15 little-known thrillers for those who have already watched everything

15. swallow

Swallow

• USA, France, 2019.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.5.

Everything seems to be going well in the life of the young Hunter: she is married to rich and promising Ricci, who surrounds her with care. But when the girl finds out that she is pregnant, a strange desire wakes up in her: Hunter swallows various small objects. And each time he chooses more and more dangerous instances.

The debut feature film by Carlo Mirabella-Davies (he directed some episodes of "Home with the servant") may seem very unpleasant. First of all, because of the scenes related to human physiology. But in fact, "Swallow" is about the stress and pressure of the family, which can lead a woman to harm herself.

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14. strange days

Strange Days

• USA, 1994.
• Thriller, crime, fantasy.
• Duration: 145 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.1.

In 1999 (the future at the time of filming), the special services invented a device that records a person's feelings. After that, anyone, wearing a special device on his head, can experience individual moments from someone else's biography. Criminal Lenny, who once worked in the police, is investigating the murder of a girl, which someone also recorded.

The script of this picture was invented by the famous James Cameron. The film was directed by his ex-wife Katherine Bigelow. As in many of his other works, Cameron combines fantastic a plot with the atmosphere of a gloomy thriller tied to a personal tragedy.

13. She is

Elle

• France, Germany, Belgium, 2016.
• Thriller, crime, drama.
• Duration: 130 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.1.

One day, a masked stranger breaks into the house of the owner of a large company, Michelle. He beats and rapes the girl. However, she does not report to the police, but simply continues to live as before. But over time, Michelle realizes that someone close to her attacked her.

Isabelle Huppert, a 16-time Cesar nominee, stars in this film. The tape "She" seems to continue the ideas of other works of this actress: for example, the films "Madame Bovary" and "The Pianist". These are all stories about experiencing sexualized trauma.

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12. State of frenzy

State of Grace

• USA, UK, 1990.
• Thriller, crime, thriller.
• Duration: 129 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.2.

Terry returns to his native New York after a long absence. He reconnects with old friends who have become bosses of the local mafia. But in reality, Terry is an undercover cop, and he must arrest his comrades.

The future creator of "Final Analysis" Phil Joanu in 1990 staged a cool crime thriller with the still young Gary Oldman and Sean Penn in the lead roles. The picture did not do well at the box office, perhaps because it came out at the same time as Martin Scorsese's The Goodfellas. But over time, the film has become a truly cult.

11. Insomnia

Insomnia

• Norway, 1997
• Thriller, crime, detective.
• Duration: 96 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.2.

Two detectives arrive from Oslo in a small town to investigate the murder of a girl. While searching for the criminal, one of the policemen accidentally kills his partner. From that moment on, the villain regularly contacts the hero, threatening to reveal the secret.

To many, this story is familiar from the remake of the same name. Christopher Nolan. But still, the original version, more reminiscent of Scandinavian noir, better immerses in a depressing atmosphere. Moreover, the famous Stellan Skarsgard played the main role here.

10. talk radio

talk radio

• USA, Canada, 1988.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 110 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.2.

Barry Champlain hosts a late-night talk show on Dallas radio. He often provokes his interlocutors and makes fun of them harshly, due to which he is gaining popularity. The owners of the radio station offer to bring the presenter on the national air. In parallel, he is trying to improve relations with his wife.

The painting by Oliver Stone is based on the play by Eric Boghosyan, who played the main role. And the plot was based on the tragic fate of the real radio host Alan Berg.

9. shallow grave

Shallow Grave

• UK, 1994
• Thriller, crime.
• Duration: 89 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

Doctor Julia, accountant David and journalist Alex live in the same apartment and are close friends. One day they learn that their neighbor, who called himself a writer, is dead. The heroes discover a suitcase full of money that belonged to the deceased. They decide to take the cash and get rid of the corpse.

With this picture, the career of director Danny Boyle began, who would later shoot Trainspotting and28 days later». And in the same film, Ewan McGregor played his first major role. Later, he will repeatedly collaborate with the director.

8. Connection

Bound

• USA, 1996
• Thriller, melodrama, crime.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

Corky gets out of jail and renovates his apartment. Next to her lives the gangster Cesar, who recently took away two million dollars from another bandit. Soon passion flares up between Corky and the gangster's mistress Violet. And then the girls decide to rob Cesar.

The Connection is the directorial debut of the Wachowski duo, future creators of the legendarymatrices». It is thanks to this frank thriller that the authors received funding for their main project.

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7. Identification

Identity

• USA, 2003.
• Thriller, crime.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

Very strange people gather in a roadside motel: a man whose wife was hit by a car, an ex-cop, a prostitute, and someone else. The road was washed out by the rain, and the phone does not work. After some time, visitors begin to die one by one.

Director James Mangold (the future director of "Logan") took the novel by Agatha Christie "Ten Little Indians" as a basis. But only the plot with people locked in the house remained from the original. Then the action develops quite differently.

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6. Puncture

blow out

• USA, 1981.
• Detective thriller.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.4.

Jack works as a sound engineer at a film studio that specializes in cheap horror films. While dubbing another film, he hears a gunshot, the sound of an exploding wheel, and the roar of an accident. It soon turns out that Jack recorded the moment of the death of a US presidential candidate.

The main role in this picture was played by John Travolta, who was then perceived only as an actor in comedies and musicals. Partly because of this, the public appreciated "Puncture" only years later.

5. blood red

Profondo rosso

• Italy, 1975
• Horror, detective, thriller.
• Duration: 127 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.5.

A woman parapsychologist during a lecture claims that she sees death itself in the hall. The next night, the heroine is killed by an unknown person in a raincoat. The only witness to the crime is the pianist Markus, who decides to conduct his own investigation.

Dario Argento is one of the main masters giallo, mixtures of detective, thriller and horror. "Blood Red" is perhaps the director's best film and generally the brightest representative of the genre. And it is in this picture that Argento first sounds the soundtrack of the Goblin group. Then they will cooperate constantly.

4. Simple Plan

A Simple Plan

• UK, Germany, France, USA, Japan, 1998.
• Thriller, crime, drama.
• Duration: 121 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.5.

Brothers Hank and Jacob, as well as their friend Lou, go hunting in the winter. They stumble upon a crashed plane and find a bag containing four million dollars in it. The heroes decide to keep the find for themselves. But, of course, money has an owner.

Director Sam Raimi is best known for parody horror The Evil Dead and the trilogySpiderman» the beginning of the noughties. But in his filmography there is also an excellent thriller, in which the famous Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton played. The latter even received an Oscar nomination for his performance in A Simple Plan.

3. Just blood

blood simple

• USA, 1983.
• Thriller, drama, crime.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.6.

Rude and cruel bar owner Marty suspects his wife of having an affair with one of his subordinates. The hero hires a private detective Lauren to get evidence of an affair, and then asks to kill the lovers. But he does it differently.

This picture is debut the Coen brothers in big movies. Formally, "Just Blood" was directed by one older Joel, but Ethan worked on the script and produced the film. And in this tape, one of the main roles was played by aspiring actress Frances McDormand. She would later play regularly for the Coens and marry Joel.

2. I saw the devil

Akmareul boattda

• South Korea, 2010
• Horror, thriller, thriller, crime.
• Duration: 144 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.8.

Special Agent Kim Soo Hyun is looking for the man who killed his pregnant fiancee. The hero quickly tracks down the villain, but does not hand him over to justice, but implants a bug in the prisoner's body and releases him. From now on, Kim Soo Hyun will suddenly attack the criminal over and over again.

Kim Ji Un's film turned out to be so cruel that some scenes had to be cut out of it - otherwise the picture was simply not allowed to be released. But what remains is enough to shock the viewer.

1. Memories of murder

salinui chueok

• South Korea, 2003
• Detective thriller, drama.
• Duration: 131 minutes.
• IMDb: 8.1.

Brutal murders take place in a provincial Korean town. The detectives are looking for the perpetrator, but in reality they just want to close the case as quickly as possible, relying on the most brutal methods. Therefore, the suspects are simply knocked out of evidence.

Bong Joon Ho is now known for his Oscar-winning film "parasites». But back in 2003, he made a very dark thriller that criticizes not only the police, but the entire state system.

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What little-known thrillers do you remember? Tell us about your favorite dark paintings in the comments.