The Best Psychological Thrillers to Stream Now

These films will get inside your head and force you to question what’s real

Psychological thrillers blend elements of horror, drama and suspense, creating stories that can be both heart-stopping and captivating.

Whether you’re getting inside the head of a criminal like in Joker, figuring out who is lying like in The Woman in the Window or tracking down a real-life serial killer like in Boston Strangler, psychological thrillers can offer up gripping stories — all from the safety of your home.

Between the major streaming platforms — including Netflix, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock and Apple TV+ — viewers have tons of choices for a psychological thrill: some lean toward horror, others are heart-wrenching dramas and some have more twists and turns than a long-running soap opera.

Here’s your guide to the best psychological thrillers streaming right now.

Netflix

Ripley

Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley has seen many iterations on screen, this black-and-white eight-episode series stands out as "possibly the finest version yet." Andrew Scott steps into the lead as the titular N.Y.C. grifter, who is assigned to bring back the Italy-bound Dickie (Johnny Flynn) to the States — only to find himself hypnotized by the allure of Dickie's opulent world.

Watch Ripley on Netflix

The Gift

After an unexpected run-in with an old classmate, Gordo (Joel Edgerton), married couple Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) find themselves hurled into an alarming ordeal through a series of unannounced visits and unsettling gifts. As Simon and Gordo's shared history is gradually unearthed, Robyn questions whether she knows her husband.

Watch The Gift on Netflix

Fear

In James Foley's 1996 psychological thriller, 23-year-old David McCall (Mark Wahlberg) seems to check all of 16-year-old Nicole Walker's (Reese Witherspoon) boxes — he's charming, adventurous, mysterious and more — and despite their age gap, he wins over Nicole and her family. However, David's true nature surfaces when he reveals himself as a violent and obsessive sociopath, transforming Nicole's once-fairy-tale relationship into a nightmare.

Watch Fear on Netflix

Leave the World Behind

From writer, director and producer Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Leave the World Behind follows a married couple (Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke) and their teenagers (Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans) as they enjoy a family vacation in a lavish Long Island rental home. However, their getaway takes a twist when the homeowners (Mahershala Ali, Myha'la Herrold) return after escaping a peculiar N.Y.C. blackout. Subsequent cyberattacks wipe out their devices and the collapse of the world nears, which triggers a breakdown in the physical and mental well-being of both families.

Watch Leave the World Behind on Netflix

Fair Play

Financial analysts Emily Meyers (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke Edmunds (Alden Ehrenreich) find themselves in a hidden romance within their shared workplace: a high-pressure Manhattan hedge fund office. However, when Emily secures a promotion that Luke coveted, their relationship is strained to its limits.

Watch Fair Play on Netflix

Gerald's Game

In this Mike Flanagan-directed psychological horror adapted from a Stephen King novel, Jessie (Carla Gugino) and Gerald Burlingame (Bruce Greenwood) travel to a secluded Alabama lake house to reignite the spark in their marriage. However, when their foreplay takes a fatal turn with Gerald's sudden death, Jessie — shackled to the bed without a key — has to summon every ounce of strength to survive, all while dealing with her inner demons.

Watch Gerald's Game on Netflix

The Watcher

Released as a miniseries in 2022 and loosely based on a true story in New Jersey, The Watcher follows a family after they move into their dream home, only to discover they’re being stalked. But it’s unclear who the culprit is … or if the family is lying. The series had a fantastic cast, including Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Coolidge and Mia Farrow.

Watch The Watcher on Netflix

Related: The True Story Behind Netflix's The Watcher

Missing

Missing (2023) is a standalone sequel to the 2018 hit Searching. In the film, a daughter (Euphoria's Storm Reid) searches for her mother after she fails to return from a vacation to South America. The entire movie is shown through laptops, phones and security footage, and it’s never clear who the audience can trust.

Watch Missing on Netflix

The Woman in the Window

When recluse Anna Fox (Amy Adams) gets new neighbors across the street, she begins spying on them through her window — and witnesses a horrific crime occur in their living room.  A series of twists and turns keeps viewers on their toes until the very end. Joining Adams in the film are Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman and Anthony Mackie, among others.

Watch The Woman in the Window on Netflix

Circle

In 2015’s surprise indie hit Circle, 50 people wake up in a mysterious dark room, arranged in a circle. They discover that someone will die every two minutes — but they can choose who dies by voting. Race, religion and personal biases all factor into how the group votes, showing what humans could become in the worst of scenarios.

Watch Circle on Netflix

1922

Based on Stephen King’s novella of the same name, Netflix’s 1922 is a mix of psychological horror and drama. In the film, Wilf (Thomas Jane) convinces his son to help murder his wife after hearing she wants to sell their family farm and move to the city. After the murder, Wilf’s life crumbles under his own guilt and the trauma of his actions, leaving audiences to wonder if he’s still a villain … or now a victim.

Watch 1922 on Netflix

The Weekend Away

A girls' trip to Croatia goes horribly wrong when Beth's (Leighton Meester) best friend goes missing. She must put the pieces together quickly, and each clue reveals more sinister information. With tons of shady suspects and twists and turns at every corner, this thriller will make viewers think twice about booking a vacation with their bestie.

Watch The Weekend Away on Netflix

Apple TV+

Inception

Christopher Nolan's 2010 sci-fi thriller follows Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a spy who can infiltrate people's dreams and steal secrets buried within their psyches. When he's tasked with embedding an idea in someone's mind, Dom faces a threat from a shadowing enemy who predicts his every move. The film is loaded with renowned Hollywood actors, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page, Cillian Murphy and more.

Watch Inception on Apple TV+

Constellation

Following a tragic accident aboard the International Space Station that kills one astronaut, Swedish space flyer Johanna "Jo" Ericsson (Noomi Rapace) returns to Earth with the body of her dead crewmate. However, during her homecoming, Jo discovers unsettling discrepancies in her life — with some aspects not aligning with her memories.

Watch Constellation on Apple TV+

Hulu

Eileen

In this 2023 psychological thriller based on Ottessa Moshfegh's book of the same name, Anne Hathaway stars as Rebecca — the mysterious, cigarette-smoking psychologist who begins to mentor her fellow employee Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie). As they both grow closer while working at a prison in 1960s Massachusetts, their unique relationship sends Eileen into a dark and twisted spiral.

Watch Eileen on Hulu on May 10

The Royal Hotel

When their backpacking funds run dry in Australia, American best friends Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) secure a temporary bartending gig at the Royal Hotel, a pub in a secluded outback mining town. Despite attempts by the bar owner and locals to immerse them in Aussie drinking traditions, Hanna and Liv face unsettling encounters with predatory male customers.

Watch The Royal Hotel on Hulu

The Marsh King's Daughter

In this 2023 psychological thriller adapted from Karen Dionne's eponymous novel, Helena (Daisy Ridley) finds herself facing her recently released father (Ben Mendelsohn), a.k.a. the infamous Marsh King, who served time for holding her and her mother (Caren Pistorius) captive in the wilderness for years. Now hellbent on protecting her own daughter (Joey Carson), Helena makes it her mission to outsmart the man who taught her all of the survival skills she knows.

Watch The Marsh King's Daughter on Hulu

Appendage

Meet Hannah (Hadley Robinson), a young fashion designer dealing with the strangest accessory of all: the appendage. This monstrous growth becomes the physical manifestation of her relentless self-doubt, which worsens her health and amplifies her anxieties within her professional and personal life — proving that imposter syndrome is a deadly disease.

Watch Appendage on Hulu

Swallow

Despite seeming to have everything one could wish for, housewife Hunter (Haley Bennett) struggles with acclimating to her opulent life within a grand New York mansion. In an attempt to reclaim a sense of control, Hunter begins compulsively eating inedible objects, pushing her boundaries to discover the limits of what she can devour.

Watch Swallow on Hulu

Clock

In 2023’s Clock, Dianna Agron plays Ella Patel, whose family and friends convince her to have a child before she gets too old. Unable to become pregnant, Ella undergoes an experimental procedure that produces horrible hallucinations and volatile behavior. Throughout the film, Ella must grapple with the pressures that society and her religion place on women to be nothing more than mothers.

Watch Clock on Hulu

Boston Strangler

The unbelievable true story of the Boston Strangler case is chronicled in Hulu’s 2023 film starring Keira Knightley. Knightley plays journalist Loretta McLaughlin, who is desperately trying to track down the person responsible for 13 murders in just a decade. But with unreliable informants, potential accomplices and the possibility of copycat killings, audiences are left guessing until the very end.

Watch Boston Strangler on Hulu

Run

In Run (2020), Chloe is a teenager who uses a wheelchair as a result of her numerous health ailments. After she discovers a dark secret about her own past, Chloe learns just how much of her life has been controlled and ruined by her manipulative mother (Sarah Paulson), who refuses to let her go.

Watch Run on Hulu

Candy

In 1980, Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel) was accused of killing her best friend, Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey), by striking her with an ax 41 times. Montgomery claims it was self-defense, but the evidence proves otherwise. Hulu’s miniseries takes viewers inside Montgomery’s mind to explain why and how she might have killed her best friend.

Watch Candy on Hulu

The Clearing

In the 2023 miniseries The Clearing, a woman tries to stop a cult from killing a missing girl, but to do so, she must confront her inner demons and examine her own upbringing in a cult. The series is loaded with suspense and puts a psychological twist on the crime thriller genre. Leading the cast are Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce.

Watch The Clearing on Hulu

Amazon Prime Video

Saltburn

Igniting social media trends, viral candle scents and frequent mentions at awards shows, the name Saltburn has likely crossed your path — but consider this as a sign to finally press play. Emerald Fennell's deliciously disturbing thriller takes audiences on a sun-drenched yet disorienting vacation to the king-size estate of Saltburn, where Oxford student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the orbit of Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) and his vibrant, eccentric family.

Watch Saltburn on Amazon Prime Video

Smile

After Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) witnesses one of her patients kill herself with an eerie grin, possessed by a soul-snatching spirit, she finds herself in the same inexplicable ordeal she was warned about. Battling disbelief from those around her, Rose fights to avoid the same fate and confronts her traumatic past to ensure her survival.

Watch Smile on Amazon Prime Video

Inside

Willem Dafoe stars in Inside (2023), a thriller about a thief who gets trapped in an opulent Manhattan apartment mid-burglary. As his physical health and sanity deteriorate, he begins to have hallucinations and questions if he might die. The movie is claustrophobic and suspenseful, showcasing Dafoe’s acting talent.

Watch Inside on Amazon Prime Video

The Invisible Man

Adapted from the classic H.G. Wells short story of the same name, The Invisible Man (2020) is a traditional thriller with a few major twists. With a suit that allows the wearer to become invisible, scientist Adrian Griffin uses the technology to terrorize his ex, Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss). To get her life back, Cecilia must find out who is stalking her and how to stop them.

Watch The Invisible Man on Amazon Prime Video

Dead Ringers

In a gender-swapped reimagining of the iconic 1988 film led by Jeremy Irons, Rachel Weisz takes the reins as brilliant twin gynecologists, Beverly and Elliot Mantle. With ambitions to revolutionize women's healthcare through a pioneering birthing center, their journey spirals into a haze of drug-induced malpractice and ethical gray areas while on the clock.

Watch Dead Ringers on Amazon Prime Video

Homecoming

In season 1 of Homecoming, the Homecoming Transitional Support Center offers a place for soldiers with PTSD to heal and readjust to the civilian world. But in helping these soldiers, the facility has another, darker goal, unbeknownst to its patients. Julia Roberts leads a fantastic cast that includes Dermot Mulroney, Stephan James and Sissy Spacek.

Watch Homecoming on Amazon Prime Video

Black Box

After surviving a deadly car accident, a widower (Mamoudou Athie) receives an experimental treatment meant to bring back memories and improve his concentration. But the procedure is not what he expected, and everything he believes to be real is turned upside down. The film premiered in 2020 as part of Prime Video’s Welcome to the Blumhouse anthology film series.

Watch Black Box on Amazon Prime Video

Knock at the Cabin

M. Night Shyamalan shared his vision of the apocalypse in Knock at the Cabin (2023). In the film, four strangers appear at a remote cabin to tell two fathers and their daughter that one of them must die to prevent the apocalypse. Watching the family struggle with the monumental decision turns the film into much more than just a horror movie: It’s also deeply emotional and thought-provoking. The film stars Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint, Ben Aldridge and Jonathan Groff.

Watch Knock at the Cabin on Amazon Prime Video

Max

Joker

In the gritty streets of early-1980s Gotham City, aspiring stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) paints his face with blotchy makeup for his job as a clown, longing to carve out a space for himself in the world. Yet, as society subjects him to perpetual bullying and neglect, Fleck's tenuous grip on reality falters — paving the way for the dawn of his villainous identity, the Joker. (Be sure to catch this one before the highly-anticipated sequel starring Phoenix and Lady Gaga hits theaters in October 2024.)

Watch Joker on Max

Black Swan

In this 2010 psychological thriller, Natalie Portman gracefully steps into the pointe shoes of a dedicated ballerina named Nina. When the principal dancer retires — leaving the lead role in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake up for grabs — the company's artistic director (Vincent Cassel) seeks someone to portray both the innocent White Swan and the seductive Black Swan. Nina, ideal for the former role, finds her match in her enigmatic rival Lily (Mila Kunis), igniting a corrupt friendship as her mind descends into a dark spiral.

Watch Black Swan on Max

Misdommar

Haunted by the tragic loss of her parents and sister, Dani (Florence Pugh) accompanies her emotionally withdrawn boyfriend (Jack Reynor) and his friends on a trip to Sweden for a midsummer festival that only takes place every 90 years. But as they bear witness to unsettling rituals, they come to the horrifying realization they are ensnared in the custody of a menacing cult.

Watch Midsommar on Max

The Outsider

In the 2021 miniseries The Outsider, a murder in a small town has everyone on edge. Even more confusing is that, despite there being ample evidence placing Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) as the killer, there’s also plenty of evidence proving he’s innocent. The police and town grapple with a murder that doesn’t make sense — and consider that supernatural forces may be at play. Bateman is joined in the cast by Ben Mendelsohn and Cynthia Erivo, among others.

Watch The Outsider on Max

Don’t Worry Darling

On top of its dramatic press cycle, 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling was also a gripping psychological thriller. In Victory, Calif., men go to work while their wives live a life of leisure and tend to their homes, chatting with friends over lunch. But as the film goes on, Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh) becomes suspicious of her idyllic lifestyle and discovers a sinister secret — showing that Victory is anything but ideal. Pugh stars alongside Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde (who also directed) and Chris Pine.

Watch Don’t Worry Darling on Max

Peacock

Promising Young Woman

Emerald Fennell's directorial debut — which snagged her an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay — follows Cassie (Carey Mulligan), a med school dropout who orchestrates her own form of justice: playing the drunken damsel at nightclubs to expose predatory men. Reconnecting with a former classmate, Ryan (Bo Burnham), Cassie's journey takes a dark twist as she takes revenge on those who've wronged her best friend. Wrapped in a candy-colored palette and accompanied by a bubblegum soundtrack, Promising Young Woman weaves a dark feminist tale with unexpected twists, and features exceptional performances from Mulligan, Burnham, Alison Brie, Chris Lowell, Jennifer Coolidge and more.

Watch Promising Young Woman on Peacock

We Need to Talk About Kevin

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) centers on Eva (Tilda Swinton), a mother struggling to cope following a mass murder committed by her son, Kevin (Ezra Miller). Kevin seems incapable of emotion and appears to feel no remorse for the killings.

Watch We Need to Talk About Kevin on Peacock

Nope

Through an alien who feeds on earthlings, Jordan Peele’s 2022 hit Nope tackles exploitation, spectacle and whether wild animals can never be truly tamed. This is a horror movie with Western vibes and a psychological thriller that forces you to think. For Nope, Peele teamed up with Get Out lead Daniel Kaluuya, who stars alongside Keke Palmer.

Watch Nope on Peacock

Donnie Darko

In Richard Kelly’s cult classic, teenager Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) begins to slip in and out of a space-time disturbance. A mysterious rabbit figure tells him the world is ending, and Donnie narrowly escapes death — for the time being. The indie film's cast includes Jake’s sister Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze.

Watch Donnie Darko on Peacock

You Should Have Left

Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried costar in this 2020 psychological horror film. It follows an odd couple — retired banker Theo and his much younger wife Susanna — as they vacation in Wales with their daughter in an attempt to fix their relationship. However, nothing is quite like it seems; Theo was accused of murdering his first wife (though the charges were dropped), and their vacation house has an equally dark and creepy past.

Watch You Should Have Left on Peacock

Paramount+

Basic Instinct

The controversial film Basic Instinct (1992) was a career-defining project for Sharon Stone, who plays novelist Catherine Tramell. She is the prime suspect in her boyfriend’s murder, but as someone who knows how to tell a story, it’s impossible to deduce whether Catherine is telling the truth or trapping detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) in a web of lies.

Watch Basic Instinct on Paramount+

What Lies Beneath

The hit 2000 supernatural thriller What Lies Beneath stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford as a married couple, Claire and Norman, who seemingly have the perfect life, until a supernatural entity reveals a tragic secret. Claire begins to put the pieces together — but she realizes she might be trapped in a deadly game.

Watch What Lies Beneath on Paramount+

Red Eye

In Wes Craven's Red Eye (2005), hotel manager Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) finds herself embroiled in a high-stakes assassination plot when she meets a winsome yet menacing Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) during a red-eye flight to Miami. As Jackson holds Lisa's father hostage, he coerces her to aid in his plan by reassigning the target's hotel room, leaving her with a moral dilemma between saving her dad or preventing a terrorist act — all while 30,000 feet above the ground.

Watch Red Eye on Paramount+

The Machinist

In 2004's The Machinist, Christian Bale stars as Trevor, a factory worker who suffers from severe insomnia and hasn't slept in a year. After Trevor causes an on-the-job accident, he begins having hallucinations and becomes paranoid that his co-workers are out to get him. Not even viewers will know what is real in this gripping psychological thriller, which Bale famously lost more than 63 lbs for.

Watch The Machinist on Paramount+

Significant Other

In 2022’s Significant Other, invading aliens begin harvesting humans and taking their shape. Their first target before launching a full-blown invasion is a couple hiking in the woods. It’s impossible to know who is real and who is a decoy in this wildly trippy ride. The film stars Maika Monroe and Emmy nominee Jake Lacy.

Watch Significant Other on Paramount+

Fatal Attraction

In 2023, Paramount+ reinvented the hit 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction as a series starring Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson. In the show, an affair turns deadly when Alex (Caplan) refuses to let her married lover (Jackson) break things off. Alex is willing to do anything to keep the relationship alive, including manipulation, deceit and even murder.

Watch Fatal Attraction on Paramount+

Disney+

WandaVision

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprised their roles as Avengers Wanda Maximoff and Vision in the 2020 miniseries WandaVision. In the series, Wanda and Vision live the perfect suburban life — or so they think. The walls of reality begin to blur, and the couple realize they’re in danger. Also in the cast was Kathryn Hahn, who stole the show as audience favorite Agatha Harkness.

Watch WandaVision on Disney+

Related: Elizabeth Olsen Says WandaVision Won't Have a Second Season: 'It Is a Limited Series'

Moon Knight

The 2022 series Moon Knight was notable for taking a much darker tone than other Marvel productions. It follows Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), a gift shop employee who realizes he has an alter ego, Marc Spector, a mercenary with connections to Egyptian gods. On top of being an action-packed series, the show is one of the most unique Marvel entities to date.

Watch Moon Knight on Disney+

Werewolf by Night

Werewolf by Night is a standalone Marvel special centered on a group of monster hunters gathered at a castle, all hoping to gain possession of a rare and powerful gem. However, many in the competition aren’t who they seem to be. Leading the cast is Gael García Bernal, best known for his Golden Globe-winning performance on Mozart in the Jungle.

Watch Werewolf by Night on Disney+

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