The best films are transportive, and rarely can that be felt more viscerally than in a pulse-pounding thriller. When they’re pulled off well, thriller films evoke a memorable sense of suspense and antsy excitement in the room, whether you’re surrounded by fellow movie theatergoers or gripping the side of your living room couch.
One of the most exciting elements of the thriller is its flexibility. They can overlap with similarly engrossing genres like noir, action, and horror. Ultimately, what truly matters is the overall mood. If a thriller makes you lean forward as the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, then it’s done its job.
Because of how genre-defying they can be, there are a lot of great thrillers to look forward to in 2026—from a brand-new Matt Damon and Ben Affleck collaboration to an erotic sci-fi horror tale and a psychological musical drama. Below, we’ve put together a list of some of the best, most enticing thriller films coming out throughout the year. (And if you’re looking for movie recommendations to watch right now, check out our list of the best thrillers of 2025.)
The Best Thriller Movies of 2026 So Far
'Dead Man's Wire'
Release date: January 9
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino
Why it’s worth seeing: If you’re already missing Bill Skarsgård’s return as Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry, you can enjoy his unnerving character work in the true-crime-inspired movie Dead Man’s Wire. The Swedish actor stars as real-life criminal Tony Kiritsis, who kidnapped his bank mortgage holder in 1970s Indianapolis.
'The Rip'
Release date: January 16
Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Scott Adkins, Lina Esco, Néstor Carbonell, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Kyle Chandler
Why it’s worth seeing: Nearly 30 years after co-writing and starring in Oscar darling Good Will Hunting, lifelong best friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are still working together. They reunited on screen this year in the Netflix action thriller The Rip. The Joe Carnahan-directed film centers on a team of Miami cops who uncover millions in cash and must decipher who they can trust as newcomers stake their claim on it.
'Send Help'
Release date: January 30
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Edyll Ismail, Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, Thaneth Warakulnukroh, and Emma Raimi
Why it’s worth seeing: Being stranded on a secluded island is a nightmare, but what if you were trapped there with someone you can’t stand? Such is the very unlucky case for Rachel McAdams’s Linda Liddle in this survival thriller, as a plane crash finds her harpooned along with her bro-y boss, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien). Directed by Sam Raimi, who’s known for his often bonkers horror joints, you can bet this movie about roles-reversed power dynamics—set in the gritty wilderness, no less—is about to get gnarly.
'How to Make a Killing'
Release date: February 20
Starring: Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris, Topher Grace, Jessica Henwick, and Zach Woods
Why it’s worth seeing: Glen Powell’s movie star rise continues in How to Make a Killing. He stars as Becket Redfellow, the son of disowned heiress Mary. When his mother dies, Beckett decides to do whatever it takes to eliminate the seven relatives who stand between him and the inheritance that Mary always said he deserved…no matter the bloody cost.
'Ready or Not 2: Here I Come'
Release date: March 20
Starring: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood, Shawn Hatosy, and David Cronenberg
Why it’s worth seeing: Ready or Not’s irreverent blend of thrilling horror scares and black comedy made it a breakout hit when it premiered back in 2019. Samara Weaving’s central final girl, Grace, who escaped her in-laws’s plans to kill her for sport in the first film, is back to fight for her life once again in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. This time around, she finds herself kidnapped by The Lawyer (Elijah Wood), who represents the all-powerful High Council families. They’re once again determined to hunt her down, and Grace must team up with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) to survive their dangerous games.
'Mother Mary'
Release date: April 17
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, FKA twigs, Hunter Schafer, Alba Baptista, and Kaia Gerber
Why it’s worth seeing: An A24 psychosexual thriller starring Anne Hathaway as a pop star and I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel as her estranged fashion-designer confidante? If that doesn’t sound like indie prestige gold, then I don’t know what does. To make matters more exciting, Mother Mary features original music by Jack Antonoff and Charli xcx.
'Over Your Dead Body'
Release date: April 24
Starring: Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Keith Jardine, and Paul Guilfoyle
Why it’s worth seeing: Between Companion and Oh, Hi!, recent films about couples forced to confront their relationship issues during a secluded getaway are seemingly everywhere. That trend continues with Over Your Dead Body, in which Samara Weaving and Jason Segel play a couple who attempt to mend fences while on vacation. The twist? Each of them is plotting to kill the other.
'Is God Is'
Release date: May 15
Starring: Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Janelle Monáe, Vivica A. Fox, and Sterling K. Brown
Why it’s worth seeing: If you didn’t get a chance to catch playwright Aleshea Harris’ acclaimed Off-Broadway play Is God Is in 2018, good news: She directed a film version. The movie stars Kara Young and Mallori Johnson as outcast twin sisters physically scarred in their youth. When they discover that their father is responsible for injuring their mother and themselves, the twins find themselves torn between revenge and forgiveness.
'Pressure'
Release date: May 29
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Andrew Scott, Kerry Condon, Damian Lewis, Henry Ashton, and Chris Messina
Why it's worth seeing: If you ever assumed a weather forecast couldn’t be heart-stopping, you’d be wrong. Pressure centers on one of history’s most consequential meteorologists: James Stagg (Andrew Scott), who convinced General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) to move up the Allied Troops’ D-Day invasion. If you’re looking for a World War II thriller to enjoy with your friends and your history buff dad alike, here's your answer.
'Disclosure Day'
Release date: June 12
Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Eve Hewson
Why it’s worth seeing: Not only does one of the all-time greats, Steven Spielberg, have a new release in 2026—he’s back on his alien beat. Set as the world is on the cusp of a nuclear war, a cybersecurity specialist (Josh O'Connor) working for a secretive government organization steals a handful of documents, one detailing how authorities have interacted with and studied aliens for decades. As he and a TV journalist (Emily Blunt) experiencing strange phenomena team up to expose the truth, they set out on a more drastic journey than they could have imagined.
'The Death of Robin Hood'
Release date: June 19
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Bill Skarsgård, Jodie Comer, Noah Jupe, and Murray Bartlett
Why it's worth seeing: Robin Hood is back, and he isn’t a hot cartoon fox anymore. This time around, he’s getting the gritty A24 anti-hero treatment. In the title role, Jackman brings some Logan-esque Wolverine energy to this darker take on the legendary outlaw.
'Her Private Hell'
Release date: July 24
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Diego Calva, Kristine Froseth, and Havana Rose Liu
Why it’s worth seeing: Danish bad-boy filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn cast all the It girls and boys in Hollywood for his latest. His first feature in 10 years looks stylish as ever. Set in a near-future where a dangerous mist has engulfed a metropolis, it follows a young woman (Sophie Thatcher) in search of her missing father as her path crosses with an American soldier looking for his daughter.
'I Want Your Sex'
Release date: July 31
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, Olivia Wilde, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, and Charli xcx
Why it’s worth seeing: It’s been over a decade since New Queer Cinema pioneer filmmaker Gregg Araki made a feature film—and he’s back with a bang (pun intended). I Want Your Sex is the indie legend’s means of weighing in on the much-discussed topic of whether Gen Z is having sex or not, and essentially a love letter to experience. The campy erotic thriller follows Cooper Hoffman’s post-grad character Elliot as he gets a gig assisting kink artist Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde)...and eventually enters an S&M sexual relationship with her. It’s as bonkers and bold as Araki’s ‘90s classics, and seldom the kind of romp we see today.
The Best Thrillers Coming Soon in 2026
'Hope'
Release date: September 9
Starring: Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender
Why it’s worth seeing: Acclaimed Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin (who’s known for making thriller and horror blockbusters) returns this year with the mind-melting Hope. The film stunned (and confounded) Cannes attendees, as it unfolds as a high-speed chase between police officers and a mysterious creature. Taylor Russell and married couple Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender play key alien characters, and the VFX of their design is just one of many things that will wow you with this one.
'Victorian Psycho'
Release date: September 25
Starring: Maika Monroe, Thomasin McKenzie, Jason Isaacs, Amy De Bhrún, Jacobi Jupe, and Evie Templeton
Why it’s worth seeing: This film about a governess is no Nanny Diaries. An adaptation of Virginia Feito’s hit gothic-horror novel (written by the author herself and directed by Zachary Wigon), it follows a peculiar young woman who gets a job looking after the children at the lavish Ensor Manor in Victorian England. Soon enough, strange things start happening—and we’d bet scream queen Maika Monroe will be killer playing the woman who’s at the hands of it all. Expect this one to be devilishly witty and very gruesome.
'Primetime'
Release date: September 25
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Matthew Maher, Bokeem Woodbine, Phoebe Bridgers, Sean Bridgers, and Anna Faris
Why it’s worth seeing: Lance Oppenheim has built a reputation as an expert documentarian with hit docs like Some Kind of Heaven and Spermworld, and for his narrative feature debut, he turns his attention to one of the most controversial reality series of all time. Primetime explores the origins of Dateline’s To Catch a Predator, with Robert Pattinson playing host Chris Hansen. If you’re a fan of Nightcrawler and gonzo Pattinson performances, consider this appointment viewing.
'Digger'
Release date: October 2
Starring: Tom Cruise, Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sophie Wilde, and Emma D'Arcy
Why it’s worth seeing: Thank goodness for blockbuster stars like Tom Cruise, whose mission remains saving the movies and ensuring fans see original features in cinema seats. He stars in the latest epic from Oscar-winner Alejandro González Iñárritu. The details are scarce, but it's said to be a wild ride about a billionaire (Cruise) tasked with thwarting his company's grave environmental impact before it's too late.
'Verity'
Release date: October 2
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Brady Wagner, Irina Dvorovenko, K. K. Moggie, Michael Abbott Jr., and Alex Cooper
Why it’s worth seeing: Perhaps you're familiar with Colleen Hoover's best-selling romance novels, but her most popular and best book may very well be this thriller. Like It Ends With Us, Regretting You, and Reminders of Him, before it, the mystery is receiving the big-screen treatment this fall. Dakota Johnson stars as Lowen, a writer tapped by the husband (Josh Hartnett) of the legendary author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) to finish her manuscript when she falls ill. Inevitably, secrets surface and twists abound.
'A Talent for Murder'
Release date: October 23
Starring: Helen Mirren, Alden Ehrenreich and Olivia Cooke
Why it’s worth seeing: Based on the psychological-thriller play Switzerland, A Talent for Murder imagines a game of cat-and-mouse between an eager publisher (Alden Ehrenreich) and the legendary mystery-thriller author Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren), whom he hopes will write another novel. Set in the Swiss Alps, where a chilly face-off unfolds, this one’s for you if you also wish there was another Tom Ripley book or adaptation to dive into.
'How to Rob a Bank'
Release date: November 13
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, Anna Sawai, Rhenzy Feliz, Pete Davidson, and John C. Reilly
Why it’s worth seeing: With movies like John Wick and Atomic Blonde under his belt, David Leitch knows how to helm an action-thriller movie with flair. That can be said for his next movie, How to Rob a Bank, which features an A-list cast as a crew of bank robbers who use social media to pull off their heists.
'Above the Below'
Release date: December 4
Starring: Idris Elba, Caitlin FitzGerald, and Hero Fiennes Tiffin
Why it’s worth seeing: Eternal hunk Idris Elba doesn’t just star in this survival thriller; he also co-directed it. In the tense film, the small cast plays a crew of astronauts who return to Earth—but find themselves trapped in the middle of the ocean.
'A Place in Hell'
Release date: December 25
Starring: Michelle Williams, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Andrew Scott, Danny Huston, Arturo Castro, Rob Yang, and Kyle Mooney
Why it’s worth seeing: Filmmaker Chloe Domont burst onto the scene with her buzzy workplace thriller Fair Play in 2023, and her follow-up sounds just as knotty. She trades a high-intensity finance setting for a criminal defense attorney firm this time around, as the legal thriller sees a feud unfold between a longtime lawyer (Michelle Williams) and a young hotshot who seemingly wants to replace her (Daisy Edgar-Jones).