The thriller genre has lost a lot of its charm since its golden age, but that doesn’t mean we don’t see hundreds of exciting, psychological, and downright terrifying thrillers drop each and every year. 2017 was no different, filling out the year with a huge number of thrillers, with many of the best simultaneously interacting with horror.
We’ve used IMDb to rank the ten best thrillers 2017 had to offer. They aren’t all brilliant, but there are definitely a fair few worth watching within this list.
The Snowman (5.1)
It might not have the best reviews in the world, but this Michael Fassbender-starring thriller certainly provided a unique approach to the thriller genre.
The central image of a missing girl’s scarf being wrapped hauntingly around a snowman is enough to give anyone chills, no matter your thoughts on the quality of the rest of the film.
Jigsaw (5.8)
The reboot of the Saw franchise came just a few years after the ‘final’ film was apparently released. The series is often criminally underrated, but this is certainly one of the best entries into the franchise.
Sitting through some scenes of truly graphic torture is always pretty difficult, but the knowledge that, in classic Saw fashion, there is always something more going on behind the scenes keeps us thinking throughout and wondering just what’s going to happen next, even if its IMDb rating doesn’t reflect its quality.
Alien: Covenant (6.4)
Another relatively unsuccessful thriller from 2017 is the sixth Alien film and the direct sequel to Prometheus. Ridley Scott returned to direct it, but it didn’t quite land in the way that was hoped.
That said, the sci-fi setting and genuinely intense scenes of horror added to the underpinning layer of thrilling tension, resulting in a film that is, at the very least, better than Alien: Resurrection.
Gerald’s Game (6.6)
Directed by Mike Flanagan (who would go on to create The Haunting Of Hill House very soon after and terrify all of us beyond belief) and based on a Stephen King book, Gerald’s Game was always going to be a winner.
When Carla Gugino’s husband dies during an attempt to add interest to their sex life, she remains chained to the bed, experiencing an ever-increasing barrage of hallucinations (or are they?) as she tries to free herself.
Atomic Blonde (6.7)
Dropping right in the middle of 2017 was Charlize Theron’s Atomic Blonde was a modest success.
The film takes us back to the Cold War as we follow an MI6 agent on a mission to find out exactly who of their colleagues are double agents while looking into the murder of a different colleague. Obviously, expect twists galore.
You Were Never Really Here (6.8)
Just before Joaquin Phoenix’s incredible career really took off with his award-winning portrayal of the Joker, he starred in the 2017 thriller You Were Never Really Here.
The intense story follows a man who seemingly has no fear of violence, and has decided to devote his life to find out where various missing girls have ended up. One of his jobs takes a turn that could very easily lead to his death.
The Foreigner (7.0)
One of the many, many exciting action-thrillers to star Jackie Chan is The Foreigner.
Chan himself is the star of the film (both literally and in of quality), engaging in an interesting conflict with a government worker who he believes knows who killed his daughter in a terrorist incident.
The Killing Of Sacred Deer (7.0)
Just from its title, you can tell that The Killing Of Sacred Deer takes itself rather seriously.
The visually stunning work from Yorgos Lanthimos follows Colin Farrell’s character as he navigates a complex situation in which one of his patients seems to be causing of his family to become strangely ill one by one.
John Wick: Chapter 2 (7.5)
The sequel to the widely-loved first John Wick film ramps up the intensity and action to an impressive degree.
Despite sequels not always being the easiest way to gain public favor, this film was a huge critical success and saw praise for the action sequences, thrilling story, and incredibly intense performance of Keanu Reeves in the title role.
Get Out (7.7)
The most hyped horror-thriller for years dropped in March 2017. Allowing well-known funnyman Jordan Peele (of Key And Peele fame) to take a solo venture layered with psychological trauma, twists, and a much more serious approach was obviously a stroke of genius.
The film received rave reviews pretty much across the board, praising everything from the sense of tension to the unique story.
