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Top 10 Thriller Movies of All Time in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Psycho
Direct answer

Psycho (1960) is the top thriller movie of all time: AFI ranks it #1 of 100 on its Thrills list and it holds a 97% Tomatometer. Jaws (#2) and North by Northwest (#4) follow.

At a glance

#PickAFI Thrills rankBest for
1Psycho#1 of 100Anyone starting with the film AFI ranks as its most thrilling
2Jaws#2 of 100A blockbuster thriller with a hunt-the-shark plot
3North by Northwest#4 of 100Fans of a wrong-man chase across America
4The Silence of the Lambs#5 of 100Viewers who want a thriller that won the top five Oscars
5The French Connection#8 of 100A gritty New York cop chase
6Rear Window#14 of 100A confined, single-setting suspense film
7Deliverance#15 of 100A wilderness survival thriller
8The Manchurian Candidate#17 of 100A political conspiracy thriller
9Vertigo#18 of 100Viewers who like a slow-burn, obsessive psychological story
10Strangers on a Train#32 of 100A short, tight Hitchcock thriller with a famous premise

Pick by what you want

Best overall
Psycho
Best blockbuster
Jaws
Best Oscar winner
The Silence of the Lambs
Best critics’ score
Rear Window
Best short watch
Strangers on a Train

The ranking

1

Psycho

Psycho
Answrs VerdictAFI’s #1 pick.
AFI Thrills rank: #1 of 100Tomatometer: 97% (118 reviews)Director, year: Alfred Hitchcock, 1960Runtime: 109 minutesOscars won: 0 (4 nominations)

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film is ranked #1 of 100 on AFI’s 100 Thrills list. It holds a 97% Tomatometer from 118 reviews, runs 109 minutes, and received 4 Oscar nominations without a win.

Go ifAnyone starting with the film AFI ranks as its most thrilling
Skip ifYou want to avoid horror-leaning thrillers
Why #1 over #2: AFI ranks it #1 of 100, ahead of Jaws at #2.
2

Jaws

Jaws
Answrs VerdictWon 3 Oscars.
AFI Thrills rank: #2 of 100Tomatometer: 97% (178 reviews)Director, year: Steven Spielberg, 1975Runtime: 124 minutesOscars won: 3 (Film Editing, Original Score, Sound)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film is #2 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list, holds a 97% Tomatometer from 178 reviews, and runs 124 minutes. It won 3 Academy Awards: Film Editing, Original Score and Sound.

Go ifA blockbuster thriller with a hunt-the-shark plot
Skip ifYou would rather skip a film set in the water
Why #2 over #3: AFI ranks it #2 of 100, ahead of North by Northwest at #4.
3

North by Northwest

North by Northwest
Answrs VerdictHitchcock’s spy chase, and the longest film here.
AFI Thrills rank: #4 of 100Tomatometer: 97% (119 reviews)Director, year: Alfred Hitchcock, 1959Runtime: 136 minutesOscars won: 0 (3 nominations)

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 spy thriller is #4 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list and holds a 97% Tomatometer from 119 reviews. At 136 minutes it is the longest film here, and it received 3 Oscar nominations.

Go ifFans of a wrong-man chase across America
Skip ifYou want a grim, realistic tone
Why #3 over #4: AFI ranks it #4 of 100, ahead of The Silence of the Lambs at #5.
4

The Silence of the Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs
Answrs VerdictFive Oscars, including Best Picture.
AFI Thrills rank: #5 of 100Tomatometer: 95% (161 reviews)Director, year: Jonathan Demme, 1991Runtime: 118 minutesOscars won: 5 (incl. Best Picture)

Jonathan Demme’s 1991 film is #5 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list and holds a 95% Tomatometer from 161 reviews. It won 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and runs 118 minutes.

Go ifViewers who want a thriller that won the top five Oscars
Skip ifGraphic crime and psychological horror are dealbreakers
Why #4 over #5: AFI ranks it #5 of 100, ahead of The French Connection at #8.
5

The French Connection

The French Connection
Answrs VerdictFive Oscars from eight nominations.
AFI Thrills rank: #8 of 100Tomatometer: 97% (93 reviews)Director, year: William Friedkin, 1971Runtime: 104 minutesOscars won: 5 (of 8 nominations)

William Friedkin’s 1971 film is #8 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list and holds a 97% Tomatometer from 93 reviews. It won 5 of its 8 Oscar nominations and runs 104 minutes.

Go ifA gritty New York cop chase
Skip ifYou prefer a slow, puzzle-style mystery
Why #5 over #6: AFI ranks it #8 of 100, ahead of Rear Window at #14.
6

Rear Window

Rear Window
Answrs VerdictThe highest Tomatometer on this list.
AFI Thrills rank: #14 of 100Tomatometer: 99% (138 reviews)Director, year: Alfred Hitchcock, 1954Runtime: 112 minutesOscars won: 0 (4 nominations)

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film is #14 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list and has a 99% Tomatometer from 138 reviews, the highest on this page. It runs 112 minutes and received 4 Oscar nominations.

Go ifA confined, single-setting suspense film
Skip ifYou want fast action
Why #6 over #7: AFI ranks it #14 of 100, ahead of Deliverance at #15.
7

Deliverance

Deliverance
Answrs VerdictThe lowest Tomatometer here, but still 90%.
AFI Thrills rank: #15 of 100Tomatometer: 90% (69 reviews)Director, year: John Boorman, 1972Runtime: 109 minutesOscars won: 0 (3 nominations)

John Boorman’s 1972 film is #15 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list and holds a 90% Tomatometer from 69 reviews. It runs 109 minutes and received 3 Oscar nominations.

Go ifA wilderness survival thriller
Skip ifViolent, tense outdoor stories are not for you
Why #7 over #8: AFI ranks it #15 of 100, ahead of The Manchurian Candidate at #17.
8

The Manchurian Candidate

The Manchurian Candidate
Answrs VerdictA Cold War brainwashing plot with 2 Oscar nominations.
AFI Thrills rank: #17 of 100Tomatometer: 96% (68 reviews)Director, year: John Frankenheimer, 1962Runtime: 126 minutesOscars won: 0 (2 nominations)

John Frankenheimer’s 1962 film is #17 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list and holds a 96% Tomatometer from 68 reviews. It runs 126 minutes and received 2 Oscar nominations.

Go ifA political conspiracy thriller
Skip ifYou want a modern-paced story
Why #8 over #9: AFI ranks it #17 of 100, ahead of Vertigo at #18.
9

Vertigo

Vertigo
Answrs VerdictHitchcock’s psychological thriller, ranked #18 by AFI.
AFI Thrills rank: #18 of 100Tomatometer: 94% (99 reviews)Director, year: Alfred Hitchcock, 1958Runtime: 128 minutesOscars won: 0 (2 nominations)

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 film is #18 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list and holds a 94% Tomatometer from 99 reviews. It runs 128 minutes and received 2 Oscar nominations.

Go ifViewers who like a slow-burn, obsessive psychological story
Skip ifYou want quick pacing
Why #9 over #10: AFI ranks it #18 of 100, ahead of Strangers on a Train at #32.
10

Strangers on a Train

Strangers on a Train
Answrs VerdictThe shortest film here, at 101 minutes.
AFI Thrills rank: #32 of 100Tomatometer: 98% (61 reviews)Director, year: Alfred Hitchcock, 1951Runtime: 101 minutesOscars won: 0 (1 nomination)

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 film is #32 of 100 on AFI’s Thrills list and holds a 98% Tomatometer from 61 reviews. It runs 101 minutes and received 1 Oscar nomination.

Go ifA short, tight Hitchcock thriller with a famous premise
Skip ifYou want colour or modern effects

How we ranked these

We ranked the 10 films by their position on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years...100 Thrills list, as shown on Wikipedia. We kept only films that Wikipedia’s opening sentence calls a thriller, so horror, sci-fi and adventure films on that list were skipped. Tomatometer scores, runtimes and Oscar counts come from each film’s Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia pages. We did not use our own opinion scores. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What is the greatest thriller movie of all time?

By the American Film Institute’s 100 Thrills list, Psycho (1960) ranks first, followed by Jaws (1975) at #2 and North by Northwest (1959) at #4.

Which thriller has the highest Rotten Tomatoes score?

Rear Window (1954) holds the highest Tomatometer on this list at 99%, ahead of Strangers on a Train at 98%.

Which thriller won the most Oscars?

The Silence of the Lambs and The French Connection each won 5 Academy Awards, and Jaws won 3.

Which Alfred Hitchcock films are in the top 10 thrillers?

Five of the 10 are Hitchcock films: Psycho, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Vertigo and Strangers on a Train.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics) at a glance

Deliverance90 %
Vertigo94 %
The Silence of the Lambs95 %
The Manchurian Candidate96 %
Psycho97 %
Jaws97 %
North by Northwest97 %
The French Connection97 %
Strangers on a Train98 %
Rear Window99 %
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

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