Fans of proper nail-biter flicks probably already know that Heart of the Hunter, the explosive conspiracy thriller from the streamer’s latest collaboration with South African filmmakers, is a huge hit on Netflix. At the time of writing, it’s number one of the English movies chart, racking up 11 million views and nearly 20 million viewing hours.
The movie tells the story of Zuko Khumalo, a man whose mission to save his family escalates into a battle to prevent a corrupt politician from becoming President, and features critically acclaimed character actor Bonko Khoza (Necktie Youth, Collision, The Woman King) in the lead role alongside a who’s who of iconic South African actors.
If that’s whetted your appetite for some tense thriller action, here are three more movies to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Killer
The Killer is another Netflix hit, topping the streamer’s movie charts when it premiered in November. Directed by David Fincher and starring Michael Fassbender, it’s perhaps not Fincher’s best movie but it’s still a dark and stylish drama with a superb central performance by Fassbender as a killer for hire. Empire Magazine called it “a riveting revenge riot, with gobsmacking levels of film craft and a performance from Michael Fassbender to make your blood run cold.”
Alone
This stripped-back survival thriller takes a simple and perhaps over-familiar premise – a woman becomes the obsession of a terrifying man in a place almost as dangerous as the man hunting her – and delivers an exceptionally tense drama that dispenses with cheap tricks such as jump scares, unreasonably proficient protagonists or far-fetched coincidences: Alone feels real, and that makes it all the more frightening. As Thrillist puts it: “The cat and mouse premise may be somewhat familiar, but the presentation is top-notch. Scary, suspenseful, and altogether compelling.”
Emily The Criminal
You may know Aubrey Plaza from her roles in comedies such as Parks and Recreation, but here she’s playing it straight as a young woman exploring the LA underworld. Thanks to her ever-spiralling debts she’s desperate for cash and soon becomes a scammer, with all the excitement, adrenaline and danger that entails. The Daily Beast loved her performance, saying that “Emily the Criminal is just the latest in a decade’s worth of iconic, perfect, unforgettable dramatic roles for the queen of deadpan”, while Ready Steady Cut writes that “Emily The Criminal is a brilliant piece of art that’s particularly relevant to today’s world. It’s almost terrifyingly realistic and shows how far a person is capable of going when society turns its back on them.”