Few things can make or break a film quite as much as the quality of its acting. Great performances can elevate even the most mediocre of writing and can produce something truly transcendent with the right material. More than other genres, perhaps, thrillers thrive on audiences being able to connect to the characters and situations portrayed. Therefore, acting that can make you empathize with and understand the film’s characters, as well as fear them when appropriate, is an essential component to making a great thriller.
Exploring tense and stressful scenarios, plunging to the very depths of the human psyche and creating pulse-pounding action sequences, thrillers portray and evoke a wide range of complex emotions. These are 10 great thrillers with especially effective acting from their casts, creating iconic heroes, villains and tragic antiheroes.
10’Prisoners' (2013)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Prisonersis a 2013 thriller directed byDenis Villeneuve. The film follows two families whose lives are thrown into chaos when their two daughters disappear without a trace one Thanksgiving. When a key suspect (Paul Dano) is released from police custody, Keller (Hugh Jackman), one of the fathers, takes it into his own hands to try and force more information out of the man. The film features a cast of great actors, with even small roles feeling thoroughly lived in.The actors all convey the psychological devastation of the situation that they find themselves in, with Paul Dano giving an especially harrowing performance.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance is subtle and measured as Detective Loki, the one character not intimately affected by the disappearances but still greatly impacted by the case. However, thestandout performance comes fromHugh Jackman, in the highly intense role of a man dealing with deep rage and pain. Jackman makes the audience truly believe his loss, emphasizing Keller’s wounded pride and masculinity as he feels he has failed as a father.The film contains cryptic and visually striking symbolism throughout, and it is made all the more engaging by its acting.
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9’Blue Velvet' (1986)
Directed by David Lynch
Blue Velvetis aneo-noir thrillerwritten and directed byDavid Lynch. The film follows a young man (Kyle MacLachlan) who discovers a criminal conspiracy in his neighborhood and finds himself trapped in a complicated and sinister web once he begins to investigate it. The film is a dark and disturbing thriller that exposes the sinister underbelly of the US suburbs, centering on themes of gender, power and abuse.
The film has an immaculate cast featuring key actors from Lynch’s filmography, such asLaura Dernand Kyle MacLachlan. Brought to life byDennis Hopper’s intense and fully committed performance, the antagonist Frank Booth is one ofLynch’s most depraved villains, being motivated purely by his sadistic desires. Additionally, the film features a standout performance fromIsabella Rossellini, who embodies the complex and bold role of Dorothy Vallens with a vulnerable, threatening and highly sympathetic performance.
Blue Velvet
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8’The Vanishing' (1988)
Directed by George Sluizer
The Vanishingis a 1988 Dutch-French psychological thriller directed byGeorge Sluizerand adapted fromTim Krabbé’s 1984 novella ‘The Golden Egg,’ who co-wrote the screenplay with Sluizer. The film follows Saskia (Johanna ter Steege) and Rex (Gene Bervoets), a Dutch couple vacationing in France, whose life is destroyed when Saskia is kidnapped. Rex becomes fixated on uncovering the truth behind the mystery, while the abductor, Raymond (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu), stalks and taunts him for sadistic pleasure.
All three major characters are immaculately acted, with Gene Bervoets and Johanna ter Steege’s strong chemistry making Saskia’s abduction even more tragic. Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu is extremely scary as Raymond because he comes across as a completely normal man and yet is capable of great evil, providing a chilling reminder that anyone can be a secret monster.Well-acted and intelligent,The Vanishingis adisturbing and tense slowburn thrillerthat builds an effective sense of mounting dread up until its horrifying ending.
The Vanishing
7’You Were Never Really Here' (2017)
Directed by Lynne Ramsay
You Were Never Really Hereis a 2017 arthouse thriller directed byLynne Ramsay. The film follows a hitman, Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), who is hired by a politician to rescue his daughter, a young girl called Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov), from a life of being trafficked.The film is sensitive and delicately written, striking an excellent balance between its brutal violence and its more tender moments.
Famous for his strong and dedicated acting,Phoenix’s performance is extremely powerfulin characteristic fashion. Joe is a deeply traumatized man, and Phoenix betrays him as a wounded and gentle person who nevertheless is capable of great violence and harm. His performance is also complimented by the strong supporting performance of Ekaterina Samsonov, with the two displaying excellent chemistry as two highly damaged people. The film is beautiful, dream-like and meditative, playing out like a much more mature and somber version ofTaken, exploring the pain of its central situation rather than reveling in its violence.
You Were Never Really Here
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6’One Hour Photo' (2002)
Directed by Mark Romanek
One Hour Photois a 2002 psychological thriller directed byMark Romanek. The film follows Sy (Robin Williams), a mild-mannered photo technician who is obsessed with a local family. He builds a deep inner world where he is a part of their life, inspired by their family photos, with his stalking eventually becoming a huge problem for the family. The film isa creepy and sad thriller about a traumatized loner, and is visually striking due to its vivid and gorgeous color scheme.
The film is most notable due to its incredibledramatic turn from Robin Williams, who characterizes Sy with both a sympathetic fragility and a sense of unstable menace. Despite his actions, Sy never completely loses the audience’s sympathy, as Williams maintains the sense that the character is at his core a vulnerable man who never truly had the chance of a normal life. Despite its dated technology, the film holds up as a prescient social commentary on parasocial relationships that has become only morerelevant in the age of social media.
One Hour Photo
5’The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Silence of the Lambsis a1991 horror-thrillerdirected byJonathan Demmeand adapted fromThomas Harris' 1988 novel. The film follows a young FBI agent, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), on the trail of a serial killer. to crack the case, she consults the brilliant yet evil cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to help her catch the killer - the cruel and calculated Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). It is a rare horror film to have achieved Oscars success, with Foster and Hopkins both winning in their respective acting categories.
Jodie Foster portrays Clarice with a perfect mix of strength and vulnerability, leading to a terrifying climactic scene as the audience can truly feel her fear as she explores the killer’s lair. Anthony Hopkins brings a sophistication and coldness to the role of Hannibal Lecter, cementing him as one of cinema’s most iconic villains. The chemistry between him and Jodie Foster is electric as their power dynamics consistently shift throughout their interactions.Emphasized by director Jonathan Demme’s unique directorial choice of using close-up shots of the actors looking directly at the camera,Silence of the Lambsis a tense thriller with fantastic acting.
The Silence of the Lambs
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Before the Devil Knows You’re Deadis a 2007 crime drama-thrillerdirected bySidney Lumetas his final film. The film, told in a nonlinear fashion, follows Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke), two brothers who plan to make fast money by robbing their parents' jewelry store. However, things go quickly horribly awry in a way that ripples out to destroy the lives of both men and everyone around them.
Both leads give excellent performances and have a deep well of chemistry with one another, making their characters' brotherly bond completely believable despite their lack of familial resemblance. Ethan Hawke gives a strong and sensitive performance, butthe late Philip Seymour Hoffman steals the show with his highly emotional and layered performance.The film is deeply stressful and heartbreaking as an exploration of two men hitting rock bottom and then continually digging themselves into deeper holes.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother’s wife barreling towards a shattering climax.
3’Taxi Driver' (1976)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Taxi Driveris a 1976 neo-noir psychological thriller directed byMartin Scorsese. The film followsTravis Bickle (Robert De Niro), a psychologically disturbed taxi driver who begins to lose his grip on reality when he becomes involved with a woman named Betsy (Cybill Shepherd). Travis then becomes fixated on trying to kill a senator and to rescue Iris (Jodie Foster), a child trafficking victim, from exploitation.
The film explores the darkness lurking within New York City’s nightlife by following characters that have been neglected by and isolated from mainstream society. Jodie Foster shines as Iris despite her youth, perfectly showing why she has become such a beloved actor.De Niro’s performance as Travis flawlessly portrays his loneliness and his instability while being a highly charismatic protagonist.Taxi Driveris a dark and stylish thriller with an iconic lead performance and great supporting cast.
Taxi Driver
2’Gone Girl' (2014)
Directed by David Fincher
Gone Girlis a 2014 psychological thriller directed byDavid Fincherand written byGillian Flynn, adapted from her 2012 novel. The film follows the disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), telling her story through flashbacks and diary entries, while her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) struggles with his present day life spiraling out of control when he is suspected of killing her. The film is a truly messed up love story about an incredibly dysfunctional couple with a smart and twisty mystery at its center.
Rosamund Pike’s performance is chilling and has become iconic in the 10 years since the film’s release. Her acting makes Amy’s at times bizarre behavior make total sense, putting the audience in her shoes through Pike’s beautifully-delivered narration. Additionally, Affleck gives a pitch-perfect lead performance as a deeply unsympathetic protagonist who continually makes the wrong choices. The film has a great supporting cast, featuring a stand-up dramatic turn fromTyler Perryas Nick’s lawyer.Gone Girlis a stylish thriller with an excellent score and world-class acting.
1’Oldboy' (2003)
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Oldboyis a 2003 South Korean neo-noir action-thriller directed byPark Chan-wookand adapted from the manga series of the same name written byGaron Tsuchiya. The film follows businessman Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) as he is kidnapped by an unknown man and held captive for 15 years. Upon release, he embarks ona revenge questto discover why he was imprisoned and who by, and ends up uncovering horrific secrets.
Choi Min-sik gives an incredible performance in the difficult role of Oh Dae-su, excelling in the action scenes as well as in the emotional moments. During his imprisonment, the audience truly feels the time pass, as Choi Min-sik portrays the character’s growth and change immaculately. Yoo Ji-tae is similarly great as the antagonist, bringing both pathos and menace to the role as his tragic backstory is revealed.Oldboyis an excellent thriller with great action sequences and an incredibly dark ending, elevated by its legendary acting.
