Every week, I comb through the new additions to Netflix to pick out the latest and greatest thriller movies on the world’s biggest streaming service. The genre is a personal favorite of mine, and it’s clear that many of my fellow Netflix subscribers love a great thriller flick, too.
This week, there’s a handful of solid options, including a stunning noir mystery from the director of “Seven” and “Fight Club,” and there’s also a sci-fi horror-thriller that sounds stupid but is actually a critical darling with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. And if you want a quick watch, there’s a pick that runs for a very short 80 minutes, great for watching after a busy day.
Let’s dive into the three Netflix thriller movies you should stream this week. Add these to your watchlist if you need a jolt of excitement.
3 new to Netflix thrillers to watch this week
‘Lazareth’ (2024)
“Lazareth” might not be a critically acclaimed thriller like the other two picks on this list, but if you’re looking for a quick watch, it runs just over 80 minutes, which will be a big selling point to some viewers. There’s an increasing demand for shorter movies in our attention-span-challenged society. Netflix has even created a whole category for “short ass movies,” and “Lazareth” offers a quick shot of excitement without any padding.
After the death of their parents, sisters Imogen (Katie Douglas) and Maeve (Sarah Pidgeon) are adopted by their aunt, Lee (Ashley Judd), and raised in a remote cabin. With a deadly pandemic laying waste to the world beyond the woods, the sisters grow up in isolation, following Lee’s instructions to avoid contact with outsiders. But when the sisters find an injured man, they begin to question Lee’s claims, and the family dynamic unravels.
Watch "Lazareth" on Netflix now
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)
David Fincher, the filmmaker behind genre classics like “Seven,” “Fight Club,” “Gone Girl,” and more, adapts Stieg Larsson’s best-selling novel of the same name, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” On paper, that sounds like the perfect pairing of director and source material, and it proves to be exactly that. This neo-noir mystery thriller is a masterpiece. I’d even argue it’s the rare American remake that surpasses the foreign-language original.
Starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, a disgraced journalist (Craig) is hired by a wealthy tycoon (Christopher Plummer) to solve a mystery that has haunted him for 40 years: the sudden disappearance of his niece. The industrialist is convinced his niece was killed by a member of his family and is desperate for answers. To assist, the journalist hires a skilled but troubled hacker (Mara), and the two uncover some dark family secrets.
Watch "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Netflix now
‘M3GAN’ (2023)
The horror and thriller genres mix together well, and “M3GAN” is an example of a movie that combines a few shlocky scares with some solid tension-building. You might think it looks utterly stupid from the trailer, and you’d have a point, but fortunately, the creatives involved clearly understood what sort of movie they were making and leaned into the absurdity. This is a self-aware sci-fi horror-thriller with plenty of comedy.
The M3GAN in question is a lifelike doll (voiced by Jenna Davis), specifically programmed to be a child’s best friend. Its creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), is a brilliant roboticist who has just become the unexpected guardian of her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw). When Gemma gives Cady a prototype M3GAN, the two quickly develop a close bond, but there are several flaws in the A.I.’s code, and this doll will go to extreme lengths to keep Cady safe and happy.
Watch "M3GAN" on Netflix starting August 24
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