The best thrillers on Amazon Prime Video right now
When it comes to new and classic thriller films, one of the best streaming platforms for indulging in the genre is Amazon Prime Video. Since the service’s inception, Prime Video has been accruing a massive library of titles. These heart-pounding films and thoughtful think-pieces cover all walks of life, from modern times to ancient settings. And it’s our job to make sure you’re watching all the best thriller flicks Prime has to offer!
Each month, we update this roundup to throw the spotlight on a handful of new Prime Video thrillers that we think are well worth a watch. So be sure to check back in a few weeks to see what’s been added, as well as what’s been removed.
Amazon Prime may have a robust catalog, but it doesn’t have everything. Luckily, we’ve also curated roundups of the best thrillers on Netflix and the best thrillers on Hulu.
The Perfect Host (2010)
Metacritic: 48%
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 93m
Genre: Comedy, Thriller, Crime
Stars: David Hyde Pierce, Clayne Crawford, Nathaniel Parker
Directed by: Nicholas Tomnay
In co-writer/director Nicholas Tomnay’s 2010 film The Perfect Host, viewers will be treated to one of the most unusual and unnerving dinner events of the century. Our story begins when on-the-run felon John Taylor (Clayne Crawford) crashes the dinner party of one Warwick Wilson (David Hyde Pierce). Pretending to have survived a robbery, John’s ruse only goes as far as the glass of red wine offered to him by the kind proprietor. It turns out the drink was drugged, and Mr. Wilson may have a few screws loose. Featuring a tour de force performance from Frasier star Hyde Pierce, The Perfect Host will keep you guessing from start to finish.
Marrowbone (2017)
Metacritic: 63%
IMDb: 4.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 111m
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery
Stars: George MacKay, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton
Directed by: Sergio G. Sánchez
Nothing says “a fine time with the family” like an evil entity haunting your country home because you’re covering up the death of your mother. These are the narrative cards we’re dealt in director Sergio G. Sánchez’s 2017 film Marrowbone. The film stars George MacKay, Furiosa‘s Anya-Taylor Joy, Charlie Heaton, and Mia Goth as the four siblings in on the matriarchal disappearance. When a lawyer (played by Kyle Soller) threatens to pull back the veil on the sibling secret, it’s up to eldest brother, Jack (MacKay), to keep everyone together, while contending with the ghouls of the mansion. A tactfully atmospheric production, there’s a twist you might see coming a mile away, but the overarching slow burn of Marrowbone is too good to pass up.
Road House (2024)
Metacritic: 47%
Rated: R
Duration: 121m
Genre: Action, Thriller
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Conor McGregor
Directed by: Doug Liman
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this 100-mile-per-hour remake of the 980s cult phenomenon. Our story follows ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Gyllenhaal), who takes a job as a bouncer at a seedy Florida roadhouse. As he attempts to settle into the new role, the establishment’s frequently unruly occupants decide to make Dalton’s life a living hell. And of course, the only answers are kicks and punches. It’s not high-brow cinema by any means, but if you’re looking for a total adrenaline blast that never relents, Road House should be your first consideration.
I Think We're Alone Now (2018)
Metacritic: 51%
IMDb: 4.9/10
Rated: R
Duration: 100m
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery
Stars: Peter Dinklage, Elle Fanning, Paul Giamatti
Directed by: Reed Morano
Directed by Reed Morano from a script by Mike Makowsky, I Think We’re Alone Now stars Peter Dinklage as Del, a survivor of a sudden world-ending event that eradicates most of mankind, save for a woman named Grace (Elle Fanning, star of the Sofia Coppola movies Somewhere and The Beguiled). After discovering her unconscious inside her own car, Del nurses Grace back to life, at which point, the two learn to start living together. More of a tour de force for Dinklage and Fanning than a groundbreaking new take on the postapocalyptic tale, I Think We’re Alone Now has some brilliant performances you definitely don’t want to miss.
Take Shelter (2011)
Metacritic: 85%
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rated: R
Duration: 120m
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Stars: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Katy Mixon
Directed by: Jeff Nichols
The sophomore effort of writer-director Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter stars Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain as Curtis and Samantha, parents to a girl named Hannah with a hearing disability. When Curtis starts having horrific visions of a world-ending storm, paranoia starts taking over his life. But are these more than just hallucinations? Nichols delivers a defiant film about family and fear, along with a subtextual reminder of how much money it can cost to stay afraid.
Mad Max (1979)
Metacritic: 62%
IMDb: 4.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 91m
Genre: Adventure, Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
Stars: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne
Directed by: George Miller
Before Tom Hardy took on the famous role in Mad Max: Fury Road, the O.G. desert warrior was played by Mel Gibson in director George Miller’s adrenaline-fueled Mad Max. Taking place in a future where any semblance of Australia’s civility is on its way out the door, police officer-turned-vigilante Max Rockatansky is tasked with tracking down members of a radicalized biker gang that terrorizes what’s left of humanity
The Descent (2005)
Metacritic: 71%
IMDb: 5.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 99m
Genre: Adventure, Horror
Stars: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid
Directed by: Neil Marshall
Exploring subterranean caves may not be everyone’s idea of a great time, and it definitely becomes a chief regret of all the characters in the 2005 film The Descent. Following a group of female cave divers as they journey beneath the earth, what starts out as a brave adventure suddenly devolves into a nightmare when the explorers stumble upon blood-hungry monsters living far below. If you’re easily disturbed by confined spaces, you may want to steer clear of this perilous plummet to hells untold.
Foe (2023)
Metacritic: 44%
IMDb: 5.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 111m
Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Drama
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, Aaron Pierre
Directed by: Garth Davis
Based on Ian Reid’s 2018 novel of the same name, Foe stars Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal as Hen and Junior, a young couple experiencing marital troubles. Living in an alternate future in the country, it seems that rural living proves quite the challenge in 2065. One day, a man named Terrance (Aaron Pierre) arrives, informing Junior that he’s been preselected to journey to an interstellar settlement orbiting Earth. Led by powerhouse performances from Ronan and Mescal, the film explores the idea of leaving civilization as we know it and how it only propels the couple’s downward spiral.
Saltburn (2023)
Metacritic: 61%
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rated: R
Duration: 131m
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Thriller
Stars: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike
Directed by: Emerald Fennell
What hells may wealth bring? This is the question posed and explored in writer-director Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Barry Keoghan stars as Oxford student Oliver Quick, who is unmoored and disillusioned in his studies. That is until he strikes up a friendship with devil-may-care aristocrat Felix Catton (Priscilla‘s Jacob Elordi). After accepting an invitation to spend the summer at Felix’s luxurious family estate, he becomes immersed in a whirlwind world of socialites. Keoghan delivers an excellent performance in Fennell’s kaleidoscopic follow-up to Promising Young Woman.
Dark Nature (2023)
IMDb: 4.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 85m
Genre: Horror
Stars: Hannah Anderson, Madison Walsh, Roseanne Supernault
Directed by: Berkley Brady
When life has got you down, one should retreat to the wilderness, right? In the wake of tribulations, getting more outdoor-time is a great way to push your demons away, unless you’re one of the characters in writer-director Berkley Brady’s 2022 film Dark Nature. Starring Hannah Emily Anderson as Joy, a woman on the mend from an abusive relationship, Joy joins her pal Carmen (Madison Welsh) on a wellness retreat into the Canadian woodlands. Spearheaded by the enigmatic Dr. Carol Dunnley (Kyra Harper), the getaway is soon interrupted by a horrific creature. A fitting exploration of PTSD, Dark Nature may retread similar paths, but is ultimately pushed a notch above the rest by its strong female cast.
Wrecked (2010)
Metacritic: 61%
IMDb: 4.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 86m
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Stars: Adrien Brody, Caroline Dhavernas, Ryan Robbins
Directed by: Michael Greenspan
It’s a classic setup from the start. In director Michael Greenspan’s Wrecked, Adrian Brody (Asteroid City) stars as our man-with-no-name. Well, he probably has a name, but his car-crash-rattled brain is taking his faculties on vacation. Waking up at the bottom of a ditch with a firearm, a bunch of cash, and a duo of dead guys, Mr. No Name must free himself from the wreckage, while contending with a wilderness that’s hellbent on keeping him perilously pinned. A solid directorial debut from Greenspan, Wrecked is working with some familiar plot threads and tropes, but what really keeps the wheels turning is Brody’s arresting one-man show. From desperation to determination, he packs it all in, and it’s at least half the reason why the movie is so good.
The Wall (2012)
Metacritic: 67%
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 104m
Genre: Science Fiction, Drama
What would you do if you were cut off from the rest of civilization by an invisible wall? Short of panicking, most of us would have no clue, but these are the cards dealt to our main character in writer-director Julian Pölsler’s 2012 film The Wall. Starring Martina Gedeck as the unnamed protagonist, when our hero discovers the titular barrier between her and the rest of the world, the woman and her dog Lynx are forced into survival mode as nature starts taking over. Will she succumb to the unmovable façade, or will she perish? Watching The Wall may be a bit of a slow-going experience at times, but if you’re willing to go along with the nearly two-hour runtime, you’ll be privy to quite an amazing performance from Gedeck.
M.O.M. Mothers of Monsters (2020)
IMDb: 5.8/10
Rated: R
Duration: 98m
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Stars: Melinda Page Hamilton, Bailey Edwards, Ed Asner
Directed by: Tucia Lyman
In M.O.M. Mothers of Monsters, we get more than your typical found-footage thriller. As viewers, we’re actually signing up for a pretty unique take on the “I think there’s something wrong with my child” narrative. Melinda Page Hamilton stars as Abbey Bell, a mother who fears her teenage son Jacob (played by Bailey Edwards) is plotting a school shooting. But when the boy is able to evade the system, Abbey is forced to act on her suspicions without lawful aid. Admittedly, the title is a bit on the lackluster side, but if you can look past the front cover, there’s a tense and impacting story at the core of M.O.M.
The Swerve (2018)
Metacritic: 90%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: R
Duration: 96m
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Stars: Azura Skye, Bryce Pinkham, Ashley Bell
Directed by: Dean Kapsalis
Once in a blue moon, a solid psychological thriller comes along that truly dips its toes into the world of disturbed and narratively unreliable psyches. Sure, there are plenty of films that try to dive deep into mental hellscapes, but when you see how brilliantly this type of conflict is pulled off by movies like The Swerve, you realize how many other flicks simply miss the mark. Starring Azura Skye as Holly, a high-school teacher, wife, and mother of two, Holly’s life is seemingly good on the surface. That is until a series of strange and hallucinatory events start unfolding around her. Compounded by the many stresses of daily life, including her rebellious children and an unusual student, Holly’s façade begins to crumble as past demons rear their heads. An excellent story of a methodically-paced breakdown, The Swerve is steered by an emotionally arresting lead performance from Skye.
Inside (2023)
Metacritic: 53%
IMDb: 4.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 105m
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Stars: Willem Dafoe, Gene Bervoets, Josia Krug
Directed by: Vasilis Katsoupis
Directed by Vasilis Katsoupis from a script by Ben Hopkins, Inside stars Willem Dafoe as cunning art hief Nemo. After a heist goes south, Nemo is forced to hide out in the New York City penthouse he initially invaded do he could rob its out-of-town owner of his Egon Schiele paintings. When Nemo attempts to flee the premises, the high-rise’s security system traps him inside, subjecting the criminal to long days of starvation and hallucinations. Dafoe never delivers a faulty performance, and his egocentric portrayal of Nemo becomes all the more dizzying when the man’s psychosis starts to kick in.
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Metacritic: 44%
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 108m
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Stars: Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus
Directed by: Troy Duffy
An adrenaline-heavy cult film like no other, The Boondock Saints stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as Irish-Catholic siblings Conner and Murphy. Tiring of the crumbling world around them, the brothers summon up all their religious spirit as the modus operandi for a spree of vigilante killings. But as they take down one mobster after another, a whip-smart FBI agent (Willem Dafoe) starts zeroing in on their killing spree. Wearing its influences on its sleeve, Boondock Saints looks and feels like an amalgamation of Tarantino cinema and B-movie action spectacles, a narrative and atmospheric blending that aims to please and does so effectively, at least for the most part.
Thirteen Lives (2022)
Metacritic: 66%
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 147m
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton
Directed by: Ron Howard
In director Ron Howard’s harrowing and emotional Thirteen Lives, is the real-life story of the Wild Boars, a Thai soccer team made up of twelve players and their coach. When the team ventures off into the Tham Luang cave, heavy rains flood the cavern, trapping them inside. After the parents of the boys alert authorities, a globalized rescue effort, comprised of professional divers and other emergency responders, must race against the clock to save the Wild Boars before it’s too late. Dialing in the dramatized strengths from other Howard-honed pictures like Apollo 13, there’s plenty at stake in Thirteen Lives, and the longtime auteur deftly tackles the many anxiety-inducing feats of one of the world’s most death-defying search-and-rescue efforts.
All the Old Knives (2022)
Metacritic: 62%
IMDb: 6.1/10
Rated: R
Duration: 101m
Genre: Thriller, Action
Stars: Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Jonathan Pryce
Directed by: Janus Metz
Espionage thrillers make up a unique subset of the genre, and director Janus Metz’ All the Old Knives is a more than fitting contribution to the narrative traditions. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves‘ Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton star as Henry Pelham and Celia Harrison, CIA operatives and ex-lovers who are forced to work together to uncover a mole within the organization’s Vienna satellite location. As the duo closes in on the perpetrator, chemistry resurfaces and past demons arise, leading to some near-insurmountable obstacles that stand in the way of their mission. Pine and Newton are at the top of their game in this one, delivering a dynamic performance fueled by old haunts and new deceit.
Jungle (2017)
Metacritic: 48%
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rated: R
Duration: 115m
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Thomas Kretschmann, Alex Russell
Directed by: Greg McLean
A cinematic retelling of Yossi Ghinsberg’s 1981 foray into the Amazon jungle, director Greg McLean’s Jungle stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ghinsberg, an Israeli outdoorsman who travels to Bolivia. Taking up a local guide’s offer to venture into the heart of the jungle with a group of fellow adventurers, Ghinsberg’s fight-or-flight instincts are soon put to the test when the expedition goes completely haywire. A tantalizing survival thriller that leans on the desperation and resourcefulness of its core cast, with Radcliffe leading the charge. Jungle may not be the greatest “nature versus man” film, but it’s a gritty and captivating addition to the sub-genre nonetheless.
Lansky (2021)
Metacritic: 45%
IMDb: 6.2/10
Rated: R
Duration: 119m
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stars: Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington, John Magaro
Directed by: Eytan Rockaway
Meyer Lansky (Harvey Keitel), a notorious crime lord, is on his last leg, a fact that the authorities are all too aware of. Hoping to track down Lansky’s hidden fortune, the Feds do everything in their power to make Lansky talk — and talk he does. In the vein of The Usual Suspects, the patriarchal puppet master begins weaving an intricate tale of his past, with specifics on how he rose to power. Keitel is perfectly cast as Lansky, delivering a tour-de-force performance that carries much of this true-crime thriller.
The Courier (2021)
Metacritic: 65%
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rated: R
Duration: 112m
Genre: Thriller, History, Drama
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan
Directed by: Dominic Cooke
Based on a true story, The Courier stars Benedict Cumberbatch Greville Wynne, your run-of-the-mill British businessman who’s handed the seemingly impossible task of negotiating with a Soviet spy (Merab Ninidze) to defuse international tensions, a massive effort by the U.K.’s MI-6 to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis. A tactful and rewarding espionage thriller, The Courier finds Benedict Cumberbatch at the top of his powers, delivering yet another engrossing leading-man performance.
Blow the Man Down (2019)
Metacritic: 72%
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rated: R
Duration: 90m
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Comedy
Stars: Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Margo Martindale
Directed by: Danielle Krudy, Bridget Savage Cole
From writer-director duo Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, Blow the Man Down is a bleak seaside thriller with black comedy undertones. Siblings Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth Connolly (Morgan Saylor) aren’t on the greatest of terms after their mother’s funeral. Further complicating their sisterly struggle is a murder they must commit (in self-defense). Disposing of the body, the sisters are far from out of the woods when local law enforcement begins a search for the very man the duo pitched in the ocean. Add to that another body washing up on the shore, and Blow the Man Down sheds a layer to reveal a deeper underbelly of feminist power-playing and malicious intent. A film that builds an immersive tone and atmosphere from the get-go, Blow the Man Down is a whodunit that keeps you drawn in for its 90-minute runtime.
The Handmaiden (2016)
Metacritic: 84%
Duration: 145m
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Romance
Stars: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo
Directed by: Park Chan-wook
Dubbed an erotic psychological thriller, this South Korean film, also known as Ah-ga-ssi, is inspired by the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, with a change in setting from the Victorian era to Korea during Japanese colonial rule. At the heart of the story is a con man with a sinister plot to seduce a Japanese heiress so he can have her committed and steal her money.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Metacritic: 84%
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rated: R
Duration: 89m
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov
Directed by: Lynne Ramsay
Joaquin Phoenix is on point in Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here. The Oscar-winning actor plays Joe, a brutalizer-for-hire, with a specialty in rescuing trafficked girls. Suffering from suicidal thoughts and years of trauma from his childhood through his military career, Joe agrees to a new mission. It’s standard fare: Rescue a senator’s daughter and take down anyone that gets in the way. The only trouble is that those involved are part of a much deeper political conspiracy, and Joe lands right in the middle of the villains and their victims. You Were Never Really Here has teeth, and it bites — a lot. Those uneasy with gore may want to choose something else on this list. For those that can stomach Joe’s reign of hammer-blows, you’ll be rewarded with a brilliantly directed character study and a mesmerizing lead performance from our latest cinematic Joker.
