What are the elements of a good suspense story? It’s not always easy to pinpoint the answer, in part because the very nature of what constitutes a thriller is fluid and subject to evolution. Some thrillers are also excellent examples of the action film genre, but others may be classified as examples of the horror film genre, or at the very least be considered horror-related. There is a gray area somewhere in the center where thrillers reside; they may be entertaining to watch, but they are not the same exhilarating rush that many action films are, and they can be uncomfortable without being downright horrifying. The fact that the finest thrillers also contribute to the overall definition of the genre is what gives them their unique value.
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (1998)
A Swedish crime thriller by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo focuses on journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), who is hired by an industrialist to investigate the disappearance of his niece. The case leads to a series of serial killings and Sweden’s sinister wartime history of Nazi sympathizers. The film features a compelling DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that excels at both ends of the spectrum. Light musical notes float about the soundstage with exceptional precision, and environmental sound effects play with a similarly high level of detail and clarity.
Sexual violence is a lurid thread that runs throughout the film, and director David Fincher approaches it with queasy, teasing sensationalism. During Lisbeth’s dealings with Bjurman, there is a vicious rape and corresponding brutal act of revenge that reveals an intensely unsettling, unsympathetic side of her character.
2. The Fifth Element (1999)
The Fifth Element is a science-fiction film made by director Luc Besson, who was known for his work on the likes of Nikita/La Femme Nikita and The Professional/Leon. The pelispedia movie tells the story of a taxicab driver named Korben Dallas, who joins forces with a woman, Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), to retrieve four mystical stones that will help safeguard Earth from an unknown alien entity. Despite the film’s many flaws, it has managed to remain popular and is considered a classic among sci-fi fans. It is also one of the most visually striking films ever made.
Throughout the film, we see flashes of bright colors that are meant to match the style of the modern sci-fi genre. This is something that Besson has done with his other films and it works well for the movie. He also injects a lot of humor into the story that keeps it from being overly serious and dull.
3. The Girl in the Spider’s Web (1999)
The latest adaptation from Stieg Larsson’s Millennium book series, The Girl in the Spider’s Web stars Claire Foy as Lisbeth Salander. The renowned hacker is now an avenging angel who targets men who have abused women. The film was helmed by Fede Alvarez, the same director who made the 2013 remake of Evil Dead and who directed the hit thriller Don’t Breathe in 2016. It also features a score from Italian composer Marco Banos.
Sony acquired the rights to all future installments of the Millennium books. This time around, the franchise jumps ahead to the fourth book in the series, Det som inte dodar oss. It’s a different kind of story for Salander, one that ignores the earlier two novels in the series and takes her to darker, more human places.
4. The Wolf of Wall Street (1995)
A black comedy based on the memoir of Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street is a biographical drama about a high-rolling stockbroker who becomes involved in criminal and corruption practices. It is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio. The Wolf of Wall Street is a dark comedy that shows how greed, sex, and drugs can take over the lives of people. It also explains how a hard-working family man can transform into a kingpin of immorality and debauchery.
Director Martin Scorsese follows up his hit movie Goodfellas with this amoral story about a stockbroker who becomes involved in crime and corruption. It is a great lookmovie that is highly entertaining and worth watching.
5. The Dark Tower (2019)
The Dark Tower is a sweeping sci-fi fantasy western that’s part of a series of books by Stephen King. It spans a universe that links several of the author’s other works, including Bag of Bones, The Gunslinger, and The Stand. The story centers on an 11-year-old boy who experiences apocalyptic visions of the “Man in Black” (Matthew McConaughey), a wizard who plans to destroy the tower that holds all of existence together. He teams up with a Gunslinger named Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) on a quest to find the Dark Tower and save the world.
Genre filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who has previously adapted two King books for the big screen (2019’s Doctor Sleep and 2017’s Gerald’s Game), is now taking on The Dark Tower with Amazon Studios. The streaming platform has a number of ambitious projects in the works, but this one might be their most important.
