Sometimes you want Netflix to provide comfort, a warm cuddly hug in the form of a movie or show, and other times you want it to give you an adrenaline rush.
When it’s the latter, you’ll want a good selection of thriller and suspense movies to browse through. That’s when you end up searching for the best suspense movies on Netflix.
Netflix has a solid selection of picks from the genre, so we’ve handpicked the best movies on Netflix right now out of the lotto to save you some time scrolling aimlessly.
Streaming services like Netflix never fail to amaze the audiences by releasing critically good thrillers on Netflix like Titular Island, Birdbox, Dark truths. Few directors also did directorial debut in the list.
And before you dive into the whole list, you may also want to check out our list of best horror movies on Netflix, because suspense and horror go hand in hand on your computer screen. So let’s dig into the Netflix suspense movies.
1. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Runtime: 2h 9m
The movie is based on the notorious 1969 court hearing of seven accused persons accused by the federal govt of conspiracy and other offenses stemming from counter culture protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The trial captivated the country and prompted a debate about mayhem aimed at undermining the United States government.
The Trial of the Chicago 7, written and directed by Sorkin, is now available on Netflix and one of the best crime movies on Netflix. It has been nominated for 5 Oscars, including best film, at the 2021 Academy Awards.
2. Caliphate (2020)
Director: Goran Kapetanovic
Writer: Wilhelm Behrman
Cast: Amed Bozan, Albin Grenholm, Gizem Erdoğan
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Runtime: 46m
In the Swedish set “Caliphate,” Pervin as well as other women are crowded into a square in Syria. The women are required to look away as a man is led to a desk and his shoulder is stretched across it. A person standing near the table with such a butcher cutter then chops off the guy’s lower arm.
In a play leading up to a terrorist attack in Sweden, The Traveller, a beautiful student teachers’ assistant in Sweden, joins a group there with support from IS in Syria, which includes two students, 15-year-old Sulle and pal Kerima.
Despite watching Caliphate which is one of the best Suspense movies on Netflix you can also watch other Drama movies on Netflix and also Romantic movies on Netflix.
3. The Call (2020)
Director: Chung-Hyun Lee
Writer: Sergio Casci
Cast: Sergio Casci, Jeon Jong-seo, Moon Chang-gil
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Runtime: 1h 52m
A psychological thriller Netflix movie. A serial murderer, connected by phone in the same house but 20 years apart, risks another woman’s past and life to escape her own destiny.
The Call is more than interesting picking up since it has a novel premise, scary killings, and amazing performances. This surprising Korean export juggles a slew of tones and subtexts and does so deftly. One of the best suspense movie on Netflix to watch.
4. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Director: Shane Black
Writer: Shane Black
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 1h 43m
While being on the chase from the police officers, two-bit fraudster Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) walks into an acting role for a mystery movie. After landing the role, he’s thrown into a twisted-up, psychopathic conspiracy with his childhood friend, Harmony Lane, and difficult private eye Perry van Shrike. One such straight-faced, romantically involved parody of classic film tropes is named after the influential 1968 collection of film reviews and essays by film critic Pauline Kael.
5. Train to Busan (2016)
Director: Sang-ho Yeon
Writers: Joo-Suk Park, Sang-ho Yeon
Cast: Gong Yoo, Yu-mi Jung, Ma Dong-seok
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Runtime: 1h 58mins
This is a nail-biting fantastic horror movie from start to finish. Train to Busan is among the best zombie movies of all time, with constant action and fully formed characters that provide pure entertainment.
A man (Gong Yoo), his adult daughter, and several travelers were trapped along on a speeding train during a zombie outbreak in South Korea. This movie portrays their initiatives and how they will overcome this adversity. One of the best suspense movies on Netflix.
6. The Siege of Jadotville (2016)
Director: Sang-ho Yeon
Writers: Joo-Suk Park, Sang-ho Yeon
Cast: Gong Yoo, Yu-mi Jung, Ma Dong-seok
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Runtime: 1h 58mins
All of these stories have been adapted into fairly inaccurate films, but The Siege of Jadotville tells a generally accurate story of an untrained Irish Army unexpectedly thrust into someone else’s civil war.
An Irish commander and his 150-man battalion repel a siege by 3,000 Congolese soldiers led by French and Belgian commandos working for mining businesses. One of the best Suspense movies on Netflix of all time to watch!
7. Predestination (2014)
Directors: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Writers: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Christopher Kirby
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 1h 37mins
“Predestination” is an excellent science-fiction film. But it’s strange and a little perplexing. That’s because it’s full of interesting twists and turns and is well worth your time.
A temporal agent (Ethan Hawke) undertakes a final time-traveling mission to prevent an elusive criminal from carrying out mass murder. We’re sure that the movie will be worth the watch as this movie has a bit strange yet excellent story plot.
8. Official Secrets (2019)
Director: Gavin Hood
Writer: Sara Bernstein
Cast: Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, Rhys Ifans
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Runtime: 1h 52mins
Official Secrets is a 2019 British film directed regarding the case of leaker Katharine Gun, who leaked a letter revealing an illegal spying activity by British and American intelligence services to gauge the sentiment of and possibly tricking United Nations diplomats tasked with voting on a resolution regarding the 2003 terrorist attacks of Iraq.
Full of action and considered one of the best suspense movies on Netflix of all time.
9. Nocturama (2016)
Director: Bertrand Bonello
Writer: Bertrand Bonello
Cast: Finnegan Oldfield, Vincent Rottiers, Hamza Meziani
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
Runtime: 2h 10mins
They say duration is everything, and this is sadly the case with French auteur Bertrand Bonello’s Nocturama, which tells the story of a group of young and beautiful French people who wreak havoc on their city with explosives, firearms, and hip-hop-fueled anarchy.
A bunch of young terrorists carries out a plot involving the planting of bombs in the streets of Paris. The people who spend a tense night holed up in a high-end department store after planting the bombs. A Netflix original film.
Despite the best thrillers, you can also watch Action movies on Netflix in Australia.
10. Uncut Gems (2019)
Director: Josh Safdie
Writer: Benny Safdie
Cast: Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield, Eric Bogosian
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Runtime: 2h 15m
If you’re looking for a decent thriller that will make you nervous as its central character makes bad decisions after bad decisions, check out Uncut Gems.
Howard Ratner stars as a Jewish jeweler and drug dealer in New York City’s Diamond District who must find a useful diamond he purchased to pay off his debts. Every economic setback, emotional humiliation, and spiritual humiliation that Howard endures is interpreted as a sign that his situation is improving.
11. Under the Shadow (2016)
Director: Babak Anvari
Writer: Babak Anvari
Cast: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Runtime: 1h 24m
A strange evil begins to torment a mother and daughter as they battle to deal with the terrors of post-revolutionary, war-torn Tehran in the 1980s.
It’s simply so raw and true, yet it’s wonderfully filmed and the acting is fantastic. “This is a personal narrative about what I remember as a youngster and what my family and other Iranians went through” during the war, Anvari told Business Insider in January at Sundance. “I took all of those memories and gave them a frightening spin.”
12. The Lighthouse (2019)
Director: Robert Eggers
Writer: Robert Eggers
Cast: Logan Hawkes, Robert Pattinson, Kyla Nicolle
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 1h 49m
The list of thriller movies on Netflix would be useful in clarifying “The Lighthouse.” Even as foghorn’s waving shriek fills the air, Ephraim Winslow, a taciturn recently departed lumberjack, and Thomas Wake, a grizzled lighthouse keeper, put a foot on a remote and perennially grey islet off the coast of late-nineteenth-century New England. For the next 4 weeks of backbreaking labor and unfavorable surroundings, the tight-lipped guys will have no one else for company, forcing them to put up with annoying quirks, bottled-up anger, and rising animosity.
Also, you can watch other amazing content on Netflix like Queen of the South on Netflix in Australia, and also The Flash on Netflix in Australia.
13. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)
Director: Macon Blair
Writer: Macon Blair
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Chris Doubek, Marilyn Faith Hickey
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Runtime: 1h 33m
Macon Blair’s directorial debut, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World, is a 2017 American comedy dystopian thriller written and directed by him.
When a despondent lady gets burgled, she discovers a new sense of purpose by hunting down the perpetrators with the help of her annoying neighbor. But they quickly find themselves dangerously out of their depth in the face of a gang of depraved criminals. The best thriller on Netflix Australia.
14. Giri / Haji (2019)
Director: Joe Barton
Writer: Joe Barton
Cast: Takehiro Hira, Kelly Macdonald, Yōsuke Kubozuka
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Runtime: 7h 41m
A Tokyo investigator searches London for his missing brother, who was linked with the Yakuza and suspected of murder. A Tokyo investigator searches London for his missing brother, who was linked with the Yakuza and suspected of murder.
As of currently, the series has not been renewed, hence no new cast members have been revealed. Because none of the series’ primary networks wishes to produce another chapter. It is a brilliant Netflix thriller.
15. Spy Game (2001)
Director: Tony Scott
Writer: Michael Frost Beckner
Cast: Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Catherine McCormack
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Runtime: 2h 6m
Redford plays CIA officer Nathan Muir, who is about to retire until he hears that his protégé Tom Bishop has been jailed in China on espionage charges. Muir, no stranger to the intrigues of the CIA’s top brass, hones all of his abilities and irreverent demeanor to find a method to liberate Bishop.
At the end of Spy Game, Nathan Muir is shown driving away from the CIA headquarters; the image gives the sense that he is in a rush. He walks away from the gate, and the following frame shows him driving his Porsche along an open rural road, as though he’s traveling quickly.
16. Close (2019)
Director: Vicky Jewson
Writer: Vicky Jewson, Rupert Whitaker
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Olivia Jewson, Abdellatif Chaouqi
IMDb Rating: 5.7/10
Runtime: 1h 34m
A female bodyguard is hired after an attempted assassination on the life of an heiress. Sam, a bodyguard hired to protect a spoiled cunning heiress named Zoe, becomes entangled in a deadly plot after being offered a job to protect Zoe. In response to an attack on the heiress Sam is protecting, battle-hardened bodyguard Sam rushes to her client’s aid – and to teach her how to defend herself. One of Netflix’s best thriller movies.
17. Anna (2019)
Director: Luc Besson
Writer: Luc Besson
Cast: Helen Mirren, Lera Abova, Anna Krippa
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Runtime: 1h 58m
This movie’s plot is based on true events (and claims to tell the story exactly as it happened, changing only the names of the characters).
The plot revolves around a Russian model who also is a spy, working under the orders of her handler, who is superior. When she is accompanied by a British spymaster, she is forced to play both sides in order to accomplish her single goal: to get away from it all. The story isn’t particularly original or insightful, but it makes sense, with exception of Atomic Blonde.
18. Forensic (2020)
Director: Anas Khan
Writer: Akhil Paul
Cast: Saiju Kurup, Tovino Thomas, Renji Panicker
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Runtime: 2h 14m
Suspense thrillers have never ended in failure to pique the interest of the audience. In the introductory subtitles, the Netflix original movie states unequivocally, “Psychopaths don’t have any motivation.” Rithika Xavier is in charge of a police unit in Thiruvananthapuram investigating the death of a child when she realizes she is dealing with a serial killer. Samuel John Kattukkaran (Tovino Thomas), the forensic scientist assigned to her, is a prodigy with a reputation for overreach. He and Rithika have a long-standing personal relationship.
19. Andhaghaaram (2020)
Director: V. Vignarajan
Writer: V. Vignarajan
Cast: Arjun Das, Misha Ghoshal, Jeeva Ravi
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Runtime: 2h 51m
Vinod is a disgruntled cricketer who gets rich as a child’s cricket instructor. When he begins getting calls on his house phone from an unknown person who knows a deep, terrible reality about him, his life becomes a living nightmare. After constant prodding from his admirer Manasi, he decides to seek treatment from a reputable psychiatrist, Dr. Indran. Vinod contacts Pooja, the sister of his best friend Pradeep.
Because of the incredible cast and plot, the horror thriller movie earned a spot on our list of the best Suspense movies on Netflix.
20. The Woman In The Window (2021)
Director: Joe Wright
Writer: Tracy Letts
Cast: Gary Oldman, Amy Adams, Wyatt Russell
IMDb Rating: 5.7/10
Runtime: 1h 40m
Whereas many people actually believe the film is based on true events, A.J. Finn, a pen name for author Dan Mallory, wrote The Woman in the Window as a piece of fiction.
The Woman in the Window is an absurd and comedic psychological thrillers drama that is hard to put down. It’s fascinating to watch Amy Adams deal with the effects of witnessing a murder, especially as you try to determine whether or not she’s a reliable witness.
21. Polar (2019)
Director: Jonas Åkerlund
Writer: Jonas Åkerlund
Cast: Fei Ren, Matt Lucas, Vanessa Hudgens
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Runtime: 1h 58m
At an undisclosed location in Chile, an employee of Damocles, a murder group, is assassinated by a highly specialized hit squad comprised of Sindy, the sniper, the decoy, Facundo, and assault team Alexei, Kurt, and Hilde. Duncan Vizla, also known as The Black Kaiser, is a Damocles worker who is about to reach his fiftieth birthday and will be forced to retire. He will be owed nearly $8 million when he retires because he contributed significantly to his company’s retirement fund.
Mr. Blut, the owner of Damocles, intends to sell the company and is inflating its value by murdering its retiring employees, thereby gaining their entire retirement funds under a contract provision. One of the best Suspense movies to watch on Netflix.
22. Ma (2019)
Director: Tate Taylor
Writer: Scotty Landes
Cast: Juliette Lewis, Corey Fogelmanis, Octavia Spencer
IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
Runtime: 1h 39m
Ma is a horror film about how childhood trauma affects adult decisions. Because it is difficult for a widely disliked lady to form meaningful relationships with her peers, she befriends high school students instead. Octavia Spencer plays Sue Ann Ellington, an Ohio veterinary technician, in Ma. She comes across a group of high school students and offers to provide them with alcohol.
Sue Ann is dubbed “Ma” by the children because she allows them to have a party in her basement while enforcing a few ground rules such as no cursing, no driving while intoxicated, and no going upstairs. This film is a mash-up of horror and a good thriller.
23. Triple Frontier (2019)
Director: J.C. Chandor
Writer: J.C. Chandor
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Pedro Pascal, Ben Affleck
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
Runtime: 2h 5m
Former Special Forces operators gather in a sparsely populated South American multi-border zone to attempt a theft.
For the first time in their prestigious careers, these unsung warriors put their lives in danger for the sake of ego rather than nation. However, when events take an unexpected turn and threaten to spiral out of control, their abilities, loyalties, and morals are put to the test in a titanic battle for survival. One of the best Suspense films available on Netflix.
Furthermore, you can watch shows like Bombshell on Netflix outside Australia, and Luckyone on Netflix outside Australia.
24. The Invisible Guest (2016)
Director: Oriol Paulo
Writer: Lara Sendim, Oriol Paulo
Cast: Mario Casas, Ana Wagener, Jose Coronado
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Runtime: 1h 46m
The Invisible Guest is filled with twisted mysteries, action, emotion, thrills, and suspense. This is a shadowy and cerebral thriller full of plot twists, including an unexpected denouement in the final section.
A young businessman awakens in a locked hotel room next to his dead lover’s body. He hires a highly regarded lawyer to defend him, and they work together to figure out what went wrong over the course of one night.
25. Project Power (2020)
Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Writer: Mattson Tomlin
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gardon Levitt, Dominique Fishback
IMDb Rating: 6.0/10
Runtime: 1h 53m
When an odd prescription that grants people superheroes for five minutes becomes available on the market, things spiral out of control. For the first time, a former military member joins forces with a qualified police officer and a drug dealer to bring order to the chaos. The best action movie on Netflix is Project Power.
With each passing moment, Project Power enhances, culminating in an all-too-quick, but graphically masterful, finale.
26. The Bar (2017)
Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Writer: Jorge
Cast: Mario Casas, Jaime Ordóñez, Joaquín Climent
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Runtime: 1h 42m
On a normal day in crowded downtown Madrid, a motley gang of ordinary city dwellers passes the time indolently inside a terribly bad and loud central bar until loud gunshots send goosebumps down the spine.
A man is discovered dead in a pool of blood in front of the pub, accompanied by another death in broad daylight. What was the enigmatic origin of that lethal bullet? Is this a terrorist attack or the work of a lone sniper on a rooftop?
27. Red (2021)
Director: Thirumala Kishore
Writers: Magizh Thirumeni, Thirumala Kishore
Cast: Ram Pothineni, Nivetha Pethuraj, Malvika Sharma
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Runtime: 2h 26m
Within 42 days of its cinematic run, the movie begins streaming on Netflix and Sun NXT on February 25, 2021.
Siddharth, a civil engineer, is having the time of his life with his girlfriend Mahima, whereas his lookalike gambling thief Aditya is struggling financially. Everything varies one rainy night when one of them breaks into a house and murders the owner, unwittingly leaving behind photographic evidence that leads to Siddharth’s arrest. Sub-inspector Yamini is in charge of the case, which has been assigned to her by circle inspector Sampath, who has a personal vendetta against Siddharth and wants him to be proven the murderer.
28. Extraction (2020)
Director: Sam Hargrave
Writer: Joe Russo, Ande Parks
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Bryon Lerum, Ryder Lerum
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Runtime: 1h 56m
Nothing compares to the incredible response Extraction, starring Chris Hemsworth and Randeep Hooda, received on Netflix. The movie, which premiered on the streaming service at a time when the world was confined within four walls, went on to become the platform’s biggest success ever. Chris Hemsworth, a well-known action star, appears in this film.
A black-market mercenary with nothing to lose is hired to finish the mission of rescuing the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. However, in the shadowy underworld of weapons dealers and drug smugglers, an already dangerous task is on the verge of becoming impossible.
29. Death Note (2017)
Director: Adam Wingard
Writer: Charley Parlapanides
Cast: Nat Wolff, LaKeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley
IMDb Rating: 4.5/10
Runtime: 1h 47m
The very first opening theme of the Death Note anime series is “The WORLD,” conducted by the Japanese band Nightmare.
Death Note is an antiqued, hurried, and vapid adaptation with one great performance, few thrills, and numerous missed opportunities. You’ll be so disgusted with the ending that you’ll uninstall the Netflix app. If you don’t die of boredom before you arrive.
30. Apostle (2018)
Director: Gareth Evans
Writer: Gareth Evans
Cast: Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Runtime: 2h 10m
A worried brother visits a remote island to rescue his sister after a religious cult kidnaps her. The mysterious group asks for a ransom for his sister’s return, but as he tries to save her, he uncovers that the situation is much more complicated than it appears.
Families can discuss the violence in Apostle. Many suspense films are designed to frighten audiences while keeping much of the blood and gore offscreen. This film revels in depicting the killings in minute detail.
Conclusion:
Netflix is host to a virtual library of potentially the best suspense titles that you can enjoy, within the comfort of your home. From suspenseful political stories to thrilling action movies, Netflix has something for everyone like Netflix Cam by director daniel Goldhaber and screenwriter Isa Mazzei, Raid director.
Many people are also fans of the movies in which the handsome stranger Robert Pattinson stars.
Every movie is unique in its own way but Thrillers have the best elements of every genre. A little bit of fear, speed and action, and dashes of comedy and drama make it all come together.
Your attention and full focus are needed for the complete movie experience to really get all that adrenaline pumping.
So put your phone away while you dive into our list of the best suspense movies on Netflix.