Summary

• Underrated psychological thrillers from the 2010s showcased diverse storytelling and complex themes, deserving rediscovery.
• The power of psychological thrillers lies in intrigue, suspense, and clever writing, seen in lesser-known gems like The Invitation.
• Films like The One I Love and Nightcrawler explore complex human emotions and societal norms through dark and thought-provoking narratives.

The 2010s were a great decade for movies filled with plenty of incredibly underappreciated psychological thrillers. While heavy hitters like Gone Girl, Prisoners, and Shutter Island have dominated the conversation around this genre during that time, this completely ignored some amazing lesser-known triumphs from the 2010s. As a period that encouraged diverse storytelling and was just at the beginning of the streaming revolution, plenty of amazing psychological thrillers flew under the radar during this time and deserved to be rediscovered by new viewers.

The greatest psychological thrillers were categorized by intrigue, suspense, and clever writing, and the most underappreciated releases in this genre were no different. Through a combination of crime, comedy, and horror, these psychological thrillers shone a light on the complexities of human existence and delved into deeply heavy themes relating to ethics, romance, and societal expectations. While the intensity of some of these movies meant they wouldn’t appeal to all viewers, those who love psychological thrillers should discover something new.

10 The Invitation (2015)

Directed by Karyn Kusama

The Invitation was a slow-building and suspenseful psychological thriller built around a man (Logan Marshall-Green) accepting an invitation to his ex-wife’s (Tammy Blanchard) dinner party. Like the best psychological thrillers, the power of The Invitation was in the quietly simmering unease as old wounds were reopened and new tensions began to emerge. With a tension-rich premise and a clever script, The Invitation was beloved by critics but has remained an often underrated hidden gem.

As audiences were invited to experience one of the most anxiety-inducing dinner parties ever committed to the screen, The Invitation exploited its heart-racing concept for maximum impact. As each character’s sorrows revealed themselves in different ways, it was unnerving to watch the methods by which they imparted suffering upon themselves. The Invitation was a psychological thriller dealing with themes of difficult emotions, the impact of strong personalities, and how social expectations around politeness often allow creepy behavior to fester without being called out.

9 Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Directed by Tom Ford

While the fashion designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford rightfully gained acclaim for his directionaldebut, A Single Man, his sophomore feature, Nocturnal Animals, has remained relatively underrated. Boasting Ford’s distinctive visual style and idiosyncratic narrative skill, Nocturnal Animals was a fascinating neo-noir psychological thriller that told a dual story as an art gallery owner fearful of the revenge implications within her ex-husband's novel, which she interpreted as being about their relationship. This unique storytelling style showcased both the wife’s experiences in the real world while also depicting the novel's events.

This overlapping style allowed for the thematic resonance of both stories to influence one another as Nocturnal Animals beautifully combined romance with fearful bleakness. While a story like this could very easily lose itself in its own pretension, Nocturnal Animals struck the right balance between poetic filmmaking and gripping thriller. With strong performances from stars like Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals deserves to be spoken about among the most effective psychological thrillers of the 2010s.

8 Swallow (2019)

Directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis

For viewers looking for a movie that delves into even stranger territory than the average psychological thriller, then look no further than Swallow. This highly unusual tale from writer and director Carlo Mirabella-Davis told the story of a dissatisfied housewife who developed an impulse to consume inedible objects. What started as an impulsive decision to eat a small marble soon became worrying as audiences witnessed her eating thumbtacks, metal figures, and batteries.

With a strong lead performance from Haley Bennett as the stifled housewife Hunter Conrad, Swallow cleverly addressed themes of domestic depression through a unique lens. With elements of body horror and deeply psychological themes, Swallow was a feminist triumph that was, at times, difficult to endure. While Swallow certainly won’t be for everybody, for those able to stomach its indigestible intensity, it will be a satisfying delight.

7 Side Effects (2013)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Side Effects was a clever film full of twists by director Steven Soderbergh, but it felt like it was left behind and forgotten amid a horde of other far more well-known psychological thrillers. However, viewers would be wrong to sleep on this movie, as Side Effects stood among the most fascinating releases of the early 2010s. With an overlapping story about psychiatrists prescribing experimental drugs and a husband released from prison, this was an assured film reminiscent of the best Alfred Hitchcock thrillers.

With a gripping story and an effective visual style, Side Effects featured strong performances from Jude Law and Rooney Mara. As the kind of film that stayed with viewers long after the credits rolled, Side Effects had a haunting quality and was initially marketed as Soderbergh’s final film. However, Soderbergh’s self-imposed retirement did not last long, and he returned in 2017 with Logan Lucky and has continued releasing movies since.

6 Mother! (2017)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

While Jennifer Lawrence itted she didn’t fully understand her most divisive movie, Mother! was a truly unique psychological thriller of real thematic depth. Described by Lawrence (via Telegraph) as a biblical allegory depicting the torment and sexual assault of Mother Earth, this was among director Darren Aronofsky’s most cryptic and esoteric movies. as it told the story of a husband and wife’s life being disrupted by a mysterious couple. While Mother! won’t be for everyone, for those who connect with its unique style, it will be a cinematic treat.

With intense violence and biblical resonance, Mother! was a thought-provoking piece of experimental filmmaking that’s almost too weird to recommend to the average viewer. Because of this lack of mainstream appeal, Mother! has been woefully underrated in the years since its release. While it hasn’t dominated the conversation around effective psychological thrillers, those who love the genre and want to try something a bit different should check out Mother!

5 The House that Jack Built (2018)

Directed by Lars von Trier

The Danish director Lars von Trier has been probing into the deepest realms of psychological anxieties for the past 40 years, and his 2018 release, The House that Jack Built, stood as one of his most depraved films. As almost avant-garde psychological horror, this serial killer story took place over 12 years as Jack (Matt Dillon) committed various murders across the state of Washington. As perhaps the most extreme and controversial film in von Trier’s extreme and controversial career, The House that Jack Built failed to connect with mainstream audiences.

However, despite its divisive reputation, The House that Jack Built won over critics as its intense probing into the psychology of a killer made it a film like no other. Dillon gave a convincing performance as Jack, who tried to make an argument for his crimes as viewers witnessed them through flashbacks. As an unwavering portrait of a true sociopath, The House that Jack Built attempted to unpack the psychology behind the anatomy of those who commit heinous acts.

4 The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)

Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez

The shocking appeal of the underrated psychological thriller The Stanford Prison Experiment was that it was based on fact. As viewers watched the extraordinary developments as students truly embodied their roles as officers and prison guards in an intense psychological experiment, the results were as chilling as they were thought-provoking. With strong performances and timeless relevance, The Stanford Prison Experiment excelled due to the combination of its cast, script, and direction.

The plot concerned the real Stanford Prison experiment that took place in 1971, which saw the participants who were assigned to be “guards” become increasingly brutal as the experiment continued for several days. While this experiment has been criticized as unethical, its results have long been used as an example of the disturbing potential for everyday people to be compelled to inflict pain on one another. While the experiment was not ethical, it did inspire ethical reforms within psychology (via Psychology Today.)

3 Creep (2014)

Directed by Patrick Brice

The Craigslist-inspired psychological thriller Creep used a found-footage style to showcase a struggling videographer's horrific experience in a job gone wrong. Through a found-footage style, co-writer and director Patrick Brice starred as Aaron, a young man who traveled to a remote cabin to meet Josef (Mark Duplass), an eccentric man who claimed to have an inoperable brain tumor. While Josef stated he wanted Aaron to record a video diary for him to gift to his unborn child after he dies, there’s an unnerving sense that all was not as it seemed.

The power of Creep came down to Duplass’s incredible performance as the truth of Josef’s intentions slowly revealed itself, and Aaron became increasingly fearful for his life. Creep walked the fine line between psychological thriller and horror, but its plot felt particularly resonant as the loneliness behind Josef’s character continued to reveal itself. Creep was a dark and effective story that spawned a franchise with the sequel Creep 2 and the television series The Creep Tapes.

2 The One I Love (2014)

Directed by Charlie McDowell

With a highly intriguing premise, The One I Love was among the most unique psychological thrillers of the 2010s. With two fantastic lead performances from Elizabeth Moss and Mark Duplass, The One I Love explored a couple who encountered doppelgängers of their partners, which forced them to reckon with the issues in their relationship. This fascinating story felt like it mixed the existential qualities of Charlie Kaufman with the heart-racing psychological thrills of Alfred Hitchcock.

The One I Love painted a complex portrait of love, and for maximum effect, viewers should go in knowing as little about the plot as possible. Director Charlie McDowell did a great job of blending humor and drama as this tightly constructed love story dismantled the everyday woes and complaints of modern romance. At times, The One I Love almost felt like the characters had entered The Twilight Zone as they were thrust into a psychological reckoning for which they weren’t prepared.

1 Nightcrawler (2014)

Directed by Dan Gilroy

Although it was a hit with critics, Nightcrawler has remained the most underrated psychological thriller of the 2010s and stood among Jake Gyllenhaal’s greatest performances. With a thriller story about an unhinged freelance photographer seeking out violent events to sell the footage to news stations, Nightcrawler delved into a sinister and cutthroat world of seeding professional tactics. With an unnerving atmosphere and a foreboding sense of dread, it’s a shock to think that Gyllenhaal was snubbed for a Best Actor nomination for his truly exceptional performance.

With a relentless narrative and impressive visual style, Nightcrawler was a supremely effective movie that truly delivered on its themes of the ethics of journalism. As Nightcrawler took viewers on a creepy voyeuristic journey into the depths of depravity, it was impossible not to be drawn in its narrative's effectiveness. While those in the know have long been voicing appreciation for Nightcrawler, it has remained intensely underrated by general viewers.

Sources: Telegraph, Psychology Today