It might be October, but I celebrate spooky season all year round.
Psychological thrillers rank high in my favorite media genres. I’d say they probably sit comfortably somewhere in the top three (the other two being cozy sitcoms and Harry Styles videos). I love when a movie makes you think and almost guarantees a re-watch, or in my case, hours of ending-explained Youtube videos.
So, in honor of Halloween, or that point in the semester when your head is beginning to explode, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite psychological thriller TV shows and films.
1. Black Mirror (2011—present)
Anyone who’s a fan of this genre shouldn’t be surprised to see Black Mirror on this list. The anthology series, which currently has five seasons, combines elements of horror, satire, science fiction, and an uneasiness reminiscent of Twilight Zone. Each episode explores the twisted nature of humanity’s technological innovations or the future that these innovations might cause. As an anthology series, viewers have the ability to pick and choose which episodes interest them the most.
Some of my favorite episodes include “White Christmas”, “White Bear”, “Shut Up and Dance”, “Black Museum”, and “Arkangel”. The Black Mirror franchise also includes an interactive film called ‘Bandersnatch’. Before watching I would recommend looking into trigger warnings for each episode, as many of them include varying degrees of gore and dark themes.
Black Mirror is available to stream on Netflix, Amazon, or iTunes.
2. Severance (2022-present)
Severance is a recent Apple TV series that takes place in a universe in which humans can undergo a medical procedure to become ‘severed’. Severed individuals have no idea what they do at work, and when they go to work they have no idea what takes place outside the office. It’s as though they have two consciousnesses. Severed workers seem to have free will until they begin to think there is a deeper meaning behind the encouragement of the procedure.
During the series, we follow Mark, a severed worker played by Adam Scott of Parks and Recreation fame. While I found the middle episodes of the series to be a little slow, I’m glad I held out until the end. If you love a reveal-filled, thought-provoking season finale, this show is for you.
3. Fractured (2019)
In this 2019 film, a man named Ray sits nervously in a hospital waiting room, waiting for his wife and daughter to return from getting a CAT scan. After hours of waiting, the staff tells Ray that they are not there and there is no record of the family checking into the hospital.
This movie is mind-bending, nerve-wracking, and an overall engaging watch. Questioning your own sanity is a particularly fun part of psychological thrillers, and this movie definitely evokes that feeling.
4. Fresh (2022)
Hulu’s original film Fresh, which stars Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, sees a budding romance halted by an unusual appetite. Some may even say that it’s a commentary on women being seen by men as ‘fresh meat’. I’ve probably already spoiled the plot twist, but the marketing of the film spoiled it a bit as well. That being said, knowing the premise of the movie ahead of time does not bar viewers from feeling anger and anticipation while watching. While Fresh doesn’t lean into the psychological aspect as much as some of the others on this list, it’s one of my favorite film releases of 2022.
5. Us (2019)
I had to stop myself from including all of Jordan Peele’s films on this list, but I chose Us because, in my experience, it was the most mind-boggling and overwhelming. I think I got nightmares from getting the trailer as an ad on a Youtube video alone. It took me around two years to work up the courage to actually watch the film. Alongside questioning your own sanity, questioning human nature in itself is another factor that I love in a psychological thriller. I don’t want to reveal the plot of Us, so all I’ll say is that if I ever see my doppelganger, I’m running away as fast as possible.
6. All That We Destroy (2019)
At one point in the pandemic, it felt as though my mom and I had watched every thriller to ever exist. Then we discovered Hulu’s horror anthology film series Into The Dark. While some of these movies are subjectively bad, one that really stuck with me was All That We Destroy. The movie stars Israel Broussard who is featured in one of my favorite horror-comedy franchises, Happy Death Day. The film follows a geneticist who is worried that her son is showing abusive and murderous tendencies. To “cure” him, she creates a series of clones that allow him to re-live his first murder and rethink the choices he has made in the past.
7. Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
Okay, listen. I know this movie just came out, and I know the conversation surrounding it. Looking past the drama surrounding this film and the Harry Styles fan in me, I genuinely really enjoyed the plot and commentary of this film. The movie follows several seemingly perfect couples in a perfect area called The Victory Project. After nightmares, doubts, and cracked mirrors, Florence Pugh’s character Alice must confront the reality (or lack thereof) of her life. I felt that the plot twist in this film was slightly predictable; however, as you can tell from this article, I consume a lot of similar media. Overall, the joy, confusion, and anger that this film evoked in me made it worth the watch.
I’m sure there are some great thrillers missing from this list, which only means I have more excuses to consume media instead of dealing with my actual responsibilities. I hope I have given you some inspiration for the next time you need a break from your own reality.