10 Most Unpredictable Thriller Movies, Ranked

One of the most timeless and effective genres of film when it comes to striking, high-tension, and polarizing adult filmmaking, a wide array of exceptional thrillers have been created since the early days of film history. The genre’s ability to blend action, scares, mystery, and whatever else required to make its more stern, shocking content much more effective has made it highly versatile and celebrated, especially in recent years.

One of the best inherent facets of the genre that has helped it maintain excitement and notability with each subsequent release is its unpredictability and masterful usage of plot twists and unexpected content. Whether it be an overarching mystery that slowly builds throughout the film or a shocking turn into completely unexpected territory, there are many different avenues that a great thriller film can be completely unpredictable. Several of these unpredictable thrillers perfectly utilize their twists to catapult themselves into being considered some of the best thrillers of all time.

10

‘Gone Girl’ (2014)

Directed by David Fincher

Rosamund Pike looking at the camera in Gone Girl — Image via 20th Century Studios

David Fincher is no stranger to films with wildly entertaining twists or acclaimed adaptations of beloved novels, both of which combine to create one of his best modern outings in Gone Girl. The film sees Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) soon becoming the center of a widespread media frenzy following his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike)’s disappearance. However, the spotlight of attention and excitement soon begins to turn on Nick, as many begin to suspect that he is far from innocent when it comes to Amy’s disappearance.

Gone Girl is the type of perfectly crafted thriller that, even after being completely aware of its earth-shattering twist, doesn’t take away from the impact and shock value that said twist provides to the entire story. The exceptional psychological thriller movie achieves a great deal of success from its closer examination of the psyche and mentalities of Nick and Amy, respectively, in their lives before, during, and after this shocking event that completely upends their lives.

Gone Girl

Release Date: October 1, 2014
Runtime: 2h 29m
Writers: Gillian Flynn

9

‘Predestination’ (2014)

Directed by Peter and Michael Spierig

Ethan Hawke as Agent Doe aiming his gun at a person offscreen in Predestination — Image via Pinnacle Films

While a largely memorable twist can certainly act as the most memorable and recognizable part of a film, rarely has an unbelievable twist fully defined a film’s entire recognition quite like Predestination. The film certainly has other standout elements that make it effective outside its twist, yet said plot twist proves to be so unpredictable and so wildly impactful that it can’t help but overwhelm all conversations surrounding the film.

The film sees Ethan Hawke as a temporal agent who is sent on a journey across time to prevent future killers from committing their crimes, being placed on a mysterious final assignment to take down the criminal that has eluded him for so long. Even if the initial aspects of its twist seem relatively predictable, Predestination takes the possibilities and extent of its twist to the absolute extremes, reaching a point of pure unpredictability with how deep the rabbit hole goes.

8

‘The Usual Suspects’ (1995)

Directed by Bryan Singer

Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, and Benicio Del Toro in The Unusual Suspects — Image via Gramercy Pictures

One of the most iconic crime thrillers of the ’90s, The Usual Suspects quickly cemented itself as a standout phenomenon of ’90s filmmaking thanks to its instantly memorable twist ending. While the twist in itself is widely known by audiences due to being ingrained within pop culture, this doesn’t take away from the strengths and effectiveness of the twist when it was first released. The film truly broke new ground in terms of unpredictability with an unreliable narrator, shocking audiences and making them question everything that the film was showing them.

The film follows the retelling of the story of a multi-million-dollar harbor heist, as Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) does his best to plea for his life, explaining that the man responsible for the crime was the mythical crime lord Keyser Söze. Kint relays to the L.A. detective a sprawling story of how Söze gathered this group of five criminals together to commit the crime, as the detective comes to suspect that Söze doesn’t exist.

The Usual Suspects

Release Date: August 16, 1995
Runtime: 106 minutes

7

‘Memento’ (2000)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby showing a polaroid to someone off-camera in Memento. — Image via Newmarket Films

Few filmmakers are so directly tied to their legendary usage of twists as Christopher Nolan, with his major breakout film Memento still standing as one of his best, most seamless and unpredictable thrillers. The film perfectly utilizes its non-chronological approach to storytelling to weave together a highly engaging and sprawling mystery, where it seemingly gives the answers at the very beginning before showing the context and weight behind what is already known.

The film follows Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man on a mission to avenge the murder of his wife, yet is constantly fighting the crippling short-term memory loss that makes him forget events after 15 minutes. He finds himself constantly writing notes for himself as a sign of knowing what is true, reaching a point where he tattoos undeniable truths onto his body as clues to uncover his wife’s killer. However, Leonard’s short-term memory loss makes it very easy for his companions to take advantage of him, resulting in a tangled web of chaos and lies.

Memento

Release Date: May 25, 2001
Runtime: 113 minutes

6

‘Oldboy’ (2003)

Directed by Park Chan-wook

Cho Min-sik as Dae-su Oh holding a weapon in Oldboy. — Image via Show East

One of the most influential and iconic action thrillers of all time, the South Korean film Oldboy utilizes an instantly engaging premise and top-notch action to weave a tale of pain and unbridled revenge. Oldboy’s opening act does a brilliant job of getting the audience ramped up and excited to see Oh Dae-su’s journey of vengeance while also providing minimal information to keep his mission fueled as much by mystery as it is by rage and revenge. It’s rare to see a mystery movie filled with so much action, yet it’s this perfect balance that has made the film such an icon in world cinema for over 20 years.

The film sees Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) finding himself having been mysteriously imprisoned, drugged, and tortured for 15 years, with no semblance of understanding as to who or why he was subjected to such pain in the first place. Having suddenly escaped his prison, he embarks on a journey of wrath against his captors, not realizing that his journey of revenge is all part of a larger picture of revenge against him, culminating in a painful, shocking truth.

Oldboy

Release Date: November 21, 2003
Runtime: 120 Minutes
Director: Park Chan-wook
Writers: Park Chan-wook, Hwang Jo-yun, Lim Jun-hyung

5

‘Se7en’ (1995)

Directed by David Fincher

Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) crying and aiming a gun outside in Seven. — Image via New Line Cinema

Fincher has created many exceptional twist-centric movies, from the previously mentioned Gone Girl to the equally legendary Fight Club, yet none of the director’s other twists hold a candle to the masterful execution of Se7en. The crime-procedural mystery blends together haunting and disturbing material with a sprawling and intricate mystery that proves to engross the audience with its tale of pain and destruction. The classic story of a duo of detectives hunting for a serial killer has never been more prolific and effective as it is seen in Se7en.

The film truly becomes a special piece of art during its final act, where everything comes together and all the buildup pays off in a spectacular display of passion and unpredictable glory. The ending has become iconic in its own right thanks to the shocking and visceral performances that go alongside the groundbreaking twist reveal, amplifying the twist into all-time status as a result. Even 30 years after the film’s release, audiences are still reeling from the shock and unexpected nature of Se7en.

Se7en

Release Date: September 22, 1995
Runtime: 127 minutes

4

‘Shutter Island’ (2010)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels holding a flaming matchstick terrified in Martin Scorsese's 'Shutter Island' — Image via Paramount Pictures

While Martin Scorsese as a director is no stranger to effective thrillers, rarely are his films so clearly defined and lifted by a shocking twist, with the large exception being Shutter Island. The mystery thriller fully centers itself around the impact and strength of its twist, being one that completely upends and redefines the entire film beforehand with its impact and weight on the main character. It also proves to be a twist that, while thematically relevant and powerful to the story being told, is paced perfectly to where the audience can’t see such a massive twist coming.

The film follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigating the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, with his case soon taking a mysterious and dangerous turn as he attempts to uncover the truth. Teddy’s case finds itself being frequently compromised by terrifying visions and a mysterious doctor, forcing him to reexamine his own connection to the island and the line between fiction and reality frequently blurring.

Shutter Island

Release Date: February 19, 2010
Runtime: 138 minutes
Writers: Laeta Kalogridis, Dennis Lehane

3

‘Parasite’ (2019)

Directed by Bong Joon Ho

Park So-dam and Choi Woo-shik check their cellphones in a scene from Parasite — Image via NEON

Many of the movies that are widely famous for having a jaw-dropping twist can find some difficulty distinguishing the section of the film before the twist, often being reliant on buildup and hinting at the massive twist. This facet of mystery filmmaking does not apply to the perfectly crafted Parasite, which sets up its already engaging premise before throwing in a shocking and unexpected twist that upends the tone and stakes of the entire film.

What makes Best Picture winner Parasite‘s twist even more effective is that even after the twist has been revealed and all the cards are on the table, the film still manages to be highly unpredictable as to what the characters will do or how they manage this unexpected twist. Many other mystery thrillers will simply keep audiences on the edge of their seats until the twist acts as a release, while Parasite’s unpredictable twist acts as a catalyst for further tension and excitement.

Parasite

Release Date: November 8, 2019
Runtime: 132 minutes
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Writers: Jin Won Han, Bong Joon Ho

2

‘American Psycho’ (2000)

Directed by Mary Harron

Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in 'American Psycho', holding an axe — Image via Lionsgate

One of the most controversial and shocking horror thrillers of the early 2000s that quickly garnered a cult following due to its satirical edge and heavy symbolism, American Psycho manages to surprise well beyond its massive reputation. While other thrillers achieve their unpredictability due to iconic plot twists, American Psycho’s approach to unpredictability is more centered around shifting tones and a destructive unreliable narrator.

Christian Bale‘s performance as Patrick Bateman makes it wholly apparent that the character is a psychopath from the get-go, yet his lust for carnage and chaotic actions serve to grow more gruesome and more unpredictable as the film goes on. It all culminates in a brilliant final act where, truly, anything can happen, as Patrick fully goes over the deep end and his semblance of reality begins to crack, completely succumbing to his insatiable bloodlust. The film has become a cult classic for many different reasons, yet its open-ended ending and chaotic final act helped cement the film as a cultural talking point for decades to come.

1

‘Psycho’ (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Norman Bates in Psycho looking sinister while smirking. — Image via Paramount Pictures

When it comes to legendary twists in the realms of thrillers, it’s hard not to pay due respect to the original master of shocking content and twists on screen, with Alfred Hitchcock‘s horror thriller masterpiece Psycho laying the groundwork for decades’ worth of plot twists and unpredictable thrillers. Even 65 years after the film’s release and with its signature twist and sequences being ingrained within widespread culture as a whole, the film’s pacing and twists and turns give it an unpredictable edge that still works after all these years.

It’s difficult to understate just how pivotal and important Psycho was not just for thrillers and horror films, but filmmaking as a whole, as its fundamental approach to terror and plot twists on screen forever changed the art of cinema. Many other legendary thrillers, even the ones included on this list, have Psycho to thank for laying the groundwork and popularizing the various trends and conventions that would become staples of the thriller genre.