40 Best Thriller Movies on Netflix UK

40 Best Thriller Movies on Netflix UK

December 13, 2024

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From the country that gave us classic characters like Sherlock Holmes and James Bond also comes a tradition of noir, crime films, and suspense movies that are frequently referred to collectively as thrillers. In the UK—and on Netflix UK, in particular, these films have taken on every form, from hardboiled police procedurals to spy movies and working class social thrillers. But common to most, if not all, of them is a sense of danger or dread, and a certain level of deception or craftiness so the heroes can get what they need. These lesser-known but highly rated thrillers available on Netflix UK should give you that and more.

21. The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023)

7.5

Country

Taiwan

Director

Wong Ching-Po

Actors

Ben Yuen Foo-Wah, Benjamin Tsang, Chen Yi-wen, Cheng Yu-Chieh

Moods

Action-packed, Character-driven, Dramatic

Gangster films have an issue of glorifying organized crime, and in some ways The Pig, The Snake, and The Pigeon does the same. There are excellent, action-packed fight scenes that makes Ethan Juan as Chen Kui-lin look so damn cool, and the journey Chen takes as a stern criminal out for his legacy definitely romanticizes the character, but it’s so compelling to see him contemplate the purpose of his life through confronting those like him, who tend to move for the ideas of love and spiritual detachment. There are some moments when the pacing falters, but The Pig, The Snake, and the Pigeon delivers on its ending and reimagines the gangster as something to remember.

22. Rebel Ridge (2024)

7.5

Country

United States of America

Director

Jeremy Saulnier

Actors

Aaron Pierre, Al Vicente, AnnaSophia Robb, Brannon Cross

Moods

Action-packed, Discussion-sparking, Suspenseful

The story here is kept stripped down and tense: just a capable hero trying to stand up to the big bad. We want to root for his efforts, but find no joy in it. We feel him be bold while holding back, creating more tension that we don’t quite know how to temper. So much of the story taking place in everyday government buildings pushes the atmosphere from tense to quite frankly depressing. Just when it seems like it’s too damn much, the 2nd act trails off into a more prodding action film, but by that point the film has left its mark enough. All in all, a suspenseful, poignant ride with decent action film tropes to prevent you from dissociating.

23. Grave Torture (2024)

7.5

Country

Indonesia

Director

Joko Anwar

Actors

Ahmad Ramadhan Alrasyid, Arswendi Nasution, Christine Hakim, Egy Fedly

Moods

Discussion-sparking, Slow, Suspenseful

A sappy expository start like that only makes you suspicious how quickly all hell breaks loose, and boy does that distrust get rewarded. Grave Torture firmly blends religion and the supernatural, with the overarching theme being an exploration of the guilt-inducing belief that questioning faith is tantamount to having no faith, and having no faith leads to punishment. Getting from point A to point B is not the one of the film’s strengths, sometimes feeling like it’s just floating disjointedly. Even then, it nails every violent landing with visceral, satisfying impact. Religion isn’t just some distant theme, it’s our final monster.

24. Emilia Pérez (2024)

7.5

Country

Belgium, France, United States of America

Director

Jacques Audiard

Actors

Adriana Paz, Anabel Lopez, Edgar Ramírez, Karla Sofía Gascón

Moods

A-list actors, Action-packed, Dramatic

The journey of transitioning can be tough, but it’s not likely to be as wild as the journey undertaken by the titular rich mob boss of the crime thriller romance musical Emilia Pérez. It’s pretty surprising, with the incredibly stylish and totally unpredictable ways the plot unfolds, all made possible by the ridiculous all-or-nothing methods and means of a Mexican mob, and it’s a delight to see Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez feel at home in their respective Spanish-speaking roles. There are certain moments where the film bites off more than it can chew, but the visuals are stunning, the story is daring, and there’s really nothing like Emilia Pérez right now.

25. The Bank Job (2008)

7.3

Country

Australia, UK, United Kingdom

Director

Roger Donaldson

Actors

Alistair Petrie, Alki David, Andrew Brooke, Angus Wright

Moods

Suspenseful, Well-acted

A thrilling and fun film about a British working class bunch who find themselves in confrontation with the rich and powerful. This happens when their once-in -a-lifetime job lands them not on ly the expected money and jewelry, but documents with big secrets. The phrase “the good version of Jason Statham” applies not only to the actor but to the whole film – as it is enjoyable like all similar heist movies but adds that sadly forgotten thing called character. If you liked The Italian Job, The Town, or even films like Argo; you will love The Bank Job.

26. The Endless Trench (2019)

7.3

Country

Canada, France, Spain

Director

Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño

Actors

Aitor Arregi, Antonio de la Torre, Antonio Romero, Belén Cuesta

Moods

Challenging, Character-driven

This historical drama opens with one of the most thrilling chase scenes in recent memory, as Higinio Blanco, the man at the center of the story, escapes government forces during the Spanish Civil War.

He goes into hiding that, without him realizing, would last 33 years. He would only emerge in a government amnesty in 1969, as would many like him across Spain.

Themes of love (Higinio was confined with his newlywed wife), solitude and fear are at the center of a story that remains thrilling even when it goes through the isolation years.

27. The Conference (2023)

7.3

Country

Sweden

Director

Patrik Eklund

Actors

Adam Lundgren, Amed Bozan, Bahar Pars, Cecilia Nilsson

Moods

Action-packed, Easy, Funny

Familiarity breeds contempt, and Swedish Netflix’s new horror-comedy takes this idea to the extreme. Based on the novel by Mats Strandberg, who’s known as the Swedish Stephen King, The Conference is centered around a group of employees on their company retreat. With its ensemble, the film crafts a relatable dynamic, with the exact petty back-and-forth and the same exact corporate politics many adults have to deal with. It’s no wonder one of them snaps, and takes them out one by one. The film isn’t exactly new, with the decades’ collection of slashers all over the world, but this Swedish thriller is a fun take on it, with match cut transitions, quick paced sequences, and the gruesome murders of the group most adults spend time with – their colleagues. It’s an interesting watch as the world gets back to the office.

28. Fan Girl (2020)

7.3

Country

Philippines, United States of America

Director

Antoinette Jadaone, Female director

Actors

Bea Alonzo, Camille Penaverde, Charlie Dizon, Gie Onida

Moods

A-list actors, Challenging, Dark

In the years since Fan Girl’s original release in the Philippines, its ultimate message and execution has become polarizing: is it enough that the film shows the corruption of a parasocial relationship into an abusive one, without offering much hope? Is its vision of justice actually constructive or disappointingly limited? No matter where you fall, it’s exciting that a movie can stir up these kinds of questions through a bizarre dynamic between characters, in a place that’s clearly set somewhere between reality and delusion. The narrative is circular and frustrating for a reason—a constant push and pull as the titular fan girl keeps getting drawn back into the celebrity’s orbit—and the film only grows more disturbing with each repetition.

29. It’s What’s Inside (2024)

7.3

Country

United States of America

Director

Greg Jardin

Actors

Alycia Debnam-Carey, Brittany O'Grady, Dana Millican, David Thompson

It’s What Inside can seem like another obnoxious movie about adults acting like teens, edited with enough neon glare and social media cuts to make it palatable to a younger crowd. But the horror comedy is more than just streaming fodder; it’s fun, funny, and clever, unfolding like a game night gone terribly wrong. There are romantic entanglements, identity crises, steamy role play, and welcome jabs at our generation’s increasing tendency to replace personality with social media presence. Its critique may not be as sharp as other horror comedies that have come before it (most recently, Bodies Bodies Bodies and The Blackening), so it can feel a bit dated. But it’s still an enjoyable watch, one best seen with friends who you haven’t seen in a long while and who have maybe, once or twice, made you feel painfully, irrationally, (murderously?) jealous.

30. The Call (2020)

7.1

Country

South Korea, United States of America

Director

Lee Chung-hyun

Actors

EL, Jeon Jong-seo, Jo Kyung-sook, Jun Jong-seo

A woman loses her phone on her way back to her countryside childhood home. Once there, she connects an old landline in hopes of finding her lost mobile, only to start receiving weird calls that seem to be from 20 years ago.

On the other side of the receiver is a girl who seems to be in danger. The Call is thrilling, sometimes scary, but also brilliantly shot, and its plot is so expertly woven. It’s a proper movie-night movie.

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