Psychological stress in a twisting labyrinthian maze – we’ve all felt this looking for a movie on Netflix. But these are also hallmarks of the thriller movie. And if you’re ready to be on the edge of your seat, here are 10 good thriller movies on Netflix streaming, available now, in the US and UK.

10. Brick (2005) [Netflix US]

The reality of high school for most of us is that it was a time of spots, smelly pits, and deep, deep, unremitting waves of tedium. However the movies would have us believe high school is a sexy, relentless roundabout of backstabbing, rivalry and double-dealing – thus making it perfectly logical for director Rian Johnson to employ it as setting for a film noir mystery. Which is precisely what he did, and was rewarded with a critical darling for his ingenuity. Well done, Rian. Treat yourself to a biscuit.

9. Headhunters (2012) [US/UK]

Norwegian thriller about an accomplished headhunter risking everything to steal a valuable painting belonging to a fearsome ex-mercenary. A slick movie about slick operators, it keeps things ticking over at the kind of fleet-footed pace which won prior Euro-thrillers ‘Tell No One’ and ‘Anything For Her’ so many fans. A Hollywood remake is in the works.

8. Insomnia (2002) [US/UK]

Two LA homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn’t set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen. This is one of Christopher Nolan’s more forgotten movies, but still one of his best (ah heck, maybe they all are). As with Heath Ledger, Nolan knows how to cast against type to create something memorable and here Robin Williams becomes a wonderfully creepy pervert-villain. It’s also probably the last great performance of Pacino’s career, as he wrestles with guilt and pressure in a place where he just can’t get no sleep.

7. The Untouchables (1987) [US/UK]

Big-budget, star-led movie-making at its finest, as screenwriter David Mamet and director Brian De Palma got to grips with a classic American story of big city cops, bootlegging crooks, and that Kevin Costner bloke.

Costner added weight to the leading man reputation which would hubristically swallow him a decade later, while Sean Connery picked up an Oscar as much for a stellar career as his turn as Malone, the Irish cop with the Scottish accent. The real star, however, is Robert De Niro, coming out swinging as an unpredictable Al Capone.

6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) [US]

A Swedish journalist with a ruined reputation is aided in his search for a long missing person by a troubled, punky hacker. David Fincher’s remake adds polish and succeeds on its own terms. Meticulous and beautifully filmed, it features a fully committed performance by Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig is awake for once outside of a Bond movie. Worth seeing even if you’ve watched the original.

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