The “thriller” genre of film has grown more and more popular among audiences as years fly by. With enough suspense for those that are not fans of horror, enough drama for those who don’t enjoy dramatic or romantic films, and enough action for those who don’t like pure action movies, thriller films have something for everybody. Plus, some of the most iconic films of all-time (Vertigo, Pyscho, On the Waterfront) are a part of the thriller genre.
Updated December 30th, 2022: If you’re a fan of the thriller genre, you’ll be happy to know this article has been updated with additional content and films.
The 1970s were a great and often experimental era for film and storytelling. Genres like crime (with The Godfather), horror (Halloween), and war (Apocalypse Now) were all growing and expanding their skills and impact. But the thriller genre itself may have been the biggest genre-grower of the ’70s, with many iconic thriller films (and movies in general) being created in that decade. Here are the best thriller films of the ’70s, ranked.
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10 Marathon Man (1976)
Paramount Pictures
Dustin Hoffman joins Laurence Olivier and Roy Scheider in the tense thriller Marathon Man, with The Graduate star portraying a history graduate student who becomes embroiled in deadly international conspiracy between the government and a sinister Nazi war criminal involving smuggled diamonds. The pulse-pounding picture is based on the William Goldman novel of the same name and features a stellar performance from famed cinema great Olivier, who brilliantly portrayed the infamous Nazi antagonist Dr. Christian Szell; he went on to nab an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and won a Golden Globe Award in the lauded thriller.
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9 Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Silver screen legend Clint Eastwood stars alongside Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau in the critically-acclaimed hit Escape from Alcatraz, which recounts the true story of three fearless convicts who concoct a daring escape from the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1962.
Eastwood appears as savvy criminal and ringleader Frank Morris, who along with fellow inmates John and Clarence Anglin departed the island via an improvised inflatable raft and faced the dangerous waters of the San Francisco Bay; their true fate remains a mystery. The gripping prison thriller was a knockout with critics and audiences alike, with the Los Angeles Times declaring it “could serve as a textbook example in breathtakingly economical, swift and stylish screen storytelling.”
8 The Day of the Jackal (1973)
Universal Pictures
Fred Zinnemann’s thrilling masterpiece The Day of the Jackal features Edward Fox as the lethal titular assassin who is tasked with eliminating French president Charles de Gaulle, but finds his mission challenged by a cunning Parisian detective determined to identify the mysterious killer.
Upon its release, critics raved about the suspense-packed picture and its spectacular screenplay, pacing and performances, with Time Magazine commenting, “In short, as so often happens, a second-rate fiction has been transformed into a first-rate screen entertainment.” The Day of the Jackal was the recipient of numerous accolades, winning a BAFTA Award and earning both an Academy Award nomination and three Golden Globe nods.
7 The Conversation (1974)
Paramount Pictures
Directed by the famed Francis Ford Coppola, and featuring a plethora of cast members that would later be in Apocalypse Now, The Conversation follows surveillance expert Harry Caul, who after bugging a random couple’s conversation, discovers that there may have been a murder. Almost certainly inspired by the Watergate Scandal, The Conversation sensationally captures the suspense of Caul as he gets increasingly paranoid about the potential of his client committing murder. Nominated for nearly two dozen awards, The Conversation was a success, still holding a 96% percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and four stars from Roger Ebert.
6 The China Syndrome (1979)
Columbia Pictures
Touting a stellar cast led by Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas, The China Syndrome centers on determined television news reporter Kimberly Wells as she and her cameraman Richard inadvertently stumble upon a cover-up of safety hazards at a California nuclear power plant, putting them firmly in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy that threatens their lives.
Wells and Richard find their paranoia growing as they become targeted by powerful forces that wish to ensure their silence. The riveting and taut thriller went on to earn four Academy Award nominations including Best Original Screenplay, and Lemmon was the recipient of the Best Actor Prize at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, where the film also competed for the Palm d’Or.
5 Frenzy (1972)
Universal Pictures
Yet another Alfred Hitchcock classic, the underrated Frenzy follows Royal Air Force member Richard Blaney, who must go on the run with his friend Bob Rusk, after his wife is murdered by a serial killer who is stalking London. What makes this film suspenseful, and thrilling, is the implication and suspicion thar Rusk himself may actually be the serial killer. A critically acclaimed film, both script and directing wise, Frenzy went on to be nominated for four Golden Globe Awards (Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Score); and currently holds 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92% from Metacritic, and four stars from Roger Ebert.
4 Klute (1971)
Warner Bros.
The first installment of director Alan Pukula’s “Paranoia” trilogy (alongside The Parallax View and All The President’s Men), Klute is a classical neo-noir film that follows detective John Klute who, with the help of a known call-girl (played by Jane Fonda), takes on the missing persons case for a chemical company executive named Tom Gruneman.
With a terrifying string of murders, the suspense of the hunt and being watched, and the thrill of mystery, Klute was a fantastic and sensual take on the noir genre. Nominated for 14 awards across multiple associations (winning all but five), Klute was a striking start to the Paranoia trilogy, and arguably the best of the bunch.
3 Taxi Driver (1976)
Columbia Pictures
Highlighted by the all-time great combination of director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro, the iconic film Taxi Driver follows war veteran Travis Bickle, a man suffering from insomnia whose mind deteriorates into dreams of saving the world through questionable actions, with each night he spends driving his taxi cab.
With his falling apart psyche, along with grasping at straws with a woman named Betsy, and a young prostitute, Bickle takes drastic actions to try and do the right thing (one of which inspired the assassination of President Reagan). A smashing success, Taxi Driver was nominated for over thirty different awards from twenty different film associations, winning twenty-three of them.
2 The French Connection (1971)
20th Century Studios
Based on the 1969 Robin Moore novel of the same name, The French Connection follows Jimmy and Buddy, two New York Police Department (NYPD) detectives who are attempting to take down a very wealthy, French heroin smuggler.
A high octane crime thriller featuring not only the French drug dealers, but the American mafia as well, along with guns, shootouts, and car chases, The French Connection became one of the most well-received films of the ’70s, and one of the best films in American history. Nominated for eight Academy Awards (winning five), and chosen for preservation in 2005 for the National Film Registry, The French Connection has stood the test of time.
1 Jaws (1975)
With one of the most iconic movie posters, one of the most sensational scores of all time, and one of the best original stories, Jaws is the ultimate horror/thriller film. Directed by Stephen Spielberg, Jaws follows the town of Amity Island as their warm, sandy beach is being terrorized by a giant, man-eating shark. Considered to be the first summer blockbuster movie, Jaws raked in an astonishing $472 million USD off of a mere $10 million USD budget. Only losing Best Picture to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Jaws transcended history to become one of the best horror/thriller films of all time; one that audiences continue to watch on a regular basis.
