From M to Taxi Driver, 7 Psychological Thrillers Remain Perfect From Start to Finish
A killer in Berlin
Fritz Lang’s M stars Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert, a child killer terrorizing Berlin. Police and the city’s criminal syndicate both pursue him, while the film examines what drives a psychotic killer and whether violence can solve the problem.
The film’s methods may seem familiar after many later crime stories, but its drama remains effective. Lang considered it his favorite of his own films, and it became a defining psychological thriller.
Rebecca’s uneasy household
Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca follows the newly married Mrs. de Winter, played by Joan Fontaine, as she settles at Manderley with her husband Maxim, played by Laurence Olivier. The memory of Maxim’s late first wife hangs over the estate.
Mrs. Danvers, Manderley’s eerie maid, appears determined to torment the new Mrs. de Winter with reminders of Rebecca. The film, based on Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, combines suspense, haunting atmosphere and plot twists; it is also the only Hitchcock film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
A preacher’s hidden purpose
The Night of the Hunter blends Southern Gothic horror with psychological thriller elements. Charles Laughton directed the film, which initially failed with critics and at the box office but later became influential.
Robert Mitchum plays Harry Powell, a preacher whose real aims are deceit and murder. After learning of a hidden fortune, Powell targets the wife and children of the man who was hanged. The film’s influence has reached filmmakers including Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro.
A portrait of a damaged mind
Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver centers on Travis Bickle, a volatile and damaged antihero played by Robert De Niro. The film has remained relevant across decades, though some fans wrongly idolize Bickle.
Paul Schrader and Scorsese’s story is not an endorsement of its protagonist. Bickle is compelling to watch, but the film presents his violent outlook as a nightmare, not an aspiration.
Key points
- M follows a child killer pursued by Berlin’s police and criminal syndicate.
- Rebecca makes the dead Rebecca’s memory a force inside Manderley.
- The Night of the Hunter grew influential after its poor initial reception.
- Taxi Driver portrays Travis Bickle as a violent figure, not a role model.