A look into the world of psychological thrillers

Psychological thrillers are movies or shows that deal with psychological narratives. Filled with suspense, these stories tend to explore the psyche of the characters through stories of fear, paranoia, mystery, and drama. These movies often induce a sense of unease and thrill in the viewer, keeping them at the edge of their seats.

The popularity of this unsettling genre has skyrocketed in the last few years. One reason for this recent surge could possibly be the change in the popular mindset. The days of fear solely being associated with ghosts and poltergeists, are fading away. Nowadays fear stems from hyper-realistic theatre experiences, where the viewer feels the thrills and terrors for themselves much like the experience of being in a roller-coaster. However, falling from such great heights can’t possibly be enjoyable without a guarantee of safety. This concept of ‘controlled’ fear has opened doors to new genres of entertainment that previously did not exist.

Psychological thrillers let the audience live vicariously through the eyes of the narrator and eventually build up to moments of euphoria when twists in the plot are finally revealed. Such harrowing experiences are unique to this genre and can make for extremely compelling storytelling.

For people looking to dive into this rabbit hole, here are some recommendations:

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Us (2019),

Get Out (2017)

Fight Club (1999)

Ex-Machina (2014)

Gone Girl (2014)