Our selection of films with which to suffer, with an exciting plot and characters.
What better way to satisfy this somewhat masochistic need than by watching films of intrigue and suspense? Here we present 25 intrigue movies, all of them references of the genre , that every thrill addict should see before they die.
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25 intrigue movies: the best suspense films
Alfred Hitchcock, Pedro Almodóvar, David Lynch, M. Night Shyamalan and many more directors have in common that they have been able to present films on the big screen that leave no one indifferent.
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Whether it’s psychological, horror or science fiction, here are 25 intrigue movies that every fan of suspense should know .
1. Cell 211 (Daniel Monzón, 2008)
Considered one of the most tense and exciting films that can be found in Spanish cinema, Daniel Monzón’s film is considered a classic despite being relatively recent.
“Cell 211” is about a police officer, Juan Oliver (Alberto Ammann), who, just as he is about to take office as a prison officer in a Zamora prison, a prisoner rebellion breaks out. In order to survive, he will pose as one of them to the self-proclaimed leader of the riot, Malamadre (Luis Tosar), and hopefully put an end to this violent protest.
2. The skin I live in (Pedro Almodóvar, 2011)
Another classic of Spanish cinema, winner of no more and no less than 4 Goyas.
“The Skin I Live In” tells the story of a plastic surgeon, Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), who tries, by all possible means, to create a new synthetic skin, resistant to burns and insect bites. The reason for this is emotional, since his wife, Gal, died in an accident, resulting in his skin being severely damaged.
However, to ensure that he manages to create the perfect skin, Dr. Ledgard will need the help of a woman, Vera Cruz (Elena Anaya), who will end up being captured in a luxurious mansion to serve the doctor as a human guinea pig.
3. No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007)
“No Country for Old Men” is the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name. In this film, the trail of a violent serial killer, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), is followed, who kills in the land of the Far West, but in the eighties.
The film won three BAFTA Awards, including Best Director, as well as two Golden Globes. It is not surprising, since the figure of Anton Chigurh has not left indifferent, becoming a reference in pop culture.
4. Blindfolded (Susanne Bier, 2018)
“Bird box: Blindfolded” poses a situation of apocalyptic dystopia. The world has just become a place inhabited by invisible creatures, who induce suicide to all who look at them. Society is collapsing with countless unavoidable deaths.
It is for this reason that Malorie Hayes (Sandra Bullock), accompanied by two children, go through the world blindfolded, trying to find safe places in total darkness.
This film is truly a film that plays with our tension and will make us shiver.
5. El caso Bourne (Doug Liman, 2002)
“The Bourne Identity” centers on a man (Matt Damon) who, one day, wakes up in a strange place and possessing extraordinary fighting skills, which he doesn’t know how he got: he suffers from amnesia. The plot of the film focuses on the man’s struggle to find out his identity and find out who gave him the two bullet wounds in his back.
6. The Da Vinci Code (Ron Howard, 2006)
Based on Dan Brown’s book with the same title, “The Da Vinci Code” is one of the most relevant intrigue films of the 21st century. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) tries to unravel various mysteries of Paris and, above all, find out what hides the smile of the well-known painting by Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mona Lisa.
7. The Butterfly Effect (Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, 2004)
Although this film did not end up being liked by all the critics, the truth is that Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber captured very well the idea that history is history, in the sense that making a small change in the smallest detail can imply great consequences, sometimes catastrophic.
The protagonist, Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) discovers that he can travel through time to inhabit his old self, but with the same adult mind. Evan will harness this power to change the present by acting on the past, especially trying to correct various traumatic events that cause him stress and amnesia as an adult.
8. Psicosis (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Alfred Hitchcock is synonymous with suspense and intrigue: he is the master of the genre. The filmmaker took Robert Bloch’s novel of the same name and improved it, turning it into a classic.
“Psycho” tells the story of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a secretary who steals hundreds of dollars from the company where she works. Fleeing, she decides to rest in a vulgar roadside motel, run by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). A week later, Marion’s sister Lila (Vera Miles) realizes her sister is missing, while private investigator Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam) reports that he is also looking for Marion, reporting that he has stolen the whopping $40,000
9. The Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan, 1999)
Considered by many to be M. Night Shyamalan’s masterpiece, “The Sixth Sense” is a must on any intrigue movie list. This film will leave the viewer marked by fire, with a very abrupt turn of the script.
It tells the story of Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), a child psychologist who lives haunted by a tragic past, in which a patient shot him and then committed suicide. He soon meets a boy, Cole Sear, who claims to see dead people.
Throughout the film we will see how Cole interacts with various ghosts, while Malcolm shows his serious doubts about his own abilities, damaged since he was shot, although he tries to help the boy accept his gift.
10. Murder on the Orient Express (Sidney Lumet, 1974)
Agatha Christie is a true benchmark of suspense novels. One of her most famous works was made into a film by Sidney Lumet, making it a true film gem.
“Murder on the Orient Express”, as its name suggests, is about a murder perpetrated on a trip on that train, which will lead the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) to try to find out the truth about the travelers and find out who killed to such an unfortunate traveler.
11. The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
Another movie inspired by a novel of the same title. Jonathan Demme brought to the big screen the book by Thomas Harris, considered one of the most influential novels of the late 20th century.
“The Silence of the Lambs” is about the relentless pursuit of a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill, bringing the matter to the jurisdiction of the FBI. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a brilliant newly licensed agent aspires to become a great authority within the FBI. She is specialized in psychopathic behaviors, but she will need the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a sociopathic psychiatrist who is confined in a high security prison.
This thriller swims between suspense, terror and the portrait of an unknown world, becoming a true benchmark of the genre, with the figure of Hannibal Lecter as terrifying as that of Anton Chigurh
12. Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky, 2010)
Nina (Natalie Portman), a ballet dancer, seeks to succeed in a prestigious dance company in New York. Controlled by her obsessive mother and pressured by the director’s plans, Nina will end up mentally exhausted, having trouble discerning between reality and fiction.
The role of Nina earned Natalie Portman the Oscar for best actress, being “Black Swan” a portrait of how success can become a sick obsession, accompanied by the excellent musical piece Swan Lake, by Tchaikovsky .
13. Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)
Christopher Nolan brought to the cinema a story written by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. “Memento” tells the story of Leonard (Guy Pearce), an insurance agency investigator whose memory has been damaged after he was hit in the head while trying to find out what happened to his wife.
Reality, past and fiction are mixed in the plot, making this film a cult film, in terms of script and editing, a thriller that leaves a deep mark.
14. Misery (Rob Reiner, 1990)
“Misery”, although considered by some to be a minor film by Rob Reiner, is, with all the weight of the expression, a film of profound relevance in pop culture.
It is about the story of Paul Sheldon (James Caan), a writer who has lost the desire to continue writing romantic dramas. His fan Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), the most unconditional and crazy of his followers, in the literal sense, manages to trap him in his home, preventing him from leaving his house.
Based on the homonymous play by Stephen King, Reiner managed to capture in the film the authentic fear and desperation of being in such a situation, showing how the fan phenomenon can truly become pathological.
15. The Name of the Rose (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1986)
Umberto Eco’s work of the same name was classified as unadaptable for many years, due to its subject matter. However, the French director Jean-Jacques Annaud dared to take it to the cinema, in a truly faithful and successful way.
It tells the story of Fray Guillermo de Baskerville (Sean Connery), a Franciscan monk, somewhat retrograde, faithful follower of the Inquisition, who is accompanied by his young disciple, Adso de Melk (Christian Slater). These two characters will try to solve a mysterious murder in a remote abbey.
The film, like the original work, is riddled with puzzles, embodied in iconic sequences. Although Annaud sacrifices, in part, the theological and formal elements of the novel, she manages to compensate by emphasizing intrigue and suspense. A classic film of the genre that must be seen yes or yes.
16. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
“Rear Window” is about a reporter and journalist, LB “Jeff” Jefferies (James Stewart) who rests in a wheelchair, terribly bored. So bored that he can’t take it anymore and, indiscreetly, he decides to look out the window, to see if anything interesting happens.
Indeed, it seems that something out of the ordinary has happened in one of the houses opposite. Armed with his binoculars, the reporter will try to find out what is happening, horrified by what he thinks he has seen.
This story of voyeurism is, authentically, another of Alfred Hitchcock’s great masterpieces, a benchmark in the suspense genre.
17. El bosque (M. Night Shyamalan, 2004)
The plot takes place in a distant and small rural town in Pennsylvania, frightened by strange beings that live in the forest and do not let them cross their limits. The presence of the creatures has meant that, within the community, a series of rules have been established to prevent its inhabitants from exposing themselves to danger. However, something happens, causing there to be those who dare to go beyond the limits.
Really strange and even undervalued by some sectors of the audience, this film includes the participation of such relevant figures of the seventh art as Joaquín Phoenix, Adrian Brody, William Hurt and Bryce Dallas.
18. Seven (David Fincher, 1995)
“Seven” is considered one of the best films of the 1990s, providing an opportunity for its director, David Fincher, who had not had much luck directing “Alien 3.” Fortunately for him, “Seven” has become a masterpiece of the genre.
The film delves into the last days in the police force of Lieutenant Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a detective who worked in the homicide department and who is going to be replaced by David Millis (Brad Pitt). However, this near retirement turns sour given that both the veteran and his young successor must investigate a series of serial murders, carried out based on the seven deadly sins: gluttony, sloth, pride, greed, envy, lust and anger.
Dark, terrifying and, frankly, intelligent, despite the fact that it is already a few years old, it is still a film that is not at all ignorant for anyone who considers himself addicted to suspense.
19. Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese, 2010)
“Shutter Island” tells how Inspector Edward “Teddy” Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Agent Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) arrive on an island that has a psychiatric hospital. There they investigate the strange disappearance of a patient, who had been admitted after drowning her children.
As they investigate, both agents see that the case is more murky than they thought, finding small details that make their blood run cold.
In addition, agent Daniels experiences flashbacks throughout the film, of his war years, and the death of his wife and children, deaths caused by an inmate of the same psychiatric hospital he is investigating.
20. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive” follows the misadventures of Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) and her passion for wanting to become a Hollywood actress. She will soon meet Rita (Laura Elena Herring), a woman who suffers from amnesia caused by an accident on Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, California. She will soon begin to investigate how it happened, creepily touching herself.
So mysterious and strange, as well as oneiric and chaotic, that the director himself admitted that he did not know what he wanted to tell with this work.
21. The others (Alejandro Amenábar, 2001)
Set on the Island of Jersey just after World War II ended, “The Others” tells the story of a woman, Grace (Nicole Kidman), who must live the sad reality once the conflict is over. Her husband is not coming back.
Alone in a Victorian house on the island of Jersey, Grace decides to educate her children within strict religious norms. The children suffer from a strange disease that prevents them from being able to receive direct sunlight.
Grace hires three new servants, who must learn two vital rules to be able to continue working there: the house must always be in darkness and a door will never be opened if the previous one has not been opened. However, these strict rules of Grace will be challenged by events beyond her control.
22. Lost Highway (David Lynch, 1997)
Another film by David Lynch, a filmmaker capable of conveying like no other the feeling of claustrophobia offered by the story, which loses us and amazes us in equal measure.
“Lost Highway” is a film that tells the story of Fred Madison (Bill Pullman), a jazz musician who lives happily with his wife Renee Madison (Patricia Arquette), until he begins to receive mysterious tapes with a video in which a recording of him with another woman appears in his house.
23. The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949)
One of the oldest intrigue films that, in turn, has become a true magnum opus of film noir.
The film takes us to the year 1947, just when the Cold War begins. Going to Vienna, occupied by the allies after the end of the Second World War and liberated Austria from the yoke of Nazi hands, in the course of the film we will follow the trail of Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), a writer of novels and serials of the Wild West, who will be looking for his life’s work. However, soon everything will change.
24. Sweet Monos (Terry Gilliam, 1995)
Year 2035. A mysterious epidemic has completely devastated humanity. Few survivors remain, who live at the bottom of the Earth. In these underground communities, the scientific leaders decide to send a prisoner, James Cole (Bruce Willis), back in time to find the antidote and prevent the Apocalypse from occurring, perpetrated by the soldiers of the so-called Army of the 12 Monkeys.
However, after reaching the past, Cole will be classified as a person with a mental disorder, ending up in a psychiatric hospital and meeting Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), the son of one of the most powerful families in the city.
Based on the short film “La Jetée” (1962) by Chris Marker, “Twelve Monkeys” is a lucid and, at the same time, murky science fiction story that will leave us breathless on more than one occasion.
25. M, The Vampire of Düsseldorf (Fritz Lang, 1931)
“M, The Vampire of Düsseldorf”, one of Fritz Lang’s masterpieces, classic, history of suspense cinema. It tells us the story of a murderer of girls who has the city frightened. The police decide to go in search of him, but after several attempts by the law that have not led to anything, it is the mafia who decides to get down to business.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.