If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.
If there’s one type of film that deserves a bit of a spotlight right now, it’s gotta be the psychological thriller. Don’t get us wrong — we love horror movies, melodrama, period pieces and more. But if you really want to be shocked, surprised, and hooked the entire way through a film, then you have to go with this genre. These films are full of tension and suspense, and more often than not, they’ll keep you on the edge of your seat (literally). Psychological thrillers are having such a resurgence that one of the most famous films in the genre is heading to the small screen for a new adaptation.
Fatal Attraction, which originally starred eight-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close and two-time Oscar winner Michael Douglas in 1987, is revamped for a new audience in the 2023 Paramount+ series starring Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson. Now, if you’re not familiar with the film, don’t worry we’ll fill you in. I mean, the film’s not gonna be ignored, dear reader! (Shout out to fans who caught the reference.)
After married man and father Dan Gallagher (Douglas) has a one-night stand with Alex Forrest (Close) his decision comes back to haunt him. What was a single night of passion becomes an obsession, leading to a violent end. Are you hooked yet? Are you hungry for more? Read on for more of the best psychological thrillers to stream right now, and catch the series iteration of Fatal Attraction on Paramount+ April 30.
‘Fatal Attraction’
We know, we know. We’ve already been over this. But if you’re looking for a way into the Psychological Thriller genre, Fatal Attraction might be the film for you. It’s a classic, with a staggering Glenn Close performance (does she ever miss?). Plus, if you’re intrigued by the series adaptation coming to Paramount+ April 30, this is a great way to prep for the show.
Watch on Prime Video.
‘Rear Window’
From the mysterious mind of Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window stars James Stewart as L.B. Jefferies, an injured photojournalist spying on his neighbors in his apartment complex. Yes, we know, it sounds creepy. But then he catches something everyone else misses. The wife of a man living just across from L.B. goes missing — and L.B. suspects foul play. With the help of his lady love Lisa Fremont (a gorgeous and glamorous Grace Kelly) he solves a mystery with killer consequences.
Watch on Prime Video.
‘Black Swan’
Natalie Portman won the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Nina Sayers in Black Swan. The film follows Nina’s spiral into madness as she obsesses over her dual roles of Odette and Odile in a production of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” ballet. Paranoia overtakes her, and Nina’s descent turns gruesome as the curtain falls on a perfect performance.
Watch on Prime Video.
‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’
With towering performances by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? gets more and more shocking as the film goes on. A former child star torments her paraplegic sister in this 1962 thriller, which sees Oscar winners Davis and Crawford deliver two of the most harrowing, riveting performances of their careers.
Watch on HBO Max.
‘Memento’
Christopher Nolan takes a nonlinear storytelling approach to 2000’s Memento. Guy Pearce stars as Leonard, a man with short-term memory loss who tries to track down his wife’s murderer. Starting from the conclusion of the story and taking audiences back to the beginning, Nolan’s film keeps you guessing and shocks at every turn.
Watch on HBO Max.
‘Gone Girl’
To put it simply, Gone Girl is game. Gone Girl is fun. Gone Girl stars Rosamund Pike in her Oscar-nominated role as Amy Dunne, who mysteriously goes missing without a trace. Her husband, Nick (Ben Affleck), falls into the center of a potential murder mystery. So where is Amy? And what happens to drive a seemingly happy couple to ruin?
Watch on HBO Max.
‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’
Charlie Kaufman adapts Iain Reid’s idiosyncratic novel to the screen in I’m Thinking of Ending Things. A young woman joins her boyfriend on a trip to visit his parents on a rural farm. But as the trip goes on, she begins to question everything, even the tangibility of her own reality.
Watch on Netflix.
‘Mulholland Drive’
David Lynch’s noir-inspired masterpiece, Mulholland Drive follows Hollywood hopeful Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) as she helps an amnesiac Rita (Laura Herring) try to put the pieces of her car crash on the famed Mulholland Drive together. As with everything Lynch does, the film goes beyond the bounds of reality into dreams and alternative worlds. It’s haunting and captivating in equal measure — exactly what you want from a psychological thriller.
Watch on Prime Video.
Leave a Comment