Let's talk about realistic thrillers. By that I mean thrillers without any fantastical elements. Down-to-earth stories that could realistically happen. Let's talk about movies whose main strengths are tension and atmosphere. Let's talk about great slow burners that take their time to build up plot, characters, and tension, not action explosion flicks.
Here in the pic are some I would say are such films. What movies of this kind would you add to the list? Do you disagree with something? Do you want to recommend a movie that you find overlooked or underrated? Also, it doesn't have to be a thriller in the strictest sense as long as the story is realistic and serious. Crime dramas for example are okay. As are horror and mystery as long as it doesn't have supernatural or otherwise fantastical elements. The mood is important. The atmosphere. It should feel constricting and tense. It should NOT feel actiony.
I'd say if you like some of those in the pic you'd probably like most of them. I obviously didn't go back that far in time. I wanted to focus on relatively modern movies. A few movies I excluded for one reason or another are for example There will be Blood, Blade Runner 2049, Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds. TwbB is simply a drama, no real thrills to it even though it's a fantastic slow burner. BR2049 is a fantastic movie, but it's sci-fi, fantastical, not realistic. Django and Basterds are not serious enough in tone and atmosphere. I also considered not including The Hateful Eight because it's somewhat silly and over the top in parts. Consider that the cut-off.
All right, so what movies that are like that would you recommend? What movies would you like to talk about?
I considered leaving it off but in the end it's still a very tense and atmospheric slow burner with some thrills. Also that pic isn't a definitive list. I just wanted to get people to start thinking and posting. People are welcome to disagree.
Matthew Roberts
Objectively wrong
Bentley Ward
What would you say are the top 5 here?
Ian Gomez
"Blue Ruin" is pretty good. Simple, straight-forward story (also fairly short, 80 minutes I believe) with emphasis on slow but steady build-ups of tension. Violence happens rarely, but when it does, it's quick and brutal.
Connor Jackson
bump for interest
Grayson Long
EÑE
Angel Cruz
good films except "wind river", and i don't know "invitation"
Gavin Jenkins
Good movies but none of them are really that realistic. For an actual realistic thriller check out Serpico.
Jeremiah Gray
what's not that realistic in let's say 5 of them
Liam Morales
Sleep Tight Never see it talked about here. Very effective psycho thriller by one the guys behind [REC] that should be right up Yea Forums's alley
Jayden Johnson
>nightcrawler >no cunt for old men >prisoners >zodiac >nocturnal animals
honorable mentions >sicario >drive
Wyatt Martinez
The Untouchables
Austin Sanders
blue ruin the counselor the grey headhunters a lonely place to die i saw the devil red white & blue the american the robber the hunter the survivalist the veteran edge of darkness get the gringo blood father out of the furnace all is lost
Zachary Walker
The Taking of Pelham 123. The original is a super fucking lean tense thriller without a hint of fat on the story. It's efficient and enjoyable the whole way through.
