When it comes to edge-of-your-seat suspense, Netflix is home to some of the most gripping thrillers you can find on a streaming service right now. Whether you’re in the mood for some tense hostage standoffs, high-stakes cover-ups or pulse-pounding escapes, there's no shortage of those flicks to be found on the platform.
For your next movie night, fire up a fast-moving, claustrophobic nail-biter like "Carry-On," or a gritty revenge yarn like "Rebel Ridge." Netflix has plenty of thrillers that don’t let up until the credits roll.
Whether you love sharp twists, morally gray characters or the kind of tension that makes you grip the armrest, we've hand-picked a few movies that we think will have you reeling until the credits hit. Keep reading for five of the best Netflix thrillers you can stream right now.
'Rebel Ridge'
Ex-Marine Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is targeted and robbed by the local police of Shelby Springs, Louisiana, who take not only his bail money but the savings he was going to use to build a new life.
As he tries to seek justice, Terry uncovers a deep web of corruption stretching through the town. The ringleader? A police chief with no intention of being exposed.
With no one to trust and everything on the line, Terry goes from victim to vigilante and pushes back against a system that seems designed to crush him.
Watch on Netflix
'Woman of the Hour'
Set in 1970s Los Angeles, "Woman of the Hour" follows struggling actress Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick), who reluctantly agrees to appear on "The Dating Game" in a bid to boost her career.
On stage, she meets Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), a charming man who' later revealed to be a serial killer. What begins as an awkward game show taping quickly morphs into something much darker as the film explores the stories of the women whose lives Alcala destroyed.
Based on true events, this thriller examines how the system failed these women and enabled one of the most notorious killers in American history.
Watch on Netflix
'Spiderhead'
In a high-tech prison where inmates can shave time off their sentences by testing experimental drugs, Jeff (Miles Teller) and Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett) sign up for what seems like an easy gig. They take daily doses of substances designed to elicit love, fear, euphoria and more.
The facility has no cells or guards, just a laid-back supervisor (Chris Hemsworth) who keeps things running with a smile and a tablet. But the trials grow darker and more invasive, and Jeff begins to question the true purpose behind the experiments as well as the real reason they’re all there.
Watch on Netflix
'The Occupant'
Former ad executive Javier Muñoz (Javier Gutiérrez) watches his privileged life crumble after losing his job, forcing him to trade his pricey Barcelona apartment for a small rental with his wife and son.
But Javier can’t move on. When he discovers a spare set of keys to his old home, he starts sneaking back to his old home, at first out of nostalgia, but soon with something far more sinister in mind.
As his obsession with the new residents gets even stronger, Javier’s actions grow into calculated manipulation. He targets the successful family now living the life he believes was stolen from him as he secretly works behind the scenes to take it back.
Watch on Netflix
'Carry-On'
Rookie TSA agent Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) is forced into a deadly game when a mysterious stranger blackmails him into smuggling a package onto a Christmas Eve flight.
That's about when things really get crazy. After Kopek is forced to acquiesce, things spiral until you're watching a high-stakes thriller at 30,000 feet.
Kopek desperately tries to uncover his blackmailer’s true intentions while keeping his fellow passengers safe. He soon finds that it won't be as simple a fix as he thought, as he faces a cunning adversary, tries to figure out some uneasy alliances, and confronts how far he’ll go to protect the people he loves before the plane touches tarmac.
Watch on Netflix
More From Tom's Guide
- Netflix is about to lose one of the most intense thriller movies I’ve ever watched — don’t miss your last chance to stream
- The one dark thriller movie that left me on edge is now streaming on Hulu — and it’s a psychological nightmare
- I went into this sci-fi thriller movie on Prime Video with low expectations — and it ended up being surprisingly gripping
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