Here Are the 15 Best Thriller Movies of 2024

Sure, this year has had some major blockbusters like Wicked and Gladiator II, but personally, I think the thriller category has been a tad bit underrated this year. There’s also been an abundance of heart-pumping flicks, like The Union, for example, which finally saw Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry teaming up (something they should have done 20 years ago if you ask me), and Dev Patel’s Monkey Man. There was also also the release of Alien: Romulus in August, which carries on the legacy of the iconic, long-standing film series that has been around since, well…forever. Needless to say, there were a lot of great movies in my favorite category released this year, so make sure to scroll down and check out my 15 favorite thrillers of 2024.

• Director: Edward Berger
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 93% | IMDb 7.4/10

Directed by Edward Berger, Conclave is a mystery based on the 2016 Robert Harris novel of the same name. It centers on Cardinal Lawrence, who is presented with the ultra-secretive task of selecting the new pope. As you can imagine, this process isn’t an easy one as it is rooted in a trail of secrecy that can lead to a shakeup within the Roman Catholic Church. This is what makes the film so compelling. Says PureWow Editor-In-Chief Jillian Quint: “I would consider Conclave a thriller. It’s fantastic and makes a topic I’d never have thought could be so thrilling— the process of picking a new pope—totally grip-your-seat engaging.”

• Director: Clint Eastwood
• Run Time: 114 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 93% | IMDb 7.1/10

Juror #2 is classic Clint Eastwood. It’s got a compelling storyline and unexpected plot twists as a juror finds himself juggling the emotions of a past incident as he and the other jurors proceed through the case. At the center of this dilemma are the conflicting emotions as to whether or not his personal emotions will assist with convicting or freeing the accused killer, and it is this very struggle that drew Senior Editor Dana Dickey in. “Juror #2 directed by Clint Eastwood is a psychological thriller that has an unexpected, interesting perspective on the traditional thriller: the question isn't whodunit but ‘did I do it?’ Plus, I love Toni Colette's anchoring performance as the investigating prosecutor who's got a personal stake in the status quo, but a moral conscience that's nagging her to look deeper.”

• Director: Dev Patel
• Run Time: 121 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 89% | IMDb 6.8/10

I knew Monkey Man was going to be a movie on my radar from the minute I saw the very first trailer, and I have to say that I was not disappointed at all. I can see how some might have written it off for being a “another fighting film,” and to be fair, there have been a lot of movies in that past that are similar to it. None, however (at least from what I’ve seen), ), have been quite like Monkey Man, which is about a young man making his way through the underground fighting circuit, where his trademark is wearing a gorilla mask. His reasoning for entering the underground fighting circuit? To exact revenge for the killing of his mother.

High-intensity drama ensues. If you are looking for something interesting to watch and different from the “usual,” I highly recommend giving this film a shot.

• Director: Fede Álvarez
• Run Time: 119 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 80% | IMDb 7.1/10

While not my favorite film in the Alien franchise (that goes to the 1979 Ridley Scott version, in case you were wondering), this installment delivered the right amount of juice needed for a great late summer blockbuster. The plot this go-round? Just nothing but space colonizers coming face-to-face with a terrifying life form, of course.

During an interview with The Reel Roundup, director Fede Álvarez told the publication that he was inspired by films made in the 1930s. “I mean, the filmmakers that made these movies were inspired by movies from the 1930s that was kind of the same concept. Actually, Alien was inspired by body horror, science fiction, monster movies. I think Alien is such an iconic thing, we can go and make another Alien and there's still an audience out there that loves it.

• Director: Renato De Maria
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 43% | IMDb 5.2/10

Karelle McKay, former Assistant Editor of News and Entertainment, reviewed this Netflix hit over the summer, which follows an estranged couple named Pietro and Elena, whose two children, Bianca and Giovanni, go missing in the middle of the night without a trace. In her review, McKay said, “Take it from someone who’s watched the trailer more than once: This movie is jam-packed with heart-pounding moments. And for those who find long movies a bit daunting to watch, Vanished Into the Night might be right up your alley.”

• Director: Jeremy Saulnier
• Run Time: 131 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 96% | IMDb 6.8/10

Rebel Ridge was another hit movie on Netflix during the fall season. Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, the film revolves around Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), who visits a small town on an urgent mission to post bail for his cousin, only to wind up confronted by a pair of officers who seize his life’s savings. PureWow’s Associate Editor of News and Entertainment, Nakeisha Campbell, called the film “wild,” remarking, “I'm not the biggest action thriller fan, but there are rare instances where I'll stumble upon a movie that genuinely piques my interest. Especially if it explores thought-provoking themes. Lucky for me, I found one of those exceptions—and it happens to be the most-watched movie on Netflix right now.” At the time of Campbell’s review, Rebel Ridge had a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but in the three months since, it has increased to 96 percent, which means people are loving it.

• Director: Anna Kendrick
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 91% | IMDb 6.6/10

I’m always game for 1970s-themed flick, which is precisely why I had to include Woman of the Hour on this list. Directed by and starring Anna Kendrick and set in 1970s Los Angeles, the film is about an aspiring actress who meets her serial killer match (literally) while making an appearance on a dating game show. What’s more, the film is actually based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who did, indeed, make an appearance on the television show The Dating Game.

In an interview with Variety, Anna Kendrick told reporter Angelique Johnson that making this film was more vulnerable than writing her memoir. “Every moment of the movie is kind of a reflection of my own terror,” she explained, adding, “I don’t think it’s an accident that I responded to this script at a time when I’d just been through something really devastating and traumatic and that really changed my worldview.”

• Director: Doug Liman
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 40% | IMDb 6.2/10

If you want to see Matt Damon and Casey Affleck as a father and son duo in an action-filled heist film, look no further than The Instigators, which sees a robbery going terribly wrong in every way imaginable. Aside from being a thriller, the movie also has some comedic moments included as well, which adds to the fun. If you are a dedicated movie watcher, you have probably seen some sort of variation of The Instigators before, so I’m not going to tell you that you’re getting a completely innovative film here. You will, however, enjoy it as a weekend streaming watch.

• Director: Jon Watts
• Run Time: 108 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 67% | IMDb 6.5/10

Slight “drama” aside, Wolfs stars Brad Pitt and George Clooney, which is reason enough to give it a watch, but there is a lot at play here as it centers around two professional fixers who are forced to work together on a high-profile crime. For me, personally, there are elements of Wolfs that do remind me of Ocean’s Eleven (which Pitt and Clooney also starred in circa 2001), but for the most part, Wolfs is a film that holds its own as far as originality goes.

As it turns out, getting Pitt and Clooney back together was a seamless process according to director Jon Watts, who told Entertainment Tonight, “That's what was fun to explore. People talk about the two of them as though they have this really long, rich cinematic history together, but they've only really been in three movies together. I think we've seen them together on press tours and we know that they're friends in real life, so it feels like they have a much deeper catalog than they really do. So, I felt like it was a completely untapped resource to just go different places with them and see what that was like.”

• Director: Parker Finn
• Run Time: 127 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 86% | IMDb 6.8/10

The follow-up to 2022’s Smile, the sequel sees global pop star Skye Riley experiencing terrifying horrors that stem from elements of her past, and the pressures of being a worldwide performer. As somebody who has been forced to watch every single horror film I’ve ever seen within my lifetime, I’d have to say that Smile 2 does a good job of separating itself from being “just another horror film” as it is innovative, and features tons of twists along the way. Don’t let the mixed reviews fool you, Smile 2 is a great investment of your time.

• Director: Rose Parker
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 94% | IMDb 6.6/10

Love Lies Bleeding stars Kristen Stewart as a reclusive gym manager whose family members are, well, criminals. Fun fact aside, the secretive fitness buff falls head-over-heels with a bodybuilder who has their sights set on competing in Las Vegas, and things get…complicated. In an interview with Vogue, director Rose Parker spoke about the stereotypes involving muscular women, particularly as the film is set in 1989. “One of the main reasons for putting it in the past was wanting it to be pre-internet or pre–social media. What I liked about doing it before everyone became so connected is that it heightens the fact that both Lou and Jackie are misfits and alone,” she told the publication.

“The year 1989 was right before anabolic steroids became illegal, so in the film there’s a naïveté to how they’re being handled. And this excess of the ’80s and more, bigger just before the ’90s, when everyone becomes more nihilistic—I thought Jackie’s the ’80s and Lou’s the ’90s, a love story between a romantic and a cynic.”

• Director: Lee Issac Chung
• Run Time: 122 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 75% | IMDb 6.5/10

Serving as a follow-up to the 1996 version, Twisters was all the rage to close out summer 2K24. Chronicling a retired storm chaser (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who is persuaded to return to Oklahoma during the middle of an intense storm season, Twisters is quite the adventure according to editor Abby Hepworth. “I was thrilled, if a bit nervous, to see if the 2024 sequel, Twisters, could live up to the original’s high standard. Well, having now seen it not once, but twice in theaters, I can assure you it was everything I hoped it would be. I hooted; I hollered; I got choked up when I least expected it. And I’m ready to find a place for Twisters in my regular go-to movie collection,” she enthusiastically proclaimed in her review, which is all the more reason to give it another watch during the holiday.

• Director: Kourosh Ahari
• Run Time: 88 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 73% | IMDb 5.3/10

I can’t rave enough about the acting prowess of Danielle Deadwyler, who once again proves why she is one of Hollywood’s rising stars in this sci-fi action thriller that dives into the world of alternate universes. In it, Deadwyler portrays a woman struggling to cope with the loss of her son, which is what spurs her search of an alternate universe as she is looking for another way to connect with her child. It wouldn’t be a “thriller” if things didn’t go terribly wrong, however, which is why you should instantly add it to your watchlist.

• Director: Benoît Delhomme
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 53% | IMDb 6.3/10

Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain are a duo that doesn’t disappoint in Mother’s Instinct, which is a period thriller about two best friends that have their sisterly bond destroyed after a tragic accident. I can’t give too much away without spoiling it, but as a slight preview…expect suspicion, guilt and betrayal to be at the forefront of the film, which is riveting from start to finish. Oh, and did I mention the acting from both Hathaway and Chastain is brilliant?

• Director: David Ayer
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 71% | IMDb 6.3/10

I’m not gonna lie, I was one of those people who initially laughed at the concept of The Beekeeper. That said, you should never judge a book by its cover (or a film by its poster) because this movie isn’t about a bunch of killer bees primed for world domination (a la Snakes on a Plane), the term “beekeeper” actually refers to a clandestine human intelligence operation who is armed, dangerous and at the mercy of Jason Statham…I mean…his character Adam Clay. Make no mistake, this elaborate beekeeper organization goes all the way to the top, and I would be remiss to not include it on my list of the best films to come out in 2024.