For many moviegoers, 2024 was a year filled with unexpected gems and surprise hits. From genuinely well-made blockbusters such as Dune: Part Two to indie darlings like Anora, 2024 gave film fans plenty of movies to become invested in. It was a particularly exceptional year for the horror genre, with movies like Terrifier 3 breaking records at the box office and films like The Substance garnering well-deserved attention during awards season. After the successful years of 2022 and 2023, 2024 had a lot to live up to, and it looks as though it has set 2025 up to be a great year for cinema.
Another genre that delivered some truly fantastic films was the thriller genre. We were gifted with many incredible thrillers and some surprisingly entertaining ones as well. Carry-On starring Taron Eggerton and Jason Bateman was the biggest debut for Netflix in 2024, with 97 million streams in its first 10 days. Dev Patel made his directorial debut with the wildly ambitious Monkey Man, and Rose Glass dropped the surrealist crime thriller Love Lies Bleeding. It was a tremendous year for the genre, yet quite a few films managed to slip under the radar. These thrillers didn’t get enough mainstream attention, so we’re shining the spotlight on them.
8
‘Caddo Lake’
Director
Logan George
, Celine Held
Cast
Dylan O’Brien
, Eliza Scanlen
, Caroline Falk
, Lauren Ambrose
, Sam Hennings
, Diana Hopper
, Eric Lange
, Lance E. Nichols
, Nina Leon
, David Maldonado
, Kim Baptiste
, Jules Hilillo Fernandez
Runtime
104 Minutes
A Max original produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Caddo Lake is set on the Lousiana-Texas border near the titular lake. When the mother of a young man named Paris (Dylan O’Brien) experiences a seizure and drives off a bridge, he is unable to save her when she disappears into Caddo Lake. Nearby, a rebellious teenager named Ellie (Eliza Scanlen) lives with her mother, step-father, and 8-year-old step-sister Anna (Caroline Falk) in a rather tumultuous household. When Anna goes missing near the lake, Ellie takes it upon herself to search for her and discovers a mystery about the lake.
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A Moving Thriller with a Sci-Fi Twist
Caddo Lake puts a heartfelt sci-fi spin on this southern thriller that emphasizes the importance of family. Although it was directed by Logan George and Celine Held, there are definitive Shyamalan-style twists and turns that keep the viewer guessing. Still, the twists never feel out of place or gratuitous and instead feel grounded in the strange reality of the world the characters live in. It’s not groundbreaking, but it is engaging and features a standout performance from O’Brien.
7
‘Marmalade’
Release Date
February 12, 2024
Runtime
99 Minutes
Keir O’Donnell’s Marmalade is a quirky, outlandish Bonnie & Clyde-style crime thriller that at times is quite funny. The film follows a naive young man named Baron (Joe Keery) who lives in a small town with his dying mother, whom he takes care of. Baron randomly meets an eccentric young woman by the name of Marmalade (Camila Morrone) at the park and instantly falls in love with her. She quickly convinces him to rob a bank with her, but inevitably, things don’t go according to plan and everything spirals out of control.
An Eccentric ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ Tale
Keery does an excellent job of playing a naive, easy-to-please small-town man who is fascinated by the first outsider to enter his world. Baron’s innocent nature comes across naturally on-screen, and Morrone also does a great job of translating this eccentric, bizarre personality that Marmalade has. It’s also difficult to discern what direction this film is going in until the first major twist is revealed, adding to the fun of watching the character’s journey.
6
‘Azrael’
Release Date
September 27, 2024
Director
E.L. Katz
Cast
Samara Weaving
, Vic Carmen Sonne
, Katariina Unt
, Johhan Rosenberg
, Karen Bengo
, Lucie Jan
, Phong Giang
, Sebastian Bull Sarning
, Eero Milonoff
, Peter Christoffersen
, Sonia Roszczuk
, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett
Runtime
85 Minutes
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E.L. Katz’s Azrael takes place many years after the apocalypse, where a cult of mute religious fanatics appears to be in charge. When a woman named Azrael (Samara Weaving) escapes the devout cult, the leaders hunt her down. She is set up to be sacrificed to an ancient evil in the forest but fights hard for survival.
Post-Apocalyptic Thrills
Since everyone is mute in this post-apocalyptic world, there is almost no talking whatsoever in the film. Dialogue-free films can be difficult to pay attention to for many viewers, but the lack of dialogue actually works in the film’s favor here. Weaving had to do a lot of heavy lifting with her physical acting to convey Azrael’s thoughts and emotions. The entire movie hinges on Weaving’s performance, and she more than delivers. Once Azrael kicks it into high gear, it is thrilling until the dark end.
5
‘Juror #2’
Release Date
October 30, 2024
Runtime
114 Minutes
In what very well may be the last film by actor-director Clint Eastwood, Juror #2 proves yet again that even at almost 95 years old, he knows what he’s doing behind the camera. The legal thriller centers around a former alcoholic and soon-to-be dad named Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult). When he is selected as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, Justin struggles with a huge moral dilemma. A dilemma that he could use to either convict or free the wrong suspect.
An Ode to ’90s Legal Thrillers
Juror #2 is the type of slow-burn legal thriller that used to be extremely popular in the ’90s. It’s the type of courtroom drama that simply doesn’t get made anymore, but that plenty of people still seem to want. The film is not overly dramatic or boisterous the way some legal procedurals are, but that helps the film feel more grounded and realistic. It’s simply a case of a good person stuck in a bad spot, and unfortunately, that happens in life.
4
‘You’ll Never Find Me’
Release Date
June 10, 2023
Runtime
96 Minutes
Cast
Brendan Rock
, Jordan Cowan
, Elena Carapetis
, Angela Korng
, Luca Trimboli
, Finn Watson
You’ll Never Find Me is a slow-burn Australian horror-thriller directed by Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell. It takes place entirely in one location and centers around an older man named Patrick (Brendan Rock) who lives alone in a mobile home in the back of a trailer park. On the night of a violent storm, a young woman (Jordan Cowan) shows up at his door seeking shelter from the thunderous storm. As the night drags on and the woman learns more about Patrick, the more she questions his intentions and Patrick starts to question his grip on reality.
An Effective One-Location Thriller
Allen and Bell expertly build tension to create an impending sense of dread that lasts for the entirety of the film’s 100-minute runtime. There’s always a sense that danger is lurking around every corner of this man’s mobile home and that perhaps the safest place is outside in the raging thunderstorm. Both Patrick’s and the woman’s stories at times conflict with each other or details are brought up and then abandoned, making it harder for the viewer to discern who is telling the truth and what’s real. At no point is the viewer sure if they should trust the woman, Patrick, or neither of them.
3
‘Rebel Ridge’
Release Date
September 6, 2024
Director
Jeremy Saulnier
Cast
Aaron Pierre
, David Denman
, Emory Cohen
, Oscar Gale
, AnnaSophia Robb
, Reid Williams
, Steve Zissis
, Daniel H. Chung
, Dana Lee
, Zsane Jhe
, Don Johnson
, C.J. LeBlanc
, Matthew Rimmer
, Brannon Cross
, Victor Eli Hugo
, James Cromwell
, Chelsea Bryan
, Al Vicente
, Terence Rosemore
, Leslie Nipkow
, Rhonda Johnson Dents
, Charlie Talbert
, Harlon Miller
, Clayton Cooper
, Caleb J. Thaggard
, Jordan Thoma
, Angela Griffitt
Runtime
131 Minutes
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Jeremy Saulnier, the director of Blue Ruin and The Green Room, released the incredibly entertaining crime thriller Rebel Ridge last year. It instantly became one of the best films Netflix released in 2024. The story follows Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre), a former Marine on his way to bail out his falsely accused cousin when he finds himself wrapped up in a web of lies and corruption at the hands of a small-town police department. The altercation leads to a dangerous war between Terry and the police chief (Don Johnson).
A Perfectly Paced Crime Thriller
One of the characteristics of the film that has stood out to viewers is Saulnier’s depiction of a violent yet non-lethal action/crime thriller. Terry is a highly skilled ex-Marine expertly trained in combat, yet he goes out of his way to ensure he causes no civilian or law enforcement casualties in his fight against police corruption. Instead, he uses his knowledge and skill to his advantage and outsmarts the police department every step of the way. He enlists the help of a courthouse clerk (Anna-Sophia Rob) who is privy to some of the corruption, and together they dismantle the unethical department. Terry is suave, intelligent, strong, and simply an undeniably cool guy, thanks to a movie-star-making performance from Pierre.
2
‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’
Stranded at an Arizona rest stop, a traveling knife salesman gets thrust into a high-stakes hostage situation by the arrival of two bank robbers who will stop at nothing to protect their ill-begotten fortune.
Release Date
May 10, 2024
Runtime
1h 30m
The Last Stop in Yuma County is the feature-length directorial debut of Francis Galluppi, who will be directing the next Evil Dead movie. The film is set in the titular Yuma County in Arizona, where the last place to get gas for miles is located next to a small diner. A traveling knife salesman (Jim Cummings) reluctantly waits at the diner until more gas arrives at the station, and is thrust into a dangerous hostage situation when two cold-hearted bank-robbers arrive.
A Tense ’70s Inspired Thriller
This is a stylish, bold crime thriller that mostly takes place within the diner property. It’s reminiscent of thrillers from the ’70s, both in terms of the setting and characters, but also in the way it was filmed. The editing is immaculate and the story is gripping enough to make you sit at the edge of your seat for 90 minutes. The stakes are high, the performances are solid, and the tension is ever-present.
1
‘Strange Darling’
Release Date
August 23, 2024
Director
JT Mollner
Cast
Willa Fitzgerald
, Kyle Gallner
, Jason Patric
, Giovanni Ribisi
, Ed Begley Jr.
, Barbara Hershey
, Steven Michael Quezada
, Madisen Beaty
, Denise Grayson
, Eugenia Kuzmina
, Bianca A. Santos
, Sheri Foster
, Duke Mollner
, Andrew John Segal
, Robert Craighead
, Evan Peterson
Runtime
96 Minutes
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One of the most enthralling films to be released in 2024, JT Mollner’s Strange Darling follows a man (Kyle Gallner) and a woman (Ella Fitzgerald) who meet outside a motel for a night of drinking and conversation. After discussing if anything would happen between them, they end up inside the motel together. The next morning, the woman finds herself running for her life as the man hunts her down.
10:44
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A Mesmerizing Psychological Thriller
This psychological thriller has an incredibly tight and engaging script that keeps you hooked from start to finish. It presents ideas and moments just to shatter its effect on the viewer repeatedly. Horror elements are sprinkled throughout, adding an edge to an already incredibly engaging story. The camerawork is mesmerizing to watch, and the top-notch cinematography comes from first-time cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi. The use of lighting and color is also simply gorgeous and is one of the best-looking films from 2024.
Strange Darling is a bloodthirsty, twisted thriller that is led by two exceptionally powerful lead performances in Gallner and Fitzgerald and excellent use of non-linear storytelling.
You can view the original article HERE.