As streaming grows more and more into one of the most prominent methods that many audiences watch new releases, each distinct streaming service has been doing its best to entice audiences with an array of compelling original content. While not the first option that many people consider in the streaming world, Apple’s late entry with Apple TV has carved out a niche for itself thanks to the wide array of talent in its original content.
One specific area that Apple has surprisingly found itself proficient at is the world of feature thriller filmmaking, especially in recent years, as it has produced some of the most standout and dynamic thrillers of recent memory. While their catalog isn’t as in-depth or library-focused as other streaming services, this has allowed each individual thriller on the service to stand out that much more as a pillar of the service. When at their best, the original thrillers on Apple TV are among the best thrillers of the 2020s and must-watch movies for all Apple TV users.
8
‘Echo Valley’ (2025)
An emotional, dramatic thriller about the lengths that one will go for the sake of their children and unconditional love, Echo Valley utilizes an all-star cast to make its twists and tension that much more palpable. The film sees Julianne Moore as Kate, a mother living a secluded life on a horse ranch who becomes wrapped up in a web of crime and chaos when her daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney) appears on her doorstep covered in someone else’s blood. As Kate does all that she can to help her daughter, she finds herself unraveling a shocking truth and goes to great lengths to protect her family.
A lot of the inherent appeal and excitement of Echo Valley comes from the purposeful way that it keeps information hidden from both the audience and its central character. It invites the audience to uncover the mystery and spiral of crime alongside Kate, getting deeper and deeper into hot water and tension as it all begins to pile on top of one another. Combined with a great supporting performance by Sweeney that ties everything together, the film is an exceptionally underrated thriller worth checking out.
7
‘The Gorge’ (2025)
A high-concept sci-fi thriller that has proven to be one of the biggest successes among Apple TV’s original straight-to-streaming releases, The Gorge blends high-stakes action and some of the biggest young actors of today for Apple’s definitive sci-fi thriller experience. The film sees Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy as two highly trained operatives who are tasked with guarding the opposite sides of a mysterious gorge, forging an unexpected bond despite being told not to by their superiors. When the evil within the gorge attempts to escape, the duo is forced to work together to survive the mysteries of it.
While the inherent mystery and terror surrounding the gorge itself, combined with some tension-fueled action scenes, are enough to make it a compelling watch, it’s the silent chemistry and bond between the two leads that truly make The Gorge a special thriller. It harkens back to a style of YA thriller that felt unexplored for years, but has found an unexpected resurgence with films like this and the recent Hunger Games prequels. It also helps that this stands as one of the few sci-fi films that Apple has created, as well as the only sci-fi thriller.
6
‘Sharper’ (2023)
Yet another compelling crime thriller with Julianne Moore in the leading role, Sharper‘s more dedicated focus on a wider supporting cast and a web of lies and deceit makes it one of the most distinct experiences among Apple TV’s thrillers. The film follows a small, billionaire family in New York City getting slowly torn apart by an array of secrets, lies, and overarching plans of theft from different parties to completely strip them of their billions.
With so many different parties and moving elements inherent to Sharper, each intricate twist and development to the web of chaos adds to the thrill and appeal of the film. It’s the type of film that is willing to delve into a multitude of different layers for its overarching mystery and twist, with deeper cons within cons that keep the audience guessing until the very end. The broad supporting cast, including the likes of Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton, and John Lithgow, also goes to great lengths to amplify the weight and stakes of the story, making for a wild game of deception to see who ends up on top and in control.
5
‘The Lost Bus’ (2025)
Coming from one of the best thriller directors of the 21st century in Paul Greengrass, and bringing to life a heartfelt and emotional real-life story of bravery and strength, The Lost Bus both gets audiences engaged in its stakes and gives them hope for humanity. The film follows the true story of bus driver Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey), as he is tasked with navigating a school bus carrying 22 children and their teachers to safety during one of the deadliest fires in California history.
Greengrass is a director who has always understood the weight and power of bravery from American heroes, with The Lost Bus following in the same vein as his previous films, Captain Phillips and United 93. Much like his other films, the constant stress and chaos of such a painful situation make its story that much more thrilling and engaging, utilizing some exceptional visuals to further add to the tension. Especially with wildfires continuing to be a painful and prominent aspect of stress for many Americans, The Lost Bus‘s story of bravery and strength in such dangerous times is a commendable and important story to tell.
4
‘Tetris’ (2023)
The prospect of a thriller revolving around the creation and distribution of the world-famous video game Tetris seems like the type of nonsensical idea that could never work, yet Tetris‘s sharp writing and story of international corruption make it a surprisingly great political thriller. The embellished story follows American game salesman Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) discovering the game of Tetris, being wowed by its brilliance and addictive nature, and setting out to distribute and share the game with the world. However, his attempts to get distribution rights for the game find him at the center of lies and corruption behind the scenes of the Iron Curtain.
Whether someone is a die-hard Tetris fan or only fosters a loose appreciation for the game, the inner workings and geopolitical thriller aspects of Tetris amplify it to be a notch above every other video game movie out there. Even when it embellishes certain aspects of its story, it continuously finds ways to keep the audience on the edge of their seat as they battle for the sake of consumers across the world to experience the mastery of Tetris.
3
‘F1’ (2025)
Arguably Apple’s most successful film to date, as it balances being both a blockbuster success in the theatrical venue and now being a premiere original experience for Apple TV, F1 is one of the defining sports thrillers of the decade so far. The film weaves together a fully original story with original characters and teams, yet slots them into the vast and intricate world of Formula 1 racing, complete with all the stakes and adrenaline of high-speed racing. Director Joseph Kosinski goes all out in terms of making the racing scenes deeply engaging while also keeping the characters dynamic and layered.
The film follows former racing legend Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), who finds himself being coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team and mentor a young hotshot driver to new heights of success for the brand. With the stakes and fear of losing their spot in F1 if they fail, they are given one final shot to prove themselves on the biggest racing stage in the world, fighting for glory as racers and as a team. It stands out as one of Apple TV’s biggest must-watch experiences to date, especially if you missed out on watching it on the big screen.
2
‘Highest 2 Lowest’ (2025)
The latest joint from legendary director Spike Lee and a modern American remake of one of the greatest thrillers of all time, Highest 2 Lowest proves to be so stylishly different from Akira Kurosawa‘s original masterpiece that it feels like its own distinctly different experience. The film follows a largely similar base plot to High and Low, seeing Denzel Washington as a dedicated music mogul titan who finds himself at the center of a painful life-or-death ransom plot.
Spike Lee’s overwhelming personality and passion that he brings to every aspect of the film and its sprawling portrayal of New York City largely sets the film apart tonally and stylistically from the all-time Kurosawa classic. The core story at the center may be the same, having the same philosophical messaging and brilliance as all those decades ago, yet additional inklings of the music industry, New York culture, and some engaging action sequences further define the film as its own stand-alone experience. Unlike many other American remakes that simply flounder when compared to the original, Highest 2 Lowest‘s approach as a distinctly different experience gives it an edge and lasting appeal alongside the masterpiece that inspired it.
1
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (2023)
A striking and brilliant masterpiece from Martin Scorsese that reflects upon his entire career of dynamic thriller films, Killers of the Flower Moon is an epic that has cemented itself as the best Western of the 2020s so far. The hard-hitting Western crime thriller follows a story of widespread violence and murder in 1920s Oklahoma, as the various Osage people are murdered in a plot to take their land and the oil underneath it. Amidst all the murder and deception, the doomed love between guilty party Ernest Brukhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his innocent wife Mollie (Lily Gladstone) becomes a focal point amidst the pain of it all.
Killers of the Flower Moon is a thriller that grabs hold of the audience with its massive scope and scale early on and never lets go with its intricate story of deception and crime at a systemic level. While many of Scorsese’s previous thrillers were quick to glorify the crimes and death at every corner, Killers of the Flower Moon doesn’t shy away from the gravitas and inhumanity of what is occurring, making a powerful and relevant statement in the process.
