Psychological suspense films have given cinema several of its best works. From the claustrophobic spaces and twisted characters of Alfred Hitchcock to the dark stories of M.Night Shyamalan. The cinematic world seems obsessed with the terrors that the human mind harbors. Also, with the most aggressive, depraved and even fatal behaviors. All, in the midst of intrigue, psychological manipulation, mind games and the emotional imbalance of the characters.
Of course, this is not something coincidental. The genre is one of those that most appropriately explores the dark side of our culture and society.. At the same time, it allows us to ask questions about what is hidden, even the most idyllic domestic scenes. One of the great triumphs of films dedicated to the analysis of collective psychology is to demonstrate that each person has something to hide. Furthermore, any of these secrets are as unpredictable as they are dangerous.
We leave you ten psychological suspense movies that you can watch right now and on which platform to watch it. From a man who struggles with insomnia, to a young couple who discovers the most terrifying experiment. The selection includes all kinds of reflections on the ambiguity of human nature and its consequences.
The Machinist (Prime Video)
Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) suffers from insomnia. So tenacious and devastating that it begins to seriously affect his physical and mental health after a year of suffering from it. Director Brad Anderson turns the chronicle of the debacle of a man prey to hallucinations and terrors into an unknown.
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Halfway between the terrifying images of his imagination and reality, Trevor He begins to ramble, getting closer and closer to madness. But what is even more worrying, without really knowing if what she experiences is the product of his physical condition or a conspiracy that she discovers almost by accident. Which leads to the film, which uses claustrophobic spaces and to tell his story, to his darkest moments. A curious data? Christian bale He lost almost thirty kilos to achieve the physical condition that his character required..
Nightcrawler (Prime Video)
Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is an unemployed freelance journalist, who discovers that sensationalism can be a quick source of money. So he begins going behind the scenes of crimes and accidents to capture shocking images and sell them to local news stations. But what begins as a risky and unethical experiment transforms into an unhealthy obsession that will destroy the life of lou (and those around him) forever.
Perhaps the most striking thing about this film, written and directed by Dan Gilroy, is its exploration of morality and its bleak vision of the world of journalism. Also, the question of what anyone would do for fame becomes a common thread for increasingly disturbing events. What tests the limits of our culture’s ambition and one of those suspense films that triumphed.
Ex Machina (Max)
Before artificial intelligence was a collective debate, Alex Garland showed the topic from a dark angle. Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) accepts the opportunity offered to him Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac) to participate in a unique experiment. What he doesn’t imagine is that it is one that will test his sanity. In particular, to questions about what human consciousness really is and whether, ever, a machine will be able to supplant or imitate it.
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The film addresses philosophical and ethical questions related to artificial intelligence and the limits of human responsibility for it. At the same time, it examines the possible complex relationships between humans and machines that new technologies could unleash. Which leads to a shocking ending, which delves deeper into the nature of empathy, manipulation and morality in an advanced technological context.
Identity (Netflix)
ed (John Cusack) finds himself in the middle of a nightmare night. A murderer is killing everyone around him, with no one able to stop him. Trapped in a motel in the middle of a storm, the group of strangers fleeing the violence question who the lurking figure really is. Especially when discovering that there are dark connections that make them related, without them suspecting it until then.
James Mangold directs this trickster game about identity and reality. Little by little, he turns what appears to be a confrontation with a brutal criminal into an unexpected revelation. One that will also lead us to delve deeper into what our mind hides and how that darkness can express itself.
Creep (Netflix)
This found footage directed by Patrick Brice, tells the story of Aaron (played by the director himself), a desperate man looking for a job. So he answers an online ad to record a stranger for a full day. Which brings him to an isolated house in the woods. Once there, Joseph (Mark Duplass), the man who hired his services, explains that he only wants to record the last days of his life.
But as the day progresses, Aaron You begin to notice strange and disturbing behaviors on the part of Joseph. Gradually, the relationship between the two becomes increasingly disturbing until it becomes clear that whatever is happening will end in tragedy. Shot with limited resources and in a single space, this thriller is a successful cinematographic experiment that you can watch right now on Netflix.
Raw (Netflix)
Jane Campion turned the tough novel In the Cut by Susanna Moore in a perspective on pain, manipulation and emotional violence. Frannie Avery (Meg Ryan), an English teacher in the midst of a personal crisis, becomes embroiled in the investigation of a series of murders. But everything will become murkier when her emotional and sexual life begins to have a disturbing link with the brutal acts of violence.
The plot delves into dark themes of suffering and erotic exploration, as Frannie He begins a twisted relationship with one of the police investigators. Which allows the film to also explore relationships between men and women in a context of violence and mistrust.
Multiple (Prime Video)
Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID). But for director and screenwriter M. Night Shyamalan, the condition is also something more. It is a line that turns the patient into a monster ready to attack. Much more so, when a twisted mystery is found among the dozens of personalities that inhabit his mind.
As the second part of the unique superhero trilogy that the filmmaker began with The protected in the year 2000, Multiple surprises with its sinister twists. Kevin not only houses a series of increasingly dangerous versions of himself, but also a monster capable of killing. Which he will lead, almost without being able to avoid it, towards self-destruction.
A date with the past (Prime Video)
Janus Metz Pedersen directs this story, in which the CIA agent (Chris Pine) must discover the origin of a dangerous information leak. The main suspect is a former official, who was his lover and who probably keeps more than one secret that affects US national security.
Halfway through an international intrigue, psychological suspense and drama with erotic overtones, the film explores the secrets and nuances of both characters. But it also makes it clear that no one tells the truth, in a political world populated by double loyalties and lurking traps. Tense, well-constructed and sober, the script is able to keep its secrets until its surprising end.
Don’t worry, dear (Max)
Alice (Florence Pugh) is a model wife, proud of making life easier for Jack (Harry Styles). But the placid coexistence between them will collapse when she discovers that behind the idyllic image of the town in which they live, something inexplicable is hidden. Victoria, which hosts the workers of a classified experimental project, is as idyllic as it is limited and suspicious. Something that Alice will see when reality – and its borders – become more blurred.
This film, best known for the scandal starring director Olivia Wilde and her cast, is an elegant reinvention of dystopia and the sophisticated hostage. At the same time, a reflection on roles and genders, all around a science fiction scenario that will not reveal its origin. until an end as ambiguous as it is painful.
Vivarium (Prime Video)
Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) and Gemma (Imogen Poots), are looking to buy their first home. A mysterious real estate agent takes them to a strange new residential community called Yonder. There, they find themselves trapped in a labyrinth of identical and seemingly infinite houses, with no possibility of escape.
As they both try to find a way out, they realize that they are being watched and manipulated by an unknown force. Soon, they are forced to confront their own sanity and their relationship is tested as they struggle to find a way to free themselves from this surreal nightmare. Without a doubt, one of those suspense films that will leave you with your mouth open.
