This month’s batch of psychological thriller picks on HBO Max is a diverse collection of films that spans multiple subgenres and decades. The streaming service has just about every kind of psychological thriller you could possibly want to watch, including a 1970s classic heist movie, a contemporary social thriller and even one of A24’s most underrated and oft-forgotten dramas.
Here are the seven best psychological thrillers on HBO Max in September.
“Dog Day Afternoon” (1975)
“Dog Day Afternoon” may seem on the surface like little more than a straightforward heist movie, but it is so much more than that. The film is simultaneously a thriller about a reckless thief (Al Pacino, giving one of his greatest performances) whose attempt to rob a local Brooklyn bank goes terribly wrong and a searing, unflinching portrait of desperation and isolation — both social and personal.
Pacino’s sweaty performance is a live-wire act of intensity and vulnerability. He is a raw, exposed nerve in the film, and his lead turn in it only heightens the very same, underlying psychological edge that elevates “Dog Day Afternoon” above standard, B-movie genre fare and into all-time classic territory.
“Heretic” (2024)
A delightfully kooky, shockingly brutal psychological thriller, “Heretic” is a film that knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat. Written and directed by “A Quiet Place” writers Bryan Woods and Scott Beck, the film follows a pair of young, female Mormon missionaries (Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher) who end up locked in the house of a mysterious man (Hugh Grant) who is hell bent on putting their faith to the ultimate test.
Propulsive and not a minute too long, “Heretic” is an intense battle of the wills. The film is super-charged at every turn by Grant’s pitch-perfect, against-type turn as its deranged villain, and the cinematography by Chung Chung-hoon keeps “Heretic” consistently, visually interesting, even as its story remains locked within the walls of its single, labyrinthine location. No other movie on this list knows how to wring as much suspense out of a simple monologue or conversation as “Heretic” does.
“Misery” (1990)
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, “Misery” tells the story of every successful writer’s worst nightmare. It follows a King-esque literary figure who is tortured and held captive by an obsessed fan (Kathy Bates) who wants him to adhere to her own creative demands. The film marked a surprise detour for director Rob Reiner into the world of psychological horror, and the result is one of the most unsettling kidnapping thrillers ever made.
Bates won an Oscar for her terrifying supporting performance in the film, and rightly so. It is her unhinged turn as the crazed Annie Wilkes that makes the film’s exploration of obsession so impactful, and which also justifies the sense of paranoia permeating every moment and frame of “Misery.”
“It Comes At Night” (2017)
This tragically forgotten drama from filmmaker Trey Edward Shults is a striking, disconcerting post-apocalyptic psychological thriller. The film is set in a world that has been ravaged by an unseen, deadly disease. It follows a father (Joel Edgerton), mother (Carmen Ejogo) and son (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) whose quiet life together in the woods is disrupted by the arrival of another family.
While a tentative peace is struck, it is not long before paranoia begins to tear the two factions apart, paving the path for an upsetting and brutal final act. Seeped in darkness and dread, “It Comes At Night” is an unnerving exploration of life in a world that has been torn apart by death, violence and distrust. By telling its story from the perspective of Harrison Jr.’s Travis, the film also serves as a difficult portrait of what it is like to come of age in a world that has lost all sense of decency and reason.
“Seven” (1995)
Crime thrillers do not get much better than “Seven.” Directed by “The Social Network” filmmaker David Fincher, this 1990s classic follows a retiring, disheartened police detective (Morgan Freeman) as he and his brash, young partner (Brad Pitt) find themselves on the trail of a serial killer whose victims’ deaths have been modeled after the seven deadly sins.
Unrelenting and almost entirely devoid of hope, “Seven” is one of the best films ever made about struggling to find reasons for optimism in a world that seems caught in a perpetual downpour of tragedy and heartbreak. It’s the film that saved the careers of both Fincher and Pitt, and its iconic status is due to far more than just its oft-quoted ending. It’s a masterpiece, a thriller that refuses to loosen its vice-like grip until the credits have already begun to roll.
“Get Out” (2017)
Speaking of perfect thrillers, “Get Out” is the film that transformed writer-director Jordan Peele from a respected, beloved sketch comedian into one of the most revered artists working in Hollywood today. A pointed psychological thriller with a mean streak, the film follows a young Black man (Daniel Kaluuya) whose trip to meet his white girlfriend’s (Allison Williams) family goes haywire when he discovers the horrifying secrets they are hiding.
A film that keeps you on your toes right up until its very last moments, “Get Out” is the rare, mystery-driven thriller that actually manages to deliver a satisfying payoff. That, in turn, only makes the anxiety-riddled 90 minutes preceding to its climax all the more enjoyable — and impressive.
“La Piscine” (1969)
“La Piscine” is one of the best-looking feel-bad movies ever made. Directed by Jacques Deray, this sumptuous, sun-soaked psychological thriller follows an attractive couple (Alain Delon and Romy Schneider) whose lazy, idyllic summer holiday at their villa in France is disrupted when the woman’s ex-lover (Maurice Ronet) shows up with his daughter (Jane Birkin).
Every frame of “La Piscine” is stunning. Each image is blocked and lit in a way to make its already famously attractive stars look even more so. And yet there is a poisonous dread and unease lurking beneath every moment of “La Piscine,” which is fitting for a film about the destructive, corrosive powers of jealousy, sexual possessiveness and narcissism. Here is a psychological thriller that wisely opts to leave all of its ideas unspoken, lurking just beneath the surface of its images and the increasingly disturbing actions of its characters.
Everything New on HBO Max in September