The decade churned out found footage innovators like &34;Paranormal Activity&34; and grisly thrillers like &34;28 Days Later&34;. The 25 best horror movies that defined the 2000s The decade churned out found footage innovators like &34;Paranormal Activity&34; and grisly thrillers like &34;28 Days Later&34;. October 29, 2025 9:00 a.m. ET :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/horrormoviesofthe2000s102325d82318b792794de0b998d868ab3e29a1.jpg) Megan Fox as Jennifer Check in 'Jennifer's Body'; Cillian Murphy as Jim in '28 Days Later'; Alison Lohman as Christine Brown in 'Drag Me to Hell'.

The decade churned out found footage innovators like "Paranormal Activity" and grisly thrillers like "28 Days Later".

The 25 best horror movies that defined the 2000s

The decade churned out found footage innovators like "Paranormal Activity" and grisly thrillers like "28 Days Later".

October 29, 2025 9:00 a.m. ET

Megan Fox as Jennifer Check in 'Jennifer's Body'; Cillian Murphy as Jim in '28 Days Later'; Alison Lohman as Christine Brown in 'Drag Me to Hell'. Credit:

Doane Gregory/Fox; Peter Mountain/FOX; Melissa Moseley/Universal

The 2000s were a dark time for horror movies, with directors pushing their grisly visions to the extreme. Perhaps it was the cultural climate of the time: Post-9/11 fear and cynicism, seemingly endless wars, and a toxic tabloid culture made for a relatively bleak era, and the movies of the time were no exception.

Yet, in between the teen slashers of the '90s and the rise of "elevated horror" in the 2010s, the 2000s boasted a boom of scary movies we now consider new classics. Hollywood films like *American Psycho* (2000) and *Jennifer's Body* (2009) offered a refreshing satirical bite, while international features such as *The Devil's Backbone* (2001) and *Let the Right One In* (2008) proved that not all scares had to be cheap.**

Ahead, ** offers its picks for the 25 best horror movies of the 2000s. Here are the ones that still keep us up at night.

28 Days Later (2002)

Cillian Murphy as Jim in '28 Days Later'. Peter Mountain/Searchlight Pictures

Danny Boyle changed the undead game with *28 Days Later*, whose red-eyed "rage zombies" popularized the concept of the fast-moving dead—a whole different monster from the shambling slowpokes of the Romero era. Writer Alex Garland would go on to become a celebrated filmmaker in his own right with *Ex Machina* and *Civil War, *and stars Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris — both up-and-comers at the time of filming — rocketed to fame after the movie's release.

Shot in very-of-its-time digital DV, *28 Days Later* expertly balances intense horror, character-driven drama, and memorable imagery — most famously, a shot of Murphy standing on an abandoned, covered in trash London Bridge.

American Psycho (2000)

Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in 'American Psycho'. Everett Collection

Director Mary Harron and screenwriter Guinevere Turner bring a fresh female sensibility to their adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' controversial bestseller, about a Wall Street investment banker named Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) who moonlights as a deranged serial killer.

Harron and Turner emphasize the comedy of '80s yuppie manners inside Ellis' orgy of bloodlust, highlighting its savage satire of toxic masculinity and consumer excess. Bale's very game performance only adds to the heightened absurdity and comedy of this very dark, violent movie — it's no surprise that Bale-as-Bateman has birthed multiple memes in the decades since this movie's release.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Nathan Baesel as Leslie Vernon in 'Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon'. Everett Collection

An ahead-of-its-time hidden gem, the 2006 mockumentary horror flick *Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon *anticipates the meta-slasher movies of the 2010s and '20s with a satirical faux doc following an up-and-coming horror villain named Leslie Vernon as he plans his first big mass murder.

No one's heard of Leslie yet, mind you. But his mentor assures him that he'll be bigger than Michael Myers *and* Jason Voorhees once his plan comes to fruition. The film pivots from wry mock-doc to straightforward slasher in its second half, but its wit remains sharper than the farm equipment Leslie uses to dispatch his victims.

The Descent (2005)

Shauna Macdonald as Sarah in 'The Descent'. Alex Bailey/Lionsgate

Another viscerally scary film that takes viewers on a dark and intense ride, *The Descent* is not recommended for people with a fear of tight spaces. Most of the movie takes place underground, following a group of friends who go spelunking in a cave (supposedly in North Carolina, but actually shot in southern England) inhabited by an unknown…something.

Following his debut *Dog Soldiers* in 2002, *The Descent* was an international breakout hit for director Neil Marshall, who would go on to film some of the most epic battle scenes on* Game of Thrones*. This survival horror/monster movie hybrid is also notable for having a nearly all-female cast, which was a surprising departure when it hit theaters in 2005.

The Devil's Backbone (2001)

Junio Valverde as Santi in 'The Devil's Backbone'. Everett Collection

The 2000s produced a pair of instant-classic ghost movies out of Spain: 2007's *The Orphanage*, from director J.A. Bayona, and 2001's* The Devil's Backbone *— which is set during the Spanish Civil War, but was made by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. The aughts were also good for del Toro, who broke out into the mainstream with his dark fairytale *Pan's Labyrinth* later in the decade.

But in terms of sheer terror, this stark, spine-tingling ghost story, about a school for orphaned boys haunted by a melancholy corpse known as "the one who sighs," is the scariest film in del Toro's filmography. *The Devil's Backbone *is beautiful, horrifying, and deeply sad all at the same time.

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Alison Lohman as Christine Brown in 'Drag Me to Hell'. Everett Collection

After an extended period away from horror, Sam Raimi returned to the genre that made him famous with *Drag Me to Hell,* a pulpy, propulsive roller-coaster ride of a demon possession movie. Alison Lohman stars as Christine, a loan officer at a Southern California bank who evicts the wrong old lady and finds herself cursed as a result.

Like all of Raimi's work,* Drag Me to Hell* is painted in cartoonish broad strokes as Christine desperately fumbles to find a way to break the curse in three days, before she gets, well, dragged to hell. But for a PG-13 rated horror movie, it's surprisingly intense and freaky as well — also classic Raimi.

Frailty (2002)

Matthew McConaughey as Adam/Fenton Meiks in 'Frailty'. Everett Collection

Bill Paxton gives one of the finest performances of his career in *Frailty,* a psychological thriller starring the actor as a religious fanatic in small-town Texas who recruits his sons for a divinely inspired mission to kill "demons."

Now, whether the family's victims are *actually *possessed by evil spirits, or if they're innocent bystanders caught up in a deadly delusion, is open to interpretation. And that's a big part of the intrigue Paxton — who also makes his directorial debut here — is building in this hidden gem from 2002, which costars Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Katharine Isabelle as Ginger Fitzgerald in 'Ginger Snaps'. Everett Collection

*Ginger Snaps* does for the werewolf movie what* Let The Right One In* did for vampire stories. But, although it was directed by a man (John Fawcett, who went on to work on *Orphan Black*), this modern monster movie has had a big impact on feminist horror filmmaking.

The story revolves around two goth-y Canadian outcasts, Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and her older sister Ginger (Katharine Isabelle), whose relationship is tested when Ginger is attacked by a strange animal and transforms into a sexually aggressive werewolf. *Ginger Snaps* was ahead of its time in the way it applied classic horror tropes to a story about female sexuality and coming of age, making it a precursor to films like *Jennifer's Body* and* Raw *that use similar themes.

Hostel (2005)

Jay Hernandez as Paxton Rodriguez in 'Hostel'. Everett Collection

*Hostel* is a movie that practically dares you to like it. Eli Roth's follow-up to his breakthrough feature *Cabin Fever *(2002) starts off as a satire of some of the ugliest Americans ever to travel abroad, following the exploits of a group of hedonistic frat-boy types partying their way across Europe.

Then something shifts, and the movie unleashes a gauntlet of sadistic violence that's very effective at making the same viewers who found these characters intensely annoying a few scenes ago feel guilty for ever hating them. It's an ugly, cynical, mean-spirited, low-key brilliant movie, and Roth's best effort as a director so far.

The House of the Devil (2009)

Jocelin Donahue as Samantha 'Sam' Hughes in 'The House of the Devil'. Magnolia Pictures

Starring Jocelin Donahue as a college student hard up for cash who takes on a suspicious babysitting gig, *The House of the Devil *is a Ti West masterpiece. This early '80s slasher throwback has the same dynamic sensibilities as a Pixies song, starting off quiet, then getting loud, then going quiet again before exploding in an onslaught of violence that's the stuff of every bible-thumper's worst nightmares.

An early appearance by Greta Gerwig as the doomed best friend and a memorable needle drop from the Fixx in the film's most celebrated scene further ups *The House of the Devil*'s street cred, making this an all-around solid example of the best indie-horror the 2000s had to offer.

Inside (2007)

A close-up of an eyeball from 'Inside'. Everett

*Inside *may not be as deep as* *other films on this list*, *but it stands out for how relentlessly violent and viscerally upsetting it is — a real feat in the decade that also brought us the* Saw* series. This particular French horror film, helmed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, takes place on Christmas Eve, as a pregnant woman named Sarah (Alysson Paradis) prepares to go to the hospital for an induced labor the following morning.

Then, an unnamed woman (played by an unhinged Béatrice Dalle) shows up on Sarah's doorstep, bearing a pair of very sharp scissors and a disturbing demand: She wants Sarah's baby, and she's willing to perform amateur surgery with no anesthesia to get it.

Jennifer's Body (2009)

Megan Fox as Jennifer Check in 'Jennifer's Body'. Doane Gregory/Fox

The world wasn't ready for *Jennifer's Body *when it was first released in 2009, garnering dismissive reviews from critics who didn't seem to get what writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama were going for in this claws-out gem of a high school horror movie.

Amanda Seyfried stars as Anita "Needy" Lesnicki, a bookish teenager whose best friend Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) transforms into a bloodthirsty, hyper-sexual succubus after she climbs into a van with some douchebags after a disastrous rock concert. Queer, quippy, and tons of fun,* Jennifer's Body *captures the feeling of watching a horror movie at a sleepover with your best friends.

Let the Right One In (2008)

Lina Leandersson as Eli in 'Let the Right One In'.

Magnolia Pictures

This Swedish import swept into American theaters in 2008 like a blast of ice-cold air, stunning critics and audiences alike with its unique, haunting take on vampire myths. The film stars newcomers Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson as Oskar and Eli, two lonely kids living in the same apartment block in a small Swedish city in winter.

Oskar is drawn to Eli, but there's something very strange about her relationship with the older man (Per Rangar) she lives with — a man who, we later discover, goes out at night and drains random victims of blood like deer carcasses. With its frozen setting, enigmatic characters, and haunting tone, *Let The Right One In* is, at its core, a twisted and terribly sad love story — as all the best vampire movies are.

The 30 best classic horror movies of all time

The 30 best Halloween movies to stream this spooky season

Martyrs (2008)

Mylène Jampanoï as Lucie Jurin in 'Martyrs'. Everett Collection

Pascal Laugier's *Martyrs *is one of the best films to come out of the micro-movement known as the New French Extremity, a sort of European cousin to "torture porn" that produced a series of shockingly violent horror films in France in the mid-2000s.

Laugier's film stands out because it has the thematic heft to back up its mind-bogglingly intense gore, using the story of two traumatized young women who escape from a bourgeois cult obsessed with transcendence through torture — only to be drawn back into its sinister clutches — to make a devastatingly bleak statement on faith.

May (2002)

Angela Bettis as May Dove Canady in 'May'. Everett Collection

Writer-director Lucky McKee has yet to fully recapture the magic of his debut feature, 2002's *May*, a character-driven horror movie that captures McKee's warped sense of humor with sympathy and warmth while still delivering the grotesque goods.

Angela Bettis gives one of the best horror performances of the decade as the title character, a deeply lonely veterinary assistant and amateur taxidermist with a lazy eye and no friends, who loses her already tenuous grip on reality after experiencing one too many romantic rejections. You'll feel for her and be afraid of her at the same time.

Noroi: The Curse (2005)

Marika Matsumoto as herself in 'Noroi: The Curse'. Xanadeux

An even finer example of the found-footage subgenre comes from Japan, where director Koji Shiraishi brought some very creepy innovations to the format in 2005 with *Noroi: The Curse*. The film is framed in the style of a TV documentary special, supposedly left unfinished after its host, paranormal researcher Masafami Kobayashi (Jin Muraki), went missing while investigating the title phenomenon.

*Noroi: The Curse *builds a complex internal mythology using clips from fake reality TV series and faux newscasts, steadily undermining the viewer's sense of reality by combining sinister figures from Japanese folklore with an overwhelming sense of impending doom.

The Others (2001)

Nicole Kidman as Grace Stewart in 'The Others'. Everett Collection

Nicole Kidman's performance is the draw in the old-fashioned ghost story *The Others*,* *the English-language debut of Spanish-Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar.

Kidman stars in this artfully executed haunted house flick as Grace, the agoraphobic mother of two children who suffer from a genetic disorder that makes them extremely sensitive to sunlight. If that makes you think of fragile psyches and shadowy corners full of unseen energies, you'd be correct. Because although words like "restrained" and "mature" can be used to describe *The Others,* the film also doesn't skimp on tension or scares.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Micah Sloat as Micah and Katie Featherston as Katie in 'Paranormal Activity'. Everett Collection

Made on a budget of $15,000, *Paranormal Activity* is the microbudget haunted house movie that could. A surprise mega-hit that counted Steven Spielberg — who, according to legend, was so scared by the movie he threw away his DVD screener copy — among its biggest backers, the keys to the film's success are twofold.

First is its embrace of the new technologies that were entering American homes in the 2000s, documenting an era where cameras were becoming an increasingly ordinary part of daily life through the medium of found-footage horror. Second is its patience, which leads to some extremely effective scares as producer/writer/director/cinematographer/editor Oren Peli spins the tale of an ordinary suburban couple terrorized by an unseen entity.

Pontypool (2008)

Georgina Reilly as Laurel-Ann Drummond in 'Pontypool'. Miroslaw Baszak/IFC Films

Not content with one inventive twist, the low-budget Canadian horror thriller *Pontypool* has two. First, there's the film's claustrophobic setting: The story takes place over one snowy morning in the small Ontario town of Pontypool, where washed-up radio shock jock ​​Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) is narrating a zombie apocalypse in real time from his recording booth.

Then there's the way the virus spreads. Rather than your typical bite or scratch, *Pontypool*'s curse spreads through the repetition of certain trigger words, enabling director Bruce McDonald to pull off what sounds like an impossible feat: A dialogue-driven zombie movie.

Pulse (2001)

Kumiko Asō as Michi Kudo and Haruhiko Kato as Ryosuke Kawashima in 'Pulse'. Everett Collection

*Pulse* (a.k.a *Kairo*) is the best horror movie ever made about the internet, full stop. Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa made a name for himself with a series of horror films in the late '90s and early '00s, all of them with a powerful sensation of cold, dark emptiness at their center.* *

*Pulse *is a ghost story, featuring two interwoven storylines about young Tokyoites who begin to see and hear strange apparitions flitting across their computer screens. It's a slow burn, but there are scenes in *Pulse* that are scary enough that you might find yourself forgetting to breathe.

REC (2007)

Manuela Velasco as Ángela Vidal in 'REC'.

Everett Collection

Found footage horror came back with a vengeance in the '00s. But few films in the subgenre can compete with the original 2007* REC *in terms of edge-of-your-seat excitement.

The film also birthed one of the best horror heroines in the genre's history in the form of Angela (Manuela Velasco), a TV reporter on a seemingly ordinary assignment following a group of firefighters on a night call at a Barcelona apartment building. Except there's nothing ordinary about the source of these tenants' distress: The building is under siege by cannibalistic creatures that are part demon, part zombie, and completely freaky-looking, and Angela and her crew are going to have to fight to stay alive.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Dylan Moran as David, Kate Ashfield as Liz, Simon Pegg as Shaun, and Lucy Davis as Dianne in 'Shaun of the Dead'. Focus Features

Game changers like *Shaun of the Dead* only come around so often. As well as being Edgar Wright's breakout hit, this film also introduced the world (the world that wasn't already watching British TV, anyway) to Nick Frost and Simon Pegg. And they're just the duo that's needed to get us through the zombie apocalypse with good humor and a high BAC.

*Shaun* is ground zero for the so-called "zom-com" (zombie comedy), and it remains sharper and sillier than its many imitators: An extended opening sequence has the title character going through a day in his life barely noticing the undead chaos that's happening all around him. The comedy is perfectly executed, the gore delivers when it needs to, and most importantly, it's just an extremely entertaining film.

Slither (2006)

Nathan Fillion as Police Chief Bill Pardy, Elizabeth Banks as Starla Grant, and Don Thompson as Wally in 'Slither'. Chris Helcermanas-Benge/Universal

Long before anyone would ever think of putting him in charge of anything, present DCEU head James Gunn rose out of the Troma trenches and into the mainstream with this goofy, gross (in a good way) horror-comedy.

The story harkens back to the alien invasion movies of the 1950s, but with way more one-liners and exploding heads: Michael Rooker stars as a macho Everyman in small-town Texas who's possessed by an alien slug creature that crawls into its victims' mouths and transforms them into slimy, malevolent blobs. Wisecrack experts Elizabeth Banks and Nathan Fillion costar in this wild, goopy, often laugh-out-loud hilarious ride.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

Im Soo-jung as Bae Su-mi in 'A Tale of Two Sisters'. Everett Collection

Another ghost story — this one hailing from South Korea — *A Tale of Two Sisters *combines handsome filmmaking, intensely terrifying paranormal sequences, and psychosexual subtext that gives this twisty film the aura of a fairy tale.

Director Kim Jee-woon uses every trick in the haunted-house book when spinning the tale of two vulnerable sisters, their neglectful father, and their evil stepmother, all of whom are trapped together in a shabby (but beautifully filmed) old country house. As the story unfolds, Kim steadily unravels everything we know about these characters and their relationships, leading to a shocking finale.

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

Anna Paquin as Laurie in 'Trick 'r Treat'. Everett Collection

*Godzilla: King of the Monsters* director Michael Dougherty made his feature debut with this anthology film, which initially struggled to find distribution — it went direct to DVD in 2009 — but has since become a seasonal staple.

This collection of grisly horror vignettes all take place on Halloween night in the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio, and are all tied together by black comedy and autumnal atmosphere. It also features Anna Paquin as a reluctant party-goer dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, Brian Cox as a stingy neighbor who pays for his lack of holiday cheer with his life, a school bus full of the vengeful ghosts of murdered kids, and a creepy little hellion named Sam (Quinn Lord).

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Movies"

Read More

---

Source: Movies

Published: October 31, 2025 at 07:38PM on Source: HOT POINT

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byAll About ...

in

11:49

The 25 best horror movies that defined the 2000s

The decade churned out found footage innovators like &34;Paranormal Activity&34; and grisly thrillers like &34;28 ...

Read More

The 22 best thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your pulse racing Looking for some cinematic excitement? Add these heartpounding action films and psychological slowburns to your watchlist. By Ilana Gordon, Kevin Jacobsen, and Hayley Arnold on October 29, 2025 6:55 a.m. ET :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/BestThrillersonAmazonPrimeVideo072102725af73aafcfe4247cf86e1478c64fbd8a1.jpg) Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean in 'Black Bag'; Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence in 'Conclave'; Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'.

The 22 best thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your pulse racing

Looking for some cinematic excitement? Add these heart-pounding action films and psychological slow-burns to your watchlist.

By Ilana Gordon, Kevin Jacobsen, and Hayley Arnold

on October 29, 2025 6:55 a.m. ET

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean in 'Black Bag'; Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence in 'Conclave'; Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'. Credit:

Claudette Barius/Focus Features; Courtesy of Focus Features; Columbia Pictures

In a genre saturated with formulaic, predictable plots, sifting through thrillers to find gems takes time. So, we took the guesswork out of your next movie night. Featuring directorial debuts and staples from seasoned pros, this list highlights the best thrillers on Amazon Prime to satisfy lovers of action, mystery, horror, and foreign flicks. Each one brings a breath of fresh air to the genre while offering *just* enough suspense to kick your heart rate up a notch.

Here are the 22 best thriller movies streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle and John Goodman as Harold Stambler in '10 Cloverfield Lane'. Michele K. Short/Paramount Pictures

Released eight years after the first *Cloverfield* movie hit theaters, *10 Cloverfield Lane* takes a more psychological — and minimalist — approach to the sci-fi horror franchise. Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) awakens after a car accident to find herself injured and chained to a wall inside a bunker. Her captor (or savior, depending on who you ask), Howard (John Goodman), explains that Earth has been attacked, the outside world is poisonous and uninhabitable, and the only way to survive is to remain in the bunker with him and his fellow doomsday roomie, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), for the next few years.

Slowly, Michelle begins to adapt to life underground — until she discovers clues that suggest that Howard may not have been honest with her about the world's circumstances. The second of three films in the franchise — with *The Cloverfield Paradox* following in 2018 — *10 Cloverfield Lane* is only tangentially related to its predecessor, but the film's lean cast and terse plot make it an entertaining addition to the series. *—Ilana Gordon***

Where to watch *10 Cloverfield Lane*: Amazon Prime Video**

**EW grade:** B**

**Director: **Dan Trachtenberg **

**Cast: **Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr., Bradley Cooper

Argo (2012)

Bryan Cranston as Jack O'Donnell and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in 'Argo'.

Claire Folger/Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy Everett

*Argo*, the thriller about the CIA's attempt to free six hostages from the 1979 Iran hostage crisis using a fake Hollywood movie, is one of Ben Affleck's career highlights. Affleck directs and stars as Tony Mendez, a CIA exfiltration specialist who comes up with a cockamamie scheme to free a group of hostages hiding in the home of a Canadian diplomat. To pull off his human heist, Mendez must develop and try to sell a *Star Wars*-esque sci-fi film, in the hopes of tricking the Iranians into believing the American hostages are part of a Canadian film crew.

Based on a true story, *Argo *combines the best elements of a heist movie with some Hollywood magic, all set against the backdrop of an international conflict. EW's critic gives *Argo* an "A", writing "The film has an explosive '70s vibe: Even when you're laughing (mostly out of uneasiness), the stakes couldn't be higher." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Argo*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Ben Affleck

**Cast: **Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman

Baby Driver (2017)

Ansel Elgort as Baby in 'Baby Driver'.

Wilson Webb/Sony

An action crime thriller two decades in the making, director Edgar Wright puts the pedal to the metal with *Baby Driver*, transforming what could have been just another heist film into a stylistic masterpiece with a soundtrack to match. The movie follows a young getaway driver named Baby (Ansel Elgort) whose attempts to extricate himself from a life of crime go awry after he is forced to participate in a post office robbery.

Baby is a fantastic character — a young, Southern kid with tinnitus and a tragic past — surrounded by violent sadists, and the film is part mixtape, part love story, and part *Reservoir Dogs*-style murder romp. EW's critic writes that *Baby Driver* "is a candy-colored action movie opera, where the music doesn't just accompany the action — it fuels it." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Baby Driver*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **A–

**Director: **Edgar Wright

**Cast: **Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Andy Hanson and Marisa Tomei as Gina Hanson in 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead'.

Money is the root of all evil, and in Sidney Lumet's 2007 crime thriller, *Before the Devil Knows You're Dead*, money rots the Hanson family from the inside out. After finance executive Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman) realizes his embezzling activities are on the cusp of being discovered, he convinces his similarly cash-strapped younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), to rob their parents' jewelry store.

The siblings' "victimless" crime does not work out as hoped, and as their father seeks revenge on the mysterious perpetrators, his two sons struggle to clean up the mess they left behind. The last film Lumet made before his death in 2011, *Before the Devil* is arguably his best. EW's critic at the time writes, "Lumet's camera has become an invisible cage, inviting us to study the behavior of the human animals trapped inside." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Before the Devil Knows You're Dead*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **A

**Director: **Sidney Lumet

**Cast: **Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, Marisa Tomei

Black Bag (2025)

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean and Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse in 'Black Bag'.

Claudette Barius/Focus Features

You're cordially invited to a night of fun and games with Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. The A-list stars play married intelligence officers in this stylish spy thriller from director Steven Soderbergh.

After MI6 tasks George (Fassbender) with investigating a group of suspected turncoats, he is alarmed to discover his wife is among the list. This leads to an eventful dinner in which George invites all the suspects in the hope of sussing them out. Lots of fun twists and turns occur following the dinner, and Soderbergh's knack for tightly paced editing and assembling a great cast to bounce off of one another remains as strong as ever. *—Kevin Jacobsen*

Where to watch *Black Bag*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Steven Soderbergh

**Cast: **Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in 'The Bourne Identity'.

The first of five films in the Jason Bourne franchise, this action film serves as the origin story for the man who goes from government agent to government target. After an unidentified male is fished out of the water with two gunshots in his back and a total lack of memory or identity, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) goes on a mission to find out who he is, where he came from, and why so many shadowy operatives are hunting him.

A spycraft thriller that doesn't skimp on chase scenes or fight sequences, *The Bourne Identity *might not be the best the franchise has to offer, but it possesses a magic all its own. As EW's critic says in a 2022 rewatch of the film, "How can you not celebrate an action thriller that shows protagonists acting like actual, recognizable humans in the face of random self-defenestration?" *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Bourne Identity*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Doug Liman

**Cast: **Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Casino Royale (2006)

Daniel Craig as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'.

Columbia Pictures

As the sixth actor to assume the mantle of James Bond, expectations for Daniel Craig's first attempt as the sophisticated and deadly intelligence agent were high — and he delivered. Inhabiting the role with a smugness that belies the murderous look in his eyes, Craig manages to make 007 as much of a brawler as he is a modern man of mystery.

In his first mission, Bond engages in a high-stakes poker game with bankrupt terrorist Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) but falls tragically in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), the British treasury agent bankrolling his game. Credited with reviving interest in the long-standing franchise,* Casino Royale*, as an EW reviewer puts it, "turns Bond into a human being again." *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Casino Royale*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Martin Campbell

**Cast:** Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Isaach de Bankolé

Coherence (2013)

Emily Foxler as Em in 'Coherence'. Everett Collection

A comet in the sky plunges a dinner party into chaos, and eight friends fall deep into paranoia when they discover identical versions of themselves across the street. This sci-fi mind-bender from James Ward Byrkit follows the crew as they grapple with what's real, who's real, and good ol' Schrödinger's cat.

Byrkit's style is understated, making the viewer feel like a fly on the wall as the setting oscillates between the kitchen and dining room for the bulk of the film. But this singular approach delivers striking intensity, with a palpable pressure pulsing throughout the home and frenetic dialogue dialing up the tension. —*Hayley Arnold*

Where to watch *Coherence*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** James Ward Byrkit

**Cast:** Emily Foxler, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Lorene Scafaria

Conclave (2024)

Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence and Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini in 'Conclave'.

Courtesy of Focus Features

Edward Berger's religious thriller *Conclave *premiered less than a year before Pope Francis passed away in May of 2025, giving audiences prescient — albeit fictitious — insight into the opaque process by which the Catholic Church selects its leader. Peter Straughan's Oscar-winning screenplay positions the papal conclave as a war between factions: the conservative and the progressive sides, both of which are wrestling for control of the church's future.

Ralph Fiennes leads the cast as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the liberal cardinal tasked with overseeing the papal election. EW's senior writer credits him with providing the film with its emotional anchor, writing that he brings "an elegant world-weariness to a man wrestling with the institution and its faults." The film's final twist isn't for everyone, but *Conclave *made a big impression with filmmakers, earning eight Academy Award nominations and generating plenty of industry buzz . *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Conclave*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A–

**Director: **Edward Berger

**Cast: **Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

The Conversation (1974)

Gene Hackman as Harry Caul in 'The Conversation'.

FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty

Francis Ford Coppola meditates on the question of who is watching the watchmen in *The Conversation*, a neo-noir mystery thriller about the human side of surveillance. Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is known in the industry as the best bugger on the West Coast, capable of capturing even the most private conversations. But when he overhears the subjects of one of his bugging assignments discussing their fear of being murdered, Harry worries for their safety, and attempts to investigate.

More than 50 years after its release, *The Conversation*'s alarmist attitude towards privacy concerns is still valid. Hackman is excellent as the withdrawn, paranoid Harry, whose professional and moral instincts become muddled as he seeks to protect two strangers and pinpoint which entities are surveilling him. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Conversation*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director: **Francis Ford Coppola

**Cast: **Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest

Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis as John McClane in 'Die Hard'. Twentieth Century Fox

Fans have debated whether *Die Hard* is a Christmas movie for more than three decades, but it's an agreed upon fact that the film launched one of the most beloved action thriller franchises of all time. The first of five installments introduces audiences to the series' hero — New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) — who has traveled to Los Angeles hoping to rekindle a romance with his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). After German terrorists — led by the nefarious Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) — take control of the building where Holly's company's Christmas party is being held, McClane must work to take down the bad guys from the inside in order to save his family.

The world has *Die Hard* to thank for elevating both Willis' and Rickman's careers, and while Willis' 2022 retirement due to his aphasia diagnosis brought an end to the franchise, *Die Hard* will always be remembered as the movie that helped cement his legacy as one of the foremost action stars of all time.* —I.G.***

Where to watch *Die Hard*: Amazon Prime Video**

**Director:** John McTiernan**

**Cast:** Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia

Donnie Darko (2001)

Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie Darko in 'Donnie Darko'.

Mary Evans/Pandora Cinema/Flower Films/Adam Fields Productions/GA/Ronald Grant/Courtesy Everett Collection

Sleep disorders, hallucinations, and rabbit costume-clad figures prophesying humanity's imminent destruction are just a few of the treats provided in *Donnie Darko*, a trippy sci-fi thriller with a stacked cast. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Donnie, a teenager struggling with his mental health, who begins sleepwalking and experiencing visions that take a toll on his everyday life. Also starring Jake's real-life sibling Maggie Gyllenhaal as Donnie's sister, the film was quickly adopted by college kids and film students as the movie to watch in the early aughts.

*Donnie Darko* struggled at the box office primarily due to bad timing: The film's theatrical release was scheduled for shortly after the 9/11 attacks, and the movie — which features a plane crash — suffered accordingly. Regardless, the film quickly achieved cult classic status, and, according to EW, is one of Gyllenhaal's best performances. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Donnie Darko*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Richard Kelly

**Cast: **Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Seth Rogen, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, Ashley Tisdale

The Handmaiden (2016)

Kim Tae-ri as Sook-Hee and Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko in 'The Handmaiden'. Everett Collection

It's no surprise that this film from Park Chan-wook — about a handmaiden who is hired to interfere with the marriage of a wealthy heiress for a hefty payout — is visually dazzling, and the costuming and cinematography alone are enough to bewitch. Then, Chan-wook tosses in a twist, and then another, and the film's handsome veneer is removed to unveil the wickedly sinister tones lurking beneath.

Ravishing and exhilarating, *The Handmaiden* is about both intimate love and crude obscenity, which Chan-wook expertly balances to complement each other well. —*H.A.*

Where to watch *The Handmaiden*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Park Chan-wook

**Cast:** Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong

The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

Frank Lovejoy as Gilbert Bowen and Edmond O'Brien as Roy Collins in 'The Hitch-Hiker'.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Ida Lupino made history as the first female director to helm a Hollywood film noir with this gripping thriller, which takes inspiration from real-life spree killer Billy Cook. Roy (Edmond O'Brien) and Gilbert (Frank Lovejoy) are driving through California where they unwittingly pick up a murderous hitchhiker, Emmett Myers (William Talman), who is wanted by police. Myers holds the two men at gunpoint and instructs them to transport him to a specific location to evade capture.

Lupino makes the most of a low budget, crafting a genuinely suspenseful thriller with potent emotional resonance. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Hitch-Hiker*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Ida Lupino

**Cast:** Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman

The Infiltrator (2016)

Bryan Cranston as Robert Mazur in 'The Infiltrator'.

Liam Daniel/Broad Green Pictures

Behind the scenes, the biographical crime drama thriller *The Infiltrator* is actually a family affair. Written by Ellen Brown Furman and directed by her son, Brad Furman, the movie is set in the 1980s and follows the infiltration and dissolution of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar's money laundering business. Three years after *Breaking Bad* went off the air, Bryan Cranston switches sides from meth maker to cartel breaker, starring as real-life U.S. Customs Special Agent Robert Mazur, whose undercover work was crucial in exposing Escobar's far-reaching financial misdeeds.

Pivoting effortlessly from family man to ruthless felon, Cranston once again puts his acting range on full display, with a nuanced performance that is underscored by the knowledge that the slightest misstep could cost him — and his family — their lives. The film may have premiered a year after Netflix released *Narcos*, but Cranston's efforts are enough to distinguish the project and make it a must-watch. *—I.G.   *

Where to watch *The Infiltrator*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade: **B+

**Director:** Brad Furman

**Cast: **Bryan Cranston, Diane Kruger, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt, Yul Vazquez, Amy Ryan

Memento (2001)

Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby in 'Memento'.

Danny Rothenberg/Newmarket

Christopher Nolan emerged as one of the most inventive mainstream directors of his generation with this cerebral crime thriller. Guy Pearce stars as Leonard, a man with amnesia struggling to put the pieces together of who killed his wife. Unable to store new memories, Leonard develops an elaborate system of documentation involving photographs and tattoos to provide connective tissue to his future self.

"*Memento* has a spooky repetitive urgency that takes on the clarity of a dream," writes EW's critic. "It's like an Oliver Sacks case study played as malevolent film noir." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Memento*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Christopher Nolan

**Cast:** Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano

The 40 best thriller movies of all time, ranked

The 25 best thrillers to watch on Netflix right now

Monster (2003)

Christina Ricci as Selby Wall and Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in 'Monster'. Everett Collection

Almost 15 years before Patty Jenkins was recognized in the superhero sphere for her work on *Wonder Woman*, she wrote and directed her first feature film, *Monster*, following the origin story of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Starring Charlize Theron in the titular role that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, *Monster* is the gripping tale of Wuornos' romance with her girlfriend, Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), her descent into sex work, and subsequently, murder.

Theron's physical transformation for the role is well-documented — she gained 30 pounds, changed her hair, wore prosthetic teeth, and shaved her eyebrows — but what makes her performance one of cinema's most memorable is the way she uses her physical and emotional choices to bolster the effect of that external metamorphosis. *—I.G. *

Where to watch *Monster*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Patty Jenkins

**Cast: **Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen

Saltburn (2023)

Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick in 'Saltburn'.

Courtesy of MGM/Amazon Studios

Combine the obsession featured in *The Talented Mr. Ripley* with *Brideshead Revisited*'s commentary on privilege and you get *Saltburn*, directed by Oscar-winning writer Emerald Fennell.

Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver, an outcast Oxford student who befriends uber-rich classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi). After Felix invites him to his family's palatial country house over summer break, Oliver weasels his way into their good graces and turns their world upside down. Nasty yet perversely funny, *Saltburn* is, as EW's critic describes it, "a gothic thriller dusted with poisonous candy-pop glitter," —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Saltburn*: Amazon Prime Video

**EW grade:** A

**Director:** Emerald Fennell

**Cast:** Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe

Thief (1981)

James Caan as Frank and Tuesday Weld as Jessie in 'Thief'.

United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock

The age-old criminal desire for "one last big score" is too much for Frank (James Caan) to resist. A career safe cracker and thief, Frank spent over a decade behind bars and is now attempting to rebuild his life and settle down — a mission complicated by Leo (Robert Prosky), a criminal puppeteer who pulls Frank into his orbit.

*Thief* showcases one of Caan's most powerful and memorable performances, and he is equally matched by Tuesday Weld in the role of his wife, Jessie. The film also represents Michael Mann's cinematic directorial debut, and introduced audiences to several little-known actors. (Willie Nelson co-stars in one of his early film roles, and his performance as Frank's incarcerated mentor was so captivating, he left audiences and critics wondering where he went in the latter half of the film.) *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Thief*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director: **Michael Mann

**Cast: **James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson

The Vast of Night (2020)

Jake Horowtiz as Everett Sloan, Mark Banik as Gerald, and Cheyenne Barton as Bertsie in 'The Vast of Night'. Amazon Studios

Made for under $1 million, director Andrew Patterson gifted Amazon Prime with one of the best sci-fi movies of 2020. *The Vast of Night *follows Everett (Jake Horowitz) and Fay (Sierra McCormick), who discover a mysterious sound frequency while the entire town is attending a high school basketball game. Though the movie calls back to *The Twilight Zone,* the supernatural subject matter is explored through an entirely fresh lens. "

We wanted to immediately make it clear [in the film] that the things you're about to see in this story are very much the same things you've seen before in this story, but we're going to do this in a new way," Patterson said in an interview with EW. It's an honest and subdued approach to sci-fi, and the minimalism yields time for Patterson's craft to shine. —*H.A.*

Where to watch *The Vast of Night*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Andrew Patterson

**Cast:** Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Tilda Swinton as Eva and John C. Reilly as Franklin in 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'.

Everett Collection

A mother fears her child may be a psychopath in this unnerving thriller drama. Eva (Tilda Swinton) struggles to fully connect with her son, Kevin (Ezra Miller), who torments her without apparent reason or remorse. Making matters worse is the affection Kevin shows to his father, which only increases the distance between them. It all leads up to a horrifying incident that irrevocably changes Eva and Kevin's lives forever.

*We Need to Talk About Kevin* is one of those films you may never want to watch again, but its impending sense of doom is bracingly effective, as are the performances by Swinton and Miller. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *We Need to Talk About Kevin*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Lynne Ramsay

**Cast:** Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller

You Were Never Really Here (2018)

Joaquin Phoenix as Joe and Ekaterina Samsonov as Nina Votto in 'You Were Never Really Here'. Alison Cohen Rosa/Amazon Studios

Lynne Ramsay crafts a lone wolf story in a gritty arthouse fashion, with Joaquin Phoenix as Joe, a war vet with PTSD who saves runaway girls from the sex trade. Though his personal life is already splitting apart at the seams, Joe plunges into further danger when a routine rescue goes awry.

Ramsay speeds through many of the action shots to instead focus on Joe's psyche. Images from his past are spliced together abruptly and rather awkwardly, an apt representation of the way his trauma continues to torment him. The result serves as a visual representation of Joe's disjointed mind, resulting in a film as emotionally arresting as it is dark and thrilling. —*H.A.*

Where to watch *You Were Never Really Here*: Amazon Prime Video

**Director:** Lynne Ramsay

**Cast:** Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov, John Doman, Alex Manette, Dante Pereira-Olson, Alessandro Nivola

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Movies"

Read More

---

Source: Movies

Published: October 31, 2025 at 07:38PM on Source: HOT POINT

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byAll About ...

in

11:49

The 22 best thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your pulse racing

The 22 best thriller movies on Amazon Prime Video to get your pulse racing Looking for some cinematic excitement? Add...

Read More

17-Year-Old Australian Cricketer Dies After Getting Hit in Neck by Ball During Practice

17YearOld Australian Cricketer Dies After Getting Hit in Neck by Ball During Practice Natasha DyeNovember 1, 2025 at 1:20 AM 0 WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Memorial for Ben Austin on Oct. 30 Ben Austin, a 17yearold cricket player in Australia, has died after being struck in the neck during a practice session The teen was taken to the hospital following the accident, which happened in front of his teammates The teen's father said he can find "some comfort" that his son was "doing something he did for so many summers — going down to the nets with mates to play cricket" A 17yearold cricketer in Aus...

- - 17-Year-Old Australian Cricketer Dies After Getting Hit in Neck by Ball During Practice

Natasha DyeNovember 1, 2025 at 1:20 AM

0

WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty

Memorial for Ben Austin on Oct. 30 -

Ben Austin, a 17-year-old cricket player in Australia, has died after being struck in the neck during a practice session

The teen was taken to the hospital following the accident, which happened in front of his teammates

The teen's father said he can find "some comfort" that his son was "doing something he did for so many summers — going down to the nets with mates to play cricket"

A 17-year-old cricketer in Australia is dead after he was hit in the neck by a ball.

According to a statement from Cricket Australia on Thursday, Oct. 30, cricketer Ben Austin was struck in the neck during a pre-match warmup session in Melbourne. The incident happened on Tuesday, in front of Austin's teammates, the statement said.

The teen was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, where he died from his injuries.

His father, Jace Austin, issued a statement on behalf of their family.

"We are utterly devastated by the passing of our beautiful Ben, who died earlier on Thursday morning," Jace said. "For Tracey and I, Ben was an adored son, deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends."

William WEST / AFP) (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty

Memorial for Ben Austin

Austin is remembered as a "kind, respectful, popular and much-loved player" by his teammates, per the statement.

Jace said the "tragedy has taken" his son from him, but he and his wife "find some comfort that he was doing something he did for so many summers — going down to the nets with mates to play cricket."

"He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life," said Jace, who is also acknowledging the other teen involved in the incident. "This accident has impacted two young men and our thoughts are with he and his family as well."

"Finally, we would also like to thank all the first responders at the scene and the staff at Monash Children's Hospital who worked so hard to help Ben," the teen's father added in his statement. "We will cherish Ben forever."

The club where the tragedy happened, Ferntree Gully, is asking members to honor the late teen by leaving "bats out for Ben," per Cricket Australia.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Entertainment"

Read More

---

Source: Entertainment

Published: October 31, 2025 at 07:37PM on Source: HOT POINT

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byAll About ...

in

11:49

17-Year-Old Australian Cricketer Dies After Getting Hit in Neck by Ball During Practice

17YearOld Australian Cricketer Dies After Getting Hit in Neck by Ball During Practice Natasha DyeNovember 1, 2025 at ...

Read More