What2Watch AIEdge-of-your-seat thrillers: 10 top-rated picks
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Last updated October 24, 2026
Crime and thriller picks with real tension. The top picks are The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Se7en. The 10 films below rank highest on TMDB among titles with thousands of votes, so each one has a large audience behind its score. Streaming availability is for the US as of October 24, 2026.
| Title | Genres | Length | TMDB rating | US streaming (October 24, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dark Knight (2008) | Action, Thriller, Crime | 152 min | 8.5/10 | HBO Max |
| Pulp Fiction (1994) | Thriller, Crime, Comedy | 154 min | 8.5/10 | Prime Video, Paramount+ |
| Se7en (1995) | Crime, Mystery, Thriller | 127 min | 8.4/10 | Paramount+ |
| The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | Crime, Thriller, Drama | 119 min | 8.3/10 | Prime Video, Peacock, MGM Plus |
| The Usual Suspects (1995) | Drama, Crime, Thriller | 106 min | 8.2/10 | HBO Max |
| The Departed (2006) | Drama, Thriller, Crime | 151 min | 8.2/10 | HBO Max |
| Joker (2019) | Crime, Thriller, Drama | 122 min | 8.1/10 | HBO Max |
| Reservoir Dogs (1992) | Crime, Thriller | 99 min | 8.1/10 | Prime Video |
| Prisoners (2013) | Drama, Thriller, Crime | 153 min | 8.1/10 | Not on a US subscription service right now |
| Memories of Murder (2003) | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 131 min | 8.1/10 | Not on a US subscription service right now |
The Dark Knight
2008 · Action, Thriller, Crime · 152 min · TMDB 8.5/10
Rated 8.5/10 by 37,051 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime.
US streaming: HBO Max
Pulp Fiction
1994 · Thriller, Crime, Comedy · 154 min · TMDB 8.5/10
Rated 8.5/10 by 31,159 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper.
US streaming: Prime Video, Paramount+
Se7en
1995 · Crime, Mystery, Thriller · 127 min · TMDB 8.4/10
Rated 8.4/10 by 24,058 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next.
US streaming: Paramount+
The Silence of the Lambs
1991 · Crime, Thriller, Drama · 119 min · TMDB 8.3/10
Rated 8.3/10 by 18,718 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy.
US streaming: Prime Video, Peacock, MGM Plus
The Usual Suspects
1995 · Drama, Crime, Thriller · 106 min · TMDB 8.2/10
Rated 8.2/10 by 11,878 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: Held in an L.A.
US streaming: HBO Max
The Departed
2006 · Drama, Thriller, Crime · 151 min · TMDB 8.2/10
Rated 8.2/10 by 16,827 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise.
US streaming: HBO Max
Joker
2019 · Crime, Thriller, Drama · 122 min · TMDB 8.1/10
Rated 8.1/10 by 28,569 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
US streaming: HBO Max
Reservoir Dogs
1992 · Crime, Thriller · 99 min · TMDB 8.1/10
Rated 8.1/10 by 15,952 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: A botched robbery indicates a police informant, and the pressure mounts in the aftermath at a warehouse.
US streaming: Prime Video
Prisoners
2013 · Drama, Thriller, Crime · 153 min · TMDB 8.1/10
Rated 8.1/10 by 13,670 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: After his six-year-old daughter is abducted, a desperate father takes justice into his own hands when he loses faith in the detective leading the investigation, setting both men on a collision course as the search descends into obsession and moral compromise.
US streaming: not on a US subscription service as of October 24, 2026
Memories of Murder
2003 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · 131 min · TMDB 8.1/10
Rated 8.1/10 by 4,896 TMDB voters.
TMDB synopsis: A sadistic serial rapist and murderer of young women terrorizes a small province in 1980s South Korea.
US streaming: not on a US subscription service as of October 24, 2026
Questions
What are the best edge-of-your-seat thrillers?
By TMDB rating among well-voted films, the top three are The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Se7en.
How was this ranked?
By TMDB average rating, only counting films with a large number of votes, so a handful of fans cannot push a title up.
Where can I watch them?
Each film's US subscription services are in the table. Some are only for rent or purchase.
Is the list current?
Streaming data is from October 24, 2026. Catalogs change often.
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Sources: TMDB for titles, ratings, runtimes and synopses. JustWatch (via TMDB) supplies streaming availability. Streaming lists change often. Check the service before you plan your night.
See it in action
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