List of the best thrillers with an unpredictable ending and high ratings

Thrillers are recognized as the most atmospheric genre in cinema. The director does everything so well that the viewer cannot even take a breath while watching a film masterpiece: intertwining plot lines, twisted intrigue, introduction of ambiguous characters, a preface like a cherry on the cake — an unexpected denial. And this review is for those who expect intrigue from a film of non-trivial development, which invites viewers to think and rethink what they saw.

Contents of the article:

• 50 thrillers that will make you freeze and not move 50
  • Top 10 thrillers you might have missed
  • 10 best thrillers with an unpredictable ending. part 1

50 thrillers that will make you freeze and not move 50

• A Walk Among the Graves (USA, 2014).

A particularly brutal series of murders occurs in New York. His wife dies in the house of a major drug lord, she is literally returned “piece by piece”, and he decides to hire someone who can find the killer of his beloved. He becomes a former police officer and now a private detective, Matt Scudder. Soon he begins his investigation and encounters many “contradictions” and oddities. Each new piece of evidence creates even more mysteries, but now he finds the culprits with honor. Psychological stress from viewing is guaranteed.

• Ghost in the Woods (USA, 2016).

Sarah, a young girl from the United States, is forced to go in search of her sister, who disappears on the island of Hohns under rather strange circumstances. The film takes place in a rather gloomy place — the Aokigahara forest, which, according to the stories of local residents, is known as the last stronghold of suicides. Viewers will have to plunge into the mysterious atmosphere of local nature and the memories of the children”s heroine to learn about the ancient legend of a resurrected ghost. You shouldn”t expect a happy ending from the film, but you should prepare for an unexpected ending.

• ICHCI (Russia, 2020).

By the will of fate, a young family finds itself in a rather strange and original place on the banks of the Lena River, far from civilization. The heroes behind the solution to the family”s problems do not suspect how, in the prosperous darkness, ICCI, an ancient spirit dangerous for people who find themselves on their territory, began to come to life. And the heroes must overcome not only ancient evil, but also their own fears. The finale does not show sets of dots, only symbols that should reveal themselves.

• Friend Request (Germany, 2015).

Many people are constantly stalking followers on social media and treat another friend request as a gift. However, if such “friends” suddenly begin to behave too intrusively, “falling asleep” under the sign of messages and strange attention, the uniqueness of your friendship is guaranteed. This happens to the heroine of the film, Laura. She was very tired of such inadequate callers. She sees no other choice but to remove her from the French zone. But at that moment, Laura cannot even imagine how this will affect her life, turning it into the latest nightmare, full of tragic events.

• Guilty (Denmark, 2019).

The main character, Asger Holm, is a cynical rescuer, indifferent to the problems of other people. His working hours are similar to each other: constant phone calls, tedious conversations and instructions. But one phone call from a kidnapped woman changes everything. There is no surveillance or investigation. Everything happens in one room with one hero. His dialogue (with the kidnapper and the kidnapped woman), tests of conscience, emotions, psychological stress. And most importantly, all the guesses about what happened turn out to be wrong, and the truth turns out to be much worse.

• Escape from Pretoria (UK, Australia, USA, 2020)

The film”s plot takes place in Pretoria, a maximum security prison in South Africa. In the 1970s of the 20th century, the racial policies of apartheid gained popularity. It is a “heaven” for whites and a denial of civil rights for blacks. The main characters advocate the fall of the regime and are sentenced to prison for their revolutionary habits. However, they do not want to serve him and decide to run away. Viewers get the chance to thrill themselves as the preparations for the escape take place in a tense atmosphere under strict supervision. But will they be able to carry out their plan?

• The Imitation Game (UK, US, 2014)

The Second World War is raging all over the world. The main character, Alan Turing, is a famous mathematician from England with antisocial and selfish tendencies. According to the plot, he must unravel the code of the Enigma machine, which the fascist invaders use with great success for their own purposes. Before Alan, no cryptographer had managed to do this. He will make a significant contribution to the fight against Germany, but what will be the future fate of the outstanding cryptographer?

• A Key to Every Door (USA, Germany, 2005)

A young girl, Caroline, is invited by a couple of strangers to work as a nurse in a huge mansion. There she meets a paralyzed old man, obsessed with the idea of ​​escaping, and his wife Vivienne, who keeps order in the house. Caroline has a key that can open any door in the mansion. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she opens a secret room and discovers many objects with mysterious overtones. Together with the main character, you will find yourself in the center of strange and frightening events. The suspense continues until the end of the film, but the ending is a real surprise and you will remember every line and detail.

• Gone Girl (USA, 2014)

Under mysterious circumstances, the protagonist”s wife disappears, and this is on the eve of celebrating the anniversary of family life. Naturally, her husband comes under suspicion, and there is enough evidence at home. Blood stains, confusion and signs of struggle. However, after the disappearance, some evidence was found when she decided to look into the matter. And now ordinary investigations have turned into quests, in which the media and local detectives have joined. The focus is on the personal lives of the characters, financial difficulties and personal qualities.

• Wake-up call (USA, 2013).

What would you do if your mistake cost someone their life? This happened to the main character, who works in an emergency call center. During her shift, she was unable to intervene in the situation, and the Maniac dealt with the girl without mercy. Once again the alarm is sounded by a teenage girl who is a potential victim of crime. The heroine continues to state the fact that the handwriting is the same, and now she must overcome her main fear of the past. You have no right to make a mistake, and any mistake can cost your child his life.

• Before bed (USA, UK, 2014).

It’s hard to imagine that every morning is a blank slate, and for a long time it begins the same way — with amnesia. But this is exactly the situation the main character finds herself in after a terrible car accident in which she loses her memory. Since then, she literally lives “one day at a time,” but she has an insatiable desire to remember everything. The search for the truth leads to unpredictable consequences: masks are removed, trust in those who were once close to her is lost, and shocking revelations are made.

• The Ninth Life of Lewis Drax (Canada, 2016).

During a picnic in the mountains, a strange incident happened to a nine-year-old boy, Lewis Drax. He fell from a cliff into the water. Rescuers arrived on time, and the child survived, but fell into a coma. Now psychologist Alain Pascal must find out what happened and get to the root cause. The boy”s father is suspected, but will the mother tell everything about her relationship with the child?

• Death on the Net (USA, 2013)

The Internet allows people not only to meet and communicate, but also to witness real crimes. Spending most of her free time in various chat rooms, the main character chooses a current topic to study the habits of Internet users. Then, during her observations, she stumbles upon a video chat, and during the online broadcast, a brutal murder occurs. After this incident, the lives of the heroine herself and her friend are already in danger.

• Doctor Sleep (USA, UK, 2019)

As a child, Danny Trance had to survive the death of his father at the Overlook Hotel. Since then, the psychic boy has been haunted by the ominous ghost of a decaying woman. And this is not a coincidence. After all, for such entities the psychic”s energy, the “glow”, serves as food. To weaken his abilities, the matured Danny begins to lead a restrictive lifestyle — he drinks a lot and wanders. After another portion of alcohol, Danny decides to give up his bad habits and moves to a small town. There he begins working in a hospice and pinpoints people who are about to die. He gained a good reputation for this, so I started calling him Doctor Sleep. Among his new acquaintances is Abra, a special girl who is being hunted by members of the True Knot society. The main character decides to help the girl and sets off on a path of confrontation.

• Paranoia (India, USA, 2013).

If you are a young, talented and ambitious employee of a large company, at some point you will want to get a promotion and move up the career ladder. And just one mistake can ruin all your plans and lead to dismissal. However, the main character, Adam Cassidy, receives an offer he cannot refuse. In exchange for the right to keep his position in the company, he will spy on his boss”s mentor.

• Beautiful, Evil, Bad (USA, 2019)

When your boyfriend is masculine, handsome, and charismatic, you start to feel like you”ve landed in a fairy tale. And if you”re a single mother like Liz, it”s even harder to believe in your happiness. But the heroine”s fairy tale continues until her boyfriend is accused of a horrific crime: rape and the brutal murder of young girls. Is Elizabeth ready to admit that handsome Ted is a serial killer?

• Horse (Japan, USA, 2019).

What can psychological trauma suffered in childhood lead to? A difficult reinstallation in adulthood. However, it”s even more dangerous when this place of recovery is offered under the guise of virtue. During the school year, Sue-Ann is bullied by her peers, and as an adult, she tries to connect with older people by throwing parties for them, complete with alcohol and drugs. But her motives are very clear. And what happens to those who break the rules established by the MA?

• Joker (Canada, USA, 2019).

The plot centers on the mentally unstable comedian Arthur Flex, revealing how the antics of a hopeless Avenger, a fighter against “social flaws,” can uplift people. The story follows the evolution of a villain, from a “smiling,” friendly, and dreamy man to a murderer, a distraught, depressive maniac with a permanent smile on his face. And all because of human cruelty, because of the silent treatment of a loved one.

• Platform (Spain, 2019).

Remember that if you agree to participate in a dubious experiment, you risk getting into trouble, such as prison. This is what happened to the protagonist of the mountain. “And God forbid, you will continue to remain at an average level.” This happens because the prison is vertical and multi-level, and food only flows down to the platform once a day from a central communal well. The lower the level you are on, the less likely you are to survive, and the more likely you are to die from hunger and the cruelty of your fellow inmates. But during monthly auditions, you can both ascend and descend further, allowing yourself to experience how people change under the influence of social stratification.

• The Devil in the Details (USA, 2021).

Read also: List of the 50 most interesting TV series with gripping plots and high ratings

Series are no longer considered the preserve of housewives; they often rival cult feature films in terms of entertainment value. They can hold your breath.

Khan Joe Deacon”s work in Los Angeles for the sheriff, instead of going according to plan, forces the protagonist to return to imperfect cases with a new acquaintance with a promising Baxter detective and a decent law with a five-year statute of limitations. It cost him his career. A business trip is postponed and a serial murder case turns into a new investigation with an obsessive, hopeless suspect.

• Count (USA, 2019).

Our life has become easier and more interesting thanks to various mobile applications. But if there is one application that can determine the exact date when your mortal life will collapse. And it bears the ominous name “Foundation”. And if the counter gives you only two days to complete transactions and prepare for the checkout time, what measures do you take?

The hero of the film wakes up in a labyrinth consisting of cubic rooms that can move in space. These are people of different professions and views, but they are united by one situation — they simply do not understand how they ended up in this place. The rooms are not empty, but in order to hide various dangers and get out of the maze, the heroes visit each of them and try to unravel the working mechanisms of the cube and at the same time save their lives.

• Red light” (Canada, Spain, 2012).

The plot is based on the eternal struggle between skeptical scientists who specialize in exposing charlatans, and mystics who exhibit psychic abilities. The main characters, scientists Margaret Matheson and Tom Baccuri, are driven by different motives, but they are concerned with the same idea — to expose the false media and fake kisses. Everything develops: successful revelations follow each other, but appear in the “arena” only at the moment when a famous spiritual figure of advanced age is not practicing. Subsequently, unexplained events begin to occur and are investigated.

It is common knowledge that life changes with the birth of a child. And this happened to a couple of talented and successful people who decided to move from New York to the suburbs in anticipation of the birth of a child. The situation worsens after the birth of the child. The responsibility of caring for a child makes the mother depressed. They are exhausted by constant worry and hallucinations. And the head of the family has no choice but to hire a nanny to help. Their appearance in the house only causes inexplicable phenomena and worsens the psychological state of the spouses.

• The Girl on the Train (USA, 2016).

The protagonist, Rachel Watson, is unemployed and an alcoholic. To add some variety to her life, she takes aimless journeys, sitting on the train every day and observing others through the window. At every turn in her vision, her previous home and married couple seem like exiles. Then, when Rachel witnesses the destruction of the family well, it turns out that the young wife present and the missing man have disappeared. The heroine is caught in the thick of it, feeling complicit, and must now make sense of it all. To do so, she closes her gestalt and lets go of past disappointments.

• Quiet Whirlwind (USA, 2019).

In a small American town, an unprecedented event occurs—the invitation of a child to a family. The investigation is led by local detective Greg Harper, who is going through difficult times. His family life is “cracked at the seams” due to his wife”s infidelity. As the investigation gains momentum, a dark incident occurs involving the hero, his in-laws, and a threat to his son”s safety looms—an assassination attempt has been made. There”s no doubt about what”s going on with the crimes. But who is this mysterious serial killer and seducer? And what does Frogger have to do with it?

• Split (Japan, USA, 2016).

The plot revolves around the seduction of three girls. Kevin plays the role of the seducer. Kevin, a man with multiple personality disorder, is home to 23 characters, contrasting in gender, appearance, and personality. And they are prepared for the emergence of 24 personalities—the “Beasts”—in which the “Beast” crime has been committed. The kidnapped girls find themselves trapped underground, having previously made a deal with the loyal Maniac, and are forced to flee.

• 1408 (USA, 2007).

A writer of imaginative horror novels, she”s even known to be a writer. Mie Ensler, renowned for her macabre works, had a similar experience. However, he categorically refused to believe in an afterlife. And, confirming his plight, he lives in a hotel shrouded in mysticism and even the notoriety of 1408. Unlike the other guests, Ensler maintains a positive outlook, is convinced the room is haunted, and ignores the warnings of hotel management. However, the worst nightmare of his life awaits him.

• Hannibal Games (USA, Canada, 2018)

The main character, Michael Cooper, who used to work as a judge, becomes completely disillusioned with the justice system and takes the freedom to administer justice on his own behalf. He is helped in this by a girl who catches the dangerous pervert with live bait while Michael passes sentence. But when an assassination attempt is made on his assistant, the former judge discovers not only the kidnapper, but also a serial madman who killed a young woman. The criminal is arrested, and the investigation seems to have begun, but now a new wave of murders committed by police officers is sweeping through the city. A man resembling the accused is seen at the crime scene.

• Get Out (Japan, USA, 2017)

He is Chris, a young African American man in love with Roz, a white girl from a wealthy medical family. He needs to get to know his beloved’s parents better, and for this the couple goes on a trip. The young man is overcome by the fear that his family will not accept him, but this turns out to be not something to be afraid of, since the girl’s true intentions turn out to be far from reality. Fear of other people”s opinions fades into the background, but the fear of being left without a reason gets worse.

• Areas of Darkness” (Mexico, USA, 2011).

Eddie is never able to complete his novel, he lacks inspiration and desire for this, and his life turns into a continuous black streak. However, everything changes the moment the main character decides to take NZT. This is a secret development in pharmacology, which opens up new possibilities for the brain and activates all its processes to the fullest. And now we are not Eddie, a loser with debts and no job, but a rich and famous success. However, like all drugs, NZT has ominous side effects.

• Pet Sematary (Canada, 2019)

Louis Creed and his family settle into a country house. But later an unpleasant situation arises — the home is located next to a pet cemetery. Then tragedy strikes the family — the family”s beloved cat, Church, is hit by a truck and ends up buried in a gloomy cemetery. But what was the family’s surprise when the next day the pet returned as if nothing had happened? However, there was a clear change in his behavior. A once affectionate cat suddenly becomes aggressive. And this is just the beginning.

• Room of Wishes (France, 2019)

A couple purchases a property in a secluded neighborhood with a shady reputation—the previous owner was found murdered in the house. However, this doesn”t stop Matt and Kate from renovating it. While doing so, they discover an empty room behind a door. Coincidentally, behind this steel door, the new owners will find their dreams fulfilled. Simply by speaking up. And so, it would seem, wealth flows from the treasury, and the workday passes with rapture and the satisfaction of the most exquisite needs. But when the room”s main secret is revealed, the couples have already changed their minds about having a child.

Top 10 thrillers you might have missed

• Shutter Island (USA, 2010)

The film takes place on an inaccessible island in Massachusetts. Two marshals arrive there to investigate the strange disappearance of a patient at a mental hospital for criminals. This is a serious case, and the patient is no ordinary person—he is the murderer of his own child. The protagonist, Teddy Daniels, encounters numerous strange coincidences during his investigation and must uncover the island”s secrets, survive unrest, and overcome his own hallucinations. The ending will surprise you.

The protagonist has a serious problem—a complete loss of short-term memory—but an important mission: to exonerate his wife”s killer. His memories relate to events that occurred before the murder. However, the events of the 10-Minute Recipe don”t last long in his mind. To continue his investigation, the protagonist develops a system for memorizing key details.

• Prisoners of War (USA, 2013).

For two girlfriends, a simple walk in the garden turns tragic when they are lured into a bayou. The father of one of the girls, Keller, is emotionally broken and needs an investigation. However, evidence is scant, and only Alex”s driver, who is released due to insufficient evidence, introduces them to the suspect pool. Keller realizes that waiting for help from the police is pointless and, ignoring the law, embarks on a path of revenge. Before Night (USA, 2007).

• How often do you visit the pioneers and how accurate are they? The main character is Linda, a housewife who suddenly begins to feel trouble approaching. Then, as confirmation of her worries, an accident with her husband, who dies in a car accident. In a state of shock, the heroine falls asleep, completely refusing to believe what happened. In the morning she sees her husband next to her, unharmed. Then she realizes that she has been given the opportunity to make things right. To do this, she learns to look into her subconscious and interpret her visions and dreams.

The Butterfly Effect” (Canada, 2004).

• The boy Evan suffers from a strange illness — he has inexplicable memory loss: some episodes simply disappear. The problem, however, is that in these isolated moments in his life, it doesn”t matter that he”s not the only outsider involved in the events. Doctors agree that in this way the child’s fragile psyche is protected from stressful situations. On the recommendation of a psychiatrist, the boy begins to keep a diary in which he records significant incidents and emotional states. As a student, Evan remains interested in traumatic brain injury. Then, with the help of his handwritten diary, he gains the ability to travel through time.

Psychic (UK, 2011).

• At the beginning of the 20th century, a struggle unfolded in the garden against mystical prejudices and the superiority of science over them. Florence Cathcart, who specializes in exposing false psychic abilities, attends boarding school after much persuasion. She is driven by the idea of questioning the legend of the murdered ghost boy who terrified her students. The woman is lucky that she is primitively developed in the field of perception of paranormal activity and is completely confident that this is enough to expose the fraud. If the supernatural tries to touch her, will the heroine stand by her opinion?

Good night mom (Austria, 2014).

• A family consisting of a mother and twin boys lives in a large house surrounded by corn fields. In the evening, mother sings her lullaby BY to her sons, they love her and support her in every possible way. However, the woman has to undergo plastic surgery, and the twins are left waiting for her return. The family reunion occurs with the return of the mother from the clinic, who appears with a bandaged face. However, the boys immediately sensed that something was wrong. They saw the same familiar eyes in them, but there was a sense of coldness and aloofness in their behavior. The twins assume that one is worse than the other and conclude that their neighbor is not their mother.

Black Swan (USA, 2010).

• She is a young and promising ballerina, signs of childhood, the only child in her family, surrounded by hyperprotection. Deprived of ordinary human pleasures: hobbies, friends, love for the opposite sex, she decides to devote her life to ballet and her mother. And when her lead role in Swan Lake is accepted, the young heroine faces serious obstacles: her sexuality, hallucinations and other psychological problems. And meeting a mysterious dancer is fraught with consequences.

Experiment “The Office” (USA, 2016).

• Do you want your relationships with colleagues to be desirable? But what if you are asked to consider the issue with them? Secret Corporation employees received this offer. The secret corporation was limited to its offices, but otherwise they reserved the right to say goodbye to life. And now we are turning the peaceful, hardworking “office plankton” into a predatory, inexorable fishing fish. How far will those with a Libra destiny go in their own lives and in the lives of others?

Bunker (Spain, 2011).

• What can random encounters lead to? To mutual emotions. This happened to Fabian, a waitress in a small cafe. She chooses a random visitor, Adrian. First, the girl idealizes her partner, his profession (conductor), personal qualities, appearance and financial capabilities (he is the owner of a luxurious house). But this happens only until the unpleasant details of his life are revealed. The ex-fiancee disappears without a trace, and the investigation into this case is actively ongoing. And when Fabien finds himself in his beloved’s mansion, he is haunted by the feeling of a third-party presence.

Hidden (France, 2004).

• Unpleasant events led Georges to the life of a famous literary figure. And soon his comfortable, measured life collapsed. After critics of “Dangerous Frequency” began finding tapes under his door, everyday events began to be filmed. And when the police were not particularly interested in such a find, and they referred to ordinary hooliganism, the hero himself was completely bewildered, and his wife was in complete panic. But to find the sender, Georges has to delve into old memories.

Snowman (UK, 2017).

• The first snow in Oslo is expected to be particularly worrying. This happens because a married woman begins to disappear, apparently, the maniac leaves his mark and turns into a snowball of crimes. Detective Harry Hall, who has experience and ambition, undertakes to find the serial criminal. But he must hurry. After all, soon the first snow will cover everything around again. And this means that there will be a new victim.

Monster”s Lair (USA, 2018).

• Young people Sean and Derek come up with a criminal plan to get more out of life. Working in the parking lot of a respectable restaurant, they rob influential clients. When the car keys are in their hands instead of a parked car, they go to the owner”s house and while they lose their goodies, the young criminals make away with something valuable. The risk is great. Because they must return on time. But during the latest theft, everything does not go according to plan, and the idea of ​​profit fades into the background. Because, girl, the chain to the furniture becomes an unexpected discovery for Sean. There is little time left to think. Prisoners must be released and at the same time not get caught by the police and maniacs.

Misery (USA, 1990).

• Paul Sheldon is a renowned women”s novelist. His trip to the publishing house ends in a car accident. Paul survived, but suffered a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder. In this state he was found by Annie, a nurse who turned out to be a fan of the writer’s work. She is always with Paul, and her happiness knows no bounds. He stays at her house and follows her completely. Nobody knows about the fate of the writer and his whereabouts. Looks like this is a dead end.

Neon Demon (USA, Austria, 2016)

• Jessie”s story from the countryside is common and known to many. After graduating from school, she goes to the big city to conquer it and find her place in the sun. She cannot do this without useful contacts and dubious connections. And now our heroine is already basking in the rays of glory. But the fashion industry is ruthless, and to gain a foothold after a meteoric rise, you have to fight with jealous competitors who are always ready.

Black Butterfly (Spain, 2017)

• Writer Paul”s solitude helps his creativity, but negatively affects his interactions with other people. The main character drowns his failures in alcohol. However, a chance meeting with a traveler in a cafe changes everything, and the stranger resolves the conflict between the writer and the visitor. Out of gratitude, Pavel invites his new acquaintance to spend the night at his house. He cannot even imagine what this will lead to.

Changeling (USA, 2008).

• Los Angeles, 1920s. Desperate woman Christina Collins contacts the police and reports that her only son has gone missing. The police show complete indifference, and the officers give advice and pretend that they are conducting a search. And then one fine day Christina receives news of positive search results. The police return the boy to the victim, but she is completely confused. Outwardly, the child looks like a son, but he is not one. What is this: a clouding of the heroine’s mind or the inability of the authorities to take power into their own hands?

10 best thrillers with an unpredictable ending. part 1.

10 best thrillers with an unpredictable ending. part 1.