12 of the Best Psychological Thrillers on Amazon Prime

Confession: We’ve developed a bit of an obsession with mind-bending psychological thrillers. Whether we’re shamelessly binge-watching new releases for six hours straight or guessing our way through Netflix’s top hair-raising mystery, we can always count on these titles to challenge our own grasp of reality—and this only adds to the appeal of the genre.

Since Netflix is pretty well-known for putting out so many compelling thrillers, we thought we’d give Amazon Prime a chance to shine, given that it also boasts an impressive collection of creepy titles. From The Machinist to Halle Berry’s The Call, see 12 of the best psychological thrillers on Amazon Prime right now.

Based on Lionel Shriver's novel of the same title, this Golden Globe-nominated film stars Tilda Swinton as Eva, the mother of a disturbed teenager (Ezra Miller) who has committed mass murder at his school. Told from Eva’s perspective, the film follows her earlier days as a mother and her ongoing struggle to cope with her son's actions. It’s horrifying and quite unsettling (to say the least) at times, and it’s also got a huge twist that you definitely won’t see coming.

Jeremy Irons stars as a pair of identical twin gynecologists in this creepy thriller. Loosely based on the lives of real-life twin doctors Stewart and Cyril Marcus, the film follows Elliot and Beverly (Irons), a pair of identical twin gynecologists who work at the same practice. Elliot has short-term affairs with several of his patients, proceeding to pass them off to his brother when he moves on, but things take an odd turn when he falls hard for the mysterious Claire (Geneviève Bujold).

When 9-1-1 operator Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) tries to help a teenage girl escape from her kidnapper, she’s forced to confront a serial killer from her own past. Berry gives a solid performance in this film, and there’s no shortage of suspense and heart-racing action. Other cast members include Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund and Michael Imperioli.

After getting released from a mental institution, Su-mi (Im Soo-jung) returns home to her family's isolated home, although the reunion is far from normal. Su-mi eventually comes to find out about her family’s dark history, which is connected to her stepmother and the spirits that lurk in their home. Although the overall pace is quite slow, the buildup of suspense and massive twist offer the ultimate payoff.

At first glance, this movie feels like a formulaic thriller: Intruder breaks in. Intruder terrorizes the family. More chaos ensues, and then one person finally manages to strike back, ultimately defeating the villain. To be fair, that is the general gist of this film, but it does include a major plot twist that'll make your jaw drop. Idris Elba is genuinely terrifying as the vengeful ex, Colin Evans, and as expected, Taraji P. Henson’s performance is nothing short of spectacular.

Inspired by Stephen King’s 1978 short story, “Quitters, Inc.,” Indian film tells the story of K (John Abraham), a narcissistic chain smoker who decides to quit in an attempt to save his marriage. He visits a rehabilitation center called Prayogshala, but after his treatment, he finds himself trapped in a dangerous game with Baba Bengali (Paresh Rawal), who swears he can make K quit. As with any Stephen King adaptation, this film will chill you to your core.

As far as unsettling stalker movies go, this one definitely nears the top of the list. Sleep Tight follows a remorseless concierge named César (Luis Tosar), who works at an apartment in Barcelona. Since he can’t seem to find happiness, he resorts to making his tenants' lives a living hell. But when one tenant, Clara, isn’t as easily fazed by his efforts, he goes to extreme lengths to try and break her down. Talk about twisted...

Arguably one of Christian Bale's best films, this thriller centers on a machinist suffering from insomnia, which takes a huge toll on his physical and mental health. After causing an accident that horribly injured his coworker, he becomes consumed with paranoia and guilt, often blaming his issues on a man named Ivan (John Sharian)—even though there are no records of him.

Psychological thriller meets murder mystery in this Oscar-nominated flick, which chronicles the story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a former insurance investigator with anterograde amnesia. While struggling with his short-term memory loss, he tries to investigate his wife's murder through a series of Polaroids. It's a unique and refreshing tale that’ll definitely get you thinking.

If you love suspense and great storytelling, minus the common horror tropes, then this film is your best bet. Based on Thierry Jonquet's 1984 novel, Mygale, The Skin I Live In (directed by Pedro Almodovar) follows Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), a skilled plastic surgeon who develops new skin that can help burn victims. He tests his invention on the mysterious Vera (Elena Anaya), whom he holds captive, but then…Well, you’ll have to watch to find out.

Jodie Foster stars as FBI rookie Clarice Starling, who tries to catch a serial killer known for skinning women victims. Feeling desperate, she seeks help from an imprisoned murderer and psychopath, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). But when Clarice forms a twisted relationship with the manipulative genius, she realizes that the price for solving this case might be more than she anticipated.