In 2025, Netflixās thriller library continues to expand, ranging from classic crime and psychological suspense to high-octane action, covering nearly every branch of the genre. Yet with thousands of titles available, viewers often struggle to decide what to watch.
Thatās why we focused on what viewers value most and, using critical acclaim, major awards, and IMDb scores, curated 18 top-rated Netflix thrillers. The lineup includes Emmy-winning new series, Oscar-winning classics, and standout Netflix Originals, all backed by strong ratings and major awards.
Looking for heart-pounding, adrenaline-driven thrillers? Explore our handpicked selection of the 18 best Netflix thrillers to watch in 2025.
Best Supernatural Thrillers on Netflix
1. Stranger Things Season 5ļ¼2025ļ¼
Netflixās sci-fi & Supernatural phenomenon Stranger Things returns with its fifth and final season, closing out a nine-year global sensation. Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, and the full original cast reunite for one last journey as the Hawkins kids face their ultimate battle.
Season 5 features eight episodes and debuts a trilogy-style release format: Part 1 (four episodes) premiered on November 26, 2025, followed by Part 2 on December 25 and the final chapter on December 31, each release driving the story closer to its climax.
The story brings the core group together for a final confrontation with Vecna and even darker forces. The long-awaited clash between Eleven and Vecnaāā001 vs 011āāstands at the center of the season. According to the creators, the series returns to the intimate tone of Season 1 while maintaining the intensity of Season 4.
Additionally, Max's fateāwho ended Season 4 in a comatose, blind stateāwill be revealed this season. Will will also become a central character; this boy who has been repeatedly tormented by fate since Season 1 finally gets his moment to shine. Most importantly, Season 5 will completely unravel the ultimate mystery of the Upside Down.
Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer, this final Hawkins adventure is unmissable. I highly recommend revisiting the first four seasons to fully prepare for this epic conclusion.
Ratings: Previous seasons averaged IMDb 8.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 93%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā ā
2. Wednesday Season 2ļ¼2025ļ¼
Tim Burton returns to direct the second season of this global phenomenon, continuing the saga of the stoic and sharp-tongued Wednesday Addams. This season brings a noticeable boost in star power, with Steve Buscemi joining as the eccentric new principal and a highly anticipated guest appearance by Lady Gaga, adding fresh energy to the cast.
The story moves beyond the confines of Nevermore Academy into darker territory, delving into the unsettling secrets surrounding the Willow Hill psychiatric hospital. The Addams family takes on a more central role this time, with deeper tensions and unresolved conflicts emerging between Wednesday and her mother, Morticia. New characters, including the mysterious āinvisible girlā Agnes, add new layers to the growing supernatural chaos.
Maintaining its signature gothic aesthetic while picking up the pace, the series continues to balance horror and dark comedy with confidence. Netflix has already renewed it for Wednesday Season 3, confirming that the dark adventure is far from over.
Ratings: IMDb 8.1/10| Rotten Tomatoes 87%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā
3. The Callļ¼2020ļ¼
Directed by Lee Chung-hyun and starring Jeon Jong-seo and Park Shin-hye, The Call won Best Director and Best Actress (Jeon Jong-seo) at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards.
A phone call bridges 2019 and 1999, binding the fates of two women. What starts as chance turns into a deadly clash: one a relentless serial killer, the other a young woman fighting to survive. As the timeline twists, both truth and future grow dangerously uncertain.
Rating: IMDb 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 100%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā
4. Darkļ¼2017-2020ļ¼
Dark is a German Netflix original, aired 2017 to 2020 in three seasons. Set in the fictional town of Winden, a childās disappearance exposes ties among four families and a sinister time travel conspiracy. Focused on time loops, the show explores fate, free will, and the limits of human nature.
With its stark visual style, intricate storytelling, and oppressive mood, the series traps viewers in a maze of time. Praised for its ambitious structure and philosophical depth, it earned multiple awards and in 2021 was ranked 58th on the BBC list of the greatest TV shows of the 21st century.
Ratings: IMDb 8.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 95%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā
Best Psychological Thrillers on Netflix
5. Adolescence ļ¼2025ļ¼
This series was the first from a streaming platform to lead the UKās BARB weekly chart, drawing 6.45M and 5.94M viewers for its first two episodes. With 13 Emmy nods, it is one of the most talked-about miniseries of 2025.
Set in a British town, 13-year-old Jamie Miller is accused of killing classmate Katie. What is the truth? The series moves between courtroom, family, and school: the mother torn between love and doubt, detective caught between facts and public opinion...As the case unfolds, all are pushed to the edge of morality and truth.
The drama is shot in a one-take style, creating a constant sense of tension and immersion. This is not only a pursuit of the truth about a murder but also a real-life interrogation of the audience: How exactly is society shaping, or even destroying, the next generation? The weight of it lingered with me long after watching.
Ratings: IMDb 8.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 98%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā ā
6. Ripleyļ¼2024ļ¼
Adapted from Patricia Highsmithās The Talented Mr. Ripley, this black-and-white miniseries starring Andrew Scott became a buzzed-about release, winning Emmys for Best Director and Cinematography plus a Peabody.
Set in 1961 New York, conman Tom Ripley takes a job in Italy that spirals into lies, manipulation, and murder. The striking visuals add sleek tension, while Scott delivers a magnetic performanceācharming one moment, chilling the next.
Ratings: IMDb 8.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 86%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā
7. Baby Reindeerļ¼2024ļ¼
Richard Gadd brings his own experience to the screen in a psychological thriller miniseries that feels both unsettling and real. The show swept multiple awards at the 76th Primetime Emmys and sparked wide discussion on trauma and obsession.
The story follows comedian Donny Dunn, whose act of kindness unexpectedly brings years of stalking and control by a lonely woman. As his life is gradually invaded, the laughter and stage give way to fear and suffocation, making us feel the true horror of psychological control.
Rating: IMDb 7.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 99%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā
8. The Haunting of Hill Houseļ¼2018ļ¼
Directed by Mike Flanagan and adapted from Shirley Jacksonās novel of the same name, the series uses a haunted house as its frame yet tells a story about family, trauma, and memory.
The series unfolds through two interwoven timelines: it shows how the supernatural experiences of five adult siblings at Hill House still haunt them, while flashbacks reveal the events of the night in 1992 that forced the family to flee the mansion.
With this complex yet compact narrative, it has not only won enthusiastic acclaim from audiences but also received repeated recognition in the industry, having won The Bent-Neck Lady for the Bram Stoker Awards "Best Screenplay Award".
Ratings: IMDb 8.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 93%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā
Best Social Thrillers on Netflix
9. Squid Gameļ¼2021-2025ļ¼
Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, this Korean survival thriller became a global phenomenon upon release. At the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards, it made history as the first non-English series to win top honors.
The story follows 456 ordinary people deep in debt, forced into brutal survival contests based on games we played as kids, like Red Light, Green Light and tug-of-war. The winner walks away with a fortune. Everyone else pays with their life.
The three seasons unfold like layers of an onion: the first delivers a shocking introduction, the second brings the winner back to uncover the truth, and the third pits players against the masterminds, driving its metaphor on greed, humanity, and power to a peak.
As a viewer, I was almost holding my breath while following the drama. Each level made me both excited and scared, and the choices and betrayals among the characters were truly heart-stopping.
Rating: IMDb 8.0/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 86%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā ā
10. Parasiteļ¼2019ļ¼
Bong Joon-hoās Korean thriller won the Palme dāOr at Cannes and made history at the 92nd Oscars as the first non-English Best Picture. It swept major awards worldwide and is widely hailed as one of the decadeās most influential films.
The story follows the poor Kim family as they scheme their way into the wealthy Park household. When their deception unravels, buried desire and class tension explode into chaos. The film works both as a taut thriller and a sharp fable on inequality.
Bong Joon-ho weaves comedy, suspense, and satire into a story that shifts from laughter to suffocating tension. Watching Parasite on Netflix Premium, I was struck by how the humor turns into unease, and it became clear why the film won the Oscar.
Ratings: IMDb 8.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 99%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā ā
11. The Platformļ¼2019ļ¼
The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Midnight Madness Peopleās Choice Award, and later shot to global fame after its release on Netflix.
The story takes place in a vertical prison āāāThe Platformā .Those at the top feast, while those below fight over scraps, some driven to madness by hunger. As levels shift and morality erodes, the film exposes brutal truths about class, resource allocation, and inequality.
Ratings: IMDb 7.0/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 81%
Recommendation Index: ā ā ā
Best Crime Thrillers on Netflix
- Killing Eve (2018-2022)
- Money Heist (2017-2021)
- Unbelievable (2019)
- Mindhunter (2017)
- Monster: The Ed Gein Story (2025)
12. Killing Eveļ¼2018-2022ļ¼
This women led spy thriller has been popular and award winning since its debut.Sandra With this series, Sandra Oh was the first Asian actress to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The series also won the BAFTA for Best Drama with multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, becoming one of the most influential thrillers in recent years.
The story centers on MI5 agent Eve and brilliant assassin Villanelle. Their cat and mouse chase forges a subtle bond: they are rivals and each otherās fixation. The series breaks with spy thriller convention, blending chilling suspense and dark humor to craft one of TVās most memorable female duos.
As a viewer, I often felt a pull that was both tense and addictive while watching. Villanelleās dangerous charm and Eveās steady resolve kept me hooked, always eager to start the next episode. That ambiguous yet deadly tension was even more captivating than in traditional thrillers.
Ratings: IMDb 8.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 96%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā ā
13. Money Heistļ¼2017-2021ļ¼
Ćlex Pinaās Spanish thriller follows city-named robbers led by the Professor as they raid the Royal Mint and Bank of Spain. With intricate plotting, tense pacing, and tangled emotions, the series captivated audiences worldwide.
After its release on Netflix, it quickly became a sensation, won the International Emmy for Best Drama Series, and its red jumpsuits and Salvador DalĆ masks became pop culture icons.
Ratings: IMDb 8.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 94%
Recommendation Index: ā ā ā
14. Unbelievableļ¼2019ļ¼
This crime miniseries left a deep impression on me. It is based on true events. The film follows a teenage girl who reports a rape but is dismissed as a liar by the police, until years later two female detectives take over and slowly piece together the truth behind a series of sexual assaults.
The series drew overwhelming critical acclaim on release, won a Peabody, and earned multiple nominations and honors at the Golden Globes, Emmys, and Criticsā Choice Awards. The three leads are outstanding, and Toni Collette won Criticsā Choice Best Supporting Actress.
For me, it is not a simple suspense thriller but a blow straight to the heart. After watching, the feeling lingers and is hard to shake off.
Ratings: IMDb 8.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 98%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā ā
15. Mindhunterļ¼2017ļ¼
Executive produced by David Fincher, this gripping crime drama follows FBI agents Ford and Tench with psychologist Wendy as they pioneer serial killer profiling in the late 1970s.
Unlike typical crime dramas, Mindhunter builds tension through quiet, psychological duels rather than gore. It explores whether we must understand evil to fight it, gradually uncovering the darker layers of crime and human nature.
Ratings: IMDb 8.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 97%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā
16. Monster: The Ed Gein Storyļ¼2025ļ¼
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennanās acclaimed Monster anthology returned on October 3, 2025, this time bringing to life one of Americaās darkest legends ā Ed Gein, the 1950s Wisconsin killer whose crimes inspired Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs.
Starring Charlie Hunnam as Gein and Laurie Metcalf as his domineering mother, the eight-episode season traces how an isolated upbringing, religious guilt, and maternal obsession twisted a man into a monster. The show doesnāt rely on shock alone; it unpacks Geinās psychology with unnerving intimacy, revealing how horror can grow quietly in the loneliness of small-town America.
Murphyās precision is everywhere ā the vintage-perfect production design, the suffocating atmosphere, and that slow, dread-filled rhythm that makes it impossible to look away. The result is equal parts crime drama and psychological study, forcing viewers to confront a disturbing question: was Ed Gein born evil, or built that way?
Ratings: Too new for full ratings
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā āā
Best Action Thrillers on Netflix
17. Rebel Ridgeļ¼2024ļ¼
Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, this American action thriller drew global attention with its sharp social critique and gritty style. Premiering on Netflix in 2024, it sparked wide debate and went on to win Best TV Movie at the Astra TV Awards.
The story follows former U.S. Marine Terry (played by Aaron Pierre), who becomes entangled in a clash of corruption and political violence in a small town. What begins as a routine traffic stop quickly escalates into a fight for survival, forcing him to choose between submission to power and his instinct to live.
Ratings: IMDb 6.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 85%
Recommendation Index: ā ā ā
18. Extraction 2ļ¼2023ļ¼
Directed by Sam Hargrave and starring Chris Hemsworth, this Netflix action thriller continues 2020ās Extraction. It premiered in 2023 and drew wide attention, especially for a 21 minute one take train rescue that earned a Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards Best Action Scene nod.
The story follows retired mercenary Tyler Rake, who, after surviving a deadly mission, takes on another high risk rescue. This time he must break into a Georgian prison to save his ex wifeās family, only to be caught in brutal clashes with gangs and warlords while battling his own past trauma.
Ratings: IMDb 7.0/10 | Rotten Tomatoes 80%
Recommendation Rating: ā ā ā ā
š” 2025 Netflix Thriller Viewing Tips
If you like these high-scoring thrillers as much as I do, then a stable and affordable way to subscribe to Netflix is very important. GamsGo is very practical in this regard, as it offers Netflix Premium shared account services, with a monthly fee of only about $8, which is more than 60% cheaper than the official subscription.
The experience is identical to official Netflix, with seamless viewing on phone, computer, or TV. With GamsGo, I can easily catch up on the films and shows I want, especially these acclaimed thrillers. The money saved goes straight to snacks, making movie time feel complete.
Conclusion
With new titles like Stranger Things 5, Monster: Ed Gein, and Wednesday, Netflix keeps proving it still knows how to make your pulse race.
Each of these thrillers has something that grabs you: a moral puzzle, a shock that lands too close to home, or a character you canāt quite forget. Thatās why Netflix remains the go-to platform for anyone who wants suspense with substance.
If you ever need a break from edge-of-your-seat tension, you can explore more sides of Netflix with our guides to the best classic movies and the best comedies on Netflix.
So the next time youāre scrolling for something that actually makes you feel alive, start with these picks. And if you want the full Premium experience without the premium price, GamsGoās Netflix accounts make it easy to dive in and enjoy every tense, late-night moment.
FAQ
When is Stranger Things Season 5 coming out?
Stranger Things 5 will be released in fall 2025. The first 4 episodes arrive on November 26, followed by 3 episodes on December 25, and the final episode on December 31 (New Yearās Eve). Each episode premieres on Netflix at 5 PM PST.
Are there any good psychological thrillers on Netflix?
Yes, Dark (IMDb 8.7) and Ripley (2024) are top picks, blending suspense with deep psychology and award-winning storytelling.
Which is the No. 1 suspense movie?
Parasite (2019), winner of 4 Oscars including Best Picture, is Netflixās most acclaimed suspense film.
What's a new good thriller movie?
Adolescence (2025), Emmy-nominated, and Ripley (2024), a Peabody winner, are Netflixās standout new thrillers.
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