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Here are some superb thrillers that have, for whatever reason, fallen through the cracks of time. When it comes to the lists of the best thrillers ever made, entries like Heat, The Silence of the Lambs or Chinatown are all but guaranteed. It's hard to argue with those choices, of course, since they're all masterpieces.
Still, it does make those types of "best of" lists a tad predictable. It can also take the light away from lesser-seen outings; those great films that either failed to find an audience or came out at the wrong time. So, instead of rewatching Se7en for the seventh time, why not try a fantastic thriller that time has forgotten?
10 Revenge (1990)
kevin costner standing holding a cup in Revenge (1990)
This Tony Scott movie is simultaneously the most romantic film the late, great director made and the most devastating. It stars Kevin Costner (in maximum hottie mode) as a retired pilot who falls in love with his friend's beautiful wife (played by Madeleine Stowe). The issue is his friend is a crime lord, who takes the betrayal very, VERY badly.
Tony Scott wasn't happy with Revenge's theatrical cut, which represented the producer's version more than his, which is why he released a shorter Director's Cut in 2007.
Revenge isn't really an action film, and is instead a dark thriller and character study. It's a morally murky story too, with the title holding multiple meanings. The film has found a fanbase retrospectively (including Quentin Tarantino), but it was a rare box office dud for Costner back in 1990.
9 Tightrope (1984)
Clint Eastwood talks on the phone in Tightrope.
Audiences walking into Tightrope may have expected another tough cop thriller like Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry franchise. What they got was a seedy character study, where Eastwood's lonely New Orleans detective is chasing a killer murdering sex workers whom Clint's character has previously visited.
Tightrope is a neo-noir with all the required stalk and chase sequences of the genre. That said, the most interesting thing about it is the way it parallels Eastwood's cop and the killer, suggesting they could be one and the same. It was risky material for Clint to take on, which might be why it's one of his most forgotten.
8 Judgment Night (1993)
Emilio Estevez as a wounded Frank in Judgment Night.
Stephen Hopkins directed any number of stylish action thrillers during the 1990s (Predator 2, Blown Away, etc), but Judgment Night would be his masterpiece. This intense cat-and-mouse thriller sees four friends witness a murder after becoming lost in the "bad side" of Chicago, and running for their lives to survive.
Hopkins not only stages some taut setpieces, but he keeps the sense of dread high throughout Judgment Night. It also has an awesome soundtrack (which is better remembered than the movie itself) and a great cast, with Denis Leary stealing the show as the terrifying villain stalking the luckless heroes.
7 Phone Booth (2002)
stu in phone booth
Phone Booth was set for big names like Jim Carrey before it became a showcase for a young up-and-comer named Colin Farrell. This Joel Schumacher nerve-shredder cast Farrell as a slimy agent who is held hostage by a sniper (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland), and told if he leaves the booth, he'll be killed.
With a script by genre legend Larry Cohen and a cast that includes Katie Holmes and Forest Whitaker, Phone Booth is as tight as a drum. It barely reaches the 80-minute mark, but Schumacher milks every ounce of action and suspense he can from it. The film also left no doubt that Mr Farrell was the next big thing.
6 Body Double (1984)
Craig Wasson as Jake Scully and Melanie Griffith as Holly Body in Body Double.
There could be several entries on this list from master filmmaker Brian DePalma, including Blow Out or Snake Eyes. It feels like Body Double is his most undervalued, in addition to being his most lurid and cinematic thriller. This sees a nebbish actor witnessing a murder, and going to unconventional lengths to find the killer.
Body Double feels like it operates under dream logic, allowing De Palma to stage some incredible, reality stretching setpieces. Pino Donaggio's lush score is incredible, as is Melanie Griffith's scene-stealing turn as an adult performer helping the lead. The film itself also feels like a meta commentary on film production itself.
5 Rolling Thunder (1977)
William Devane as Rane with a shotgun and hook hand in Rolling Thunder.
One of Tarantino's favorite movies, Rolling Thunder comes from the pen of Taxi Driver's Paul Schrader. The film is a bleak ride, involving a Vietnam POW who finally comes home - only for his family to get murdered during a home invasion. Rane (William Devane) then pursues the killers with help from his war buddy (played by Tommy Lee Jones).
This bitterly violent thriller features an incredible central turn from Devane, and while obviously inspired by the likes of Death Wish, it still feels unique in the genre. The film ends with a cathartic shootout, but even though Rane "wins," the sense of loss doesn't make it feel like a happy ending either.
4 Trespass (1992)
Ice T and Ice Cube holding rifles in Trespass.
Walter Hill knows his way around an action thriller, with Trespass being one of his best outings from the 1990s. This sees two firefighters coming to an isolated warehouse on a treasure hunt, only to stumble upon a gangland murder. Soon, they've taken a hostage and a tense standoff ensues, and it's clear not everybody is leaving alive.
Trespass is blessed with a terrific ensemble (including Bill Paxton and Ice Cube), and Hill provides a suffocating atmosphere throughout. It's also impressive how much the filmmaker gets out of limited locations, and the script (co-written by director Robert Zemickis) is filled with unpredictable twists.
3 Dead Calm (1989)
Nicole Kidman holding Sam Neill and looking worried in Dead Calm (1989).
Dead Calm was an early star vehicle for Nicole Kidman, where she and Sam Neill play a couple who pick up a shipwrecked man (Billy Zane), who turns out to be a disturbed killer. Despite only featuring three actors for 95% of the runtime, Dead Calm manages to keep tension high throughout.
Zane was rarely better than his villain role here, while it was clear Kidman (who was only 19 when she shot the film) was destined for bigger things. Credit must go to director Phillip Noyce, who keeps events intensely claustrophobic while making the vastness of the ocean unsettling in its own right.
2 Ricochet (1991)
Denzel Washington as Styles pointing a revolver and wearing a police uniform in Ricochet.
One of Denzel Washington's earliest action roles was briefly considered as a Dirty Harry sequel, and casts him as a District Attorney whose life is turned upside down by a vengeful killer. Despite its classy cast (including John Lithgow), this 1991 thriller is jaw-droppingly sleazy and lurid at times.
There are a few lengths Lithgow's villain won't go to, with Washington's hero being subjected to several harrowing ordeals before he fights back. Thankfully, Ricochet's black humor makes the darker scenes bearable, and Russell Mulcahy paces the thriller with an expert hand.
1 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Harry smoking a cigarette in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Shane Black made his directorial debut with this witty noir thriller, which also completed Robert Downey Jr's comeback. The film follows a thief and a private eye (played by the great Val Kilmer) trying to solve a convoluted murder mystery in Los Angeles. Despite being critically acclaimed upon release, the film was a financial failure.
Audiences really missed out, since Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is one of the freshest and most rewatchable thrillers of its era. The chemistry between Downey Jr and Kilmer makes it tragic that they never reunited, while it provided Michelle Monaghan with a starmaking role as the love interest for Downey Jr's Harry.