There’s nothing like curling up after a long day and watching something that’s going to get your heart racing. These horror and thriller movies are best seen at night when you can really feel the experience of fear and terror that they bring. But, choosing a horror or thriller movie comes with the grueling task of actually finding one, so here is a list of ones I believe are worth the watch.
- the mist
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This movie is a classic. It’s based on the book written by Stephen King, who agrees with his audience that the movie has a better ending than his book. It’s a well-paced, psychological thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat as to what’s going to happen next. Although at its core it’s a monster movie, the premise of what a monster truly is lies within the characters as you see each of them deteriorate mentally. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s plot armor, and this movie had absolutely none, so fair warning when choosing your favorite character. The Mist was released in 2007 so I thought the special effects were going to be subpar, but the production team did a great job of working with what they had at the time to make the monsters and their victims terrifying and gory.
- nope
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Alien movies are so overdone because they always seem to have the same plot and ending, but Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022) took these complaints and created something no one was expecting. This movie takes aliens in an entirely new direction and weaves ulterior themes into his masterful retelling of the classic alien story. The characters are well fleshed out with personalities you can feel attached to. You’ll never know what’s going to happen next while watching, which will keep you on your toes throughout.
- I am Legend
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This is another movie that takes a classic concept and melds it into something amazingly different. This movie is based on the 1954 novel written by Paul Matheson and reimagines the idea of zombies. Our main character, Will Smith. is a lone survivor in a zombie apocalypse surrounded by what can only be described as superhuman zombies. It’s a mixed genre between thriller and horror and uses the psychological torment of being alone under such dangerous conditions.
- train to busan
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Another zombie movie with your classic zombie features, but confined to a moving train. There’s something so eerie and terrifying about being stuck in a small, contained space with a violent enemy that makes this movie cause your heart to race. Once again, there is no plot armor, which makes it all the more exciting. One thing that stuck out to me about this movie was that most of the time they made the right decisions, but still managed to succumb to the zombies. It was originally a Korean film that can be watched with English subtitles.
- the call
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This is another Korean film and a Netflix original. There are elements of the supernatural that can seem a bit confusing at first, but the film does a good job of explaining most of the features. Imagine your whole life held in the hands of another you’ll never be able to reach. Be prepared for a lot of unexpected deaths that make you question the sanity of the main character. Plot holes do seem to make somewhat of an appearance because of the premise of the movie, but they’re easy to ignore and enjoy the movie. The pace and plot make it a good watch to keep you entertained throughout.
- night crawler
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Unlike the other movies I’ve listed, this one has no supernatural plot to it. It’s simply a thriller about the divulgence of the inner human ability to do anything to get what they want. It follows a reporter who slowly takes riskier actions to get the most eye-catching scoop that leads to more dangerous consequences. You’ll be asking how far will he go, contemplating if you should actually like the main character. In my opinion, there really is no “good guy” in this movie, but you’ll always be able to find someone or something to root for; even if that means you hope for their downfall.
If you’re in the mood for a heart-racing thriller or a toe-curling horror movie, I’d recommend any of the above as they are all very entertaining. These are also great starter movies for your thriller/horror journey, but they’ll set your expectations pretty high.
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