Between the sci-fi puzzle box "Brick," twist-filled "Wall to Wall," and slow-burning "Untamed" TV series topping Netflix's charts, mystery thrillers are having a moment right now. It's clear audiences can't get enough of movies that hook you, haunt you and leave you questioning everything you thought you knew.
There's something so compelling about unraveling the mystery at the heart of a story, following the breadcrumbs the director and writers leave until you crack the case like a streaming Sherlock Holmes. If you're looking to find your next gripping fix that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, we've got you covered. We've rounded up the most mind-bending mystery thrillers on Netflix worth adding to your watchlist, ones with twists and turns you'll never see coming.
Here are some of the best mystery thrillers on Netflix to watch right now. For even more recommendations on what to watch, be sure to check out everything new to Netflix this month.
'Woman of the Hour' (2024)
You know a mystery thriller is seriously good when you're watching it on a tiny screen on a plane and still glued to every moment. That's how I first saw "Woman of the Hour," and it's haunted my brain ever since.
Netflix's stranger-than-fiction true crime thriller, which marks Anna Kendrick's directorial debut, follows aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick), who agrees to appear on the hit reality show The Dating Game in 1979 to boost her career.
But things take a dark turn during the taping when one of the contestants, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), turns out to be a charming yet sinister man who had already murdered several women. It’s rare for a serial killer film to focus on the victims and survivors rather than the killer, but "Woman of the Hour" offers a refreshing and necessary shift in perspective.
There's an all-too-familiar tension as Cheryl balances trusting her gut with playing Hollywood's game and, later, placating a potentially dangerous man until she can escape that pulls you in from the get-go. There's one scene in a dimly lit parking lot that makes the hairs rise on the back of my neck just thinking about it.
'Leave the World Behind' (2023)
If you enjoyed "Brick's" sci-fi edge, you'll want to add "Leave the World Behind" to your watchlist next. From the creator of "Mr. Robot," which recently landed on Netflix, this apocalyptic thriller centers on a family — Amanda (Julia Roberts), her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke), and their two teenage children — who rent a luxurious vacation home in a remote location for a peaceful getaway.
But their much-needed break is interrupted when the home's owners, G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold), show up claiming a massive cyberattack has struck the city.
As confusion and paranoia set in, the two families are forced to shelter together, unsure of what’s happening beyond the walls and what might come next. Cut off from the outside world and with no clear information about the crisis unfolding beyond their refuge, tensions between them intensify. Who's telling the truth and who's not, and if the world as they know it really is gone forever, who's to blame?
'It's What's Inside' (2024)
For a mystery thriller that doesn't take itself too seriously, look no further than "It's What's Inside." Packed with tension, mystery, and psychological mind games, it’s a must-watch for fans of unpredictable twists.
The premise is simple but with enough intrigue to draw you in: What begins as a joyful reunion of old friends on the eve of a lavish wedding quickly unravels into a nightmare when an uninvited guest arrives carrying a mysterious suitcase.
What's inside kicks off a surreal body-swapping nightmare that quickly spirals out of control. Buried secrets surface, loyalties crack, and the once-close group turns on each other as they navigate life while trapped in someone else's skin. But the real tension erupts when they launch into a twisted game of “guess who’s in whose body,” turning paranoia and manipulation into the evening’s main event.
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