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If you’re looking for thriller movies to add to your Netflix watchlist this week, you’re in luck. The popular streaming service is adding a strong handful over the next seven days.
The new arrivals include one of Gerard Butler’s most well-received action movies, an excellent sci-fi pick that is just as thoughtful as it is tense, and a crime epic written by “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan. All three of these movies demand your attention.
Thrillers are consistently popular on Netflix, and as a huge fan of the genre myself, I’ve combed through the platform's latest additions over the next week and picked out a trio of movies that you definitely shouldn’t skip.
Best Netflix thriller movies to watch this week
‘Copshop’ (2021)
I typically view Gerard Butler-fronted action movies as a bit of a guilty pleasure. However, “Copshop” is a rare thriller flick starring the Scottish actor that managed to earn strong reviews even from the critics. Described as an “old-school thriller,” it’s an odd case. Netflix is branding the movie as an “original,” but it was released back in September 2021, so while it’s not technically a brand-new movie, I suspect many subscribers won’t have seen it yet.
Teddy Murretto (Frank Grillo) is a con artist on the run, who gets into a scuffle with a rookie cop (Alexis Louder) and is quickly put in handcuffs and taken to jail. But behind bars is exactly where Teddy wants to be. On the run from a ruthless hitman (Butler), Teddy hopes the police will act as his unaware protectors. However, this professional assassin isn’t so easily deterred, and also gets himself arrested in order to continue pursuing his target.
Watch "Copshop" on Netflix from February 1
‘Ex Machina’ (2014)
Alex Garland is one of my favorite filmmakers of the 21st century, and 2014’s “Ex Machina” marked his directorial debut (and he also wrote the screenplay). This intense and absorbing sci-fi thriller is small in scale, but it asks some very big questions about human nature and what it means to be human. It also packs one of Oscar Isaac’s best-ever performances, with equally strong support from Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander.
Caleb Smith (Gleeson) is a young programmer working for major tech company Blue Book (think Google with the serial number filed off). Invited to stay at the remote, high-tech home of the corporation's CEO, Nathan Bateman (Isaac), this trip is no relaxing getaway. Instead, Caleb has been recruited to help Nathan test out his new artificial intelligence, housed with a humanoid robot named Ava (Vikander). And the situation only gets more riveting from there.
Watch "Ex Machina" on Netflixfrom February 1
‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)
Before Taylor Sheridan became a household name by creating the juggernaut “Yellowstone” universe, those in the know had already marked him as a talent worth watching. Sheridan penned 2015’s “Sicario” and followed it up by writing “Hell or High Water,” a compelling crime-thriller with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine, this Texas-set movie centers on two desperate brothers facing a lawman.
Toby (Pine) and brother Tanner (Ben Foster) are bank robbers, committing a spree of crimes across the Lone Star State. While Toby expertly plans the heists, Tanner is a loose cannon, causing friction between the pair. Believing their robberies are justified after the bank forecloses on their family ranch, they soon cross paths with a Texas Ranger, Marcus (Bridges), who is just a week from retirement. It all leads to a thrilling final stand-off.
Watch "Hell or High Water" on Netflix from February 1
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