Thrillers come in all shapes in sizes, from high-concept sci-fi to crime dramas to supernatural horror. So the best thrillers of the past 5 years make up some of the best movies of any kind from the past 5 years. These movies are not just for fans of genre filmmaking and should be sought out by anyone who loves great acting, writing, and directing too.
Updated on April 20th, 2021 by Mark Birrell: There have many incredible thriller movies from the last 5 years and, as time marches on and certain movies cease to be eligible for this list, many new thrillers emerge to take their place. We've adjusted this list for 2021 to best showcase some of the very best that movie fans can find when looking for the best modern thrillers. Though they may be recent releases, these movies have already started to become considered by fans and critics as classics and have the power to live on for decades yet.
The Invisible Man (2020)
After disappointments in the ongoing endeavor to bring Universal's classic monster movies to modern blockbuster audiences, Saw and Insidious writer Leigh Whannell secured their first real hit as a director with this striking take on the story of a maniacally controlling man who discovers a way to make his body disappear completely from the visible spectrum.
Played as an exploration of a woman's experiences with overcoming her fear of her abusive former partner, who she escaped from only to be tormented by his invisible presence, The Invisible Man is a compelling mixture of psychological horror and sci-fi thrills.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Another relatively small-scale sci-fi horror thriller that had a huge impact on audiences, A Quiet Place made director and star John Krasinski as famous for their work behind the camera as their work in front of it.
Following a family trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by monsters that hunt by their acute sense of hearing, the movie exploits its many opportunities for big jump scares and keeps the threat at a constant high.
Knives Out (2019)
An old-fashioned whodunit with modern twists, writer and director Rian Johnson followed up the billion-dollar success of their Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, with this much more small-scale murder mystery set mostly in the typical secluded and strange country manor.
A star-studded cast–lead by Daniel Craig as the Southern sleuth sent to crack the case–helped Knives Out become one of the most popular thrillers of recent years, with Netflix bidding big for the rights to the sequels.
Get Out (2017)
A groundbreaking horror thriller from writer and director Jordan Peele, who was mostly known as a comedian before the movie's success, Get Out examines complex ideas about the legacy of racism within America and its manifestation in modern life with both nail-biting tension and side-splitting humor.
The story follows a man's first meeting with his girlfriend's parents that goes from awkward to nightmarish as he realizes the extent of their fetishism over his race.
Searching (2018)
An exciting and refreshing take on found footage that takes a more crime drama approach to the format rather than supernatural horror or sci-fi, Searching views a man's desperate search to find his missing daughter through the lens of his personal devices and calls.
John Cho is electrifying in the lead role and the movie was critically acclaimed, becoming one of the most highly-rated thrillers of 2018 and even getting a sequel greenlit despite its unconventional style.
Parasite (2019)
Iconic writer and director Bong Joon-Ho made history with this dark thriller about a poor South Korean family who steadily embed themselves into the lives of a rich family, exposing systemic social issues and a hidden secret within the walls of their idyllic home.
Parasite was the first film not in the English language to win the Oscar for Best Picture, demonstrating its far-reaching appeal and the universal relatability of its story.
Hereditary (2018)
One of the most impressive debut feature films of recent years, Ari Aster's supernatural horror drama is packed with uncanny frights and top-shelf performances, particularly from Toni Collette.
Exploring an unthinkably difficult relationship between a mother and her teenage son during a time of great family grief, Hereditary is both brutally violent and brutally emotional.
Gerald's Game (2017)
Adapted from Stephen King's novel of the same name, Gerald's Game is a complex story of one woman coming to terms with painful memories from her past and how they've led her to her ordeal in the movie, handcuffed to a bed with no hope of rescue.
Once considered to be unfilmable, the story is expertly handled by director Mike Flanagan, whose following movie was another–even more high profile–King adaptation and the next entry on our list.
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Simultaneously a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's famously unfaithful adaptation of The Shining and an adaptation of Stephen King's sequel to his original novel The Shining, Doctor Sleep was debatably an even more difficult story to adapt than Gerald's Game. But Mike Flanagan once again handled the task with a deft hand and a keen eye for haunting scares.
The story follows an adult Danny Torrance (the child in The Shining) as they grapple with their past and a sinister group of villains hunting for people with the 'shine' like him. Based on its legacy alone, Doctor Sleep automatically takes a place in horror history but the movie is a worthwhile experience for King and Kubrick fans alike.
The Empty Man (2020)
Underrated by critics and a flop on release, The Empty Man is a surprisingly effective supernatural horror movie about a cult that has developed a cult following of its own.
Adapted from a comic series of the same name, the story follows one cop's investigation into a young girl's disappearance, which leads him on a bizarre journey into the twisted philosophy surrounding the titular 'Empty Man' and what they can offer to the disillusioned of modern society. What may look like a thoughtless B movie trying to cash in on an already-spent creepypasta craze is actually quite a thoughtful and carefully crafted horror movie with a fair amount to say, for those willing to listen.