Tired of the same recycled Hollywood plotlines and shaky-cam nonsense? Good. The world is full of incredible thrillers that aren’t made in the U.S.—films that don’t spoon-feed the audience or rely on cheap jump scares. These international gems bring tension, style, and brutal originality. Here are 20 non-American thrillers you need to watch. No excuses.
1. Memories of Murder (South Korea, 2003)
Before Parasite, Bong Joon-ho gave us this cold, methodical hunt for a serial killer in rural ’80s Korea. It’s bleak, funny, and haunting. The final shot? Legendary.
2. Tell No One (France, 2006)
A grieving doctor receives an email suggesting his murdered wife may still be alive. Twists, tension, and French noir at its best. Underrated masterpiece.
3. The Chaser (South Korea, 2008)
Former cop turned pimp realizes his girls are going missing. Then it gets worse. Relentless and raw—one of the most vicious thrillers you’ll ever see.
4. Headhunters (Norway, 2011)
Corporate recruiter moonlights as an art thief, but messes with the wrong guy. Dark humor meets brutal suspense. You’ll be sweating by the third act.
5. The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina, 2009)
Part murder mystery, part doomed love story. Masterfully paced, with one of the best one-shot sequences ever filmed. (Ignore the American remake.)
6. Infernal Affairs (Hong Kong, 2002)
Before The Departed, there was this slick, high-stakes double agent thriller. Less bloated, more focused, and arguably better than Scorsese’s version.
7. The Invisible Guest (Spain, 2016)
A rich businessman wakes up next to his dead lover. A lawyer tries to untangle the truth. The plot twists so hard it might break your spine.
8. Mother (South Korea, 2009)
A mentally challenged teen is accused of murder. His mother investigates, and it spirals into darkness. Another Bong Joon-ho gem. Twisted and brilliant.
9. Prisoners of the Ghostland (Japan/US, 2021)
Okay, technically part-American, but so weird it doesn’t count. Nic Cage in a Japanese dystopian hellscape wearing bombs. It’s not good, but it’s unforgettable.
10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sweden, 2009)
Not the glossy Hollywood one. The original Swedish version hits harder, with Noomi Rapace embodying Lisbeth Salander in a way no one else ever could.
11. The Guilty (Denmark, 2018)
One guy, one room, one phone call. A masterclass in minimalist suspense. Don’t watch the Jake Gyllenhaal remake—this one’s the real deal.
12. I Saw the Devil (South Korea, 2010)
A secret agent hunts down a serial killer. Instead of arresting him, he starts playing a horrific game of revenge. Brutal, stylish, unforgettable.
13. Calibre (UK, 2018)
Two friends go hunting in Scotland. They screw up badly. The aftermath is a slow-burning pressure cooker. Guilt and paranoia never felt this heavy.
14. Pusher (Denmark, 1996)
Nicolas Winding Refn’s grimy, low-budget crime thriller that put Mads Mikkelsen on the map. Raw, dirty, and realistic in all the right ways.
15. The Body (Spain, 2012)
A corpse goes missing from the morgue. That’s the start of this tense cat-and-mouse mystery. Spanish thrillers don’t play fair, and that’s a compliment.
16. Timecrimes (Spain, 2007)
A man accidentally travels back in time and makes things much, much worse. Smart, low-budget sci-fi thriller that keeps folding in on itself.
17. Victoria (Germany, 2015)
One take. No cuts. A woman meets some guys in a Berlin club, and it turns into a heist gone wrong. Real-time chaos with mounting dread.
18. Elle (France, 2016)
A businesswoman gets assaulted, then plays a twisted psychological game with her attacker. Isabelle Huppert is terrifyingly good. Not for the faint of heart.
19. Cold Hell (Germany/Austria, 2017)
A Turkish-born kickboxer-turned-taxi driver witnesses a murder and becomes the target. It’s gritty, fast, and brutally efficient.
20. Burning (South Korea, 2018)
Slow, hypnotic, and devastating. What starts as a love triangle spirals into something darker and more ambiguous. You’ll think about it for days.
