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Subgenre Sampler

 
Coming Home in the DarkComing Home in the Dark (2021) Recommended
Dir. James Ashcroft
Feat. Miriama McDowell, Erik Thomson, Daniel Gillies
Not for the faint of heart, this Kiwi thriller is confrontingly grim yet takes the psycho–killer genre into thematic territory it rarely…
SplitSplit (2016) Recommended
Dir. M. Night Shyamalan
Feat. James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley
Twist–meister M. Night Shyamalan returns (to form) with this innovative thriller starring James McAvoy as a man with 23 different personalities…
RatterRatter (2015)
Dir. Branden Kramer
Feat. Ashley Benson, Matt McGorry, Rebecca Naomi Jones
Slow–burn found–footage cyber–thriller with Ashley Benson in the role of graduate student being watched by a stalker who hacks into…
Guest, TheGuest, The (2014) Recommended
Dir. Adam Wingard
Feat. Dan Stevens, Sheila Kelley, Maika Monroe
The director of YOU'RE NEXT returns with another entertainingly lurid thriller about a returning soldier ingratiating himself to a family whose son…
Bates Motel (TV Series)Bates Motel (TV Series) (2013)
Feat. Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot
A creepy, character–rich exploration of Norman Bates' formative years and the relationship with his overbearing mother, played deliciously by…
Killer Inside Me, TheKiller Inside Me, The (2010)
Dir. Michael Winterbottom
Feat. Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba
Casey Affleck disturbs as a psychotic small town sheriff struggling to cover his bloody tracks in this grim, stylish neo–noir. Adroitly…
I'm Not Harry JensonI'm Not Harry Jenson (2009)
Dir. James Napier Robertson
Feat. Gareth Reeves, Ian Mune, Marshall Napier
Tensely conceived, enterprising Kiwi thriller finds a true crime novelist so deeply invested in the violent subject of his latest book, that he…
Lakeview TerraceLakeview Terrace (2008)
Dir. Neil LaBute
Feat. Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington
Creepy suburban thriller focused on obsessive cop Abel Turner (Jackson) who will stop at nothing to rid his 'perfect' neighbourhood of an interracial…
ShuttleShuttle (2008)
Dir. Edward Anderson
Feat. Tony Curran, Peyton List, Cameron Goodman
An airport shuttle ride turn into a nightmare for its nubile passengers in this tightly contained indie adbuction thriller from first–time…
Hannibal RisingHannibal Rising (2007)
Dir. Peter Webber
Feat. Gaspard Ulliel, Rhys Ifans, Gong Li
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS creator Thomas Harris pens this original back–story to Hannibal Lecter’s murderous reign, in which we’re privy to the…
I Know Who Killed Me I Know Who Killed Me (2007)
Dir. Chris Siverston
Feat. Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough
Trash fans rejoice. This Lindsay Lohan career nadir won more Razzie awards than both SHOWGIRLS and BATTLEFIELD EARTH. Lohan plays both a good…
SugarhouseSugarhouse (2007)
Dir. Gary Love
Feat. Andy Serkis, Steven Mackintosh, Ashley Walters
Ordinary Brit crime thriller focused on a middle–class man trying to buy a gun in the back streets of East London, and the deadly 'deal' he…
All the Boys Love Mandy LaneAll the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
Dir. Jonathan Levine
Feat. Amber Heard, Anson Mount, Whitney Able
Above–average slasher flick following a group of Texan teens who invite the unobtainable 'hot girl' at their school to a remote weekend…
BirthBirth (2004) Recommended
Dir. Jonathan Glazer
Feat. Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Danny Huston
An absorbing psychological drama about a young widow (Kidman) whose New York life is disrupted when a 10 year–old boy claims to be the…
Fear Dot ComFear Dot Com (Fear.com) (2002)
Dir. William Malone
Feat. Stephen Dorff, Stephen Rea, Natascha McElhone
Incoherent horror flick that goes on–line with the plot of Japanese horror film RING, this will be most compared to the American remake of that…
One Hour PhotoOne Hour Photo (2002)
Dir. Mark Romanek
Feat. Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan
In a nifty piece of gimmick casting, Robin Williams shows his darker side as a lonely, middle–aged photolab assistant who develops an unhealthy…
HannibalHannibal (2001)
Dir. Ridley Scott
Feat. Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Ray Liotta
Anthony Hopkins reprises his iconic role as Hannibal Lechter in this controversially gruesome sequel to the serial killer classic, SILENCE OF THE…
Session 9Session 9 (2001) Recommended
Dir. Brad Anderson
Feat. Peter Mullan, David Caruso, Josh Lucas
A “haunted house” movie with a difference, this is an intense, thinking person’s spook session involving a team of tradesmen hired to clean up…
WendigoWendigo (2001) Aro Favourite
Dir. Larry Fessenden
Feat. Patricia Clarkson, Jake Weber, Erik Per Sullivan
Elaborating on a renowned ‘urban legend’ with a refined script and a no–nonsense commitment to storytelling, this is a project fostered in…
When Strangers AppearWhen Strangers Appear (Shearer's Breakfast) (2001)
Dir. Scott Reynolds
Feat. Radha Mitchell, Barry Watson, Kevin Anderson
A piquant little thriller set at a lonely country rest–stop – Foxton standing in for Oregon – with dir. Reynold’s (HEAVEN, THE…
Harry, He's Here to HelpHarry, He's Here to Help (With a Friend Like Harry,Who Needs Enemies?) (2000) Recommended
Dir. Dominik Moll
Feat. Sergi Lopez, Laurent Lucas
French festival–hit that invokes the delicious menace of Alfred Hitchcock with its insidious central character, Harry (Sergi Lopez) who invites…
Tell Me SomethingTell Me Something (2000) Recommended
Dir. Chang Yoon-Hyung
Feat. Han Suk-gyu, Shim Eun-ha
A fine slice of Korean “giallo”, this is detective pulp of the lacquered–black, rain–drenched variety, with perverse/macabre…
NightwatchNightwatch (1998)
Dir. Ole Bornedal
Feat. Ewan McGregor, Nick Nolte, Patricia Arquette
Ewan MacGregor checks in for morgue attendance in this Anglo remake of the director's own Danish thriller. Must confess, we never watched this…
PsychoPsycho (1998)
Dir. Gus Van Sant
Feat. Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Julianne Moore
Colour remake of Hitchcock's most famous film closely follows the original but never comes close to being anything other than a cheap gimmick. The…
FearFear (1996)
Dir. James Foley
Feat. Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, Alyssa Milano
Thriller from the Hollywood cookie–cutter about a chaste Daddy's girl who gets involved with creep Mark Wahlberg, who just gets creepier by…
SevenSeven (Se7en) (1995) Aro Favourite
Dir. David Fincher
Feat. Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow
Director David Fincher imbues the hackneyed serial–killer genre with astonishing directorial flair, while bringing an influential 'underground'…
Machine, LaMachine, La (1994)
Dir. Francois Dupeyron
Feat. Gerard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye
Gerard Depardieu goes into mad–doctor mode for this high–tech mind–transplant thriller, as a shrink/inventor whose fleeting…
Jack Be NimbleJack Be Nimble (1993)
Dir. Garth Maxwell
Feat. Alexis Arquette
Alexis Arquette gets his American tongue around a Kiwi accent to portray an abused twin who finally reunites with his estranged sister. Though this…
SliverSliver (1993)
Dir. Phillip Noyce
Feat. Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, Tom Berenger
Sharon Stone rents an apartment which has not only hosted a number of in–house murders, but is also under constant surveillance by a perverted…
Vanishing, TheVanishing, The (1993)
Dir. George Sluzier
Feat. Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis
The director remakes his classic Dutch thriller for subtitle–phobes. Keifer Sutherland anguishes while Jeff Bridges hams it up as the eccentric…
Hand That Rocks the Cradle, TheHand That Rocks the Cradle, The (1992)
Dir. Curtis Hanson
Feat. Rebecca De Mornay, Annabella Sciorra, Julianne Moore
Scheming psycho–nanny Rebecca De Mornay dismantles the idyllic homelife of Annabella Sciorra, to compensate her own miscarriage. Slick suspense…
Knight MovesKnight Moves (1992)
Dir. Carl Schenkel
Feat. Christopher Lambert, Diane Lane, Tom Skerritt
Chess champion Christopher Lambert finds his psychological profile and alibi make him a prime murder suspect. A battle of intelligent wits ensues…
Raising CainRaising Cain (1992)
Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, Steven Bauer
De Palma's tongue–in–cheek return to the psycho–thriller contains many flashy set pieces including an elaborate ten–minute…
Single White FemaleSingle White Female (1992) Recommended
Dir. Barbet Schroeder
Feat. Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Bridget Fonda shares her flat with a lonely neurotic who turns out be her psychotic nemesis. Another triumph for Jennifer Jason Leigh, on her way to…
Cape FearCape Fear (1991) Aro Favourite
Dir. Martin Scorsese
Feat. Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange
Excruciating but masterful telling of a convicted rapist (Robert De Niro) who calculates revenge on his former attorney by way of his family. Scores…
Deceived (1991)
Dir. Damian Harris
Feat. Goldie Hawn, John Heard
Goldie Hawn in her first dramatic role plays a mother–of–two who learns that Hubby is not who she thought he was. Nothing new here, but…
Pacific HeightsPacific Heights (1991) Recommended
Dir. John Schlesinger
Feat. Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, Michael Keaton
Part of a mini–wave of couple–in–peril thrillers, this better example has what it takes to tie your tum in knots. Melanie Griffith…
Sleeping with the EnemySleeping with the Enemy (1991)
Dir. Joseph Ruben
Feat. Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin, Kevin Anderson
Julia Roberts tries to escape her sadistic husband by faking her death and assuming a new identity miles from home.
Terminator 2: Judgement DayTerminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) Aro Favourite
Dir. James Cameron
Feat. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong
The ultimate Sci–fi action picture, it shamelessly flaunts its $100 million budget with Big Arnie playing second fiddle to a plethora of…
Unlawful Entry (1991)
Dir. Jonathan Kaplan
Feat. Kurt Russell, Ray Liotta, Madeleine Stowe
Ray Liotta makes a perfect cop from hell, abusing his civil privileges to manifest obsessions with the wife of the man he is hired to protect. A…
MiseryMisery (1990) Aro Favourite
Dir. Rob Reiner
Feat. James Caan, Kathy Bates
You'll have a far from miserable experience watching novelist James Caan nursed back to health by his psychotic number one fan (Kathy Bates in an…
Apartment ZeroApartment Zero (1989)
Dir. Martin Donovan
Feat. Colin Firth, Hart Bochner
Weird tale in which a loner (Colin Firth) rents half of his apartment to a man of dubious motives and background (Hart Bochner). Pays homage to many…
Dark Woods, The (1989)
Dir. Jacques Deray
Feat. Beatrice Dalle
Beatrice Dalle (BETTY BLUE) marries a stranger on a whim, and lives to regret it when her affections for his brother leads to a brutal crime of…
Vanishing, TheVanishing, The (1988) Aro Favourite
Dir. George Sluzier
Feat. Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Berroets, Johanna Ter Steege
A genuinely creepy psychological thriller – a woman vanishes while on holiday in France, later her boyfriend is taunted in a battle of wits…
Honeymoon (1987) Recommended
Dir. Patrick Jamain
Feat. Nathalie Baye, John Shea, Richard Berry
A French woman marries through an agency in order to stay in America. Soon a man she's never met knocks on her door with the groceries! A real…
Stepfather, TheStepfather, The (1987) Recommended
Dir. Joseph Ruben
Feat. Terry O'Quinn, Shelley Hack
This psycho doesn't waste time with marriage guidance when a few waves of a machete is the quick and easy solution! Superior…
White of the EyeWhite of the Eye (1987) Recommended
Dir. Donald Cammell
Feat. David Keith, Cathy Moriaty, Art Evans
Smartly executed, disturbing thriller set in a small Arizona town where a psychotic balances his marital problems with his penchant for homicide.
CassandraCassandra (1986)
Dir. Colin Eggleston
Feat. Tegan Charles, Tessa Humphries, Dylan O'Neill
Quite watchable Aussie horror is set around a young woman's visions of her brother stabbing somebody to death during her childhood years. Using a…
BlackoutBlackout (1985) Recommended
Dir. Douglas Hickox
Feat. Richard Widmark, Keith Carradine
Above–average stalker whodunit.
Mean Season, TheMean Season, The (1985)
Dir. Phillip Borsos
Feat. Kurt Russell, Mariel Hemingway, Richard Jordan
Hack reporter Kurt Russell's propensity for a story edges him dangerously close to crazed psycho Richard Jordan.
Terminator, TheTerminator, The (1984) Aro Favourite
Dir. James Cameron
Feat. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton
Breakthrough film for Schwarzenegger and its director, it's a high–powered action fantasy that set a precedent for the genre. And 'I'll be…
Brimstone and TreacleBrimstone and Treacle (1982)
Dir. Richard Loncraine
Feat. Sting, Joan Plowright, Denholm Elliott
Scripted by Dennis Potter, this cult psychodrama is set in the unstable household of Joan Plowright and Denholm Elliot, which is invaded by an…
TenebraeTenebrae (Unsane) (1982) Recommended
Dir. Dario Argento
Feat. Anthony Franciosa, Daria Nicolodi
Compelling Argento thriller, with a typically contorted plot design – about a crime writer, whose books stimulate copycat killings – used…
Dressed to KillDressed to Kill (1980) Recommended
Dir. Brian De Palma
Feat. Angie Dickinson, Michael Caine, Nancy Allen
A slick video nasty involving a murderer, a prostitute, a psychiatrist, a bored housewife and her resourceful son. In reworking PSYCHO, De Palma…
Fight For Your LifeFight For Your Life (1977)
Dir. Robert A. Endelson
Feat. William Sanderson, Robert Judd
A racist hillbilly and two sadistic jail–breakers terrorize a black minister and his family, who eventually fight back and take bloody…
FrenzyFrenzy (1972) Recommended
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Feat. Jon Finch, Alec McCowen, Barry Foster
Hitchcock's last really great thriller, concerning a Cockney strangler plaguing the streets of London and setting up Jon Finch as the wrong man.…
Hustler Squad / Wild RidersHustler Squad / Wild Riders (1971-1976)
Dir. Cesar Gallardo, Richard Kanter
Feat. Alex Rocco, Elizabeth Knowles, Sherry Bain
A double feature of 70s drive–in "classics". WILD RIDERS (1971) has Alex Rocco playing a misogynistic biker who goes on a sleazy killing…
Play Misty for MePlay Misty for Me (1971) Recommended
Dir. Clint Eastwood
Feat. Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walter, Donna Mills
The film that inspired FATAL ATTRACTION stars Clint Eastwood as a late night radio talkhost whose female fan goes way over the line.
And Soon the DarknessAnd Soon the Darkness (1970)
Dir. Robert Fuest
Feat. Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice
Minor slasher thriller concerns a pair of holidaying Brits who run into nasty perils on the backroads of rural France. Not as interesting as dir.…
Boston Strangler, TheBoston Strangler, The (1968)
Dir. Richard Fleischer
Feat. Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy
Undeniably fascinating but somewhat static docudrama about placid 1960s serial–killer Albert De Salvo (Tony Curtis), who underwent…
Pretty PoisonPretty Poison (1968) Recommended
Dir. Noel Black
Feat. Anthony Perkins, Tuesday Weld
A fan of PSYCHO? Then check out Anthony Perkins in this chilling tale of a couple of psychos in love. Tuesday Weld glitters as a teenage bad seed.
Twisted NerveTwisted Nerve (1968) Recommended
Dir. Roy Boulting
Feat. Hywel Bennett, Hayley Mills
Hywel Bennett is suitably creepy as a homicidal youth who befriends a nubile Hayley Mills. Unnerving gothic melodrama is well served by Bernard…
In Cold BloodIn Cold Blood (1967) Aro Favourite
Dir. Richard Brooks
Feat. Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe
A masterpiece of crime fiction adapted from Truman Capote’s novel about events surrounding the senseless murder of an innocent family by two…
Wait Until DarkWait Until Dark (1967) Recommended
Dir. Terence Young
Feat. Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna
A blind Audrey Hepburn is trapped in her apartment by psycho–beatnik Alan Arkin, who's looking for hidden heroin. Based on a stageplay, this…
Sadist, TheSadist, The (1963) Aro Favourite
Dir. James Landis
Feat. Arch Hall Jr.
Like BADLANDS, this little–known drive–in flick is based on the infamous Starkweather murder spree of the late 50s, and is never less…
Knife in the WaterKnife in the Water (1962) Recommended
Dir. Roman Polanski
Feat. Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka, Zygmunt Malanowicz
The old adage 'three is a crowd' is chillingly played out in Polanski's directing debut about a couple's troubled yachting weekend with a…
Peeping TomPeeping Tom (1960) Aro Favourite
Dir. Michael Powell
Feat. Karlheinz Bohm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey
While Hitchcock's PSYCHO received raves reviews and general acceptance, Michael Powell's equally contentious but brilliant film was condemned as…
Kiss Before Dying, AKiss Before Dying, A (1956) Recommended
Dir. Gerd Oswald
Feat. Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Joanne Woodward
The first and best version of Ira Levin's (ROSEMARY'S BABY) early novel, in which status–anxious student Wagner plots the murder of his…
Most Dangerous Game, TheMost Dangerous Game, The (1932) Recommended
Dir. Ernest B Shoedsack, Irving Pichel
Feat. Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks
This mother of all chase–movies was adapted from Richard Connell's book by the makers of KING KONG. A fresh–faced Joel McCrea is…

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