21 Best Psychological Thrillers to Watch on Netflix

If you like to rattle your mind every now and then, the psychological thriller genre is for you. And Netflix’s ever-expanding menu of offerings has some must-watch thrillers that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Netflix’s selection of psychological thrillers will leave you questioning the mental state of the characters and give you the chills at every twist and turn. The streaming service has a massive library in its thriller genre, so we’ve got a guide to all the psychological thrillers on Netflix you’re going to love.

The Invitation

Release Year: 2015

Genre: Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Horror Movies, Independent Movies

Run Time: 1h 40m

Characters: Logan Marshall-Green as Will, Tammy Blanchard as Eden, Michiel Huisman as David

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 74

IMDb: 6.7

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Plot: Will accepts an invitation to a dinner party by his ex-wife, Eden, and her new husband, David. Will and Eden are still grieving the loss of their child. But to Will’s horror, he finds Eden and David have adopted a murderous, cult-like belief to get over their grief.

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Bird Box

Release Year: 2018

Genre: Movies based on Books, Dramas, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Sci-Fi Thrillers, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi Dramas

Run Time: 2h 4m

Characters: Sandra Bullock as Malorie, Trevante Rhodes as Tom, Vivien Lyra Blair as Girl/Olympia, Julian Edwards as Boy/Tom

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 51

IMDb: 6.6

Rotten Tomatoes: 63%

Plot: Malevolent supernatural entities take over the world, driving anyone who looks at them to go insane and commit suicide. Malorie and two children attempt to find the community of survivors while blindfolded, and with pet birds to alert them of the creatures’ presence.

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Cam

Release Year: 2018

Genre: Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Independent Movies

Run Time: 1h 34m

Characters: Madeline Brewer as Alice Ackerman/Lola_Lola, Patch Darragh as Tinker, Melora Walters as Lynne Ackerman, Devin Druid as Jordan Ackerman

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 71

IMDb: 6.0

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Plot: Alice moonlights as a cam girl and is obsessed with achieving the top ranking online. However, when an impersonator takes over her account and moves up the ranks in gruesome ways, Alice does everything to get her identity back.

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Enemy

Release Year: 2013

Genre: Movies based on Books, Canadian Movies, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Mysteries, Steamy Thrillers, Independent Movies

Run Time: 1h 30m

Characters: Jake Gyllenhaal as Adam Bell / Anthony Claire, Mélanie Laurent as Mary, Sarah Gadon as Helen Claire, Isabella Rossellini as Mother

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 61

IMDb: 6.9

Rotten Tomatoes: 71%

Plot: A regular Joe college professor discovers his doppelganger is an actor. Soon, they become obsessed with each other’s lives, particularly their love interests.

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Copycat

Release Year: 1995

Genre: Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers

Run Time: 2h 3m

Characters: Sigourney Weaver as Helen Hudson, Holly Hunter as Inspector M.J. Monahan, Dermot Mulroney as Inspector Reuben Goetz, Harry Connick Jr. as Daryll Lee Cullum

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 54

IMDb: 6.6

Rotten Tomatoes: 76%

Plot: After surviving a brutal attack, Dr. Helen Hudson, a criminal psychologist and expert on serial killers, becomes a recluse. But a series of murders in the city lead her out of her safe space to assist two detectives in catching the copycat imitating the MOs of the most notorious serial killers in history.

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The Sixth Sense

#TodayInMovieHistory (August 6):#TheSixthSense (1999).
[Directed by @MNightShyamalan].
19th Anniversary!@HaleyJoelOsment, @DonnieWahlberg, @MischaBarton. pic.twitter.com/YydGlz0Atx

— Only Film Media (@OnlyFilmMedia) August 6, 2018

Release Year: 1999

Genre: Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Supernatural Thrillers

Run Time: 1h 47m

Characters: Bruce Willis as Malcolm Crowe, Haley Joel Osment as Cole Sear, Toni Collette as Lynn Sear

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 64

IMDb: 8.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Plot: A child psychologist tries to help a young boy cope with his ability to communicate with ghosts in this Oscar-nominated horror flick with a classic M. Night Shyamalan twist.

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Kaleidoscope

At midnight, Toby Jones stars in unsettling psychological thriller, Kaleidoscope. pic.twitter.com/bMTmbfd9WS

— Film4 (@Film4) March 19, 2019

Release Year: 2016

Genre: British Movies, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers

Run Time: 1h 39m

Characters: Toby Jones as Carl, Anne Reid as Aileen, Sinead Matthews as Abby, Deborah Findlay as Maureen

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 52

IMDb: 5.7

Rotten Tomatoes: 60%

Plot: An ex-con, Carl, tries to fit into society after serving time in prison. But his fresh start hits an obstacle when his domineering mother is back in his life. Slowly, Carl begins to lose his grip over reality as his mother digs up old trauma.

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Gerald’s Game

Release Year: 2017

Genre: Movies Based on Books, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Horror Movies

Run Time: 1h 43m

Characters: Carla Gugino as Jessie Burlingame, Chiara Aurelia as Young Jessie, Bruce Greenwood as Gerald Burlingame, Carel Struycken as “Moonlight Man”/Raymond Andrew Joubert, Henry Thomas as Tom, Kate Siegel as Sally

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 77

IMDb: 6.6

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Plot: Jessie agrees to play her husband Gerald’s kinky game, in a bid to save their marriage. But when Gerald abruptly dies, leaving her handcuffed to the bed, she deals with strange visions and past trauma.

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The Invisible Guest

#contratiempo(The Invisible Guest) ya disponible en Netflix en varios países! 🤙🏻 pic.twitter.com/RW8Ak3BA2S

— Mario Casas (@mario_casas_) July 4, 2017

Release Year: 2016

Genre: Spanish Movies, Thrillers, International Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Mysteries

Run Time: 1h 46m

Characters: Mario Casas as Adrián Doria, Bárbara Lennie as Laura Vidal, Iñigo Gastesi as Daniel Garrido Ávila, Francesc Orella as Félix Leiva

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: N/A

IMDb: 8.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 63%

Plot: A businessman becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the woman he was having an affair with. His only hope is a top defense attorney. But to get her help, he has to give her the whole truth, including about a crime he tried to cover up.

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The Good Neighbor

Release Year: 2016

Genre: Dramas, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Independent Movies

Run Time: 1h 37m

Characters: James Caan as Harold Grainey, Logan Miller as Ethan Fleming, Keir Gilchrist as Sean Turner

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 32

IMDb: 6.3

Rotten Tomatoes: 29%

Plot: Two tech-savvy teens, Ethan and Sean, prank their reclusive old neighbor, Harold, into thinking his house is haunted. While playing mind games with the old man, Sean unravels Ethan’s devious motives behind the cruel prank.

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Stonehearst Asylum

Release Year: 2014

Genre: U.S. Movies, Films Based on Books, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Horror Films

Run Time: 1h 52m

Characters: Kate Beckinsale as Lady (Eliza) Graves, Jim Sturgess as Edward Newgate, Michael Caine as Dr. Benjamin Salt, Ben Kingsley as Dr. Silas Lamb

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 52

IMDb: 6.8

Rotten Tomatoes: 53%

Plot: Set in the late 1800s, our protagonist, Eliza, is a supposedly deranged woman at Stonehearst Asylum. A new addition to the staff, Edward, becomes infatuated with the patient. However, Edward soon discovers the doctors in charge of the patients are not the real staff of Stonehearst, but are far more dangerous than they look.

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The Captive

Release Year: 2014

Genre: Canadian Movies, Dramas, Crime Dramas, Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Mysteries

Run Time: 1h 52m

Characters: Ryan Reynolds as Matthew Lane, Scott Speedman as Jeffrey Cornwall, Rosario Dawson as Nicole Dunlop

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 36

IMDb: 5.9

Rotten Tomatoes: 30%

Plot: Eight years after his daughter’s disappearance, Matthew is estranged from his wife and still searching for their child. But when Cassandra suddenly reappears, Matthew and two detectives try to unravel a child abuse ring.

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Buster’s Mal Heart

Release Year: 2016

Genre: Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Mysteries, Independent Movies

Run Time: 1h 36m

Characters: Rami Malek as Jonah/Buster, DJ Qualls as Brown, Kate Lyn Sheil as Marty

Movie Rating:

Metascore: 63

IMDb: 6.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 71%

Plot: An odd mountain man called “Buster” evades authorities and rants hysterically on radio shows. This movie examines how the pressure of work, the breakdown of his marriage, and a chance encounter with a conspiracy-obsessed drifter led to his hysteria.

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Clinical

Release Year: 2017

Genre: Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Horror Movies

Run Time: 1h 44m

Characters: Vinessa Shaw as Dr. Jane Mathis, Kevin Rahm as Alex, William Atherton as Terry Drummond, India Eisley as Nora Green

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: N/A

IMDb: 5.1

Rotten Tomatoes: N/A

Plot: Psychiatrist Dr. Jane Mathis is left traumatized after a patient, Nora, attacks her. She tries to overcome that experience by attempting to help another disturbed patient named Alex. But when she later tries to save Nora again, she is haunted by her old patient.

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The Interview

Release Year: 1998

Genre: Cult Movies, Dramas, Crime Dramas, Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers

Run Time: 1h 41m

Characters: Hugo Weaving as Eddie Rodney Fleming, Tony Martin as Detective Sergeant John Steele, Aaron Jeffery as Detective Senior Constable Wayne Prior

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: N/A

IMDb: 7.2

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Plot: After losing his job and family, Eddie is dragged into a police station for interrogation. He’s interrogated about a stolen car. However, the interrogation is about a more serious crime of a murderous nature, which will leave you questioning whether Eddie is guilty of killing.

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Personal Shopper

Kristen Stewart and Director Olivier Assayas make a great team once again in #PersonalShopperFilm coming to theaters this Friday. pic.twitter.com/8ARvJ1cDp7

— Allied Seattle (@AlliedSEA) March 14, 2017

Release Year: 2016

Genre: French Movies, Dramas, International Dramas, Thrillers, International Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers

Run Time: 1h 45m

Characters: Kristen Stewart as Maureen Cartwright, Lars Eidinger as Ingo, Nora Waldstätten as Kyra Gellman, Anders Danielsen Lie as Erwin

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 77

IMDb: 6.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%

Plot: Maureen, a personal shopper for a supermodel, has the ability to sense spirits. When her brother dies, she tries to conjure his presence in his old home. A series of events follow, leaving Maureen to wonder if she’s being guided by her brother from the afterlife.

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Gypsy

Release Year: 2017

Genre: TV Dramas, LGBTQ TV Shows

Run Time: Season 1, 10 Episodes

Characters: Naomi Watts as Jean Holloway, Billy Crudup as Michael Holloway, Sophie Cookson as Sidney Pierce

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 45

IMDb: 6.9

Rotten Tomatoes: 38%

Plot: This series follows a clinical pyschologist, Jean Holloway, who oversteps her professional boundaries to develop intimate relationships with her patients and those around them.

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Wormwood

Release Year: 2017

Genre: Crime TV Shows, Docuseries, Documentaries, Crime Documentaries, Historical Documentaries

Run Time: Season 1, 6 Episodes

Characters: Peter Sarsgaard as Frank Olson, Molly Parker as Alice Olson, Christian Camargo as Dr. Robert Lashbrook

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 82

IMDb: 7.0

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Plot: This docudrama delves into the mysterious death of Frank Olson, a biochemist and CIA employee. Frank’s son, Eric Olson, tries to find closure on his father’s death in this series.

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Backtrack

Release Year: 2015

Genre: Australian Movies, Dramas, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Mysteries, Supernatural Thrillers

Run Time: 1h 30m

Characters: Adrien Brody as Peter Bower, Bruce Spence as Felix, Sam Neill as Duncan Stewart, Anna Lise Phillips as Erica George

Movie Ratings:

Metascore: 43

IMDb: 5.9

Rotten Tomatoes: 30%

Plot: A therapist, who’s still reeling from his daughter’s death, discovers his patients are actually ghosts. In trying to help these spirits find peace, he uncovers his own terrifying past and the horrifying secret that led to his patient Erica’s death.

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Lavender

Release Year: 2016

Genre: Canadian Films, Dramas, Thrillers, Supernatural Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers

Run Time: 1h 32m

Characters: Abbie Cornish as Jane, Diego Klattenhoff as Alan, Justin Long as Liam

Movie Ratings:

Metascore:

IMDb:

Rotten Tomatoes:

Plot: Jane is a photographer experiencing frequent memory lapses of a horrific childhood incident. After a car accident leaves her with amnesia, prompting her to visit her family’s farmhouse where her family was supposedly massacred. But her repressed secret might be more dangerous than she expected.

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The Perfection

Release Year: 2019

Genre: LGBTQ Films, US Movies, Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Horror Films

Run Time: 1h 30m

Characters: Allison Williams as Charlotte, Logan Browning as Lizzie, Steven Weber as Anton

Movie Ratings:

Metascore:

IMDb:

Rotten Tomatoes:

Plot: A prodigious cellist, Charlotte reconnects with find her mentor, Anton, has a new star pupil, Lizzie. Their growing attraction to each other is cut short when Charlotte seemingly sabotaged Lizzie out of jealousy. But is jealousy the only reason Charlotte went after her?

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