In this piece, we will take a look at the 35 best thriller movies on Netflix. For more thriller movies, head on over to 10 Best Thriller Movies on Netflix.
The coronavirus pandemic dealt a devastating blow to a wide variety of industries. Sectors such as tourism, hospitality, and cruising all were sapped out of economic activity, since lockdowns and stay at home orders prevented people from engaging in the usual leisure activities. Another sector that was devastated was the film industry. Theaters and cinemas all over the world were shut down due to fears of the virus spreading. According to a report from The Motion Pictures Association (MPA), the Global Theatrical and Home Entertainment market was comfortably growing from 2016 to 2019. The sector had stood at $77.8 billion in 2016, grew to $83.7 billion the next year, and then went on to further grow to $92 billion in 2018 and $98.3 billion in 2019. In its final year of growth, the three sectors of the market, namely Physical, Digital, and Theatrical, had stood at $8.8 billion, $47.2 billion, and $42.3 billion, respectively. However, the very next year, the worst of the coronavirus would dawn on the sector, as it would go on to drop by 18% to $80.8 billion. However, this figure marked an internal shakeup within the industry, as while the Theatrical segment was nearly slaughtered to $12 billion, the Digital segment boomed to $61.8 billion.
Zooming in on America, the country continued to be the largest geographical sector in the market, as its share was worth $32.2 billion. Within this segment, a whopping 82% was accounted for by the Digital segment, with Physical and Theatrical accounting for a mere 11% and 7%, respectively. In 2020, two of the top three movies were family films, as Frozen II and Jumanji: The Next Level took the top two spots. Courtesy of the virus, the online media industry maintained its boom from 2016, and went on to grow from 88.6 billion views in 2016 to a whopping 265.9 billion by the end of 2020. Surprisingly (or perhaps not), online television shows accounted for 92% of the total views. Compare this to the 78.9 billion views that online television shows brought in in 2016 and the difference that the pandemic made becomes clear.
Researchers from StrategyR show that the global box office industry was estimated to be worth $28.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow by a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.9% by the end of 2030 when it is expected to be worth $92.6 billion. StrategyR believes that within this market, the Action and Adventure subsegment will outpace the broader market in terms of growth, as its growth rate is expected to sit at 18% to make this section worth $49 billion in 2030. Geographically speaking, China is the fastest growing region, with a growth rate of 20.8%.
Another report, this time from Gower Street, estimates that the global box office market can grow to $29 billion by the end of this year if it maintains a 12% growth rate, which will still be slower than the 21% growth rate achieved last year. At the same time, Gower Street points out that even if the global box market does grow to $29 billion, it will still be significantly less than the $42.3 billion that it was worth in 2019. The research firm also shares that the U.S. will continue to be the largest market in 2023, with an estimated value of $7.65 billion.
The online content delivery market has risen to become of the dominant players in the industry, particularly since it was fueled by the coronavirus. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global video on demand market was worth $69.55 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to $82.77 billion in 2022. From then until 2029, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.6% and sit at $257 billion by the end of the forecast period. This growth has made the market quite competitive as well, with Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) sharing a glimpse of the competition in its investor letter for the fourth quarter of 2022:
We continue to operate in a highly competitive market as consumers have a vast number of entertainment choices. Beyond our direct streaming competitors, we also vie for consumers’ time against linear TV, YouTube, short form entertainment like TikTok, and gaming, to name just a few. The silver lining is that the market for entertainment is huge and Netflix is still very small by comparison. For example, in the more than 190 countries we operate in, our $30B+ of annual revenue compares against the combined annual estimated ~$300B pay TV/streaming industry, $180B branded TV advertising spend and $130 billion consumer spend on gaming .5
It’s not easy to build a large and profitable streaming business. But we’re competing from a position of strength, as we lead the industry in terms of engagement, revenue and streaming profit. As a pure-play streaming company, we’re also not anchored to shrinking legacy business models, like traditional entertainment firms, allowing us to lean hard into the big growth opportunity ahead of us.
With these details in mind, let’s take a look at some top thriller movies on Netflix.
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Our Methodology:
We compiled our list by first narrowing down the top fifty thriller movies according to critics as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes. Then, to also evaluate them through user preference, we took a look at their IMDB scores and listed the top 35 thriller movies available on Netflix below.
Best Thriller Movies on Netflix
35. Sentinelle
Latest IMDB Score: 4.8
Sentinelle sees a French soldier adjust to civilian life by tracking her sister’s murderer.
34. The Old Ways
Latest IMDB Score: 5.4
The Old Ways is a riveting tale of a journalist held in a jungle by a witch doctor.
33. Borderland
Latest IMDB Score: 5.6
Borderland is a Mexican American film that revolves around college friends whose trip to Mexico takes a frightening turn.
32. Bad Match
Latest IMDB Score: 5.6
Bad Match sees an online playboy bite off a bit more than he can chew in his quest to date women.
31. Alien Raiders
Latest IMDB Score: 5.6
Alien Raiders is an American film that sees a group of vigilantes take over a supermarket to battle an alien invasion.
30. Hold the Dark
Latest IMDB Score: 5.6
Hold the Dark sees a wolf expert find dark secrets after investigating the death of his children.
29. Unfriended
Latest IMDB Score: 5.6
Unfriended is an internet thriller that sees a dead person come to life – on the surface at least.
28. Most Beautiful Island
Latest IMDB Score: 5.7
Most Beautiful Island is a story about a woman who battles her past as an undocumented immigrant in the U.S.
27. Blood On Her Name
Latest IMDB Score: 5.7
Blood On Her Name sees an accidental killer trying to cover up her actions only to find her conscience standing up against her.
26. The Domestics
Latest IMDB Score: 5.7
The Domestics is a thriller featuring a couple that faces off against gangs in a post apocalyptic era.
25. Sweetheart
Latest IMDB Score: 5.8
Sweetheart sees a woman fight supernatural elements while stranded on an island.
24. Manson Family Vacation
Latest IMDB Score: 5.8
Manson Family Vacation is a comedic thriller following two brothers who decide to visit Charles Manson’s murder sites.
23. The Guilty
Latest IMDB Score: 5.8
The Guilty is about a detective who finds there’s more than meets the eye as a 911 dispatcher.
22. We Go On
Latest IMDB Score: 5.8
We Go On follows a man who goes on a horrifying adventure trying to discover if there really is life after death.
21. Last Shift
Latest IMDB Score: 5.8
Last Shift sees an unsuspecting police officer discover that his station is haunted by a cult leader who had committed suicide.
20. Piercing
Latest IMDB Score: 5.9
Piercing is a tryst between a serial killer and his victim, who turns to be a bit more than he can handle.
19. Sleight
Latest IMDB Score: 5.9
Sleight is a tale of a magician that turns to a life of crime when faced by financial difficulties.
18. The Vanishing
Latest IMDB Score: 5.9
The Vanishing stars Gerald Butler as a lightkeeper who discovers gold on an island.
17. The Heart Machine
Latest IMDB Score: 5.9
The Heart Machine is a tale about romantic deception as it follows a man looking for his online girlfriend as he believes she’s lying to him.
16. The Aggression Scale
Latest IMDB Score: 5.9
The Aggression Scale is a rather unusual, but not unheard of, tale of a kid taking on a gang that has come to rob his house.
15. Harpoon
Latest IMDB Score: 6
Harpoon centers on the conflict between friends as they find themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean.
14. I Came By
Latest IMDB Score: 6.1
I Came By sees a graffiti artist bite off a bit more than he can chew by targeting wealthy people.
13. A Land Imagined
Latest IMDB Score: 6.2
A Land Imagined follows the journey of a police officer investigating the death of a construction worker.
12. The Perfection
Latest IMDB Score: 6.2
The Perfection is about two musicians who see their fates intertwined.
11. Lost Bullet 2: Back for More
Latest IMDB Score: 6.3
Lost Bullet 2: Back for More is a French film about police fighting against a drug cartel.
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Disclosure: None. 35 Best Thriller Movies on Netflix is originally published on Insider Monkey.