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Safety Last!
One of the earliest films of the thriller genre, although also a comic and directed by Harold Lloyd -
The Lodger
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock which helped to shape the modern-day thriller genre -
Blackmail
Alfred Hitchcock's second thriller -
M
Directed by Fritz Lang, this helped to shape the modern-day thriller genre and also boosted Peter Lorre's career in the genre -
The 39 Steps
This was a major British thriller film of it's time. The American stars were a main reason for it's success as they had already starred in Hollywood films which made international audiences more interested. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock -
Rebecca
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock as his first American project. It won two Academy Awards which incluced Best Picture and Best Cinematography. -
Shadow of a Doubt
the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". -
The Third Man
Directed and produced by Carol Reed. The film was very successful and it's theme tune topped the international charts in 1950 -
Peeping Tom
'The film's controversial subject and the extremely harsh reception by critics effectively destroyed Powell's career as a director in the United Kingdom. However, it attracted a cult following, and in later years, it has been re-evaluated and is now considered a masterpiece.' -
Wait Until Dark
Audrey Hepburn (who starred as a blind woman in the film) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress (losing to Katharine Hepburn), and Zimbalist was nominated for a Golden Globe in the supporting category. The film is ranked #55 on AFI's 2001 100 Years…100 Thrills list, and its climax is ranked tenth on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments. -
Dead Calm
'a psychological thriller with Nicole Kidman, who must fight for her life on a yacht against a crazed castaway (Billy Zane). This thriller had elements of obsession and trapped protagonists who must find a way to escape the clutches of the villain – these devices influenced a number of thrillers in the following years, the early 90's.' -
Misery
Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes. The film was ranked #12 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments. Bates also won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Annie Wilkes in Misery. -
The Silence of the Lambs
The film grossed over $272 million. The film was the third film to win Oscars in all the top five categories: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director & Best Adapted Screenplay. It is also the first winner of Best Picture, and only the second such film to be nominated in the category (after The Exorcist 1973). The film is considered "culturally, historically or aesthetically"significant by the US Library of Congress and was selected to be preserved in the National Film Registry 2011 -
Pulp Fiction
'Pulp Fiction is viewed as the inspiration for many later movies that adopted various elements of its style. The nature of its development, marketing, and distribution and its consequent profitability had a sweeping effect on the field of independent cinema (although it is not an independent film itself). Considered a cultural watershed, Pulp Fiction's influence has been felt in several other media.' -
The Usual Suspects
'The Usual Suspects was shown out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, and then initially released in a few theaters. It received favorable reviews, and was eventually given a wider release. McQuarrie won an Academy Award for the screenplay and Spacey won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.' -
Se7en
The film was released in the United States on September 22, 1995. Grossing $327 million at the box office internationally, Seven was a commercial success, and received very positive reviews from most critics -
The Butterfly Effect
'The film received a poor critical reception, but was nevertheless a commercial success, producing gross earnings of $96 million from a budget of $13 million. The film won the Pegasus Audience Award at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Science Fiction Film at the Saturn Awards and Choice Movie: Thriller in the Teen Choice Awards.' -
The Dark Knight
over $1 billion in revenue worldwide, it is the eleventh highest-grossing film of all time. The film received eight Academy Award nominations; it won the award for Best Sound Editing and Ledger was awarded Best Supporting Actor -
Inception
A box office success, Inception has grossed over $800 million worldwide and is currently one of the highest-grossing films of all time.
