# Recommend a psychological thriller/drama movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [October 19, 2022, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465 "2022-10-19T00:42:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/1 "2022-10-19T00:42:02Z")
… with a broad ‘battling inner demons/reality’ theme. I’ve enjoyed: American Psycho Jacob’s Ladder The Machinist Fight Club K-Pax So can you offer any movie title to fill in the blank of “If you enjoyed those, then you should watch [].”? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/2 "2022-10-19T00:52:46Z")
I’d add “House of Games”. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/3 "2022-10-19T01:14:15Z")
To keep with eclectivity of the list _Manhunter_/_Red Dragon_. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/4 "2022-10-19T01:18:32Z")
Memento Shutter Island Waltz with Bashir ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/5 "2022-10-19T03:37:25Z")
I’d forgotten about ‘Memento’ - that was one I’d meant to watch, so thanks! Those others look promising, and I’d never heard of House of Cards. So will add those to the iMovies ‘wish list’. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/6 "2022-10-19T03:55:27Z")
**Arrival** would top my list. It’s an alien invasion movie but not in the typical sense. If you haven’t seen them already, the Jordan Peele horror movies would all qualify: **Get Out** , **Us** and **Nope**. I also really enjoyed **Miss Sloane** , which was a political thriller although I am not sure if it falls into the category you are looking for. **Everything Everywhere All at Once** defies description but even if it is not what you are looking for, you will probably enjoy it nonetheless. Most of the movie takes place in an IRS office. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/7 "2022-10-19T05:25:14Z")
How about **Identity**. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/8 "2022-10-19T17:04:40Z")
Always thought Fincher’s [The Game (1997)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119174/) a proper rollercoaster. Also [The Prestige](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482571/) was one of Nolan’s best, and never really got all the Batman movies, and the weird mind twisting ones he seemed to like afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/9 "2022-10-19T23:23:52Z")
_Dead Again_ is one of my faves. Stellar cast: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Derek Jacobi, Andy Garcia. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/10 "2022-10-20T00:06:45Z")
_La tête d’un homme_ (_A Man’s Head_) (1932) – Inspector Maigret has a psychological battle of wits with murderer Radek. _M_ (1951) – While this remake is not as good or innovative as the 1930 original, it goes into more detail about the psycho and his struggle with his demons (it’s also beautifully shot in LA, including: The Bradbury Building, Angel’s Flight, Ocean Park Pier, etc.) _Diabolique_ (1955) – Classic of psychological suspense. _The Prisoner_ (1955) – Anti-communist Cardinal Alec Guinness vs. state interrogator Jack Hawkins in play-based film full of psychological (and philosophical) cat-and-mouse. _Peeping Tom_ (1960) – Mark has deep psychological problems that especially affect his relationships with the women he photographs as he kills. _The Manchurian Candidate_ (1962) – Brainwashing tale focuses on psychological aspects of the key player in commie plan to take over the U.S. _Nightmare in Chicago_ (1964) – Location-shot thriller of serial killer “Georgie Peorgie” loose in the tri-state area. Some psychological insight is involved as police hunt him down. _Images_ (1972) – “A schizophrenic housewife kills off each of her terrorizing apparitions, unsure if these demons are merely figments of her imagination or part of reality.” (from IMDB) _Taxi Driver_ (1976) – Cabbie struggles with his demons before finding an outlet for his aggressions and respite. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/11 "2022-10-20T00:38:01Z")
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but _ **Melancholia** _ is a gripping psychological, sci-fi drama. It’s thrilling in a depressing kind of way. It certainly makes you think about mortality. Well acted and good direction. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/12 "2022-10-20T00:38:10Z")
_Gerald’s Game_, a 2017 film adaptation for Netflix of the Stephen King novel starring Carla Gugino. I would consider this film to be the best Netflix original film that they have produced. Technically a horror film, but one that does not rely on jump scares, but rather tension. Also a great psychological study of the main character played by Gugino. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/13 "2022-10-20T00:57:45Z")
I don’t know if “thriller” is quite the right word, but “Sixth Sense” would definitely qualify as battling demons and battling reality. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/14 "2022-10-20T01:03:18Z")
Black Swan, if that one’s not too obvious. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/15 "2022-10-20T17:39:27Z")
_Dead Ringers_, with Jeremy Irons playing a pair of twins. Which one is the good twin, and which one is the evil twin, is not as simple as it first appears. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/16 "2022-10-20T20:35:26Z")
_Sisters._ This is DePalma if you’re worried the trailer makes it too grindhousy [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mxk6VF0rnGQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Sisters 1973 Trailer HD | Brian De Palma | Margot Kidder") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxk6VF0rnGQ) _The Other_ I don’t need to make excuses for it. Its just scary. No not _The Others_ with Nicole Kidman [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BivZrzLB5to/maxresdefault.jpg "The Other 1972 Trailer | Robert Mulligan") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BivZrzLB5to) ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/17 "2022-10-20T23:23:11Z")
**Bug** with Ashely Judd and Michael Shannon **Clay Pigeons** with Joaquin Phoenix and Vince Vaughn, Wikipedia lists this a black comedy, but I would disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/18 "2022-10-20T23:30:10Z")
This is a very good choice. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/19 "2022-10-21T00:16:43Z")
I would recommend _Solaris_ (for purposes of this I’m talking about the remake with George Clooney; l haven’t seen the original). I found it intriguing and fascinating as hell, though many probably would not. > [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I don’t know if “thriller” is quite the right word, but “Sixth Sense” would definitely qualify as battling demons and battling reality. And I second this recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465/20 "2022-10-21T00:24:20Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > **Bug** with Ashely Judd and Michael Shannon Hey, I enjoyed this movie. Well recommended. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-psychological-thriller-drama-movie/973465.md?page=2)