#1 of 5,209 Best thriller movie
1972 Drama Crime 2h 55m English
100 Metascore $250.3M worldwide
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
About The Godfather Top 100 · Thriller
The 100 Best Thriller Movies, Ranked
We rank 5,209 of the 25,185 thriller films on the site; these are the top 100. The Godfather (1972) is #1 with a critics & audiences score of 98/100, ahead of Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958). Ranked by Echo Score; 49 of these 100 films have none (released before 2017, when Echo Scores start) and are ranked by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings. A ranked watchlist for suspense, chases and psychological tension. For new releases and box office hits, see the thriller movies guide.
- ranked thriller films
- 5,209
- thriller films on the site
- 25,185
- release years in the top 100
- 1926–2026
- award winners in the top 100
- 43
#1 of 5,209 Top 10
What Are the Best Thriller Movies?
The Godfather (1972) leads with a critics & audiences score of 98/100, ahead of Rear Window (1954); 3 of the top 10 are from the 1950s. Parasite (2019), a Korean drama directed by Joon-ho Bong, is the only one ranked by Echo Score (93); the other 9, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
- 1. The Godfather 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)
1972 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 55m
Dir. Francis Ford Coppola No Echo Score: ranked 98/100 on critics & audiences · 4 award wins · $250.3M worldwide
-
2. Rear Window 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)1954 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 52m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 96/100 on critics & audiences · 6 award nominations
-
3. Vertigo 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)1958 · Mystery, Romance · 2h 8m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 95/100 on critics & audiences
-
4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100 (32 critic reviews))1964 · Thriller, Comedy · 1h 35m
Dir. Stanley Kubrick No Echo Score: ranked 94/100 on critics & audiences · 4 award wins
-
5. North by Northwest 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))1959 · Action, Adventure · 2h 16m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 93/100 on critics & audiences · 4 award nominations
-
6. Parasite 93 Echo (Echo Score 93 out of 100)2019 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 12m
Dir. Joon-ho Bong 10 award wins · $262.6M worldwide
-
7. The Third Man 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100)1949 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 44m
Dir. Carol Reed No Echo Score: ranked 93/100 on critics & audiences · 2 award wins
-
8. The Lady Vanishes 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100)1938 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 36m
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences
-
9. Battleship Potemkin 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))1926 · Drama, History · 1h 15m
Dir. Sergei M. Eisenstein No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences
-
10. Pulp Fiction 95 Metascore (Metascore 95 out of 100)1994 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 34m
Dir. Quentin Tarantino No Echo Score: ranked 92/100 on critics & audiences · 8 award wins · $213.9M worldwide
#11 to #100
Thriller Movies Ranked #11 to #100
Places 11 to 100: Double Indemnity (1944) opens the list and Our Hero, Balthazar (2026) closes it. 31 of these 90 films are not in English; 18 languages appear in all. Filter by decade or language, or sort by year or box office.
Sort
Decade
Language
Places 11 to 100; films with the same score share a rank. Use a filter or another sort to include the top 10.
Echo Score, our 0–100 rating (films from 2017 on) Blend: Metascore with IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings, for films without an Echo Score
- 1 1. The Godfather
1972 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 55m
98 Blend $250.3M - 2 2. Rear Window
1954 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 52m
96 Blend - 3 3. Vertigo
1958 · Mystery, Romance · 2h 8m
95 Blend - 4 4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964 · Thriller, Comedy · 1h 35m
94 Blend - 5 5. North by Northwest
1959 · Action, Adventure · 2h 16m
93 Blend - 6 6. Parasite
2019 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 12m
93 Echo $262.6M - 7 7. The Third Man
1949 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 44m
93 Blend - 8 8. The Lady Vanishes
1938 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 36m
92 Blend - 9 9. Battleship Potemkin
1926 · Drama, History · 1h 15m
92 Blend - 10 10. Pulp Fiction
1994 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 34m
92 Blend $213.9M - 11
11. Double Indemnity1944 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 47m
92 Blend - 12
12. Touch of Evil1958 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 35m
91 Blend - 12
12. The Night of the Hunter1955 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 32m
91 Blend - 14
14. Psycho1960 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 49m
91 Blend - 15
15. The Godfather: Part II1974 · Drama, Thriller · 3h 20m
90 Blend $48M - 16
16. The Secret Agent2025 · Crime, Drama · 2h 38m
90 Echo $19.4M - 16
16. The Plague2025 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 35m
90 Echo $695.3K - 16
16. Project Hail Mary2026 · Drama, Sci-Fi · 2h 36m
90 Echo $684.5M - 16
16. Maharaja2024 · Thriller, Action · 2h 21m
90 Echo $975.5K - 16
16. Lucky Baskhar2024 · Thriller, Drama · 2h 28m
90 Echo $987.4K - 16
16. Sookshmadarshini2024 · Thriller, Mystery · 2h 22m
90 Echo $1.7M - 16
16. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery2025 · Comedy, Crime · 2h 20m
90 Echo - 16
16. Raazi2018 · Action, Drama · 2h 18m
90 Echo $1.8M - 16
16. To Die Alone2025 · Thriller · 1h 24m
90 Echo $8.5K - 16
16. Like Aani Subscribe2024 · Mystery, Thriller · 2h 22m
90 Echo - 16
16. The Burial Of Kojo2019 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 20m
90 Echo - 27
27. Werckmeister Harmonies2001 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 2h 25m
90 Blend $69.9K - 28
28. Pan's Labyrinth2006 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 58m
89 Blend $83.9M - 29
29. Promising Young Woman2020 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 53m
89 Echo $18.9M - 29
29. The Irishman2019 · Biography, Drama · 3h 29m
89 Echo $968.9K - 29
29. Dead Talents Society2025 · Comedy, Horror · 1h 45m
89 Echo $7.9M - 29
29. The French Connection1971 · Action, Crime · 1h 44m
89 Blend $51.7M - 29
29. The Manchurian Candidate1962 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 6m
89 Blend - 29
29. The Innocents2022 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 57m
89 Echo $321.8K - 29
29. Trenque Lauquen Parte I2023 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 9m
89 Echo $2.9K - 29
29. Mean Streets1973 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 52m
89 Blend $61.7K - 29
29. The Trial of the Chicago 72020 · Drama, History · 2h 9m
89 Echo - 38
38. The Dark Knight2008 · Action, Drama · 2h 32m
88 Blend $1B - 39
39. Dunkirk2017 · Action, Drama · 1h 46m
88 Echo $533.7M - 39
39. The Hurt Locker2009 · Action, Drama · 2h 11m
88 Blend $49.3M - 39
39. First Reformed2018 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 53m
88 Echo $3.9M - 39
39. Halloween1978 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 31m
88 Blend $47.2M - 39
39. Leviticus2026 · Horror, Romance · 1h 26m
88 Echo $8.9M - 39
39. A Hero2022 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 7m
88 Echo $2.9M - 39
39. Ayyappanum Koshiyum2020 · Comedy, Action · 2h 57m
88 Echo $5.1M - 39
39. Chronovisor2026 · Fantasy, History · 1h 40m
88 Blend $131.3K - 39
39. High and Low1963 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 23m
88 Blend - 39
39. Gangs of Wasseypur2015 · Action, Drama
88 Blend - 49
49. The Lives of Others2006 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 17m
88 Blend $77.7M - 50
50. There Will Be Blood2007 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 38m
87 Blend $76.4M - 50
50. Notorious1946 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 41m
87 Blend - 52
52. No Other Choice2025 · Comedy, Crime · 2h 19m
87 Echo $40.2M - 52
52. Jaws1975 · Adventure, Thriller · 2h 4m
87 Blend $477.9M - 52
52. Thudarum2025 · Drama, Action · 2h 44m
87 Echo $6.2M - 52
52. Memoir of a Murderer2017 · Action, Drama · 1h 58m
87 Echo $19M - 52
52. The Roundup2022 · Crime, Action · 1h 46m
87 Echo $101.2M - 52
52. To a Land Unknown2025 · Crime, Thriller · 1h 45m
87 Echo $77.1K - 52
52. Balloon2018 · Drama, History · 2h 5m
87 Echo - 52
52. Blood Brothers: Dragon’s Embers2025 · Crime, Action · 2h 9m
87 Echo - 60
60. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre1974 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 23m
87 Blend $30.9M - 61
61. No Country for Old Men2007 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 2m
87 Blend $171.6M - 61
61. Chinatown1974 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 10m
87 Blend $29.2M - 63
63. Anatomy of a Murder1959 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 40m
86 Blend - 64
64. The Fugitive1993 · Action, Drama · 2h 10m
86 Blend $368.9M - 64
64. After Hours1985 · Thriller, Comedy · 1h 37m
86 Blend $10.6M - 66
66. L.A. Confidential1997 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 18m
86 Blend $126.2M - 66
66. Yojimbo1961 · Action, Drama · 1h 50m
86 Blend - 68
68. Mission: Impossible – Fallout2018 · Action, Adventure · 2h 27m
86 Echo $824.2M - 68
68. Hereditary2018 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 7m
86 Echo $87.8M - 68
68. The Cost2023 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 48m
86 Echo - 68
68. The Tale2018 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 54m
86 Echo $2.7M - 68
68. Andhadhun2018 · Comedy, Thriller · 2h 19m
86 Echo $62.5M - 68
68. The 12th Man2018 · Drama, History · 2h 15m
86 Echo $9.6M - 68
68. Don't Look Now1973 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 50m
86 Blend $116.1K - 68
68. The Paradise of Thorns2024 · Thriller, Drama · 2h 11m
86 Echo $155.3K - 68
68. The Killing1956 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 24m
86 Blend - 68
68. Trenque Lauquen Parte II2023 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 13m
86 Echo - 78
78. Spotlight2015 · Biography, Drama · 2h 8m
86 Blend $98.7M - 79
79. Dog Day Afternoon1975 · Biography, Drama · 2h 5m
86 Blend $50M - 79
79. Strangers on a Train1951 · Thriller, Crime · 1h 41m
86 Blend - 81
81. The Departed2006 · Mystery, Thriller · 2h 31m
85 Blend $291.5M - 82
82. To Have and Have Not1945 · Adventure, Thriller · 1h 40m
85 Blend - 83
83. Mad Max: Fury Road2015 · Action, Adventure · 2h
85 Blend $380.4M - 83
83. Baby Driver2017 · Action, Thriller · 1h 52m
85 Echo $226.9M - 83
83. Knives Out2019 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 11m
85 Echo $312.9M - 83
83. Aliens1986 · Action, Sci-Fi · 2h 17m
85 Blend $131.1M - 83
83. Monster2023 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 6m
85 Echo $20.5M - 83
83. Ballerina2023 · Action, Thriller · 1h 32m
85 Echo - 83
83. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair2025 · Action, Crime · 4h 35m
85 Echo $13.3M - 83
83. Mandy2018 · Action, Drama · 2h 1m
85 Echo $1.8M - 83
83. Searching2018 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 42m
85 Echo $75.5M - 83
83. Son of Saul2015 · Drama, History · 1h 47m
85 Blend $6.7M - 83
83. Dust Bunny2025 · Action, Drama · 1h 46m
85 Echo $1.4M - 83
83. How to Blow Up a Pipeline2023 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 43m
85 Echo $1M - 83
83. Jawan2023 · Action, Thriller · 2h 49m
85 Echo $31.5M - 83
83. The Count of Monte-Cristo2024 · Action, Adventure · 2h 53m
85 Echo $85.9M - 83
83. Goldfinger1965 · Action, Adventure · 1h 50m
85 Blend - 83
83. The Conversation1974 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 53m
85 Blend $4.9M - 83
83. The Endless Trench2020 · Action, Adventure · 2h 27m
85 Echo $1.3M - 83
83. Our Hero, Balthazar2026 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 31m
85 Echo $332K
No film in this list matches both filters. Choose "All" in one of them.
Decade by decade
The Best Thriller Movie of Every Decade
From Battleship Potemkin (1926) in the 1920s to The Secret Agent (2025) in the 2020s: the highest-ranked thriller movie of each of 11 decades. The 2020s place the most films in the top 100 (35).
- 1920s 97 Metascore Battleship Potemkin 1926
- 1930s 98 Metascore The Lady Vanishes 1938
- 1940s 97 Metascore The Third Man 1949
- 1950s 100 Metascore Rear Window 1954
- 1960s 97 Metascore Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 1964
- 1970s 100 Metascore The Godfather 1972
- 1980s 89 Metascore After Hours 1985
- 1990s 95 Metascore Pulp Fiction 1994
- 2000s 93 Metascore Werckmeister Harmonies 2001
- 2010s 93 Echo Parasite 2019
- 2020s 90 Echo The Secret Agent 2025
Awards
Which Thriller Movies Won the Most Awards?
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) has the strongest record with 29 wins from 47 nominations, including wins at Oscars, BAFTA and Saturn Awards. Wins and nominations are counted across every ceremony on our awards pages.
- Mad Max: Fury Road 29 wins / 47 nom.2015 · Oscars, BAFTA, Saturn Awards · 90 Metascore
-
Sinners 23 wins / 61 nom.2025 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 80 Echo -
One Battle After Another 23 wins / 52 nom.2025 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 80 Echo -
Gravity 23 wins / 40 nom.2013 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 96 Metascore -
Emilia Pérez 18 wins / 62 nom.2024 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 42 Echo -
Inception 17 wins / 41 nom.2010 · Oscars, BAFTA, Saturn Awards · 74 Metascore - No Country for Old Men 17 wins / 31 nom.2007 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 92 Metascore
-
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 15 wins / 50 nom.2019 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 75 Echo
Keep exploring
More Ways to Explore Thriller Movies
The top 100 are the best 2% of 5,209 ranked thriller films. The thriller guide, the full list of 25,185 films and the thriller box office chart cover the rest of the genre.
FAQ
Thriller Movies: Questions & Answers
Answers from the thriller ranking above: the best thriller film, how many thriller movies there are, the strongest decade and the most awarded thriller film.
What is the best thriller movie?
The Godfather (1972) is the best-ranked thriller movie on What's After the Movie, with a critics & audiences score of 98/100. Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958) follow. Parasite (2019), a Korean drama directed by Joon-ho Bong, is the only one ranked by Echo Score (93); the other 9, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
About The Godfather How many thriller movies are there?
The site lists 25,185 thriller films. 5,209 of them are ranked: features of 60+ minutes with a real audience, critic, award or box office signal and a score. This page shows the top 100.
All thriller movies Which decade has the best thriller movies?
The 2020s place 35 films in the top 100, more than any other decade. The oldest film in the list is Battleship Potemkin (1926), the newest Project Hail Mary (2026).
What is the most awarded thriller movie?
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) won 29 awards from 47 nominations, ahead of Sinners (2025) (23 wins), counted across the Oscars, festivals and guild awards on our awards pages.
Movie awards How is this list different from the thriller genre page?
This page is only the ranking of the 100 best thriller films. The thriller genre page covers the whole genre: new releases, the biggest box office hits, its directors and how it changed over the decades.
Thriller movies guide