Whether you’re titillated by daring heists or prefer much darker thrills, Lillian Crawford has you covered: here’s her list of all the greatest, most suspenseful movies on NOW for your nail-biting delight.
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* Everything streaming on NOW
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Along Came a Spider (2001)
Watch on NOWDirected by Lee Tamahori, 2001’s Along Came a Spider is the second feature in the Alex Cross film series based on the novels by James Patterson, following 1997’s Kiss the Girls. This instalment diverges from the source material as it gallows Morgan Freeman as detective Alex Cross and Jay O. Sanders as FBI-agent Kyle Craig after the daughter of an American senator is kidnapped. Expect as many twists and turns as there are in a well-crafted spider’s web.
Chinatown (1974)
Watch on NOWOne of Roman Polanski’s most acclaimed films, Chinatown is a dark and compelling crime story inspired by a series of disputes over southern California water at the start of the 1900s. The film features sizzling performances from Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in the leading roles, whose interplay is foregrounded against the creeping threat of the water wars. It remains one of the most thrilling examples of the American crime genre.
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Watch on NOWBritish cinema is not well-represented on NOW, but this 2002 social thriller from director Stephen Frears and written by Steven Knight is not to be missed. Dirty Pretty Things follows Chiwetel Ejiofor as Okwe, an undocumented West African immigrant, and a sex worker known as Juliette played by Audrey Tautou as their lives entangle. Shot in documentary style, all is not as it seems at first in this striking portrait of immigrant life in London.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile (2019)
Watch on NOWThe popularity of truth-based serial killer stories continues to rise, and few have captured Hollywood’s imagination like Ted Bundy. This 2019 film based on the memoir of Bundy’s ex-partner Elizabeth Kendall is directed by Joe Berlinger and stars a terrifyingly charming Zac Efron as Bundy and Lily Collins as Kendall. As twisted and dark as its title, the film once again shows how real-life thrillers are often the most frightening.
Goodfellas (1990)
Watch on NOWBased on Nicholas Pileggi’s memoir Wiseguy, Martin Scorsese’s dissection of mob associate Henry Hill is perhaps the best gangster film ever made. The film stars Ray Liotta as Hill alongside tour-de-force performances from Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci who ensure the film’s three hours swiftly fly by. If one is looking for a good place to start with Scorsese, this is it.
John Wick (2014)
Watch on NOWThere are several major thriller franchises available on NOW, including the immensely popular John Wick. Directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad, the film follows the title former assassin played by Keanu Reeves in his hunt for a group of home invaders who stole his car and killed his dog. Paying homage to great directors including Jean-Pierre Melville, John Woo, and John Boorman, be sure to check out the whole trilogy.
Looper (2012)
Watch on NOWBefore Rian Johnson directed one of the best films in the Star Wars saga, he made 2012’s Looper. A science-fiction thriller, the film stars Bruce Willis as a contract killer called a ‘looper’ who must go back in time to terminate a mark, only to discover it is his younger self, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. What follows from this intriguing premise is a rich interrogation of duty and contract, with terrific performances from both male actors.
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2022)
Watch on NOWDirector Ana Lily Amirpour made her name with 2014 neo-noir vampire thriller A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, combining classical elements of drama with fantasy fiction. Her latest film, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, released direct to NOW is a tense drama about a young woman played by Jeon Jong-seo who escapes from an asylum and befriends a mother (Kate Hudson) and her young son. It’s a wild, genre-bending ride that remains constantly engaging.
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Watch on NOWSweeping original screenplay awards in 2020, Emerald Fennell took the thriller in a feminist direction for her revenge drama Promising Young Woman. The film features an acting tour-de-force from Carey Mulligan as Cassie Thomas who seeks retribution for the traumas of her past. With a supporting cast including Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Jennifer Coolidge, and Laverne Cox, don’t be misled by the film’s bubblegum aesthetic and pop soundtrack.
Spotlight (2015)
Watch on NOWA surprise winner of the Best Picture Academy Award in 2016, Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight is worth revisiting. The film is based on the series of news stories which won the Spotlight team at The Boston Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, including their investigation into the systemic child sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests in the Boston area. A hard-hitting drama, it also features bold performances from Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Watch on NOWWhile The Terminator franchise is available on NOW, the best of them is undoubtedly James Cameron’s 1991 sequel. Reprising his role at the title killing machine, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor embark on a more epic adventure, battling another Terminator attempting to kill Sarah’s son, John, who will go on to lead the human resistance against Skynet. With its groundbreaking visual effects, the film remains a classic of the sci-fi thriller genre.
