Are you in the mood for a good psychological thriller? If you are, you’re in luck. Netflix has a great selection of psychological thriller movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In this article, we’ll recommend six of the best psychological thriller movies on Netflix that you can watch right now. We’ll also give you a brief overview of each movie so you can decide if it’s something you’d like to watch.
What is a psychological thriller?
A psychological thriller is a type of thriller that is heavily focused on the human psyche. The best psychological thrillers are movies that keep you in the dark about what’s happening. Throughout the film, they’ll leave you guessing about the plot and the characters’ true motives. Many different genres fall under the psychological thriller umbrella.
Some are more horror-focused and very much in the supernatural realm. Some use science fiction elements to make you rethink what you believe about reality and human nature. And some are more straightforward stories about criminals and detectives that are very much in the psychological realm.
Six best psychological thriller movies on Netflix:
| Name of the movie | Cast | Box office collection |
| Bird box | Sandra Bullock as Malorie HayesTrevante Rhodes as TomJacki Weaver as CherylJohn Malkovich as DouglasSarah Paulson as Jessica HayesRosa Salazar as LucyDanielle Macdonald as OlympiaLil Rel Howery as CharlieTom Hollander as GaryMachine Gun Kelly as FelixBD Wong as GregPruitt Taylor Vince as RickVivien Lyra Blair as Girl / OlympiaJulian Edwards as Boy / TomParminder Nagra as Dr. LaphamRebecca Pidgeon as LydiaAmy Gumenick as SamanthaTaylor Handley as JasonHappy Anderson as River ManDavid Dastmalchian as Whistling Marauder | $2,181,286 |
| The haunting of hill house | Michiel Huisman and Paxton Singleton as Steven CrainCarla Gugino as Olivia CrainTimothy Hutton and Henry Thomas as Hugh CrainElizabeth Reaser and Lulu Wilson as Shirley Crain HarrisOliver Jackson-Cohen and Julian Hilliard as Luke CrainKate Siegel and Mckenna Grace as Theodora “Theo” CrainVictoria Pedretti and Violet McGraw as Eleanor “Nell” Crain VanceRecurringAnnabeth Gish as Clara DudleyAnthony Ruivivar as Kevin HarrisSamantha Sloyan as Leigh CrainLevy Tran as Trish ParkJames Lafferty as Ryan QualeJames Flanagan as Funeral DirectorJordane Christie as Arthur VanceJordane Christie as Arthur VanceElizabeth Becka as Aunt JanetLogan Medina as Jayden HarrisMay Badr as Allie HarrisAnna Enger as JoeyFedor Steer as William HillOlive Elise Abercrombie as Abigail DudleyCatherine Parker as Poppy HillMimi Gould as Hazel Hill | $42,593,455 |
| The Talented Mr. Ripley | Matt Damon as Tom RipleyGwyneth Paltrow as Marge SherwoodJude Law as Dickie GreenleafCate Blanchett as Meredith LoguePhilip Seymour Hoffman as Freddie MilesJack Davenport as Peter Smith-KingsleyJames Rebhorn as Herbert GreenleafLisa Eichhorn as Emily GreenleafSergio Rubini as Inspector RoveriniPhilip Baker Hall as Alvin MacCarronCelia Weston as Aunt JoanRosario Fiorello as FaustoStefania Rocca as SilvanaIvano Marescotti as Colonnello VerrecchiaSilvana Bosi as Ermelinda | $128,792,13 |
| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Daniel Craig as mikael blomkvistRooney mara as lisbeth salanderChristopher Plummer as Henrik VangeStellan Skarsgård as Martin VangeSteven Berkoff as Dirch FrodRobin Wright as Erika BergeYorick van Wageningen as Nils BjurmaJoely Richardson as Harriet VangeGoran Višnjić as Dragan ArmanskDonald Sumpter as Detective MorelUlf Friberg as Hans-Erik WennerströGeraldine James as Cecilia VangerEmbeth Davidtz as Annika GianninJosefin Asplund as Pernilla BlomkvisPer Myrberg as Harald VangeTony Way as PlaguFredrik Dolk as Bertil CamnermarkeAlan Dale as Detective IsakssonLeo Bill as TrinitÉlodie Yung as Miriam WuJoel Kinnaman as Christer Malm | $239,373,97 |
| Gone girl | Ben Affleck as NicholasRosamund Pike as Amy Elliott DunneNeil Patrick Harris as Desi CollingsTyler Perry as Tanner BoltCarrie Coon as MargoKim Dickens as Detective Rhonda BoneyPatrick Fugit as Officer James GilpinMissi Pyle as Ellen AbbottEmily Ratajkowski as AndreaCasey Wilson as Noëlle HawthorneLola Kirke as GretaBoyd Holbrook as JeffreyLisa Banes as Mary ElizabethSela Ward as Sharon SchieberScoot McNairy as ThomasScott Takeda as TV ProducerDavid Clennon as RandallKathleen Rose Perkins as Shawna Kelly | $367,160,78 |
| Shutter island | Leonardo DiCaprio as Edward “Teddy” Daniels / Andrew LaeddisMark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule / Dr. Lester SheehanBen Kingsley as Dr. John CawleyMax von Sydow as Dr. Jeremiah NaehringMichelle Williams as Dolores ChanalEmily Mortimer as The Nurse Portraying Rachel SolandoPatricia Clarkson as Rachel SolandoJackie Earle Haley as George NoyceJohn Carroll Lynch as The First Deputy Warden McPhersonJoseph Sikora as Glen MigaTed Levine as The WardenElias Koteas as Andrew LaeddisRuby Jerins as Little GirlRobin Bartlett as Bridget KearnsCurtiss Cook as Trey WashingtonChristopher Denham as Peter Breene. | $299,461,782 |
Let’s take a look at six of the best psychological thriller movies on Netflix. These are films that fall under the psychological thriller umbrella. They’ll make you question reality, morality, and human nature while keeping you on the edge of your seat.
Bird Box:
This is a Netflix original that stars Sandra Bullock and comes out in December. It follows a woman who, along with two young children, tries to survive in a world she can’t see. The film is based on the best-selling book by Josh Malerman. There are few things more terrifying than not being able to see. That helplessness that vulnerability is something we as humans can only imagine. And yet, in Bird Box, we get to see how it feels. This psychological thriller stars Sandra Bullock and follows a group of survivors as they navigate their way through a post-apocalyptic world. The cause of this apocalypse is something that must be seen to be believed. But the creatures you don’t see are the real villains here.
The Haunting of Hill House:
This is an older film that first came out in 1963. It stars Shirley Jackson, who also wrote the original novel. It follows a group of people trying to learn more about the paranormal by staying in a haunted house. This is a classic ghost story. It’s also a modern classic of psychological thriller movies on Netflix that deserves to be on your watch list. The Haunting of Hill House follows a group of people who grew up in the most haunted house in the world. When they’re adults, they reunite at the house to face their fears and the ghosts of their past. This isn’t a movie filled with jump scares or gore. Instead, it relies on an atmosphere of dread and a creeping unease that will send chills down your spine.
The Talented Mr. Ripley:
This is another older film, first released in 1999. It stars Matt Damon and is about a con artist hired to persuade a rich man’s heir to return to his home country.
While this isn’t a straight-up psychological thriller, it does toe the line between thriller and horror. And sometimes, it veers over to horror. The Talented Mr. Ripley follows a young man hired to go to Italy and bring back his wealthy friend. What starts as a simple job quickly spirals out of control. This great movie will keep you on the edge of your seat with every turn. It’s also an excellent examination of what happens when someone tries to become someone they’re not.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
This is another older film, first released in 2011. It stars Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig as two detectives who try to solve a decades-old cold case. This is another excellent movie to add to your psychological thriller movies on the Netflix watch list. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first movie in the Millennium series. It follows a disgraced journalist who is hired to solve a cold case. What starts as a simple investigation quickly spirals into something much more significant. This movie is not for the weak of the heart. There are some scenes of extreme violence and sexual content. But it’s an excellent movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat with every turn.
Gone Girl:
This is another newer film, first released in 2014. It stars Rosamund Pike and is about a woman who goes missing and the effect on her husband and family. Gone Girl is another classic psychological thriller movie on Netflix that is well worth your time. This is a story about a man who finds his wife missing. He rapidly stands as the leading candidate for her disappearance. The story is told through flashbacks, journal entries, and narration. It’s a bit strange to tell a story, but it works. This is a classic tale of who to trust and how far someone will go to get what they want.
Shutter Island:
This is another older film, first released in 2010. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is about a detective investigating a mental hospital. The next movie on our list of the best psychological thriller movies on Netflix is a story of madness. Shutter Island follows a detective who is sent to a mental hospital to close a case. This isn’t a simple investigation, however. The detective quickly realizes that the people on the island aren’t who they claim to be. This is a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. It’s also an excellent study of how mental illness can affect people who don’t have it. There are many more psychological thriller movies on Netflix worth watching. These six movies are a great place to start if you’re in the mood for a good scare.
Conclusion:
There are many more psychological thriller movies on Netflix worth watching. These six movies are a great place to start if you’re in the mood for a good scare. From ghosts to murder and madness, these movies will keep you on the edge of your seat while also making you think. So, what are you waiting for? Turn off the lights, turn up the volume, and get ready to have your mind blown.
These are just the tip of the iceberg regarding psychological thriller movies on Netflix. There are much more worth watching. So, get ready to get in the Halloween mood with these creepy movies. And if you’re ready to try something new, check out our list of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix.