Sometimes, there is no better way to spend a couple of hours of your time than by sitting down and watching a clever, gripping psychological thriller. Fortunately, Netflix has more than a few noteworthy films that fit that very category on its platform right now. Some of them are harder to find than others, though, which is why we here at TheWrap have picked out seven, in particular, that you should add to your watchlist.
Here are the best psychological thrillers streaming on Netflix right now.
“Psycho” (1960)
“Psycho” may be known best as one of Hollywood’s first — and most influential — slasher films, but there is a reason its title is what it is. The actual number of bodies that fall throughout the film’s runtime is surprisingly low, given its reputation, but “Psycho” still cuts like a sharp knife. That is because of the dreamy surreality director Alfred Hitchcock establishes early on, which lulls both viewers and the unsuspecting Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) into a constant, low-key sense of unease that is eventually, violently amped up to nightmarish new levels.
“Psycho” is a timeless masterpiece for, among other reasons, how masterfully it drops you into a world that seems familiar and yet askew, recognizable and yet inescapably, terrifyingly mad.
“Woman of the Hour” (2024)
A promising directorial debut from actress Anna Kendrick, “Woman of the Hour” is a piercing, haunting true crime thriller that frequently ventures into the world of pure psychological terror. Based on a true story, the film follows Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), a real-life serial killer who decided to go on “The Dating Game” in the midst of his killing spree.
Bouncing backward and forward in time, the film depicts some of Alcala’s crimes while also returning to the “Dating Game” episode in which he tries to woo its female contestant, Sheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick). Chilling but never gratuitous, “Woman of the Hour” is an intelligent, biting psychological thriller, one that showcases how a person’s gaze alone can be weaponized to hurt others.
“Trap” (2024)
Like several of M. Night Shyamalan’s most divisive films, “Trap” was wildly underappreciated when it was released last year. Taking cues from past Masters of Suspense like Alfred Hitchcock and Brian De Palma, “Trap” is a psychological thriller told from the perspective of its central, murderous madman. It follows Cooper (Josh Hartnett), a seemingly normal family man and firefighter who is secretly a serial killer known as “The Butcher,” as he realizes that the Eras Tour-esque concert he has taken his daughter (Ariel Donoghue) to is actually an FBI sting designed to catch and imprison him.
Both a twisty, fun cat-and-mouse thriller and a pitch-black look at evil itself, “Trap” is a devious, knowingly ridiculous film that makes manipulating viewers’ nerves and sympathies seem deceptively easy.
“Parasite” (2019)
Director Bong Joon Ho’s Best Picture-winning 2019 drama, “Parasite,” is a social thriller about a poor South Korean family who slowly infiltrate the life of a wealthy family by acquiring housekeeper, tutor and chauffeur jobs. Operatic in its construction and vibrating with tightly wound tension, “Parasite” acutely depicts and explores the gradual, inevitably crushing psychological toll capitalism takes on society’s have-nots.
The film is a slow-burning thriller of growing frustration, disillusionment and rage that builds masterfully to a shockingly violent climax. What makes “Parasite” so remarkable, though, is not just Bong’s slick directorial style or how sparingly he uses violence throughout the film. It is rather how deeply he immerses viewers, without them even realizing it, in the all-too-relatable emotions and frustrations of his protagonists — an achievement that makes the film’s climax and muted, deeply cynical epilogue hit with that much more force.
“It’s What’s Inside” (2024)
One of the most playful thrillers of recent memory, “It’s What’s Inside” is unlike any other film on this list. Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Greg Jardin, this low-budget gem follows a group of old college friends whose reunion is sent into a quick tailspin when they begin experimenting with a machine that allows them to swap bodies with each other.
Everything gets rapidly messier as everyone begins to impulsively act on their respective, unspoken crushes and doubts, and Jardin deploys his characters’ long-harbored regrets and vendettas like landmines to be eventually stepped on. Employing a number of clever, analog prop and lighting tricks to prevent confusion and help viewers remain engaged, “It’s What’s Inside” is a tense, high-concept thriller about how easily we can become our own undoing.
“Fair Play” (2023)
Intentionally provocative, and thematically and emotionally blunter than it initially lets on, “Fair Play” is a battle-of-the-sexes psychological thriller for Hollywood’s post-#MeToo era. Marking the feature directorial debut of writer-director Chloe Dumont, the film follows Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), a pair of in-love young hedge fund managers whose relationship is tested and threatened when Emily receives a promotion from their cutthroat boss (Eddie Marsan) that sends Luke into a spiral of doubt and insecurity.
Not every viewer will be equally satisfied by the turns “Fair Play” takes in its second half, but the film never once loosens its grip on you. It is simultaneously an acid-tongued takedown of male insecurity and an exploration of the trust and faith, both personal and shared, every relationship needs to thrive.
“Watcher” (2022)
Writer-director Chloe Okuno’s feature directorial debut, “Watcher,” is one of the most underrated thrillers of the past five years. This savage, razor-sharp film follows Julia (Maika Monroe), an American woman who becomes increasingly convinced that one of her neighbors is watching and stalking her. Facing disbelief from both her husband (Karl Glusman) and local authorities, Monroe’s Julia finds herself caught up in a paranoid cat-and-mouse game that constantly leaves her doubting both herself and her safety.
Directed with measured, moody style by Okuno, “Watcher” submerges viewers in a suspicious, distrustful world — one that only makes its heroine’s isolation and vulnerability seem all the more suffocating. It is an atmospheric thriller that makes the absolute most out of its few, spare ingredients.
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