3 Best Thrillers You Can't Miss on Netflix This March
Great thrillers with Jason Statham, Tom Hanks, and Tom Hiddleston.
Netflix boasts countless movies in all sorts of genres, but in March 2024, thriller fans in particular can rejoice, as the streaming service's library has been expanded to include three excellent films in the genre.
3. Redemption
Release Date: June 28, 2013
Genre: Thriller, Dystopian Fiction, Sci-Fi, Drama
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 47%
This movie is probably more relevant than ever, given the return of mass love for Jason Statham after his role in The Beekeeper, and in the context that Benedict Wong is now on Netflix's radar after his role in the upcoming 3 Body Problem. Furthermore, Redemption, also known as Hummingbird outside the US, was written and directed by none other than Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
The plot of this movie follows a now homeless British veteran who has suffered from surviving the rigors of Afghanistan and is now navigating the gritty underbelly of London, surviving among sex workers and other homeless people. One day, he befriends a Catholic nun and helps her avenge the murders of prostitutes. This is an atypical movie in Statham's career as it is a very dark and depressing revenge story.
2. The 'Burbs
Release Date: February 17, 1989
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Black Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 56%
American suburbs are sometimes just as eccentric as inner cities, and this 1989 film starring Tom Hanks captures that perfectly. The 'Burbs can be called a thriller, a horror, and a comedy at the same time, and each of these definitions will prove to be fulfilling for the film. The main character, Ray Peterson (Hanks), tries to enjoy a long-awaited week off by spending it at his house in a seemingly quiet neighborhood.
Except Ray's suburban idyll is suddenly shattered when new and rather mysterious neighbors move in next door, with strange noises coming from their basement. Naturally, the neighborhood is in a state of paranoia, and the residents, led by Ray, decide to conduct their own investigation.
Don't be put off by the low ratings, as The 'Burbs has only been re-released in the last few years. Many have commented that it's a great movie for its time, successfully combining different genres.
1. High-Rise
Release Date: May 13, 2016
Genre: Thriller, Dystopian Fiction, Sci-Fi, Drama
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%
The Tom Hiddleston- starring film, based on J.G. Ballard's 1975 novel of the same name, managed to screen at seemingly every possible film festival in 2015-2016, and was even nominated for several prestigious awards. And yet, unfortunately, it went relatively unnoticed among all the independent films released during that time, overshadowed by Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster. But that doesn't take away from the fact that High-Rise is one of the best thrillers available on Netflix — moreover, if you've seen the recent sci-fi dystopia The Kitchen, you'll have an idea of how dire the housing situation is in London, with the rich only creating a social divide.
Ballard dealt with the same issues 50 years ago, writing a novel about how gentrification and consumerism leads to mass psychosis, how behind every luxury garment and every big number in the bank account there is nothing more than animal instinct.
This Ben Wheatley film is by no means the best of his career, nor is it probably the best adaptation of Ballard's work, as many have noted that the narrative feels too disjointed and chaotic at times. However, High-Rise still delivers an effective and deeply satirical disco-infused thriller that provides a poignant insight into today's still relevant class warfare.