Thrillerswere one of the most sought-out genres of the 2000s. They made for some great, surprising, scary, breathtaking, mind-bending movies that didn’t get the audiences and box office success they deserved. Here are the 10 most underrated thrillers of the 2000s, ranked.
10The Machinist (2004)
The Machinistis mostly known as the film in which Christian Bale lost so much weight it got scary, and deservedly so, ashis performance still haunts us. The story here is about an insomniac factory worker who starts getting paranoid and having hallucinations the more time he keeps up with his insomnia, making for a unique, thrilling ride, as audiences keep discovering what’s true and what’s not, showing why Bale decided why it was worth telling this story, and going through his physical transformation.
9Ripley’s Game (2002)
Matt Damon’sThe Talented Mr. Ripleymight be the most known film about the killer, but it’s not the only one, as John Malkovich also played the character in 2002’sRipley’s Game. This movie finds the character in a much later time in his life, when he already knows how immoral, dark, and nefarious he really is, and how he’ll do everything he can to exact revenge on those he feels deserve it. It’s a shame this movie wasn’t released in too many cinemas, as it would’ve been a great film to see about this devilish character, that Malkovich makes just as entertaining, as he is scary.
Related:These Are the Best John Malkovich Movies, Ranked
8Insomnia (2002)
InInsomnia, a murder happens in Nightmute, Alaska, and two Los Angeles detectives are sent there to investigate, Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan). Everything starts to get weird when the killer, Walter Finch (Robin Williams) starts calling Dormer and telling him all about his killing.
This was Christopher Nolan’s third film afterFollowingandMemento,making it the confirmation of this incredible British talent. This was the first time he had Hollywood stars and, in this two-hander, he’s able to extract great performances from Pacino, and especially Williams (in one of his best dramatic roles) in this thrilling, surprising ride that already showed how Nolan loved to play with time, perspectives, and what’s really happening.
7Phone Booth (2002)
Phone Boothhas a simple premise: after calling from a phone booth, a man receives a call, and a menacing man on the line tells him that if he leaves, he will be killed. What’s surprising about this Joel Schumacher film is how much they’re able to maintain the tension, scares, and thrills, while adding more and more problems for the poor soul who picked up the phone, Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell).
The movie is so thrilling that it’sone of the best to watch when you’re bored, and shows why Farrell was anointed by many as Hollywood’s next movie star, as he’s able to hold audiences for 90 minutes almost by himself (with an assist of Kiefer Sutherland as the menacing voice on the phone).
6The Constant Gardener (2005)
The Constant Gardenertells the story of diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) who, while trying to find his wife’s (Rachel Weisz) killer, uncovers a corporate pharmaceutical conspiracy in Africa. This was Fernando Meirelles’ first movie afterCity of God,and it looks like he had carte blanche to do anything he wanted. Adapting a John le Carré novel with Fiennes and Weisz as leads, was quite a surprising, if excellent, choice. The movie has emotional stakes, and as with any le Carré story, the plot is as thrilling, unexpected, and heartfelt as they come.
About being able to improvise in the film,Rachel Weisz told Ian Winterton: “Some actors don’t like it, but Ralph and I both like to experiment, we both share that desire to play around. Fernando likes to work with complete freedom and spontaneity. Obviously, it’s a thriller, so there were plot elements we had to retain. But Fernando allowed us to have freedom in some scenes.”
5A Perfect Getaway (2009)
A Perfect Getawayis as thrilling as they come. Newlyweds Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) hike in a non-populated area of Hawaii and meet two more couples. There’s a murder in the area and police suspect a couple is responsible, putting Cliff and Cydney in a tight spot.
It’s surprising this movie didn’t do better, as it’s as tense as they come, and punches well over its weight, surprising audiences who did see it. Zahn and Jovovich are believable as a couple, and Timothy Olyphant knows how to play suspicious perfectly. This was also one of the first roles Chris Hemsworth had in the United States, so if you’re a fan, it’s also a fun way to see his American beginnings.
4The Way of the Gun (2000)
The Way of the Gunis all about two criminals (Benicio del Toro and Ryan Phillipe) who kidnap a pregnant woman (Juliette Lewis) with the intent to demand a big ransom, as she’s the surrogate mother for a gangster. As always in movies like this, chaos ensues and not everyone leaves unscathed. This was the first film Christopher McQuarrie directed, not long after writingThe Usual Suspects.He now might be the Tom Cruise whisperer, but back then, the movie (and the director) didn’t get great reviews for this story that homages the noir, road movies, and Western genres.
About the film and Del Toro’s performance,the director told Pop Matters: “So it’s always an effort to find a way to convey a scene in ten lines or less. Benicio was great about that. He’d say, we only need those two lines, or we’d have pages of dialogue that were originally written for Benicio, that we gave to other parts.”
3A History of Violence (2005)
A History of Violenceis the story of Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen). At first, he looks like he’s a normal guy, a man with a diner in Indiana. That’s until it’s discovered he’s really “Joey from Philadelphia”, a killer who left his murderous life behind. David Cronenberg directed this crude, violent film, where violence is not the most important thing, as there’s a lot of care for the character’s arc and how those around him react to all the chaos and blood around them. This might be one of Mortensen’s best performances (only topped by what he did inEastern Promises, another Cronenberg film), and Ed Harris’ small role is as scary as he’s ever been.
2Oldboy (2003)
Dae-su Oh (Korean star Choi Min-sik) is a drunk, and a bad father and husband. He gets kidnapped and spends 15 years locked in a small room. There’s nothing to do, so he decides to train himself to fight. When he’s finally out of the small room, he sets his revenge, killing everyone who had something to do with his kidnapping.
Oldboyis one of the most thrilling and successful Korean films of the century (so much so that there’s even an American remake made by Spike Lee), a thriller full of incredible action sequences and, as with many of the best thrillers, some unexpected twists that change everything that had happened before.
Related:Here’s a Ranking of All Park Chan-wook Movies
1Zodiac (2007)
Zodiacis David Fincher’smost underrated movie ever. The story follows cartoonist-turned-crime solver Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is obsessed with the Zodiac Killer, who is sending messages and puzzles to the Bay Area press. This mystery was the perfect vehicle for the director’s meticulously-planned films. The fact that the real story still doesn’t have a clear answer also helps to make the mystery even bigger as the film develops through many years.
As in any Fincher movie, the cast is also great; Gyllenhaal is at the center of the film, but he’s being supported by a great Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chloë Sevingy, Brian Cox, Dermot Mulroney, Elias Koteas, and Anthony Edwards. Maybe because of its central subject, or because his last movie before this one wasPanic Room, the movie didn’t make as much noise as it should have, transforming it into the most underrated thriller of the decade.
