50. Fractured (Netflix, 2019)
It’s an unconventional thriller starring ‘Avatar’ star Sam Worthington. When the six-year-old daughter of a married couple fractures her arm on a highway gas station, they immediately take her to a nearby hospital. Thereafter, she is sent for a medical test along with the wife as the husband waits outside.
When they don’t return even after a few hours, the husband is told by hospital staff that he came to the hospital alone. He tries to investigate the mystery himself in order to find his missing family and uncover the truth.
49. Along Came a Spider (Netflix, 2001)
This sequel to the Alex Cross film ‘Kiss The Girls’ was helmed by Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day). The film features Morgan Freeman essaying the role of a police detective and psychologist Dr. Alex Cross.
When the daughter of a U.S. Senator is kidnapped from her school, the now-retired detective Alex Cross is recalled and he teams up with a Secret Service Agent to solve the high-profile kidnapping case.
48. The Good Liar (Netflix, 2019)
A veteran and cunning conman (Ian McKellen) fortuitously finds his next target in an affluent widow, who is now a retired Oxford professor (Helen Mirren) with has an impressive bank balance. He intends to defraud her of all her savings. What appears to be a cakewalk for the veteran fraudster proves to be his toughest job of his career.
47. Oxygen (Netflix, 2021)
Alexandre Aja’s psychological sci-fi thriller follows the story of a woman called ‘Liz’, who wakes up in a highly advanced cryogenic pod, that is controlled by an artificially intelligent machine called MILO. The woman can’t seem to remember who she is, where she is, and why she is in a cryogenic pod. She races against time to solve the mystery before oxygen runs out.
‘Oxygen’ is a visual spectacle albeit not at the cost of resonance. And the best part of the film is its hair-raising and equally heart-warming climactic revelation. You’ll have to watch the film to know what exactly we mean by that.
46. Glass (Disney Plus Hotstar)
The film is a follow-up to M. Night Shyamalan’s two earlier films namely ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split’. ‘Unbreakable’ revolved around a train crash survivor (Bruce Willis) who discovers his superhuman abilities. While ‘Split’ followed a man (James McAvoy) who is suffering from dissociative identity disorder and his terrifying 24th personality has extraordinary strength.
‘Glass’ combines the two narratives when a wheelchair-bound psychopath (Samuel L. Jackson) reveals his nefarious plans that involve the superhero and the supervillain.
45. The Call (Netflix, 2013)
Helmed by Brad Anderson, the high-concept psychological thriller revolves around an experienced 911 operator called Jordan (played by Halle Berry), who is not yet emotionally healed because of a past mistake.
While working as a trainer in the same department, she gets a chance to redeem herself when a kidnapped girl calls 911 from a car trunk. In a race against time, Jordan must use her unique skills and vast experience to rescue the girl from possibly a man from her past.
44. Run (Netflix, 2020)
This Aneesh Chaganty’s directorial film revolves around the story of a wheelchair-ridden and home-schooled teenaged girl (played by Kiera Allen). After a series of peculiar incidents, the girl begins to strongly suspect that her mother (played by Sarah Paulson) is hiding something sinister from her. Covertly, she sets about investigating her mother’s bizarre behavior leading to some startling revelations.
43. Enemy (Amazon Prime Video, 2013)
A regular college professor (Jake Gyllenhaal) accidentally finds his exact look-alike who resides in the same city and is an actor by profession. Out of obvious curiosity, he becomes hell-bent to know more about his doppelganger and his life. He gradually learns that although physically identical, their personalities are poles apart and their lives begin to intertwine.
42. Fatal Attraction (Google Play, 1987)
This riveting thriller revolves around a happily married man (Michael Douglas) whose casual romantic encounter with a book editor (Glenn Close) becomes his worst nightmare as the woman refuses to move on. On the contrary, she turns belligerent and starts stalking his family leading to disastrous consequences.
41. The Invisible Man (Google Play, 2020)
The film is based on a book by the prolific writer H. G. Wells. The film starts off with a woman (Elisabeth Moss) running away from the clutches of his rich and controlling boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Later, she learns that her boyfriend has committed suicide.
But after a series of strange events, she begins to suspect that her supposedly deceased boyfriend has somehow come back to haunt her. When nobody believes her, she decides to fight back an entity she can’t even see, on her own.
40. Fan (Amazon Prime Video, 2016)
An ordinary man Gaurav Chandana is an extraordinary fan of superstar Aryan Khanna. He also bears a striking resemblance with the Bollywood star. He goes to Mumbai to meet his idol, but due to an incident, he is rebuked by the film star.
Consequently, Gaurav’s fandom turns into immense hatred for Aryan. He makes it his mission to avenge what he perceives as a betrayal and an insult to a loyal fan.
39. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017, Amazon Prime Video)
A proficient surgeon (Colin Farrell), out of sympathy with a fatherless teenager, welcomes the boy into his affluent family. As the orphaned boy begins to interact with the family members, some mysterious and disturbing events begin to unfold. The surgeon is eventually forced to make a virtually impossible decision to put an end to their unending misery.
38. Orphan (2009, Amazon Prime Video)
The film revolves around a grieving couple (Vera Farmiga & Peter Sarsgaard) who have lost their baby. Things go from bad to worse when they decide to adopt a seemingly innocent nine-year-old sensible but mysterious orphan girl named Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman).
This chilling film is a tutorial on how psychological horror thrillers should be made. A must-watch for everyone irrespective of the genre. Not for the weak-hearted though.
37. The Gift (2015, Amazon Prime Video)
When a married couple (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall) relocate to Chicago, they encounter the husband’s high-school acquaintance (Joel Edgerton). Initially receptive to the seemingly harmless new guest, they soon start to feel a sense of discomfort with his strange gifts. As the story progresses, some dark secrets are revealed resulting in unforeseen consequences.
36. Side Effects (2013, Netflix)
The film’s focal point is the life of a woman (played by Rooney Mara) who suffers from severe depression despite her husband’s (Channing Tatum) recent release from prison. As a result, she is prescribed an experimental drug by her psychiatrist (Jude Law) which causes a sleepwalking side effect.
The story takes an interesting twist when her seemingly harmless sleepwalking episode leads to a horrifying incident. The film was directed by Steven Soderberg (Director – Contagion, Ocean’s 11).
35. Karthik Calling Karthik (2010, Netflix & Amazon Prime Video)
Karthik (Farhan Akhtar) is an underconfident and depressed employee who works at a construction company. One day, he receives a call from a mysterious person after which he experiences an extremely positive change in his life.
He instantly gets a promotion besides getting the girl (Deepika Padukone) he secretly loved. Everything was going fine until one day, the mysterious man on the phone gets angry with Karthik.
34. Frailty (2001, Lionsgate Play)
One day, a father of two boys receives a message from an Angel. The message is to destroy the demons who are wandering on earth disguised as humans. One son believes in his father’s mission while the other one does not.
Many years later, one of the sons visits an FBI agent and confesses about his brother’s serial killings. The film was directed by Bill Paxton, who also acted in it alongside Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe.
33. Talaash (2012, Netflix & Amazon Prime Video)
An insomniac and guilt-ridden cop (Aamir Khan) grieving over his dead son is assigned the high-profile case of a fatal accident of a well-known film star. As he begins to unravel the mystery, some astounding facts about the film star emerge.
During the investigation, he also meets a mysterious sex worker (Kareena Kapoor). The film also boasted of a talented supporting cast including Rani Mukerji, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rajkumar Rao, and Shernaz Patel amongst others.
32. Red Dragon (2002, Amazon Prime Video)
Helmed by Brett Ratner (Director – Rush Hour, X-Men The Last Stand), it’s is a sequel to the cult film ‘The Silence of The Lambs’. Ex-FBI agent (Edward Norton) had a close encounter with death while pursuing the now-imprisoned genius serial killer Hannibal Lecter.
The agent is forced to come out of retirement when another ruthless serial killer called the Tooth Fairy is on the loose. In this race against time, only one man can help him catch the killer – his former adversary Hannibal Lecter.
31. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016, Amazon Prime Video)
Amidst reported blackouts in several cities, a woman called Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) suffers from a car accident. When she wakes up, she finds herself chained inside an underground concrete bunker. An authoritative man named Howard (John Goodman) informs her that the outside world is poisoned by a possible alien attack. Michelle does not believe the story and attempts an escape plan.
30. 13B (2009, Amazon Prime Video)
The film follows the story of an ordinary Indian family, who start experiencing strange incidents after moving into their new apartment – 13B located on the 13th floor. As the protagonist (played by Madhavan) begins to investigate these unusual occurrences, he learns about the place’s gut-wrenching history.
The film’s climax is bound to give you goosebumps. It’s one of those rare films whose execution was so brilliant that a Hollywood studio was once interested in remaking the film.
29. Ghajini (2008, Zee5)
‘Ghajini’ was reportedly the first Bollywood film to cross the 100-crore benchmark domestically. The film’s focal point is a revenge drama that follows the story of a business tycoon (Aamir Khan) suffering from short-term memory loss. Armed with a polaroid camera and body tattoos, the protagonist sets out to avenge the brutal death of his love interest (Asin) by the titular villain (Pradeep Singh Rawat), against all odds.
28. Split (2016, Netflix)
The film revolves around the story of a man (James McAvoy) who is suffering from dissociative identity disorder and is diagnosed with 23 distinct personalities inside him. When a dominant personality emerges and kidnaps three young girls, they must find a way to escape captivity before the kidnapper’s most dangerous 24th personality comes to the fore.
The film was helmed by M. Night Shyamalan (Director – The Sixth Sense). It was a standalone sequel to the Bruce Willis starrer superhero film ‘Unbreakable’.
27. Law Abiding Citizen (2009, Amazon Prime Video)
When a seemingly regular engineer Clyde Shelton’s (Gerard Butler) family is brutally murdered in front of him, the District Attorney (Jamie Foxx) strikes a deal with one of the culprits to nab the second one, due to lack of concrete evidence against the former.
A devastated Shelton who is let down by the corrupt system, hatches an intricate plan for ten years. He comes back to avenge his family’s death not just against the murderers but also against those who are aiding the corrupt system.
26. Ek Hasina Thi (2004, Amazon Prime Video)
A simple and sweet working woman Sarika (Urmila Matondkar) falls for a charismatic and affluent businessman Karan (Saif Ali Khan). One day, Karan’s mysterious associate visits her home. In an apparent misunderstanding, Sarika is arrested by the police for being connected to the underworld.
She eventually realizes the callous betrayal and decides to exact cold-blooded revenge from those responsible for her situation. The riveting thriller was Sriram Raghavan’s feature film directorial debut.
25. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006, Lionsgate Play)
It’s a period thriller that is set in eighteenth-century France. The story revolves around an orphan boy (Ben Whishaw) who possesses an extraordinary sense of smell. On a business visit to Paris, he is hired by a perfumer (Dustin Hoffman) at the cost of learning scent preservation techniques from him.
Things take a deadly turn when he targets young women to create twelve scents and then meets a rich person’s daughter and decides to make her his thirteenth scent.
24. Searching (2018, MX Player & YouTube)
It’s a unique mystery thriller that moves at a breakneck pace where most of the thrill takes place on computer and smartphone screens. Dissatisfied with the ongoing police investigation, the film follows a father’s desperate search for his missing teenage daughter in an attempt to put together the clues he obtains by tracing his daughter’s digital life.
23. Saw (2004, Lionsgate Play)
The original and arguably the best film in the Saw film franchise. Helmed by James Wan, the film follows an oncologist and a photographer waking up in a bathroom with a corpse lying between them. They have been chained with a pipe, so escape seems impossible. The trapped men must undergo the unthinkable if they want to survive in a sadistic game masterminded by a notorious serial killer.
22. Aamir (2008, Netflix)
The film starts off with a doctor named Aamir who lands at the Mumbai airport from London. Soon after he lands, he is blackmailed by a mysterious caller, who forces Aamir to follow his instructions if he wants his family alive. Aamir later realizes that he is being used by the caller to execute a nefarious plan but feels helpless considering the situation. Will the doctor be able to save his family?
21. Badla (2019, Netflix)
The entire film revolves around an intriguing conversation between a hotshot businesswoman (Taapsee Pannu) and an illustrious lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan). The lawyer, who has a flawless winning streak, grills the businesswoman who is accused of allegedly murdering her lover. Whether or not the lawyer can solve the confounding mystery despite finding the loopholes in the case, forms the rest of the story.
20. Kaun? (1999, YouTube)
The 90-minute film is about a woman (Urmila Matondkar) who is alone in a house. She becomes fearful after she learns that a serial killer is on the loose. Soon after, her house is practically intruded by two eccentric strangers (played by Manoj Bajpayee and Sushant Singh).
Which amongst them is the killer? Watch this film to find out if you still haven’t. The film was Ram Gopal Varma’s next directorial venture after the cult crime film ‘Satya’. ‘
19. Darr (1993, Amazon Prime Video)
The film narrates the story of an affluent and introverted man Rahul (Shahrukh Khan) who is dealing with some mental health issues and is madly in love with his college mate K.K.K…Kiran (Juhi Chawla). But Kiran is in love with the heroic navy officer Sunil (Sunny Deol).
When Kiran does not reciprocate Rahul’s love, the obsessed lover resorts to dangerous methods like stalking and threatening the girl in the hope of winning her at any cost. The film was helmed by celebrated filmmaker Yash Chopra.
18. The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo (2011, YouTube)
A disgraced financial journalist (Daniel Craig) is hired by an affluent businessman to investigate the disappearance and suspected murder of his grandniece that allegedly happened forty years ago. To assist him in the investigation, he takes the help of a proficient hacker (Rooney Mara).
His investigation leads him into some serial killings that happened between 1947 to 1967. As he probes further, he realizes that his own life is in danger. The film was directed by David Fincher and the story was based on a book by Stieg Larsson.
17. The Game (1997, Netflix)
‘The Game’ was David Fincher’s next feature film directorial after the cult crime film ‘Seven’. A wealthy but solitary investment banker (played by Michael Douglas) receives a mysterious gift from his younger brother (played by Sean Penn) on his 48th birthday. The supposedly life-changing gift is a voucher for a game offered by Consumer Recreation Services. When he reluctantly signs up for the game, his entire life begins to derail.
16. Mystic River (2003, Hungama)
In the year 1975, three friends Dave (Tim Robbins) is kidnapped while playing with his two friends Jimmy (Sean Penn) and Sean (Kevin Bacon).
Then, in the year 2000, when the daughter of the ex-con and convenience store owner Jimmy is found dead, he begins to suspect that his estranged friend and neighbor Dave is behind the killing. The third friend Sean, now a cop, investigates the murder case along with his partner (Laurence Fishburne). The film was helmed by legendary actor-director Clint Eastwood.
15. Arrival (2016, Netflix)
This sci-fi slow-burner film features Amy Adams as a linguistic expert, who is called up by the US Army to communicate with the aliens using her unique skills. She has to decode the mystery in a race against time. The film also starred Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker. It was helmed by Denis Villeneuve, who is known for directing the remake of Ridley Scott’s cult sci-fi film ‘Blade Runner’.
14. Donnie Darko (2001, Amazon Prime Video)
The film revolves around the titular character Donnie Darko (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), who apparently hallucinates about someone in a rabbit costume. He is told by the mysterious creature that the world will end in approximately 28 days.
The next day, he miraculously survives when an engine falls off a plane and crashes into his bedroom. Is Donnie experiencing some supernatural phenomenon or is he schizophrenic as diagnosed by his psychiatrist?
13. Black Swan (2010, Disney+ Hotstar)
When a ballet company announces its requirement for a new dancer who will essay the diverse roles of the innocent White Swan and the cunning Black Swan, a ballerina dancer Nina (Natalie Portman) auditions for the role with flying colors.
Although she fits the bill for White Swan, a new dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) seems perfect for the latter part. This becomes the cause of professional rivalry between the two dancers and also causes Nina’s dark side to come to the fore.
12. The Sixth Sense (1999, Disney+ Hotstar)
The story centers around the relationship between an award-winning child psychologist Malcom Crowe (Bruce Willis) and his current patient, a young boy Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who confides in Malcolm that he sees dead people. How the psychiatrist helps the troubled boy deal with his peculiar and terrifying situation becomes the film’s focal point, which culminates in a startling revelation.
11. Gone Girl (2014, Amazon Prime Video)
When former writer Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) loses his job due to recession, he moves to his hometown, a decision which his wife (Rosamund Pike) resents. One day, when Nick returns home, he finds his wife missing and reports to the cops.
Evidence suggests a possible murder and Nick becomes the prime suspect. As the film progresses, the investigation reveals the layers of secret underneath the couple’s seemingly perfect married life.
10. Kahaani (2012, Netflix)
A pregnant software engineer (Vidya Balan) informs the police that her husband has been missing since a few weeks after he arrived in India for a work assignment.
While investigating her husband’s sudden disappearance, she is pursued by an undercover contract killer and then questioned by an Intelligence Bureau officer (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). She begins to realize that there is more to the case than meets the eye but she is still hellbent to find her missing husband.
9. Prisoners (2013, Lionsgate Play)
When two sets of parents are celebrating Thanksgiving, their daughters are kidnapped by an unknown person. The investigating cop (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests the only suspect, who is an intellectually disabled man, and is later released on grounds of no evidence against him. In a race against time, one of the fathers (Huge Jackman) desperately tries to find his missing daughter with whatever leads he has, in whatever ways he can.
8. Drishyam (2015, Netflix)
Goa-based Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) runs a cable TV business and is an ardent movie buff. He lives a simple life with his wife and two daughters. His family’s life abruptly turns upside down when the son of a senior cop (Tabu) goes missing and the family becomes the prime suspect. Vijay uses his intellect to face the brutal police investigation that follows. But will he be able to save his family?
7. Shutter Island (2010, Netflix)
The atmospheric period film was directed by veteran filmmaker Martin Scorsese. When a killer goes missing from a psychiatric facility in Shutter Island in the year 1954, U.S. Marshal (Leonardo Di Caprio) is sent along with his partner (Mark Ruffalo) to investigate the disappearance.
As the investigation proceeds, he faces a non-cooperative staff. Gradually, the investigating officer realizes that there is more to the mysterious missing person case than what’s apparently discernible.
6. Vertigo (1958, YouTube)
A police detective (James Stewart) develops a fear of heights and Vertigo, after another cop dies during a rooftop chase. He later retires and is subsequently hired by his college acquaintance to follow his spouse quoting her questionable mental state. But apparently, there is more to the case than meets the eye. Helmed by the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, ‘Vertigo’ is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
5. Joker (2019, Netflix)
This Todd Phillips’ directorial is the origin story of the popular DC Comics supervillain Joker. The film follows a failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) who is suffering from mental health issues. He lives in the 1980s Gotham City where unemployment and poverty are rampant.
To make things worse, Arthur Fleck is bullied and mistreated. His problems compound and eventually transforms him into a dreaded criminal mastermind who is known by the name Joker, his alter ego.
4. Psycho (1960, MX Player & Google Play)
After stealing a substantial amount of money from her boss’s client, a secretary absconds to unite with her debt-ridden boyfriend, whom she wants to marry. On the way, she makes a stop at the isolated Bates motel.
The motel is owned by Norman Bates who lives with his dominating and mentally ill mother. After meeting him, she has a change of heart and decides to make amends for her crime. But before she leaves, an unanticipated incident happens.
3. The Prestige (2006, Netflix & Amazon Prime Video)
Directed by accomplished filmmaker Christopher Nolan, the film revolves around the fierce rivalry between two nineteenth-century magicians (played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale).
After an unfortunate incident, their partnership turns into enmity which is fuelled by vengeance. In their obsession to outwit each other’s magic shows, the magicians go to great lengths, and both make huge sacrifices in the process.
2. Seven (1995, Netflix)
To investigate a series of gruesome murders, a newly transferred detective (Brad Pitt) teams up with veteran and retiring detective (Morgan Freeman). The duo observe that each victim is the representative of the seven deadly sins. The sadistic yet brilliant serial killer is always a step ahead of them.
After five murders, the detectives are totally clueless about the killer’s last two victims representing envy and wrath. Will they be able to catch the killer, and if yes, then at what cost? The cult film was helmed by virtuoso director David Fincher.
1. Fight Club (1999, Amazon Prime Video)
Another David Fincher film on this list, the story centers around an insomniac and dissatisfied white-collar worker (Edward Norton) who joins hands with an eccentric soap salesman (Brad Pitt) and they create an underground fight club.
The club is joined by men who are bored with their monotonous lives and want to release their pent-up frustrations. Eventually, it grows into something even the protagonist hadn’t imagined.
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