We here at CoProducer HQ consider the CoProducer movie (working title The Dark Road) to be a thriller (although there are a lot of other elements in it: action, romance, mystery and even a bit of betrayal thrown in for good measure!). For us, a key element that makes our movie a thriller is the narrative of being chased to one’s death. With this in mind, we started going through our own movie collection to come up with my top five best thrillers of all time!

  1. The Usual Suspects (1995)

This is the movie that made director Bryan Singer a star at the tender age of 30. The story starts off in a more stereotypical fashion, the aftermath of a massacre of mobsters and thieves. The sole survivor, Roger "Verbal" Kint, played by Kevin Spacey, is interrogated by the police. But then a conspiracy of epic proportions starts to emerge involving the legendary crime boss Keyser Söze…“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist..”

  1. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins as Clarice and Hannibal definitely deserve a mention in any top thriller list. Hopkins excels as the almost demonic Hannibal, leading the FBI this way and that in a huge man hunt to catch mass murderer Buffalo Bill. Jodie Foster as the tough but vulnerable FBI agent Clarice Starling is just one step behind, desperately trying to solve the case before another girl loses her life.

  1. North by NorthWest (1959)

Having a Hitchcock movie on a list of thrillers is really not that surprising, but the fact that it is not Psycho will be regarded as odd by some. I consider North by Northwest to be the most entertaining of all Hitchcock's movies; charming, funny, frightening and of course silly. Cary Grant carries this film to its wonderful conclusion without missing a beat.

  1. Seven (1995)

Another quite controversial choice, Seven is an early David Fincher outing that proved to be hugely successful. This tells the story of almost retired cop played by Morgan Freeman who is assigned the cocky young detective David Mills (played by Brad Pitt) as his new partner before he retires. Together they track a case of brutal murders based around the seven deadly sins.

  1. China Town (1974)

After much deliberation, China Town takes the top spot for me as a thriller movie. I'm quite sure that people will disagree with me, arguing that it is a film noir. But for me China Town will always be a thriller, a slow burner certainly, but a thriller nonetheless. It has all the elements of a classic: a scarred and flawed hero, a heroine with a terrible secret and a truly horrible villain personified in Howard Hughes. The setting and the visuals are also great, set in the smouldering heat of the 1920s, this is a must for anyone and everyone!

What's your favourite thriller movie? Let us known in the comments below!

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