Fiction is the safest way to explore the darkest recesses of the human mind. That’s why psychological thriller movies are so popular. These movies trigger a fight-or-flight response within a controlled environment and entertain us at the same time. Interpersonal relationships become the source of anxiety, as there’s more at stake than someone’s physical safety. The novelty of great psychological thrillers like Rear Window (1954), Memento (2000), or Mulholland Drive (2001) does not wear off after a first watch. There’s more to glean than suspense or twist, as catharsis is an integral part of the experience.
Most psychological thriller movies online are locked behind a paid subscription to Netflix, HBO Max, or Prime Video, but some choice titles are available to stream for free. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of five fantastic psychological thrillers that you can watch at no cost whatsoever.
1
American Psycho (2000)
Where to watch: Roku
Author Bret Easton Ellis might’ve written American Psycho primarily as a critique of postmodern capitalism, but director Mary Harron adapts it into a lean, viciously satirical thriller that lampoons toxic masculinity. The film follows Manhattan investment banker Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), who hides the reality of being a violent serial killer with a polished social facade. Bateman’s mask keeps slipping as the film progresses, but his shallow circle of Wall Street colleagues isn’t able to identify the red flags. While Bateman prides himself on being a curator of exceptional taste, his appearance is indistinguishable from men around him, highlighting the death of individuality.
Harron’s adaptation succeeds by stripping Bateman of mythology. He appears as a caricature instead, and even the most disturbing kills are framed through the lens of black comedy. This is a tricky tonal balance to achieve, but American Psycho wields its satirical edge with the help of an exceptional central performance. Despite the misappropriation of Bateman as a toxic “sigma male” mascot, Bale plays the character as a soulless consumer obsessed with hollow aesthetics. The psychological thriller framework is rather unconventional, but it works for a film that steadily builds up to a surreal ending with no catharsis.
2
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Where to watch: Pluto TV
Is a child born evil, or do they become so due to sociocultural factors? We Need to Talk About Kevin doesn’t offer any easy answers, but explores the nature versus nurture debate with chilling efficacy. In the film, Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) is ostracized by her community because her teenage son, Kevin (Ezra Miller), mass-murdered students at his high school. Eva looks back at the experience of raising Kevin, especially within the context of being a reluctant mother who perceived Kevin to be a difficult child since his birth.
The truth lies somewhere in between, but We Need to Talk About Kevin makes us question whether anyone could’ve prevented the tragedy from occurring. This psychological thriller gets interesting whenever we see Eva and Kevin interacting with one another, as their relationship remains strained and somewhat distant. The film uses fragmented recollections to piece together Eva’s story, granting it a suffocating quality while she also navigates the hostility she faces in the present. The fact that only Eva is blamed for Kevin’s crimes raises pertinent questions about patriarchal misogyny, where women, especially mothers, bear the full brunt of blame for the sins of their children.
3
Burning (2018)
Where to watch: Pluto TV
Lee Chang-dong’s South Korean psychological thriller, Burning, is as gripping and uneasy as it gets. In the film, aspiring novelist Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) runs into his childhood neighbor Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo) while doing odd jobs in Seoul. Although our protagonist struggles to remember her at first, his old friend insists she had plastic surgery, which explains her altered appearance. The duo soon meet a mysterious man named Ben (Steven Yeun), who Lee perceives as a danger to Shin Hae-mi. Burning does not offer straightforward answers at any point, as ambiguity is the source of tension in this exceptional genre entry.
Every character is haunted by an unfulfilled longing. Some are related to class-based anxieties tied to material wealth and social status, while others are more existential in nature. Burning blends these themes with Lee’s paranoid perspective, which creates an unreliable narrative with glimpses of objective truth. There are no obvious clues to decipher here, as the tension is built solely through subtle character dynamics that constantly evolve. Is a protagonist blinded by jealousy and class insecurity reliable? While this question lies at the heart of Burning, it is also a riveting exploration of the human condition and the ambiguity that often defines our unpredictable lives.
4
Possessor (2020)
Where to watch: Plex
In Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor, assassin Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) can take over other people’s bodies (and consciousness) to carry out her hits. The only way to return to her own body is to force the host to end their life after these assignments are done. Once she takes over Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott) to assassinate a CEO, Tasya’s neurological state worsens, as she finds it difficult to differentiate between herself and the target. To make matters worse, Tate proves to be a more resilient host than most, which pushes Possessor’s body horror elements to extremes.
What makes Possessor work as a psychological thriller is its immersive exploration of Tasya’s psyche, which feels most fragmented by the time she “hijacks” Tate’s body. Disturbing questions about identity are raised, as Tasya has difficulty separating her own thoughts from those of her hosts. Tate’s perspective is horrifying as well, as he is forced to share a consciousness with an assassin hell-bent on snuffing his life out. Possessor is also a brilliant critique of modern surveillance and corporate data mining, told in the form of a deeply surreal experience that makes the viewer feel unmoored.
5
Audition (1999)
Where to watch: Kanopy
Psychological thrillers that lean into realistic horror create a unique sense of anxiety. Takashi Miike’s Audition is the prime example of a film that excels in doing so, as it opts for slow-burn tension instead of a breakneck pace. In the film, widower Shigeharu (Ryo Ishibashi) asks his film producer friend Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura) to stage fake auditions so that he can meet someone new. Shigeharu gets fixated on Asami (Eihi Shiina), a former ballerina with a seemingly sweet and docile demeanor. Although Yoshikawa is suspicious of Asami’s dubious résumé, Shigeharu ignores these warning signs until he’s trapped in a complex web of jealousy and revenge.
Audition holds up a mirror to the objectification of women in Japanese society, while simultaneously exploring the damaging impact of trauma on young women like Asami. Miike uses unsettling visual breadcrumbs to lead up to the big reveal, after which the film drastically shifts in tone. There is a startling authenticity to the uncomfortable aspects of Audition, even though it uses shock value to subvert every expectation in the second half. It is also a rich character study that allows the most broken, complex characters to indulge in grisly and twisted worldviews.