A good thriller can be a brilliant way to get your pulse racing, and as movie genres go it's one of the most flexible – ranging from horror-adjacent fare to more comedic or action-filled options. If you're a Netflix subscriber and you fancy a weekend full of streaming fun exploring the thriller genre, you're in luck.
Ever since it started making and co-producing original productions, Netflix has produced an impressive number of thrillers. Many of them are genuinely creditable films, and I'd argue they have a higher hit-rate than the TV series that Netflix makes. If you want a weekend full of Netflix thrillers, I've picked out three options that I think will give you a really satisfying three-night movie bender.
Night 1: Carry-On
Presuming that you start your thriller weekend on a Friday, I think a great choice to kick things off is Carry-On. This Taron Egerton movie from a couple of years ago keeps things pretty light (despite some decent threatening malevolence from Jason Bateman as the bad guy) and is a really fun watch.
It stars Egerton as a TSA security guard who gets pulled into a conspiracy when he's forced into letting a suspicious bag through his checkpoint. He isn't willing to let things rest there, even under threat of bad consequences, and is soon on Bateman's tail, leading to some really fun and thrilling action sequences.
Night 2: Woman of the Hour
If Carry-On kicked things off in a more laid-back way, Saturday night in my itinerary is far scarier, with Anna Kendrick's directorial debut Woman of the Hour telling a pretty sickeningly scary real-life tale. Kendrick also stars as a reality show contestant who doesn't realise that the man she's been sent to try a date with is a serial killer.
The fact that the scenario isn't a made-up one definitely plays on your mind as you watch it, and the film has two excellent central performances to really amp up the realism. It's a genuinely scary watch and shows that thrillers can play a whole lot of different notes. You'll be left wanting another dose of stress, which is good news.
Night 3: Uncut Gems
For Sunday night, I've chosen just about the most stressful movie I've ever watched – Uncut Gems. This brilliant film from the Safdie brothers stars an almost unrecognisable Adam Sandler as a small-time gambler who gets into deep water when his debts start to mount up.
It follows him on a madcap dash through New York trying to get his money any way he can, and the depths he's willing to sink to are at times excruciating. The pace is totally relentless, though, and you'll want to watch your heart rate back after the movie ends – it'll almost certainly get your blood pumping like crazy. It's the perfect way to round off a weekend of thriller movies.
