children has to get across this mayhem in order to survive. Only time will tell if she can.
43. Run(2020): Netflix
Helmed by Aneesh Chaganty (‘Searching’), ‘Run’ follows a homeschooled wheelchair bound teenager Chloe (Kiera Allen). Her mother Diane (Sarah Paulson) keeps her in isolation and doesn’t let her see the mail. Chloe soon begins to suspect that her mother is keeping some dark secrets from her and tries to find out the truth.
42. Enemy(2013): Amazon Prime Video
Enemy is a 2013 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve, loosely adapted by Javier Gullón from José Saramago’s 2002 novel The Double. The story follows Adam (Jake Gyllenhaal), a college history professor, who discovers that he looks strikingly similar to an actor Anthony Claire. Things get complex when Adam stalks him and starts living his life.
41. The Gift(2015): Amazon Prime Video
A couple, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall), encounters Gordo (Joel Edgerton), an acquaintance from Simon’s past. Simon has trouble recalling but after series of unexpected outcomes and mysterious gifts, a disturbing secret from the past emerges, which starts to trouble the bonding and love between the couple itself. A gripping watch.
40. The Basic Instinct(1992)Streaming On: Netflix
The mysterious Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a beautiful crime novelist, becomes a suspect when she is linked to the brutal death of a rock star. Investigated by homicide detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), Catherine seduces him into an intense relationship. Meanwhile, the murder case becomes increasingly complicated when more seemingly connected deaths occur and Nick’s psychologist and lover, Beth Garner (Jeanne Tripplehorn), appears to be another suspect. One of the boldest movie of its time.
39. Orphan(2009): Amazon Prime Video
An intense and dark thriller, Orphan follows a couple, Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard). They decide to adopt a nine year old girl after losing a baby. But Kate soon starts suspecting the girl’s behavior and on digging finds out about her troubled and mysterious past. Moreover, the girl isn’t what they thought she was. A must watch film.
38. Karthik Calling Karthik(2010): Netflix
Directed by Vijay Lalwani, the film revolves around a person named Karthik(Farhan Akhtar) who is socially dissociative and struggles with a deep existential crisis which makes it really hard for him to be confident and confront others when necessary. He is always ridiculed by his boss and has faced many setbacks throughout his life. However, one day, he receives a phone call from a stranger who promises to transform his life.
37. Side Effects(2013): Netflix
Side Effects is a 2013 American thriller film directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film concerns the ramifications of an event following a young woman being prescribed antidepressant drugs, in particular the fictional new drug Ablixa (alipazone). The film offers a chilling, disturbing portrait of the dangers of the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the evil of deceit.
36. Bad Times at the El Royale(2019): Disney+Hotstar
The El Royale is a run-down hotel that sits on the border between California and Nevada. It soon becomes a seedy battleground when seven strangers — a cleric, a soul singer, a traveling salesman, two sisters, the manager and the mysterious Billy Lee — converge on a fateful night for one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong.
35. The Devil All the Time(2020): Netflix
Adapted from Donald Ray Pollock’s eponymous 2011 novel, ‘The Devil All The Time’ is a Gothic noir set in the time period between World War II and the Vietnam War. The film is full of sins and gory and shows how religion impacts the life of different people in different ways. The unique style in which the film has been shot, captures its essence spectacularly. The film completely justifies its name by maintaining that eerie, evil feel throughout. Moreover, Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson’s performance in the film will leave you flabbergasted for sure.
34. Talaash(2012): Netflix
The film is dark, complex psychological yet there are layers of emotions which makes it more compelling. Great performances from all the leading characters ensures that you are sucked into the mood and world that Reema Kagti creates. Aamir Khan, the investigating cop, has to go through various struggles to unclog the mystery.
33. Te3n(2016): Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Te3n is a mystery-thriller film which is a remake of a 2013 South Korean film Montage and stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Padmavathi Rao and Vidya Balan in the lead roles. A 70 year old man (Amitabh Bachchan) seeks help from a police officer turned priest (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) to find the kidnapper and murderer of his granddaughter, who died eight years ago. The film wasn’t a box office hit but was praised for the performances by the actors.
32. Split(2016): Netflix
Written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Split is the second film of the Unbreakable trilogy. The story follows Kevin, a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder and who has 23 distinct personalities. He kidnaps three teenage girls who must find out the good ones amongst his multiple alter egos before he unleashes his 24th one.
31. Raman Raghav 2.0(2016): Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
This neo-noir thriller directed by Anurag Kashyap is inspired from real-life killer Raman Raghav who oprated in Mumbai in the 1960s. Ramanna (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a serial killer is chased by a corrupt police officer Raghavan (Vicky Kaushal). In the process, Ramanna discovers how Raghavan and he are no different from one another and tries to convince him of the same.
30. Uncut Gems(2019): Netflix
The Safdie Brothers’ unrelenting thriller is akin to a 2-hour anxiety attack. Pulse-pounding; nerve-shredding; gut-wrenching, take your pick.If tension indeed lies at the heart of a great thriller, then Uncut Gems deserves a seat in the upper echelons; it is crafted with the express purpose of sustaining tension. And at the centre of it all is an Adam Sandler tour-de-force; a deliriously unhinged performance that will forever be associated with his legacy as a dramatic actor. This is how he wins.
29. Forgotten(2017): Netflix
When his brother returns after an abduction with no memory whatsoever of the last 19 days, Jin-Seok (Kang Ha-neul) tries to decipher the story behind the abduction, to get hold of what happened with his brother. A South Korean masterpiece.
28. Manorama Six Feet Under(2007): Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Satyaveer (Abhay Deol) is an engineer suspended for allegedly accepting a bribe. However, Satyaveer, proud author of a tawdry and thoroughly unsuccessful crime novel, is approached by a woman named Manorama to investigate her husband, whom she suspects of having an affair. As in the best noir thrillers, things go pear-shaped for Satyaveer as he becomes embroiled deeper in the intrigue.
27. Zodiac(2007): Netflix
After his standout work ‘Se7ven’, it was no surprise that David Fincher nailed it again with ‘Zodiac’. A fascinating look at investigation into the infamous Zodiac serial killer, you’re never quite sure where the film is going as it doesn’t play out like a typical thriller, but it’s nonetheless thoroughly intense. Jake Gyllenhaal is great as the newspaper reporter who can’t let go of the case, and knowing it’s a true story makes it that much more terrifying.
26. Gravity(2013): Amazon Prime Video
A sci-fi thriller film from Alfonso Cuarón, ‘Gravity’ stars Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone, an engineer and George Clooney as Matt Kowalski, an astronaut. Their space shuttle explorer gets hit by high-speed space debris as was warned by the mission control on earth. Situation escalates and Stone becomes the sole survivor. How she rescues herself forms the crux of this Academy award and BAFTA Award winning movie.
25. Andhaghaaram(2020): Netflix
A supernatural thriller Tamil film, Andhaghaaram is written and directed by V. Vignarajan. The story follows three men, first, Suryam (Vinoth Kishan), a blind guy in urgent need of money for an operation. Second, Vinod (Arjun Das), a cricketer suffering from delusions and third, Dr. Indra (Kumar Natarajan), a renowned psychiatrist looking to restart his practice after a fatal accident. How the lives and different worlds of these men collide and what happens later is what the fil is all about.
24. Badla(2019): Netflix
Badla was the official remake of the Spanish film “The Invisible Guest” with the gender reversal of the lead roles. The story follows Naina, a successful entrepreneur and married woman, who gets trapped in the case of her lover’s murder. She then hires a reputable lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan) to work with her on the case and find answers. The ending of the film is something to watch out for.
23. The Game, 1997: Netflix
David Fincher’s ‘The Game’ is the story of a wealthy investment banker Nicholas Van Orton who gets a unique gift – a game voucher – from his younger brother Conrad on his 48th birthday. When Nicholas enrolls for the game he discovers that it merges with his usual life in strange ways and that the line between reality and game has become blurry. Is it all part of the game or is it all happening in real as part of a larger conspiracy?
22. Nightcrawler(2014): Netflix
The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a former thief who starts shooting footage of accidents and crimes in Los Angeles, selling the content to local news channels as a stringer. As a take-down of modern-media and its endless appetite for fear-mongering carnage, director Dan Gilroy’s movie is salient. As an exploration of how far one crazy-eyed man is willing to go to maximise his profit margins in the murder business, it’s downright unnerving and the movie project it incredibly.
21. Special 26(2013): Netflix, Voot
Neeraj Pandey’ heist thriller ‘Special 26’ is based on the 1986 Opera House heist. It follows a group of tricksters who pose as CBI officers and conduct fake raids to steal the black money from politicians and businessmen. But now the real CBI is chasing them and meanwhile they undertake their biggest heist.
20. Kahaani(2012): Netflix
Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan), a pregnant woman, arrives from London looking for her missing husband Arnab, but it soon looks like there was a lot she didn’t knew about him and that there is more than what meets the eye. Suddenly she’s drawn into a conspiracy involving rogue agents, mistaken identities and domestic terrorism. One of the very few female centric movie and one of the very best too.
19. Ugly(2013): Amazon Prime Video
A grungy, dark police procedural set in motion by a little girl’s kidnapping. Kashyap’s nasty point is that, between violence, greed and corruption, just about no one is innocent in the end. Certainly all the characters are selfish beyond belief. This existential cynicism hits home in the horrific crime revealed in the last shot, but by that time, the emotions feel light-years away.
18. Black Swan(2010): Disney+Hotstar
Nina (Natalie Portman) is a serious dancer. To win the lead role in the new production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, she has to face her competition, Lily (Mila Kunis), who embodies the Black Swan of the show. While competing for the part, Nina slowly loses her sense of reality and resorts to drastic measures to come out on top. Natalie Portman won the Academy Award for best actress for this film.
17. Donnie Darko(2001): Amazon Prime Video
Written and directed by Richard Kelly, ‘Donnie Darko’ is set in October 1988 and follows an intelligent yet troubled teenager Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) who begins with experiencing episodes of sleepwalking and later has visions of Frank, a figure in a mysterious rabbit costume. Frank tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds and later manipulates him to commit crimes.
16. Pink(2016): Disney+Hotstar
Three girls (Tapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang) are accused of attempt to murder even after being physically abused, then enters an old retired lawyer, Deepak Sehgal (Amitabh Bachchan) who takes the case in favour of girls.
15. The Invisible Guest(2016): Netflix
The story follows a young businessman who mysteriously ends up waking next to her dead lover in a locked hotel room. He hires a reputed lawyer to defend his case, and they work overnight to find out what happened.
14. Prisoners(2013): Amazon Prime Video
This crime thriller is about a father who is desperate to find his missing daughter and her friends. When Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) sees that police is taking a long time, he decides to take the search of her daughter in his own hands. But his desparation while leading him closer to the truth also poses danger. This edge of the seat thriller is something to look out for.
13. Gone Girl(2014): Amazon Prime Video
The film is based on a novel by the same name written by Gillian Flynn. It revolves around the sudden disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike). The mysterious disappearance garners a lot of media attention but amidst all this, spotlight turns on her husband, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), who becomes the prime suspect.
12. The Sixth Sense(1999): Disney+Hotstar
A psychological horror thriller directed by M. Night Shayamalan is the story of a boy, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who can see and talk to dead people. He seeks help from a child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). The boy becomes a medium of communication between the psychologist and the unhappy souls. The twist at the end will leave you thinking for quite a while.
11. Talvar(2015): Disney+Hotstar
Based on the 2008 Noida double murder case involving a teenage girl and her family’s servant, ‘Talvar’ is directed by Meghna Gulzar with a script from Vishal Bhardwaj. The film shows the investigation of the case from three different angles – the police investigation, the first CBI probe and the second CBI probe – with each angle trying to find the culprit.
10. Andhadhun(2018): Netflix
Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana), a piano player pretending to be visually-impaired, unwittingly becomes entangled in a number of problems as he witnesses the murder of a former film actor. He is caught up in a situation where he has to conjugal something up to remain alive. Can he? Watch Andhadhun.
9. Drishyam(2015): Disney+Hotstar
When the disappearance of a policewoman’s(Tabu) son under questioning circumstances threatens to ruin Vijay’s(Ajay Devgan) family, he leaves no stone unturned in order to shield his family. Based on Malayam movie of the same name, it sure will get you hooked till the last reel, literally!!
8. Heat(1995): Amazon Prime Video
Master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is trying to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last big heist before retiring. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) attempts to track down McCauley as he deals with the chaos in his own life, including the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the mental health of his stepdaughter.
7. Shutter Island(2010): Netflix
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film is based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name. The film follows two US marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are sent to a remote island to investigate the disappearance of a murderer who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. This one will definitely leave you in awe with its magnificence.
6. Incendies(2010): Amazon Prime Video
Incendies is a 2010 Canadian mystery drama film written and directed by Denis Villeneuve. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s play of the same name, Incendies follows the journey of twin brother and sister as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother’s life with the separate letters she gave to them while passing away.
5. Ratsassan(2018): Disney+Hotstar
A spine-chilling Tamil-language thriller film by Ram Kumar, ‘Ratsassan’ follows Arun Kumar (Vishnu Vishal), an aspiring filmmaker who gives up his dream to become a police officer due to his father’s death and family pressure. Early in this new profession, he comes across a case of a serial killer and tries to track him down.
4. Psycho(1960): MX Player
Oldest movie in our list and the best of the lot, describes the story of Phoenix secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), steals $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), is overcome by exhaustion during a heavy rainstorm. Traveling on the back roads to avoid the police, she stops for the night at the ramshackle Bates Motel and meets the polite but highly strung Norman Bates (Anthony Hopkins).
3. Se7en(1995): Netflix
David Fincher’s dark, seedy worlds are unrivalled in cinema and Se7en is up there with them all. A pair of detectives played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman investigate a series of gruesome murders each one symbolic of one of the seven sins: pride, lust, gluttony, wrath, sloth, greed and envy. Brutal, brilliant and with a final twist that 21 years later will still drop your heart to your stomach.
2. The Prestige(2006): Netflix
This psychological mystery thriller by Christopher Nolan is an intriguing tale of two stage magicians who become bitter after a tragedy. Their rivalry and quest to become famous leads them to make sacrifices but not without consequences. Set in the time period of late-Victorian London its full of deceit and obsession.
1. Fight Club(1999): Amazon Prime Video
Directed by David Fincher, ‘Fight Club’ is based on Chuck Palahniuk’s eponymous 1996 novel. The film follows a white-collared insomniac (Edward Norton), who is discontented and unhappy with his life forms an underground fight club along with a soap salesman named Tyler (Brad Pitt). After initial success, things soon start getting out of control for them. With stunning performances and brilliant storyline, ‘Fight Club’s’ ending is something to watch out for.
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