Any good suspense movie has me frustrated, stressed, and sitting at the edge of my seat with the rare moment of levity. But a great movie filled with suspense and intrigue will have me thinking about it long after the credits roll.
5
Beau is Afraid
Watch Beau is Afraid on HBO Max and Paramount+
On the anniversary of his father’s death, Beau planned to visit his mother, but when the keys to his apartment are stolen, it ultimately sends him on an anxiety-ridden odyssey to reach his mom. Days after watching Beau is Afraid, I was still thinking about it.
Most of the time, Beau is an incredibly sympathetic character—a victim of an overbearing mother who loved conditionally and misread normal behavior as a slight against her. Not only did that cause anxiety in me, but seeing Beau utterly incapable of making a decision in the face of adversity. It makes his odyssey to attend his mother’s funeral so intense.
4
Mandy
Watch Mandy on AMC+ and Pluto TV
While I wouldn’t call Mandy a feel-good movie, there is something cathartic about it, like a twisted love story. Red and Mandy (played by Nicolas Cage and Andrea Riseborough, respectively) are living happily with one another until they encounter a cult, led by Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache), leading to Mandy’s death.
Mandy is like if horror met John Wick, and that comparison is true on multiple levels. The intensity and suspense come from Red’s seemingly endless persistence to take his revenge against the Children of the New Dawn. You become increasingly worried as Red gets injured, and yet he gets back up and keeps going. And I love that Mandy takes on this almost mythical nature, like I’m watching a Greek myth play out before my eyes.
3
Parasite
Watch Parasite on HBO Max and Netflix
Parasite has quite a grip on you on so many levels. The Kim family is destitute, living in a cramped apartment in South Korea and just barely surviving (if what you call their life survival, anyway), while the Park family is a wealthy family that the Kims work for under fake identities.
The suspense and anxiety you feel stem from the balancing act the Kim family must maintain, as part of their plan is to keep their relationship a secret from one another. It’s incredibly intelligent how they plan out their deception on the unsuspecting Parks, and it frequently gets tested throughout the movie. And Parasite’s commentary on wealth and class disparity adds a level of frustration that makes you grit your teeth.
2
Uncut Gems
Watch Uncut Gems on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
After borrowing money from a loan shark, in the hopes a black opal he had smuggled would turn over a profit that not only sends the loan sharks away (and stops the beatings) but aid his horrible spending habits. Uncut Gems is a lot like a rollercoaster, but each hump gets steeper and steeper as Howard’s (Adam Sandler) situation turns more dire.
Adam Sandler plays such a great slimy businessman who just might be in over his head, which he knows and realizes is on the line. Watching Howard continuously keep loan sharks at bay with his charisma and good luck makes you sweat. And although he’s not exactly a great person, you desperately want Howard’s black opal to sell, for him to keep his head, and to be there for his daughter. I’d also like to point out that it isn’t surprising A24 appeared twice on my list; the studio has its name on several stellar suspense films.
1
Night Always Comes
Watch Night Always Comes on Netflix
With her house being sold out from underneath her, a brother with Down syndrome in need of care, and struggling financially, Lynette (Vanessa Kirby) makes a risky move by stealing a safe full of money from her friend’s client. When she does manage to get it opened, it leads to one stressful situation after another, like watching a snowball rolling down a hill. The worst of it is how Lynette can’t rely on anyone, so she tackles this monumental task almost entirely by herself.
Vanessa Kirby’s talent is on full display here in Night Always Call. You feel her frustration and anxiety when her plans go south, which she desperately needs to work. Otherwise, she and her brother, Kenny (Zack Gottsagen), as well as their mother, will be homeless. Every terrible outcome keeps you in suspense as you wonder if she’ll even survive long enough to get the money she needs.
Loving a movie for how it raises your blood pressure or eats at you with anxiety is something the suspense genre excels at. In fact, Beau is Afraid is particularly good at being like a three-hour panic attack, which I say lovingly. If you’d like a lighter tone, try some cozy crime shows, like Castle or Monk, or an addictive mini-series with a start and finish.
