Gangsters, psychopaths, thieves, and serial killers might be bad dinner guests, but they sure are exciting film characters.

The 22 best thrillers on Amazon Prime Video that will get your pulse racing

Gangsters, psychopaths, thieves, and serial killers might be bad dinner guests, but they sure are exciting film characters.

By Ilana Gordon

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

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and Kevin Jacobsen

June 6, 2026 12:00 p.m. ET

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Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in 'The Silence of the Lambs'; Kyle Chandler as Deputy Jack Lamb and Joel Courtney as Joe Lamb in 'Super 8'; Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas in 'American Gangster'. Credit:

Ken Regan/Camera 5/Orion/MGM; Francois Duhamel/Paramount; David Lee/Universal

Though there is sometimes overlap between the thriller and horror genres, the former isn’t always out to scare you, but cranking up the tension is still a major goal. Aliens on the loose, serial killer investigations, family conspiracies, abusive cults, and robots gone rogue are just a few scenarios guaranteed to grab your attention and spike your blood pressure…and they all can be found on the list below.

If you're ready to meet some troubled people — and a few who haplessly wandered into distressing situations — read on for **'s 22 best thrillers streaming on Amazon Prime Video.**

American Gangster (2007)

Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas in 'American Gangster'.

David Lee/Universal

One of the most innovative gangsters of the 20th century, Frank Lucas earned the title of Harlem drug kingpin in the late-‘60s and early-‘70s by importing high-quality heroin from Southeast Asia and selling it under the street name Blue Magic. Ridley Scott adapted Lucas' story into a biographical crime drama starring Denzel Washington as Lucas and Russell Crowe as Richie Roberts, the detective determined to take him down.

*American Gangster* is Lucas’ story, but the film is a true two-hander, with Crowe’s obsessive performance as Roberts balancing out Denzel's Lucas, who moves through the criminal world quietly and with control. EW’s critic calls the film “meticulous and detailed, a drug-world epic that holds you from moment to moment, immersing you in the intricate and sleazy logistics of crime.” —*Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *American Gangster*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

**EW grade:** B

**Director: **Ridley Scott

**Cast: **Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin

American Psycho (2000)

Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in 'American Psycho'.

Lionsgate Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 best-seller looks unrecognizable in Mary Harron’s cinematic adaptation of the controversial novel. Starring Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a yuppie investment banker whose only real passions are consumerism, dining out, and committing murder, this black comedy and horror fusion satirizes the mass-consumption and performative lifestyle that was a hallmark of the 1980s culture and economy.

Luckily for viewers, the film version of *American Psycho* presents the best aspects of the novel without luxuriating in book Bateman’s fevered misogyny. EW’s critic writes that the film is elevated by Bale’s interpretation, noting, “He keeps Patrick lurching blindly toward humanity, until we see a self being born in a man who, paradoxically, was too selfish to have one.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *American Psycho*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

**Director:** Mary Harron

**Cast: **Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Andy Hanson and Marisa Tomei as Gina Hanson in 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead'.

Money is the root of all evil, and in Sidney Lumet's 2007 crime thriller, *Before the Devil Knows You're Dead*, money rots the Hanson family from the inside out. After finance executive Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman) realizes his embezzling activities are on the cusp of being discovered, he convinces his similarly cash-strapped younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), to rob their parents' jewelry store.

The siblings' "victimless" crime does not work out as hoped, and as their father seeks revenge on the mysterious perpetrators, his two sons struggle to clean up the mess they left behind. The last film Lumet made before his death in 2011, *Before the Devil* is arguably his best. EW's critic at the time writes, "Lumet's camera has become an invisible cage, inviting us to study the behavior of the human animals trapped inside." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Before the Devil Knows You're Dead*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **A

**Director: **Sidney Lumet

**Cast: **Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, Marisa Tomei

Black Bag (2025)

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean and Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse in 'Black Bag'.

Claudette Barius/Focus Features

You're cordially invited to a night of fun and games with Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. The A-list stars play married intelligence officers in this stylish spy thriller from director Steven Soderbergh.

After MI6 tasks George (Fassbender) with investigating a group of suspected turncoats, he is alarmed to discover his wife is among the list. This leads to an eventful dinner in which George invites all the suspects in the hope of sussing them out. Lots of fun twists and turns occur following the dinner, and Soderbergh's knack for tightly paced editing and assembling a great cast to bounce off of one another remains as strong as ever. *—Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Black Bag*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Steven Soderbergh

**Cast: **Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris

Charade (1963)

Cary Grant as Peter Joshua and Audrey Hepburn as Reggie Lampert in 'Charade'.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Screwball comedies fell out of fashion after the 1940s, but the genre enjoyed a brief revival in the 1960s thanks to films like *Charade* (1963). A screwball comedy and romantic thriller, *Charade* stars Audrey Hepburn as Reggie Lampert, a woman on the run after her estranged husband is murdered, and she is accused of hiding money he stole from the government during World War II.

Pursued by three men and the feds, Reggie finds an ally in Peter Joshua (Cary Grant), a stranger whose name and background change throughout the film. *Charade* was shot on location in Paris and the French Alps, and the end result is a stylish romp with a clever script and a pair of leads whose chemistry defies their age gap. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Charade*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Stanley Donen

**Cast:** Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau

Companion (2025)

Sophie Thatcher as Iris and Jack Quaid as Josh in 'Companion'.

Warner Bros. Pictures

If you’re looking for a restful retreat, *Companion* is not your movie. A dark comedy about a couple named Josh and Iris (Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher) who head to a lake house for a weekend away, the film takes a turn when Iris learns she is a companion robot and breaks free from Josh’s control.

A combination romantic comedy, thriller, and sci-fi crime movie, the script investigates issues around technology, masculinity, power dynamics, and relationships through a tongue-in-cheek lens: Think a darker and more toxically male spin on Spike Jonze’s *Her *(2013). EW’s reviewer promises, “[Drew] Hancock's feature directorial debut is a hell of an invigorating revenge fantasy, made all the more satisfying by its own winking self-awareness.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Companion*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Drew Hancock

**Cast: **Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén

Compliance (2011)

Dreama Walker as Becky in 'Compliance'.

Magnolia Films/Courtesy Everett

Go into your *Compliance* viewing with the understanding that this film will make you angry. Inspired by a true story, this thriller centers around a fast food manager, Sandra (Ann Dowd), who receives a call from a man identifying himself as a police officer claiming to be investigating a potential theft by Becky (Dreama Walker), one of the restaurant’s employees.

Under pressure from the officer on the phone, Sandra, her fiancé, and other employees at the establishment are ordered to put Becky through a series of increasingly exploitative and humiliating experiences — all in the name of upholding the law. A film about complicity, critical thinking, and how far people will go when they think they’re on the right side, *Compliance* is the perfect film for this particular cultural moment. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Compliance*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

**Director:** Craig Zobel

**Cast:** Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy, Bill Camp

The Conversation (1974)

Gene Hackman as Harry Caul in 'The Conversation'.

FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty

Francis Ford Coppola meditates on the question of who is watching the watchmen in *The Conversation*, a neo-noir mystery thriller about the human side of surveillance. Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is known in the industry as the best bugger on the West Coast, capable of capturing even the most private conversations. But when he overhears the subjects of one of his assignments discussing their fear of being murdered, Harry worries for their safety, and attempts to investigate.

More than 50 years after its release, *The Conversation*’s alarmist attitude towards privacy concerns is still valid. Hackman is excellent as the withdrawn, paranoid Harry, whose professional and moral instincts become muddled as he seeks to protect two strangers and pinpoint which entities are surveilling him. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Conversation*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Francis Ford Coppola

**Cast: **Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest

Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis as John McClane in 'Die Hard'. Twentieth Century Fox

Fans have debated whether *Die Hard* is a Christmas movie for nearly four decades, but it's an agreed upon fact that the film launched one of the most beloved action thriller franchises of all time. The first of five installments introduces audiences to the series' hero — New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) — who has traveled to Los Angeles hoping to rekindle a romance with his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). After German terrorists — led by the nefarious Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) — take control of the building where Holly's company's Christmas party is being held, McClane must work to take down the bad guys from the inside in order to save his family.

The world has *Die Hard* to thank for elevating both Willis' and Rickman's careers, and while Willis' 2022 retirement due to his aphasia diagnosis brought an end to the franchise, *Die Hard* will always be remembered as the movie that helped cement his legacy as one of the foremost action stars of all time.* —I.G.*

Where to watch *Die Hard*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** John McTiernan

**Cast:** Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia

Donnie Darko (2001)

Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie Darko in 'Donnie Darko'.

Mary Evans/Pandora Cinema/Flower Films/Adam Fields Productions/GA/Ronald Grant/Courtesy Everett Collection

Sleep disorders, hallucinations, and rabbit costume-clad figures prophesying humanity’s imminent destruction are just a few of the treats provided in *Donnie Darko*, a trippy sci-fi thriller with a stacked cast. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Donnie, a teenager struggling with his mental health, who begins sleepwalking and experiencing visions that take a toll on his everyday life. Also starring Jake’s real-life sibling Maggie Gyllenhaal as Donnie’s sister, the film was quickly adopted by college kids and film students as the movie to watch in the early aughts.

*Donnie Darko* struggled at the box office primarily due to bad timing: The film’s theatrical release was scheduled for shortly after the 9/11 attacks, and the movie — which features a plane crash — suffered accordingly. Regardless, the film quickly achieved cult classic status, and, according to EW, is one of Gyllenhaal's best performances. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Donnie Darko*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Richard Kelly

**Cast: **Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Seth Rogen, Jena Malone

The Handmaiden (2016)

Kim Tae-ri as Sook-Hee and Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko in 'The Handmaiden'. Everett Collection

It’s no surprise that this film from Park Chan-wook — about a handmaiden who is hired to interfere with the marriage of a wealthy heiress for a hefty payout — is visually dazzling, and the costuming and cinematography alone are enough to bewitch. Then, Chan-wook tosses in a twist, and then another, and the film’s handsome veneer is removed to unveil the wickedly sinister tones lurking beneath.

Ravishing and exhilarating, *The Handmaiden* is about both intimate love and crude obscenity, which Chan-wook expertly balances to complement each other well. —*Hayley Arnold*

Where to watch *The Handmaiden*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Park Chan-wook

**Cast:** Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong

The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

Frank Lovejoy as Gilbert Bowen and Edmond O'Brien as Roy Collins in 'The Hitch-Hiker'.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Ida Lupino made history as the first female director to helm a Hollywood film noir with this gripping thriller, which takes inspiration from real-life spree killer Billy Cook. Roy (Edmond O'Brien) and Gilbert (Frank Lovejoy) are driving through California where they unwittingly pick up a murderous hitchhiker, Emmett Myers (William Talman), who is wanted by police. Emmett holds the two men at gunpoint and instructs them to transport him to a specific location to evade capture.

Lupino makes the most of a low budget, crafting a genuinely suspenseful thriller with potent emotional resonance. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Hitch-Hiker*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Ida Lupino

**Cast:** Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman

The Infiltrator (2016)

Bryan Cranston as Robert Mazur in 'The Infiltrator'.

Liam Daniel/Broad Green Pictures

Behind the scenes, the biographical crime drama thriller *The Infiltrator* is actually a family affair. Written by Ellen Brown Furman and directed by her son, Brad Furman, the movie is set in the 1980s and follows the infiltration and dissolution of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s money laundering business. Three years after *Breaking Bad* went off the air, Bryan Cranston switches sides from meth maker to cartel breaker, starring as real-life U.S. Customs Special Agent Robert Mazur, whose undercover work was crucial in exposing Escobar’s far-reaching financial misdeeds.

Pivoting effortlessly from family man to ruthless felon, Cranston once again puts his acting range on full display, with a nuanced performance that is underscored by the knowledge that the slightest misstep could cost him — and his family — their lives. The film may have premiered a year after Netflix released *Narcos*, but Cranston’s efforts are enough to distinguish the project and make it a must-watch. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Infiltrator*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **B+

**Director:** Brad Furman

**Cast: **Bryan Cranston, Diane Kruger, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt, Yul Vazquez, Amy Ryan

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

Elizabeth Olsen as Martha and Sarah Paulson as Lucy in 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'.

Jody Lee Lipes/20th Century Fox Film Corp

Elizabeth Olsen makes a memorable feature debut in *Martha Marcy May Marlene*, a film about Martha (Olsen), who escapes a cult, moves in with her sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and brother-in-law, Ted (Hugh Dancy), and attempts to reintegrate into society. This psychological thriller loves to play with time and memory. As Martha recovers at Lucy and Ted’s lakeside home in Connecticut, the viewer is led to question whether the nightmares and hallucinations she experiences are symptoms of PTSD or a prediction of dangers to come. Olsen’s role is physically and emotionally demanding, and EW’s critic notes that she “carries the story with authority.” *MMMM* is beautifully acted and constructed with care. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Martha Marcy May Marlene*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

**EW grade:** B+

**Director: **Sean Durkin

**Cast: **Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy

Memento (2001)

Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby in 'Memento'.

Danny Rothenberg/Newmarket

Christopher Nolan emerged as one of the most inventive mainstream directors of his generation with this cerebral crime thriller. Guy Pearce stars as Leonard, a man with amnesia struggling to put the pieces together of who killed his wife. Unable to store new memories, Leonard develops an elaborate system of documentation involving photographs and tattoos to provide connective tissue to his future self.

“*Memento* has a spooky repetitive urgency that takes on the clarity of a dream,” writes EW’s critic. “It’s like an Oliver Sacks case study played as malevolent film noir.” —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Memento*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Christopher Nolan

**Cast:** Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano

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Saltburn (2023)

Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick in 'Saltburn'.

Courtesy of MGM/Amazon Studios

Combine the obsession featured in *The Talented Mr. Ripley* with *Brideshead Revisited*’s commentary on privilege and you get *Saltburn*, directed by Oscar-winning writer Emerald Fennell.

Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver, an outcast Oxford student who befriends uber-rich classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi). After Felix invites him to his family’s palatial country house over summer break, Oliver weasels his way into their good graces and turns their world upside down. Nasty yet perversely funny, *Saltburn* is, as EW’s critic describes it, “a gothic thriller dusted with poisonous candy-pop glitter,” —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Saltburn*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Emerald Fennell

**Cast:** Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter (center) in 'The Silence of the Lambs'. Orion/Everett Collection

According to *The Silence of the Lambs*, the best way to catch a serial killer is with another one. Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is a former psychiatrist and convicted cannibal whose intellect and preternatural understanding of the human psyche the FBI hopes to use to help catch the killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). To convince Hannibal to cooperate, the FBI sends in Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), an agent in training who finds a way to match wits and guts with the monster in the cage. A slow-burn thriller with dialogue that will linger in your nightmares for years after watching, *The Silence of the Lambs* is a fantastic film, largely due to the energy buzzing between Foster and Hopkins. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Silence of the Lambs*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

**Director: **Jonathan Demme

**Cast: **Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine

A Simple Plan (1998)

Brent Briscoe as Lou, Bill Paxton as Hank, and Billy Bob Thornton as Jacob in 'A Simple Plan'.

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

Morality, paranoia, and betrayal are prominent themes of *A Simple Plan*, Sam Raimi’s thriller about three men who take a walk in the woods, only to discover a crashed plane, a dead pilot, and $4.4 million in $100 bills. Now saddled with the moral dilemma of keeping the money or turning it in, the trio devises a simple plan.

Set in rural Minnesota and starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Brent Briscoe in the roles of the trio, *A Simple Plan* is often compared to the Coen brothers’ *Fargo *(1996), but the film skews more tragic than comic. EW’s critic writes, “In this tensely layered and ominous caper, greed is the ultimate truth serum. It brings the ugliest sides of relationships burbling to the surface.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *A Simple Plan*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Sam Raimi

**Cast: **Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda

Super 8 (2011)

Kyle Chandler as Deputy Jack Lamb, Joel Courtney as Joe Lamb, Elle Fanning as Alice Dainard, and Ron Eldard as Louis Dainard in 'Super 8'.

Francois Duhamel

While reviewing *Super 8* in 2011, EW’s critic gave the film an A, writing, “Loving, playful, and spectacularly well made, *Super 8 *is easily the best summer movie of the year — of many years.” J.J. Abrams’ love letter to ‘80s sci-fi movies, *Super 8 *is a story about a grieving 14-year-old trying to make a zombie movie with some friends, only to accidentally witness a train accident that is not quite what it appears.

A nostalgic, sweet film that pays homage to youthful summers of yore, first loves, and military secrets accidentally captured by precocious, small-town children, *Super 8 *is one of those special movies that rarely get made anymore. If you like films like *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* (1982) and *Stand by Me *(1986), then you need to add *Super 8* to your must-watch list. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Super 8*: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** J.J. Abrams

**Cast:** Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich

The Vast of Night (2020)

Jake Horowtiz as Everett Sloan, Mark Banik as Gerald, and Cheyenne Barton as Bertsie in 'The Vast of Night'. Amazon Studios

Made for under $1 million, director Andrew Patterson gifted Amazon Prime with one of the best sci-fi movies of 2020. *The Vast of Night *follows Everett (Jake Horowitz) and Fay (Sierra McCormick), who discover a mysterious sound frequency while the entire town is attending a high school basketball game. Though the movie calls back to *The Twilight Zone,* the supernatural subject matter is explored through an entirely fresh lens. "

"We wanted to immediately make it clear [in the film] that the things you're about to see in this story are very much the same things you've seen before in this story, but we're going to do this in a new way,” Patterson said in an interview with EW. It’s an honest and subdued approach to sci-fi, and the minimalism yields time for Patterson’s craft to shine. —*H.A.*

Where to watch *The Vast of Night*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Andrew Patterson

**Cast:** Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Tilda Swinton as Eva and John C. Reilly as Franklin in 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'.

Everett Collection

A mother fears her child may be a psychopath in this unnerving thriller drama. Eva (Tilda Swinton) struggles to fully connect with her son, Kevin (Ezra Miller), who torments her without apparent reason or remorse. Making matters worse is the affection Kevin shows to his father, which only increases the distance between them. It all leads up to a horrifying incident that irrevocably changes Eva and Kevin’s lives forever.

*We Need to Talk About Kevin* is one of those films you may never want to watch again, but its impending sense of doom is bracingly effective, as are the performances by Swinton and Miller. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *We Need to Talk About Kevin*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Lynne Ramsay

**Cast:** Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller

You Were Never Really Here (2018)

Joaquin Phoenix as Joe and Ekaterina Samsonov as Nina Votto in 'You Were Never Really Here'. Alison Cohen Rosa/Amazon Studios

Lynne Ramsay crafts a lone wolf story in a gritty arthouse fashion, with Joaquin Phoenix as Joe, a war vet with PTSD who saves runaway girls from the sex trade. Though his personal life is already splitting apart at the seams, Joe plunges into further danger when a routine rescue goes awry.

Ramsay speeds through many of the action shots to instead focus on Joe’s psyche. Images from his past are spliced together abruptly and rather awkwardly, an apt representation of the way his trauma continues to torment him. The result serves as a visual representation of Joe’s disjointed mind, resulting in a film as emotionally arresting as it is dark and thrilling. —*H.A.*

Where to watch *You Were Never Really Here*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Lynne Ramsay

**Cast:** Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov, John Doman, Alex Manette

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