It could be said that we go to the movies in the first place for the thrills. The desire to experience new stories put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, and live out exciting events that might otherwise never be possible. We long for escapism. But that’s not what psychological thrillers are all about. Psychological thrillers focus less on external adventure and threat and more on the interior worlds of heroes and villains whose grasp on reality is dangerously close to failing.

It can be hard to pin down which films are psychological thrillers and which are just thrillers in which the characters are motivated by their psychology, which is why we are focusing on films that are 100% thrilling and 100% rooted in psychological anxiety. From Don't Look Now to Psycho, these are the best psychological thrillers that will provide food for thought.

50 'The Lost Daughter' (2021)

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Based on the 2006 novel of the same name by acclaimed author Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter is a moving tale of tragic motherhood following a middle-aged university teacher (Olivia Colman in an extremely deserved Oscar-nominated role) whose beach vacation takes a wild turn as she begins to confront the troubles of her arduous past.

Although it is more of a psychological drama than necessarily a thriller, The Lost Daughter also resorts to elements of the genre to tell its dark story, and that is part of what makes it such an unsettling watch at times. Mental health struggles and trauma are evident in the Maggie Gyllenhaal-directed flick, as well as an intriguing handling of such a taboo subject (even these days). One of its strongest aspects is undoubtedly the writing, including how easy it is for audiences to empathize with Colman's on-screen counterpart despite her choices being questionable to some.

49 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' (1999)

Director: Anthony Minghella

Set in late 1950s New York, the renowned The Talented Mr. Ripley stars Matt Damon as the titular con artist character, illustrating the young underachiever's trip to Italy to retrieve a rich and spoiled millionaire womanizer (Jude Law). However, when the errand fails, Ripley resorts to extreme measures.

Based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel of the same name, this haunting and thought-provoking psychological thriller is a great pick for those who enjoy intellectually stimulating movies. While it is not a masterpiece in the thriller genre, The Talented Mr. Ripley is still an intriguing, at times disturbing movie that will keep audiences intrigued, even feeling reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s work (though objectively not on the same level as the director's filmography). Viewers who enjoy this film will probably want to watch Netflix's gorgeous noir thriller titled Ripley.

48 'The Babadook' (2014)

Director: Jennifer Kent

Although The Babadook also falls under the horror genre, its twisted narrative involving mental health is also very psychological. The plot centers around the recently widowed mother (Essie Davis) of six-year-old Samuel (Noah Wiseman) who falls into a deep well of paranoia when a children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.

This supernatural psychological thriller surely earns a place among the most layered and complex in the genre, especially in how it meditates on the devastating consequences of loss and grief. The Babadook is a genuinely intriguing film that benefits from its strong central performances and gripping narrative. It's difficult to remain indifferent to the story's message about real-life tragedies, the way it perfectly taps into complex feelings, and its relatable characters.

47 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' (2017)

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

The director of the Oscar-nominated picture Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos has established himself as one of the most promising creatives in film. The Killing of a Sacred Deer, which centers around a charismatic surgeon (Colin Farrell) and his relationship with a teenage boy (Barry Keoghan, who is also an Oscar-nominated actor) whom he has taken under his wing, is yet another confirmation of his extraordinary skills as a filmmaker.

This absurdist psychological thriller also features horror elements, so it might be the right pick for anyone who enjoys psychological horror films, too. Although haunting and deeply unsettling at times, the disturbing The Killing of a Sacred Deer is beautifully shot and filmed, featuring witty comedic bits and amazing central performances on top of its utterly bizarre plot (as expected from the unconventional Greek director).

46 'Peeping Tom' (1960)

Director: Michael Powell

Those who enjoy a voyeuristic film are in for a treat if they decide to hit play in Michael Powell's film. Peeping Tom is a psychological thriller that meditates on the human mind's behavior by following a young man named Mark (Karlheinz Böhm) who murders women and resorts to a movie camera to film their dying expressions.

Böhm's chilling acting performance is not Peeping Tom's only strong aspect: While the premise is terrifying, the film is truly engaging, exploring the protagonist's obsession with spying on others and documenting their doomed fates. Released to controversy — with Powell's career as a director being put at stake in the U.K. — Peeping Tom, the "grandaddy of found footage horror," has now garnered a cult following and is regarded as a true masterpiece in the genre.

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45 'Manhunter' (1986)

Director: Michael Mann

The first film adaptation of Thomas Harris’s Hannibal Lecter novels, based on the novel Red Dragon, goes deeper into psychological terror than any of the others (at least until the TV show came along). Michael Mann’s Manhunter stars William Peterson as Will Graham, an FBI profiler so talented at getting into the mind of a killer that he ends up losing his own personality and drowns in the darkness.

Hannibal Lecter appears, inexplicably named “Hannibal Lecktor,” and played with a disarming casualness by Succession's Brian Cox, whose take on the character is more insidious and less mannered than the other actors who have taken on the role. Meanwhile, as Mann brings out the madness in his protagonist, he’s exploring the humanity of his murderer, Francis Dollarhyde, played by an impossibly frightening, and impossibly tragic Tom Noonan. Manhunter is insightful and terrifying, and in some respects, perhaps the second-best adaptation of Harris’s work to date.

44 'Dead Ringers' (1988)

Director: David Cronenberg

David Cronenberg spent the majority of his career exploring the terrors of the human body, and our unnerving psychological obsessions with our own organics. While he’s made several classic films along these lines, it is perhaps Dead Ringers that stands out as his crowning accomplishment. Jeremy Irons plays identical twins who share each other’s work, each other’s lives, and — without telling them — the same women.

Elliot is confident and domineering, Beverly is shy and sensitive, and when they begin a romantic relationship with one of their patients, played by Geneviève Bujold, the strain becomes too much to bear. Irons gives two devastating performances, with subtle, impeccable editing creating the unmistakable illusion, using old-fashioned techniques, that he’s somehow cloned himself. Dead Ringers is a technical marvel, and a sublimely weird, twisted psychological thriller.