A Glean movie guide
The Ultimate Psychological Thrillers
Question everything.
Masterpieces of manipulation, obsession, and mind-bending suspense.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Silence of the Lambs
A chilling masterclass in psychological manipulation and criminal profiling.
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
- 02
Se7en
A grim, atmospheric descent into a serial killer's twisted moral philosophy.
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
- 03
Memento
A brilliant, non-linear puzzle that forces you to experience the protagonist's memory loss.
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.
- 04
Parasite
A razor-sharp study of class tension that spirals into a breathless, high-stakes thriller.
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
- 05
Shutter Island
A haunting mystery where the line between reality and delusion constantly blurs.
World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor.
- 06
Gone Girl
A cynical exploration of media perception and psychological warfare within a marriage.
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
- 07
Black Swan
A visceral, surreal depiction of a perfectionist's terrifying psychological collapse.
A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".
- 08
Get Out
A groundbreaking blend of social commentary and slow-burn paranoia that keeps you on edge.
Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.
- 09
The Prestige
An intricate tale of obsession and professional rivalry where nothing is as it seems.
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.
- 10
Oldboy
A brutal and emotionally devastating journey through the scars of long-term isolation.
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.