The Best Films About Suspense That You Haven’t Seen

What’s common between Chinatown (1974), Memories of Murder (2003), Zodiac (2007) and Prisoners (2013)? That besides being perennial best listers, these films signify the administering of a heady and essential formal element in storytelling—suspense.

In Chinatown, suspense builds as private detective Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) uncovers a web of corruption and family secrets, with the audience anticipating the shocking consequences of his discoveries. In Bong Joon Ho's Memories of Murder, also a film noir, the tension comes from detectives’ desperate search for a serial killer, with each clue and misstep heightening dread and uncertainty about when or if he will be caught. In Prisoners, directed by Denis Villeneuve, suspense is sustained through the kidnapping of two girls, the moral dilemmas of their fathers and the slow, anxiety-ridden unraveling of clues and potential culprits.

Unlike ‘thriller’ or ‘mystery’—a Google search for either of which will yield numberless online lists— ‘suspense’ doesn’t really suggest genre. According to Google, "'suspense' originates from the Old French 'sospense', meaning 'delay', which itself stems from the Latin 'suspensus', the past participle of 'suspendere', meaning 'to hang up' or 'interrupt'. The core idea of suspense, therefore, involves a sense of being held in a state of uncertainty or anticipation.

It’s a mood, a form of storytelling that keeps you nervously perched on the edge of your seat. As a narrative device, suspense is a self-contained chamber of addiction built upon anticipation and dread. And that makes it such an effective propulsion tool in the movement of plot.

And therefore, to enjoy it is to be willing to entertain a modicum of dread. And if you’re one of those that do, here are some of the best films with genuine suspense that you probably haven’t watched. 

Wind River (2017, Taylor Sheridan)

On a Wyoming Native American reservation, a wildlife officer and an FBI agent investigate the murder of a young woman. The suspense in this Jeremy Renner-starrer builds from isolation, harsh winter landscapes and the slow uncovering of a hidden crime. The tension is psychological and situational rather than action-heavy, keeping viewers on edge as secrets unravel.

The Conversation (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)

Harry Caul (a sublime, sublime Gene Hackman), a surveillance expert, becomes obsessed with a recording suggesting a murder. The suspense arises from Caul’s paranoia and moral dilemma—will he intervene, and is he already too late? Coppola’s meticulous pacing keeps the audience in a state of anticipatory anxiety throughout. Some even hold The Conversation a rung above The Godfather—which is saying something, isn't it?

Caché (2005, Michael Haneke)

In this excellent Michael Haneke thriller, a family begins receiving anonymous videotapes showing they are under surveillance. A gnawing sense of ambiguity delivers the suspense in the film—who is sending the tapes and why—and from the psychological unraveling of the characters. Haneke’s slow, deliberate framing heightens dread without overt action.

Knife in the Water (1962, Roman Polanski)

A couple picks up a young hitchhiker for a boating trip. Tensions flare as a subtle psychological battle unfolds. Polanski’s minimalistic, confined setting and sharp character dynamics create suspense through jealousy, power, and understated menace. It's hard to believe this claustrophobic brilliance was his debut directorial feature.

The Secret in Their Eyes (2009, Juan José Campanella)

A retired legal counselor revisits an unresolved rape and murder case decades later. The suspense arises from both the investigation’s twists and the slow-burning emotional tension between characters. The film keeps audiences waiting for both justice and personal resolution.

Eyes Without a Face (1960, Georges Franju)

What does a surgeon, obsessed with restoring his daughter’s disfigured face, do? He resorts to kidnapping women for transplants. The moral horror and dread of the proceedings, as the audience anticipates the consequences of his unethical acts, builds up a simmering mood of suspense. Franju blends gothic atmosphere with lingering, tension-filled visuals.

Duel (1971, Steven Spielberg)

A businessman is relentlessly stalked by a mysterious truck driver on a remote highway in this cult TV movie. Spielberg, in his first-ever directorial feature, uses minimalism to maximum effect—the faceless antagonist and the long stretches of tension create a sustained suspense that keeps viewers on edge throughout. And when you're done watching Duel, go back and unearth the primal horror and suspense of his 1975 masterpiece, Jaws.

Buried (2010, Rodrigo Cortés)

A man (played by Ryan Reynolds) wakes buried alive in a coffin with only a cellphone. The suspense is claustrophobic and immediate, as every action could be his last. Cortés’ tight framing and real-time pacing make the audience feel trapped alongside the protagonist.

Blow-Up (1966, Michelangelo Antonioni)

A fashion photographer thinks he has inadvertently captured a murder on film. Suspense emerges from uncertainty and perception—what is real versus imagined. Antonioni stretches narrative and visual ambiguity, keeping viewers off-balance.

The Lives of Others (2006, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)

In this film set in East Germany, a Stasi officer surveils a playwright and actress, increasingly empathising with them. The suspense comes from the constant threat of exposure and moral tension—the audience is anxious over every decision, knowing the stakes of authoritarian oversight.

Purple Noon (1960, René Clément)

A number of movies have been made on Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley (including the transfixing Netflix series starring Andrew Scott). In this atmospheric Alain Delon-starrer, drenched in the colours of a European summer, a charming conman schemes to assume another man’s identity. Suspense arises from whether his deceit will be uncovered and how he will manipulate those around him. Clément's balances elegance with a slow-burning tension, which differentiates this film from the chilling thrill of Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr Ripley.

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005, Cristi Puiu)

In this renowned Romanian film, an elderly man’s ambulance journey through Bucharest hospitals highlights systemic incompetence. The suspense in this film is of a different nature, coming from uncertainty over his survival and the audience’s helplessness. Every delay feels dangerous. Puiu creates dread from realism, not action, which is the strength of this film.