8 creepy psychological thrillers that will give you chills

The human psyche is a labyrinth, and some people don’t want to confront their own feelings or thoughts. Life can be a wellspring of hurt and trauma and it’s these shadows that power the prickly undercurrent of psychological thrillers.

Deeply human themes make for timeless films and by questioning the human condition and our very sanity, storytellers use the medium of film to tap into some of the darkest reaches of our being. Here are eight hidden-gem psychological thrillers you’ve probably never seen – they’ll keep you guessing and suspicious of every shadow.

1. John and the Hole

You could describe John and the Hole as a blend between We Need to Talk About Kevin, Home Alone and Don’t Tell A Soul. The slow-burning psychological thriller centres on a son who takes his own family hostage in an abandoned bunker in order to usurp their privileges. This eerie tale creates a prickly and slithery atmosphere as a boy’s cold, calculated actions play out.

Starring Dexter’s Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Ehle and Taissa Farmiga, John and the Hole is a bold and haunting undertaking for rising star Charlie Shotwell, who you may recognise from Captain Fantastic, The Nightingale or The Glass Castle. Written by Nicolás Giacobone (Birdman), there’s a creeping claustrophobia to this artful drama turned thriller.

2. Every Breath You Take

Who better to get you into the right frame of mind for a psycho-thriller than a psychologist? Casey Affleck stars as a shrink who finds his family in disarray when someone from an ex-patient’s life arrives in the wake of her suicide. This moody thriller has a cold Scandinavian edge and features a talented and stellar cast in Michelle Monaghan, Sam Claflin and India Eisley.

Crossing the boundary between a therapist and his patient, Every Breath You Take ramps up the chills and thrills as a handsome stranger pits an already dysfunctional family against each other. Atmospheric and eerie, this sleek mystery thriller stirs things up as dark secrets rise to the surface.

3. Split

James McAvoy is a charming and remarkable actor who’s able to do comedy, drama and anything in-between. A true showcase for his versatility is Split, a psychological horror thriller that officially marked M Night Shyamalan’s return to form. The ambitious and creepy thriller finds McAvoy playing a kidnapper with 23 different personalities – a family of characters all diverging from the same source.

Supported by Anya Taylor-Joy in a breakthrough role, Split is essentially The James McAvoy Show leaning on the actor’s shape-shifting performance and Shyamalan’s visionary concept. While a distorted and inaccurate representation of dissociative identity disorder, it’s still entertaining and unsettling enough to give you goosebumps.

4. The Little Things

Seven is one of David Fincher’s masterpieces, a psychological thriller crime drama with many parallels to The Little Things, partly because they were conceived at a similar time. There’s a 90s vibration to this John Lee Hancock film about a sheriff who rekindles a haunting secret when a special assignment transforms into a serial killer manhunt.

Starring a host of Oscar winners in Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto, their performances and mutual respect for one another elevate this atmospheric, moody and gloomy crime drama. The Little Things is also visually compelling and haunting, able to harness Fincher’s dark and festering world of perpetual night and the bleak hard lines of True Detective.

5. Old

What if you only had hours left to live the rest of your life? This is the dizzying predicament hotel guests find themselves in when they start to age rapidly – trapped at a secluded beach. M Night Shyamalan directs this slow-burning mystery that’s reminiscent of Lost’s scenario. The adaptation of the graphic novel Sand Castle stars Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps and Rufus Sewell.

Speeding up the ageing process, this psychological horror thriller is full of intrigue as important life moments flash by and people start to die of natural causes. It’s a lofty concept but Shyamalan is able to build tension as the beach’s inhabitants try to escape paradise and the catalytic ravages of time.

6. The Father

This must be one of Anthony Hopkins’ most intimate performances, playing a man who begins to question his reality as dementia begins to obscure his mind. Directed by Florian Zeller and co-starring Olivia Colman, this psychological thriller leverages its discordant point of view to create tension as Anthony begins to doubt loved ones and carers.

A blend of Amour and Tully, the adapted stage play flickers between lucidity and illusion as the elegant apartment comes to represent his state of mind. A stirring drama with an operatic soundtrack and fine performances, the heartbreaking film grapples with the process of ageing and offers a thought-provoking window into coping with the effects of mental deterioration.

7. Run

This unconventional psychological mystery thriller explores an unsettling domestic situation as a homeschooled teenager stumbles upon her mother’s shameful dark secret. Similar to Room, nothing is as it seems in this complex human drama about a codependent relationship on the verge of spiralling out of control.

Piecing the clues together makes for an engaging and thoughtful thriller with some detective work and MacGyver skills coming into play. Strong co-lead performances from Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen establish a sense of the familiar as self-assured direction escalates the claustrophobia and urgency of this compelling mystery thriller about cutting apron strings.

8. The Visit

Taking inspiration from the classic fairy tale Hansel & Gretel, M Night Shyamalan creates a creepy, funny and scary chronicle of a visit to Grandma’s house. Created in the wake of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, this faux documentary is shot in the style of a found-footage horror.

Starring an unknown cast, The Visit is a star-making vehicle for the charming “new kid on the block” Ed Oxenbould and “grandma’s definitely not alright” Deanna Dunagan. Despite a modest budget, this entertaining psychological thriller builds suspense and comic relief by way of a tightrope act where visual effects are kept to a minimum and classic horror elements become playthings.