10 psychological thrillers that will surprise you

We have prepared a selection of excellent films. These films could easily compete with classics of the genre, such as "Memento" or "Gone Girl."

The Girl on the Train

USA, drama, thriller, detective, 2016

From the outside, Rachel seems like a natural part of the business world. Every weekday morning, she gets up early to catch the train from the suburbs to her office. But the thing is, no one at the office is waiting for Rachel anymore. She's been fired. Struggling to cope with her divorce and dismissal, the heroine realizes that her life is falling apart. She tries to maintain the appearance of being busy, at least for her friend, who is temporarily putting up with her as a guest. The situation is complicated by her long-standing alcohol addiction. The heroine has a daily routine: watching a couple living nearby from the window of her train. One day, she notices something strange in their house and suspects that she has witnessed a crime. But who will believe the words of an unemployed alcoholic?

The film is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by British author Paula Hawkins.

Rating: IMDb 6.6, Kinopoisk 6.5

The Handmaiden

South Korea, drama, thriller, 2016

The events of this film take place in the early 20th century, when Korea was under Japanese rule. A young thief named Nam Suk-hee takes a job as a maid in the wealthy home of the beautiful Hideko under a false name. An experienced con man posing as a count instructs her to win the trust of the heiress to a large fortune and get her to marry the pseudo-count. Then he could have her committed to a mental hospital and take her wealth. Nam Suk-hee willingly takes on the task, but gradually grows closer to Hideko. Spiced with lies, intrigue, and passion, the story of takes an unexpected turn.

The film's screenplay is based on the 2002 novel Fingersmith by British author Sarah Waters.

Rating: IMDb 8.1, Kinopoisk 7.4

The Invisible Guest

Spain, thriller, crime, detective, 2016

The mistress of a young businessman, Ariana Doria, is found murdered, and he becomes the prime suspect in the investigation. His last chance to prove his innocence is at the trial. Ariana is assigned an experienced lawyer, Virginia Goodman, who intends to end her professional careeron a positive note. She questions Doria about the circumstances of the murder and learns about a blackmailer who lured him and the girl into a trap. The search for the culprit leads to a long-ago fatal accident involving Ariana and Laura. Virginia has only one night before the trial to figure out all the circumstances and find the real killer.

Rating: IMDb 7.9, Kinopoisk 7.5

The Best Offer

Italy, drama, thriller, 2012

Virgil is a great art connoisseur. He evaluates other people's collections and is considered an authority in his field. Few people know this, but over the course of his career, he has managed to amass an enviable collection of portraits in a secret room in his home. These portraits depict only women, whom Virgil loves to admire. One day, his attention is drawn to a very real beauty—the owner of a large collection of valuable items, who is most afraid of leaving her own home.

The lead role in the film is played by Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush from Australia.

Rating: IMDb 7.8, Kinopoisk 7.9

The Double

United Kingdom, drama, black comedy, 2013

The main character is a modest and ordinary employee named Simon James. One day, an exact copy of him appears in the office. And the double not only finds a way to approach the girl Simon didn't even dare to talk to. He is smarter, more charismatic, bolder, and quickly gains the respect and popularity of his colleagues. Meanwhile, the real Simon begins to feel envy and hatred towards his rival.

The film will resonate with fans of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky's work. It is his novel of the same name that has been reimagined in this film by British actor and director Richard Ayoade.

Rating: IMDb 6.5, Kinopoisk 6.7

Side Effect

USA, thriller, 2013

Psychiatrist Jonathan Banks is dealing with a difficult case. Four years ago, Emily Taylor suffered her first nervous breakdown after her husband Taylor was sent to prison. Now that her husband has been released, her mental health problems have returned, but this time with suicidal tendencies. When Emily nearly crashes her car, Banks offers her treatment with standard antidepressants. But none of them work. Emily then begins taking an experimental drug on the advice of her previous psychiatrist. The treatment is successful, except for one side effect: sleepwalking.

The film was directed by Oscar-winning Steven Soderbergh, known to audiences for his films Traffic, Erin Brockovich, and Ocean's Eleven.

Rating: IMDb 7.1, Kinopoisk 7.0

Prisoners

USA, thriller, detective, 2013

Two families, the Doovers and the Birches, gather around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving. After dinner, they discover that their youngest daughters have disappeared. The police consider a local boy named Alex Jones, whom both girls liked, to be the prime suspect. Although he is released after questioning, the father of one of the missing girls does not believe in his innocence, so he kidnaps Jones and begins to torture him. Meanwhile, the official investigation continues, and the detective assigned to the case finds new evidence that leads to a completely different suspect.

Roger Deakins' cinematography was nominated for an Academy Award.

Rating: IMDb 8.1, Kinopoisk 7.7

Nocturnal Animals

USA, drama, thriller, 2016

Art gallery owner Susan Morrow's ex-husband, writer Edward Sheffield, reappears in her life. He informs Susan that he is coming to visit her and sends her the manuscript of his unpublished novel so that she can read it before they meet. Morrow begins reading. It is a story about a family—a married couple and their teenage daughter. While traveling by car, they fall victim to a brutal attack by a gang of criminals. The plot touches Susan deeply, and she realizes that her former lover has hidden a message in the novel that only she can understand.

The film was directed by renowned designer Tom Ford. For his work, he was nominated for the top prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Rating: IMDb 7.5, Kinopoisk 7.3

Trance

United Kingdom, France, detective, thriller, 2013

Simon works at a large auction house. To pay off his debts to some bad guys, he has to help them steal a valuable painting. But unfortunately, something goes wrong during the carefully planned robbery. The hero is hit on the head and now has no memory of where he hid the stolen painting. His accomplices lose patience and hire a hypnotherapist, the charming Elizabeth, to extract the necessary memories from his mind. A romance develops between the psychologist and Simon. But when fragments of memory begin to return to the hero, he realizes that he has become a pawn in someone's sophisticated game.

The role of Elizabeth was offered to Zoe Saldana, Scarlett Johansson, and Melanie Thierry, but in the end, it was played by Rosario Dawson.

Rating: IMDb 7.0, Kinopoisk 7.2

Remember

Canada, Germany, drama, thriller, 2015

The life of Zev Guttman, a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz, is coming to an end. He suffers from senile dementia and spends his days in the company of his best friend Max Rosenbaum in a nursing home. But it is too early for Zev to retire, because he has one unfinished business: he once promised himself that he would find and kill the Blockführer from Auschwitz who was responsible for the murder of his family.

After receiving some money and information about the Nazi's new name from his friend, Guttman sets out to find him. He is prepared to methodically visit the homes of everyone with the right name until he finally completes his mission.

Christopher Plummer insisted on performing his own stunts in the film. He also performed passages from musical works himself.

Rating: IMDb 7.4, Kinopoisk 7.3

If nothing catches your eye, we have plenty of other options!