The psychological thriller genre has produced some of the most heart-racing, unnerving, and edge-of-your-seat films of all time, yet there are still lots of incredible releases that most people haven’t even heard of. Whether it was international productions, underrated hidden gems, or cult classics just waiting to be discovered by mainstream viewers, there are so many stories of disturbed psychology that deserve to reach far larger audiences. From forgotten releases by all-time great directors like David Cronenberg to critical flops that are ripe for reappraisal, it’s amazing just how many great films have flown under the radar.

The best psychological thrillers keep audiences guessing throughout their entire runtime and then can leave you shocked with a devastating twist ending. Lots of incredible actors have done some of their best work in woefully underrated psychological thrillers that walk the fine line between drama and horror. While it can seem like the same few movies are continually recommended in this genre, these are just some examples of great psychological thrillers that not everyone will have heard of.

10

Red Rooms (2023)

Directed by Pascal Plante

The Canadian psychological thriller Red Rooms was a fascinating and timely exploration of murder and Sєxual exploitation. Anchored by an outstanding lead performance from Juliette Gariépy as the fashion model Kelly-Anne, this story was centered around the trial of the serial killer Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), who’s been accused of the murder of three girls. With a particularly gruesome backstory, Chevalier faced widespread media attention for the accusation that he broadcast the murder of the three teenagers in an online chat room on the dark web, where people pay to watch snuff films.

With the intensity of a David Fincher movie, the surrealism of David Lynch, and the haunting shadow of real-world Sєxual violence behind it, writer and director Pascal Plante produced one of the most effective thrillers of modern times with Red Rooms. As a dark story of obsession and violence, it’s impossible not to be drawn in by the power of this unique thriller as its skillful direction seamlessly navigates the fine line between horror and thrill, which keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire film.

9

The Caller (1987)

Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman

While The Caller set itself up as a straightforward film about a man wanting to use a girl’s telephone, it soon becomes apparent that things are not what they seem. As a minimalistic movie that’s essentially set in one location, The Caller starred Malcolm McDowell as the mysterious man and Madolyn Smith as the girl he’s told he needs to use her phone after his car had broken down. With plenty of twists and turns, there’s a lot of misdirection going on in this unusual story that only truly comes together in its clever ending.

There were aspects of The Caller that came across as downright strange upon first viewing, although once all is revealed, everything comes together perfectly. While even the acting and directing can seem somewhat amateurish at the start, it’s a testament to McDowell and Smith’s committed performances that they were willing to alienate the audience for the sake of a big payoff later. As a truly underseen and highly unique mystery thriller, viewers should go into The Caller knowing as little as possible.

8

Copycat (1995)

Directed by Jon Amiel

Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter play a criminal psychologist and a homicide detective trying to track down a ruthless serial killer in Copycat. With Harry Connick Jr. as Daryll Lee Cullum, a former patient turned murderer, Weaver’s Dr. Helen Hudson becomes embroiled in a thrilling game of cat and mouse against the troubled man committing copycat crimes modeled after notorious murderers. Influenced by Albert DeSalvo, the Hillside Strangler, David Berkowitz, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy, Cullum repeats many of the most infamous killings in American history.

With this heart-racing premise at its center, Copycat featured great performances from the entire cast and boasted well-crafted, three-dimensional characters. Although there were many thematic similarities with the commercial hit Se7en from the same year, Copycat differentiated itself by showcasing the victimization of women through the eyes of female protagonists. As one of the most nail-biting thrillers of the 1990s, it’s surprising that Copycat remains so underseen by general viewers.

7

Shattered (1991)

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

Shattered told the story of an amnesiac man slowly uncovering the truth of his past after a horrific car accident. Coming from director Wolfgang Petersen, who was known for his epic WWII submarine story Das Boot and the classic fantasy The NeverEnding Story, this enthralling film was packed with plenty of twists and turns. With Tom Berenger as Dan Merrick, the accident caused major brain trauma, and he must contend with ongoing flashbacks to the traumatic event.

While Shattered stands as an incredible underseen thriller, it also divided critics at the time of its release. With a truly shocking twist ending, film critic Roger Ebert described Shattered as “inconceivably implausible,” while The Washington Post warned against spoiling “an ending as shockingly unexpected as the one here” and urged viewers to go decide how they feel about it for themselves.

6

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Directed by Tom Ford

The fashion designer turned filmmaker Tom Ford followed up his extraordinary debut, A Single Man, with another fascinating psychological thriller, Nocturnal Animals. Based on the novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright, this complex story blends two narratives in a strange and hypnotic manner. Through a story-within-a-story structure, the unique framing device of Nocturnal Animals juxtaposed a writer’s fictional work with the real-world dynamics of their previous relationship.

This meant that Nocturnal Animals shifted between the “real world” inhabited by Amy Adams and the novel written by her estranged ex-husband, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. With themes of guilt, revenge, and unresolved trauma, there are powerful dynamics at play in Nocturnal Animals that showcase the way fiction can be weaponized as a form of revenge. With a striking sense of visual style, Nocturnal Animals had an almost dreamlike quality as it delved into its complex and emotionally bleak romantic story.

5

ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Ringers (1988)

Directed by David Cronenberg

Director David Cronenberg is best known for his grotesque and transformative explorations of the body horror genre in works like The Fly and Videodrome. However, one of Cronenberg’s most unnerving films was the underseen psychological thriller ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Ringers, which starred Jeremy Irons in the dual role of the identical twins Beverly and Elliot Mantle. As two gynecologists who take advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, their once stable relationship begins to unravel after a woman disturbs the equilibrium between them.

As a thrilling study of human psychology, ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Ringers brought to mind the intelligent horror of works by Ingmar Bergman, such as Persona, which showcased the fragility and intertwined connections humans can make with one another. With a truly unsettling performance from Irons, it was thrilling to witness how a seemingly promising relationship turned into a total nightmare for the duo’s actress and patient Claire Niveau (Geneviève Bujold.) While ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Ringers may not be among Cronenberg’s best-known movies, it remains one of his most accomplished and interesting films.

4

Manhunter (1986)

Directed by Michael Mann

While most people will think of Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar-winning performance in The Silence of the Lambs when they hear the name Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the truth is that this character first appeared on screen in Michael Mann’s woefully underrated psychological thriller Manhunter. As an adaptation of Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, Manhunter was an incredibly stylish and atmospheric take on this iconic novel that saw future Succession star Brian Cox take up the role of the incarcerated killer Hannibal Lecktor.

Manhunter was a firm showcase of Mann’s unique visual flair, as his heavy use of the color blue and sharp tints meant the film had an immediate stylistic aesthetic that paired well with its 1980s synth music score. While Manhunter has been overshadowed by later depictions of its cannibalistic killer, it’s been widely underrated and is a must-watch release for those interested in underseen psychological thrillers. With a great performance from Cox, this cult film deserves far more attention.

3

The Tenant (1976)

Directed by Roman Polanski

Director Roman Polanski starred in the unnerving psychological thriller The Tenant, which was the final installment in his Apartment Trilogy that also included Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby. Telling the story of a quiet and unᴀssuming man named Trelkovsky who is renting an apartment in Paris, he soon finds himself falling down a rabbit hole of paranoia as he’s repeatedly chastised by his neighbors and struggles to make sense of the strange happenings going on around him.

The Tenant was a glimpse into a Kafkaesque nightmare where a lone man must contend with alienation, isolation, and claustrophobic fears. With themes of buried Sєxual repression and a gloomy atmosphere hanging over each scene, The Tenant saw Trelkovsky becoming increasingly frustrated by the doomed cycle he found himself in and his inability to ᴀssimilate with those around him. As Polanski’s final film before being accused of Sєxual ᴀssault and fleeing the United States, The Tenant felt eerily prophetic as Trelkovsky, being consumed by paranoia, guilt, and persecution, blurred the lines between fiction and the director’s own infamy.

2

Hard Candy (2005)

Directed by David Slade

While we may think we know what we’re in for in a story involving a sick predator and a vulnerable teenager, Hard Candy truly subverted all these expectations. With Elliot Page as 14-year-old Hayley Stark and Patrick Wilson as the 32-year-old Sєxual predator Jeff Kohlver, this story initially appeared to be following the well-worn structure of a young girl falling prey to a much older abuser. However, Hard Candy confounded all expectations by shifting this dynamic as Hayley was revealed to be far more capable than she first appeared and was actually on a mission for vengeance against her would-be abuser.

Hard Candy had an intense and claustrophobic atmosphere as all the action takes place entirely at Jeff’s house. With this minimal setting, Hard Candy focused on the verbal and emotional torture Hayley put Jeff through as she forced him to admit his horrid deeds and intentions. As a compelling breakout performance for Page, Hard Candy was an early example of this actor’s talent that predated his later, more well-known roles in movies like Juno and Inception.

1

Take Shelter (2011)

Directed by Jeff Nichols

With a strange story that’s driven entirely by the troubled mind of its lead character, Take Shelter was an unconventional and underseen thriller from writer and director Jeff Nichols. With Michael Shannon as Curtis LaForche, this troubled young father must contend with terrifying, apocalyptic visions that make him believe he must protect his family from an incoming storm. The destructive impact of these apparent delusions strained his relationship with his wife, played by Jessica Chastain, who brought an incredible sense of vulnerability and understanding to her role.

Take Shelter looked at mental health and family dynamics with a level of scrutiny and understanding rarely seen in psychological thrillers, and watching as Curtis struggled to determine if what he was experiencing was genuine or if he had inherited his mother’s paranoia and schizophrenia made for challenging viewing. As a disturbing look at how quickly a community can turn against a man in need, Take Shelter showcased how the stigma of a troubled family history will mean that your sanity is always up for question.

Sources: Roger Ebert, The Washington Post