The best thriller movies on Netflix New Zealand

Sometimes all you want is to relax on the couch with a very un-relaxing movie. Tony Stamp has you covered, with this formidable list of the best thrillers available on Netflix for Aotearoa subscribers.

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* Best new movies & TV series on Netflix
* All new streaming movies & series

Alone (2020)

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John Hyams is proving himself as much of an expert at directing sturdy genre thrills as his dad Peter was in the ‘70s through ‘90s, and he excels at stripped-down horror exercises like this one. After embarking on a long drive, a woman finds herself the focus of a mysterious stranger, who proceeds to stalk her. The game of cat and mouse that ensues is expertly constructed and appropriately hair-raising.

American Psycho (2000)

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Director Mary Harron brilliantly distils Bret Easton Ellis’ supremely upsetting novel into something far more incisive and to the point, hitting all the same targets involving 1980s capitalism along the way. Christian Bale is brilliantly deranged and the movie is blackly comedic in ways that still resonate: just look at how many memes have resulted all these years later.

Creep (2014)

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A two-hander between Mark Duplass and director Patrick Bryce, as the former hires the latter to film a video diary for his unborn kid. How much of this is actually true is a big part of the fun, and over its duration the film toys with your trust, much like Duplass’s character toys with Bryce’s. A great example of low budget thrills that will keep you hooked.

Dark Waters (2020)

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Todd Haynes last fictional full-length prior to the buzzed-about May December was this comparatively under-the-radar adaptation of “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare”. That lawyer was Robert Bilott, played here by Mark Ruffalo, who mounted a case against the chemical company when it emerged they’d been dumping toxic sludge. Sporting a stacked cast including Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins, the true story unfolds with big-screen thrills.

El Camino (2019)

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A rewatch of the feature-length Breaking Bad epilogue confirms it more than justifies its existence, both as a touching (and overdue) sendoff for Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman, and a new story of retribution that leans into the Western tropes BB often flirted with. Ingeniously structured through time-skipping flashbacks alongside a linear present-day narrative, it let director Vince Gilligan flex his visual chops, and get poetically existential along the way.

Fair Play (2023)

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This boardroom drama was tagged as an ‘erotic thriller’ on its release, perhaps because sex scenes are such a rarity these days. It does deliver on the second half of that description however, as tensions rise between colleagues/ fiances Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich (both excellent), as they climb the corporate ladder. Director Chloe Domont ensures that neither party is entirely in the clear ethically, and makes it clear the whole game is rigged regardless.

Gerald’s Game (2017)

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At times Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptation is tough stuff, with Carla Gugino finding herself handcuffed to a bed after some foreplay-gone-wrong—having only a corpse and increasingly aggro dog for company. Inventive and thrilling, Flanagan makes the most of the film’s confined setting and constantly surprises.

Gone Girl (2014)

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David Fincher’s meticulous approach to filmmaking results in his movies being endlessly rewatchable, with this Gillian Flynn adaptation no exception. The usual immaculate surfaces, shocking outbursts of violence, and Reznor/ Ross score are all present, with Ben Affleck in the crosshairs as the lead, a standout turn from Rosamund Pike, and surprisingly enthralling support from Tyler Perry.

A History of Violence (2005)

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Cronenberg’s comic book adaptation puts as much weight on marital stress as it does pulpy thrills, resulting in a decidedly grownup entry into the canon. The Canadian director deftly shows the way an act of violence ripples throughout Viggo Mortenson’s family and community, with Ed Harris AND William Hurt showing up to radiate menace.

I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore (2017)

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National treasure Melanie Lynskey stars as a nursing assistant whose house is burgled, and winds up looking for vigilante justice when spurred on by an against-type Elijah Wood. Directed by Macon Blair (star of Blue Ruin and Green Room), it’s a comedic, Coen-tinged caper that gets more ludicrous, and more brutal, as it goes. Bonus points for the appearance of David Yow, frontman for legendary band The Jesus Lizard.

The Killer (2023)

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Even viewed as nothing more than a revenge tale involving a meticulous hitman, there’s no denying that star Michael Fassbender and the writer/ director team of Andrew Kevin Walker & David Fincher, (partnering for the first time since Se7en), are firing on all cylinders. There’s also plenty going on under the hood though, from its satire of corporate hustle culture, to the wry suggestion that its lead may have a few things in common with the film’s famously fastidious director.

LA Confidential (1997)

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Curtis Hanson’s 1997 neo-noir was released to acclaim and has only grown in stature, with barn-burning lead performances from Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, back when they were relatively unknown actors from Down Under. The pair play two 1950s detectives investigating a series of murders that lead them to a sinister conspiracy, operating in the finest traditions of the genre.

Paprika (2006)

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Helmed by Satoshi Kon, master director of multiple reality-scrambling animations, Paprika concerns a device which allows people to enter others’ dreams, and it might be used for criminal purposes. Worth pointing out this was years prior to Christopher Nolan’s Inception. Kon pushes the premise into psychedelic, visually-bombastic territory, while retaining the spine of a precise, propulsive tale of cops and robbers.

The Prestige (2007)

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The story of Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman’s duelling magicians ripples out in myriad unexpected ways (including, lest we forget, a cameo from David Bowie as Nikola Tesla). Not only does the director lay out the tricksy structure of the movie at its start, it’s one applicable to all his work, a revealing look at the master storyteller’s approach.

Primal Fear (1996)

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The ending of this one has been thoroughly spoiled over the years, but it’s still a doozy, and best experienced cold if you’ve avoided it so far. Richard Gere is joined by a long list of accomplished character actors, including the screen debut of Edward Norton, in a role which immediately propelled him onto many “ones to watch” lists, and with good reason.

Se7en (1995)

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Revisiting this 1995 shocker confirms what a massively effective procedural pulse-pounder it is, with plenty to offer beyond its infamous crime scenes (it’s easily forgotten how little on screen violence there actually is). Crucial to the whole affair is the effort made to humanise Freeman, Pitt and Paltrow’s characters: glimpses of warmth amongst all the carnage that lead toward that infamous ending.

Searching (2018)

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The first screenlife film to prove commercially successful, Searching unfolds exclusively on computer and smartphone screens, and is far more immersive than that may suggest, as John Cho frantically hunts for clues about his daughter’s disappearance. It helps a lot that the star is so massively empathetic, and that director Aneesh Chaganty piles on red herrings and plot twists aplenty.

A Simple Favour (2018)

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Helmed by Paul Feig, better known for joke-delivery vehicles like Bridesmaids, Spy and the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, this Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively vehicle surprised with how seriously it took its twist-laden plot, courtesy of Jessica Sharzer’s taut screenplay. Double and triple crosses abound. It’s all a bit comedic, but also much more thrilling than you might expect.

The Stranger (2022)

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This enthralling Aussie true crime thriller follows Joel Edgerton, who works as part of an elaborate, intricate police operation designed to trap a suspected killer (played by expert on-screen creep Sean Harris). It’s fascinating not just in the complexity of the plan, but the way it’s presented—the “behind the scenes” plotting only glimpsed, with the focus being on the two leads’ growing friendship and trust.

The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)

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Anthony Minghella was known for handsomely-mounted productions, and the sunkissed Italian coast provides a beautifully scenic background for this Patricia Highsmith adaptation. Matt Damon is great at playing schemers, never more so than here, as he worms his way into Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow’s good graces and proceeds to wreak havoc.

Uncut Gems (2019)

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This one tends to be described as a dark comedy, and it is, but ask anyone who’s seen it and they’ll mention how exciting it is to watch…and, okay, stressful. It’s very stressful. Like all the Safdie brothers’ films, the chaos is the point, the film becoming increasingly frenzied as jeweller Howard makes one terrible decision after another. He’s played by none other than Adam Sandler, in a role that scooped up multiple Best Actor awards.


Titles are added and removed from his page to reflect changes to Netflix’s catalogue. The reviews no longer available on this page can be read here.