It’s shaping up to be a great week for Netflix subscribers in the mood to watch some thriller movies. I’ve combed through the most recent additions to the streaming service, and also the new arrivals over the coming days, and picked out a trio of thrillers for your watchlist.
This week, my picks range from a new Netflix original movie that has been sitting pretty in the No. 1 spot for nearly a full week. But if the admittedly subpar reception puts you off, then there’s a couple of older, but still excellent, picks, including a dark mystery thriller from director David Fincher, the filmmaker behind “Fight Club, “Gone Girl” and “Seven.”
These are the new to Netflix thriller movies to consider watching this week, add th. Add your watchlist if you like movies full of adrenaline-raising moments, and maybe a twist or two.
3 new to Netflix thrillers to watch this week
‘The Last House’ (2026)
Netflix’s new sci-fi thriller “The Last House” has held the No. 1 spot since its debut last week. I was pretty mixed on the movie overall. In my review, I praised the opening hour, but felt the Netflix original falls apart in its second half.
While viewers are watching in large numbers, the response hasn’t been too positive. The movie has a poor 28% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, so be sure to keep your expectations in check if you decide to give it a shot this week.
Starring Oscar-nominee Wagner Moura and Greta Lee, “The Last House” focuses on a family of four who are suddenly trapped in their house by a mysterious rainfall that seals all the doors and windows. They can’t get out, and nothing can get in. As the days stretch to weeks, and then months, they are forced to take extreme action to survive, while also trying to uncover who (or what) is keeping them trapped inside their home.
Watch "The Last House" on Netflix now
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)
2011’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is a bit of a unicorn. It’s a rare Hollywood remake of a foreign-language movie that actually surpasses the original, and in this writer’s eyes, is the definitive adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling novel.
Maybe that was to be expected, after all, when you bring filmmaker extraordinaire David Fincher on board, the result is predictably high-quality. This neo-noir mystery thriller is absolutely gripping and spins a compelling tale of murder and dark family secrets in the snowy Swedish countryside.
Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a disgraced journalist who gets an unexpected shot at restoring his reputation when he’s hired by a wealthy industrialist, Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), to investigate the disappearance of his grandniece, who went missing without a trace 40 years earlier.
Vanger is convinced his niece was killed by a member of his own family and wants answers. Blomkvist hires a troubled hacker, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), to assist, and as the duo investigates the disappearance, they uncover truths far darker than ever expected.
Watch "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Netflix starting August 15
‘The Shallows’ (2016)
It’s been a big year for shark movies, with flicks such as “Thrash,” “Deep Water,” and “The Devil’s Mouth” all swimming to streaming platforms in 2026. Frankly, none of these have been what I’d label quality watches, so if you’re on the hunt for a shark movie that is actually worth your time, step into “The Shallows.”
This survival thriller might be a decade old, but it still packs plenty of nerve-shredding moments and brings some emotional weight to the table with a lead character struggling with past trauma. This adds an extra wrinkle to an already intense thriller.
Nancy Adams (Blake Lively) is a med student, reeling from the recent death of her mother. Taking a trip to a secluded beach in Mexico, a sunny day of surfing becomes a battle for survival when Nancy becomes trapped just a couple hundred yards from the shore. Stranded on an isolated rock with a great white shark circling, she can see dry land, but actually reaching safety will require a whole lot of bravery and quick thinking.
Watch "The Shallows" on Netflix starting August 15
