If you’re in the mood for a gripping, suspenseful movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look no further than Peacock’s impressive selection of thrillers. From classic Hitchcock films to modern psychological mind-benders, the streaming service offers a wide variety of thrillers to satisfy any fan of the genre.
To help you find the perfect movie for your next movie night, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best thriller movies on Peacock that you can stream right now. Whether you prefer gritty crime dramas, supernatural horror, or twisty mysteries, there’s something on this list for every type of thriller fan.
1. Psycho (1960)
Widely considered one of the greatest films ever made, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is a masterclass in suspense and terror. When secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) goes on the run after stealing $40,000 from her employer, she checks into the remote Bates Motel, run by the shy but friendly Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). But all is not as it seems at the motel, and Marion soon finds herself in a waking nightmare.
With its iconic shower scene, Bernard Herrmann’s shrieking violins, and a twist ending that shocked 1960 audiences, Psycho is a thriller that stands the test of time. If you’ve never seen it, prepare yourself for a movie that will get under your skin and stay there.
2. Rear Window (1954)
Another Hitchcock classic, Rear Window stars James Stewart as L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies, a photographer confined to a wheelchair in his apartment while recovering from a broken leg. To pass the time, Jeff begins spying on his neighbors through his rear window, becoming increasingly convinced that one of them (Raymond Burr) has murdered his wife.
With the help of his socialite girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and his visiting nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter), Jeff attempts to solve the possible crime, despite his limited mobility. Rear Window is a masterful exploration of voyeurism, suspicion, and the dark impulses that can lurk behind a seemingly ordinary facade.
3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Based on the novel by Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee tasked with interviewing the imprisoned cannibal psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in order to catch another serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill.”
Foster and Hopkins both won Academy Awards for their iconic performances, and the film became only the third movie to win Oscars in all the top five categories (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay). Terrifying, intelligent, and endlessly quotable (“I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”), The Silence of the Lambs remains the gold standard for psychological thrillers.
4. Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out is a horror-thriller with a sharp social commentary on racism in America. Daniel Kaluuya stars as Chris, a young black man who goes to meet the family of his white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) for the first time. At first, the family seems overly accommodating, but Chris soon realizes that something much more sinister is going on beneath the surface.
Get Out is a taut, clever thriller that keeps the audience guessing until its shocking final act. Peele’s script deftly balances scares and laughs while never losing sight of its central message about the insidiousness of racism. It’s a movie that demands repeat viewings to catch all the clues hiding in plain sight.
5. A Quiet Place (2018)
Directed by John Krasinski, who also stars alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place is a post-apocalyptic thriller set in a world overrun by blind aliens with hypersensitive hearing. To survive, a family must live in near-total silence, communicating only in sign language.
With minimal dialogue and a focus on visual storytelling, A Quiet Place is a masterclass in tension-building. Every creak of a floorboard or rustle of a leaf feels loaded with dread, and the film’s sound design ratchets up the suspense to almost unbearable levels. But the movie is anchored by the central family’s struggle to protect each other, making it as emotionally resonant as it is terrifying.
6. Shutter Island (2010)
Directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, Shutter Island stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshal investigating the disappearance of a patient at a remote hospital for the criminally insane. But as Teddy delves deeper into the mystery, reality begins to warp around him, and he starts to question everything he thought he knew.
Shutter Island is a trippy, twist-filled thriller that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Scorsese’s direction is as assured as ever, creating a pervasive sense of dread and unease that builds to a shattering climax. DiCaprio gives one of his most intense performances, portraying a man on the brink of madness with raw, feverish energy.
7. The Sixth Sense (1999)
M. Night Shyamalan’s breakout hit The Sixth Sense stars Bruce Willis as Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist tasked with helping a troubled young boy named Cole (Haley Joel Osment) who claims to see dead people. As Malcolm tries to unravel the mystery of Cole’s abilities, he begins to suspect that the boy’s visions may be more than just a product of a disturbed mind.
The Sixth Sense is a slow-burn thriller that builds to one of the most famous twist endings in movie history. But even if you know the twist going in, the film still holds up as a deeply moving exploration of grief, trauma, and the bonds between the living and the dead. Osment and Willis both give career-best performances, and Shyamalan’s assured direction creates an eerie, unsettling atmosphere that lingers long after the credits roll.
8. Vertigo (1958)
Yet another Hitchcock film on this list, Vertigo stars James Stewart as John “Scottie” Ferguson, a former police detective who becomes obsessed with a woman he’s been hired to follow (Kim Novak). As Scottie falls deeper under the woman’s spell, he begins to lose his grip on reality, leading to a dizzying spiral of deception and madness.
Vertigo is a complex, psychologically dense thriller that explores themes of obsession, identity, and the blurring of fantasy and reality. Hitchcock’s masterful use of color, camera angles, and visual effects creates a sense of disorientation and unease that mirrors Scottie’s fractured mental state. It’s a film that rewards repeat viewings, as each new layer reveals new depths to the characters and their twisted relationships.
9. Jaws (1975)
Steven Spielberg’s breakout hit Jaws is often credited with inventing the modern summer blockbuster, but it’s also a masterclass in suspense and primal terror. When a giant great white shark begins terrorizing the beaches of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) teams up with a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a professional shark hunter (Robert Shaw) to take down the beast.
Jaws is a thriller that works on multiple levels – as a pulse-pounding adventure, a character-driven drama, and a sly commentary on the folly of man vs. nature. Spielberg’s direction is flawless, using the shark’s absence to build tension and then delivering unforgettable set-pieces when it finally appears. With a memorable score by John Williams and career-defining performances from its three leads, Jaws remains the ultimate summer thriller.
10. The Usual Suspects (1995)
Directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie, The Usual Suspects is a twisty neo-noir thriller about five criminals brought together for a police lineup who decide to pull a heist together. But as the plot unfolds through flashbacks and unreliable narration, it becomes clear that nothing is quite what it seems.
Anchored by a breakout performance from Kevin Spacey as the enigmatic Roger “Verbal” Kint, The Usual Suspects is a film that keeps the audience guessing until its final, shocking reveal. McQuarrie’s Oscar-winning screenplay is a marvel of misdirection and sleight-of-hand, planting clues and red herrings that only become clear on repeat viewings. It’s a movie that rewards close attention and active engagement, making it endlessly rewatchable for fans of smart, twisty thrillers.
11. Nightcrawler (2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal gives a career-best performance in Nightcrawler, a dark thriller about the seedy underworld of freelance crime journalism in Los Angeles. Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, a driven but morally bankrupt young man who discovers a talent for capturing grisly footage of crime scenes and accidents, which he sells to a local news station.
As Lou becomes more successful, his methods become increasingly unethical and dangerous, blurring the lines between observer and participant in the crimes he covers. Nightcrawler is a biting satire of sensationalist media and the American dream, with a mesmerizing central performance from Gyllenhaal as a man who will stop at nothing to get ahead. It’s a thriller that leaves a bitter aftertaste, forcing the audience to confront their own complicity in the culture of violence and exploitation.
12. The Gift (2015)
The Gift is a psychological thriller that explores the long-reaching consequences of bullying and the limits of forgiveness. Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall play Simon and Robyn, a married couple who move back to Simon’s hometown, where they encounter Gordo (Joel Edgerton), an old classmate with a mysterious past.
As Gordo’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and unsettling, Simon and Robyn are forced to confront the secrets and lies that have shaped their relationship. The Gift is a slow-burn thriller that builds tension through subtle performances and a creeping sense of dread. Edgerton, who also wrote and directed the film, crafts a complex web of moral ambiguity that challenges the audience’s sympathies and expectations.
13. Cape Fear (1991)
A remake of the 1962 film of the same name, Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear stars Robert De Niro as Max Cady, a convicted rapist who seeks revenge on the lawyer who defended him (Nick Nolte) by terrorizing his family. De Niro’s performance is a tour-de-force of menace and barely-contained rage, as he transforms himself into a tattooed, muscle-bound monster.
Scorsese ratchets up the tension with his signature style, using quick cuts, disorienting camera angles, and a pulsing score by Bernard Herrmann. Cape Fear is a thriller that isn’t afraid to go to dark, uncomfortable places, exploring the limits of the justice system and the primal urge for vengeance.
14. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a lush, twisty thriller set in the world of wealthy American expatriates in 1950s Italy. Matt Damon stars as Tom Ripley, a young con artist who becomes obsessed with the charmed life of playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) and his fiancée Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow).
As Tom insinuates himself into their lives, his obsession takes a dark turn, leading to a series of increasingly desperate and violent acts. The Talented Mr. Ripley is a thriller that doubles as a critique of class, privilege, and the American dream, with a breakout performance from Damon as the slippery, sociopathic Ripley.
15. The Invitation (2015)
The Invitation is a slow-burn thriller that builds an almost unbearable sense of tension and dread over the course of one strange dinner party. Logan Marshall-Green stars as Will, a man still grieving the loss of his son who accepts an invitation to a gathering hosted by his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband David (Michiel Huisman).
As the night goes on, Will becomes increasingly convinced that something is very wrong with Eden and David’s new friends, leading to a shocking and violent climax. The Invitation is a masterclass in suspense, using long takes and a claustrophobic setting to create a sense of unease that builds to a fever pitch.
16. Minority Report (2002)
Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report is a sci-fi thriller set in a near-future where crime is predicted and prevented before it happens. Tom Cruise stars as John Anderton, the head of the “PreCrime” unit, who finds himself on the run when the system predicts that he will commit a murder.
As Anderton tries to unravel the mystery and clear his name, he uncovers a conspiracy that goes to the heart of the PreCrime system. Minority Report is a visually stunning and thought-provoking thriller that raises questions about free will, determinism, and the dangers of relying too heavily on technology.
17. The Machinist (2004)
Christian Bale famously lost a shocking amount of weight to play Trevor Reznik, a factory worker suffering from severe insomnia, in The Machinist. As Trevor’s mental state deteriorates, he becomes convinced that someone is trying to drive him insane, leading him down a dark path of paranoia and self-destruction.
The Machinist is a surreal, unsettling thriller that blurs the lines between reality and hallucination, with a haunting performance from Bale as a man on the brink of madness. Director Brad Anderson creates a grimy, industrial atmosphere that mirrors Trevor’s fractured psyche, making for a deeply unsettling viewing experience.
18. The Game (1997)
Directed by David Fincher, The Game stars Michael Douglas as Nicholas Van Orton, a wealthy investment banker who receives a mysterious birthday gift from his estranged brother (Sean Penn) – a voucher for a “game” that promises to change his life. As Nicholas begins to play, he finds himself caught up in a web of conspiracy and danger that blurs the lines between the game and reality.
The Game is a twisty, mind-bending thriller that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Fincher’s precise, stylish direction creates a sense of unease and paranoia, while Douglas’s performance as the unraveling Nicholas is a masterclass in slow-burn tension.
19. Memento (2000)
Christopher Nolan’s breakout hit Memento stars Guy Pearce as Leonard, a man with anterograde amnesia who is searching for his wife’s killer. The film is told in reverse chronological order, with each scene revealing a new piece of the puzzle as Leonard tries to make sense of his fragmented memories.
Memento is a mind-bending thriller that rewards close attention and repeat viewings, as the audience tries to piece together the clues and unravel the mystery alongside Leonard. Pearce gives a stunning performance as a man trapped in his own broken mind, while Nolan’s inventive storytelling and visual style established him as a major talent to watch.
20. The Vanishing (1988)
George Sluizer’s The Vanishing is a chilling Dutch thriller about a man’s obsessive search for his girlfriend, who disappeared without a trace during a holiday trip. As Rex (Gene Bervoets) becomes increasingly consumed by his quest for answers, he crosses paths with Raymond (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu), a mild-mannered family man with a dark secret.
The Vanishing is a slow-burn thriller that builds to a shocking and unforgettable climax, with a haunting final scene that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Sluizer’s direction is understated but effective, creating a sense of unease that grows steadily throughout the film.
So there you have it – the 20 best thriller movies you can stream right now on Peacock, spanning a wide range of eras and subgenres from Hitchcockian classics to modern supernatural chillers. Whether you prefer gritty crime dramas, surreal mind-benders, or zombie action, there’s a suspenseful movie on this list for every type of thriller fan. Enjoy the thrills and chills!
