Best Indian Thriller Movies

Thrillers are reserved for the most fearless of film fanatics. Thriller flicks are full of conflict, unexpected twists, and tensions, it is meant to have you on the edge of your seats.

Under the thriller umbrella, you will find murder mysteries, political conspiracies, crime, and psychological dramas as it contains multitudes. The best of them will have you biting your nails throughout.

Movies like the Drishyam film series have undoubtedly renewed interest in the established genre. Thrillers never go out of fashion as it keeps the audience intrigued. We have done our best to give you the top 10 best Indian thriller movies.

1- Drishyam 2

Ajay Devgn returned in his most famous role Vijay Salgaonkar in the sequel of the cult Drishyam series. It revolves around Vijay, a cable operator, and his family. The film follows the storyline of the reopening of a murder case from the prequel which refuses to stop haunting them.

The film ended the box office drought of Hindi cinema and is eying to become one of the highest grosser of 2022. The film will have its OTT debut after the theatrical run.

2- Monika, Oh My Darling

Netflix’s film Monica, Oh My Darling is a neo-noir crime thriller that revolves around a robotic expert named Jayant Arkhedkar who dreams to rule the Unicorn group owned by his girlfriend (Nikki)’s father.

The film received a lot of accolades for the story and the performances of the main lead. It holds an IMDb rating of 7.5 out of 10. Available on Netflix.

3- Kantara

The 2022 Kannada sensation Kantara tells the rights of indigenous people on the land where they have lived for generations. The most thrilling part of the movie is the climax which received accolades from all quarters.

It stands at 1st position in the IMDb all-time 250 Indian movies. The film has an IMDb rating of 8.8 out of 10. It is available on the Amazon Prime Video OTT platform in Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil languages, while the Hindi OTT release date is yet to be announced.

4- Vikram

Kamal Hassan’s action thriller Vikram has grossed big at the box office this year. The Tamil film follows the storyline of the Black Ops cop team’s mission of unmasking a gang of masked murderers.

It is headlined by the powerhouses likes of Haasan, Fahadh Faasil, and Vijay Sethupathi. The cameo appearance from Suriya as a mafia kingpin named Rolex received a lot of accolades. IMDb rating is 8.4/10 and the digital partner is Disney+Hotstar.

5- Hit-The First Case

The film has an IMDb rating of 6.9 out of 10. The film underperformed at the box office, however, OTT audiences love the flick and Rao’s performance. The mystery thriller is a Hindi remake of a Telugu film of the same name. It is available on Netflix.

6. U Turn (2016) – Tamil, Telugu, Hindi

The mystery thriller followed Pawan Kumar’s highly-acclaimed psychological thriller Lucia. U-Turn is about a journalist who finds herself in the middle of a series of coincidental events while on a project about a busy Bengaluru flyover. The film will amaze you with its brisk screenplay even while going against many of Indian cinema’s unwritten rules like song sequences.

However, the answer to the mystery might divide viewers. The ending is not only far-fetched, but also cliched and convoluted. The original Kannada version is clearly the better one with a strong performance from Shraddha Srinath.

7. Agent Sai Srinivas Athreya (2019) – Telugu & Hindi

Swaroop RSJ’s funny detective thriller mystery is a breath of fresh air amidst the over-stylized Telugu masala features. Naveen Polishetty offers a witty performance in the titular role, who despite being a clever sleuth tries and fails in establishing himself as the Nellore Sherlock Holmes. Naveen has also co-written the script with Swaroop.

The duo fascinatingly balances comedy and edge-of-the-seat thrill. The film is a bit marred by pacing problems. Moreover, like an average Indian thriller, it over explains its narrative threads. Yet, thanks to the satisfying mystery and Naveen’s hilarious, fast-talking dialogues, the film is engaging throughout. Eventually, the mystery/thriller also provides a much-needed social commentary on religious superstitions.

8. C U Soon (2020) – Malayalam

Screen thrillers are a tricky thing to do. Even Hollywood has experimented with the form a lot, though there have been only few successes such as Searching (2018) and Host (2020). However, within the many film industries in India, it was clear that only Malayalam cinema can attempt such a thing and make it work.

9. KHUDA HAAFIZ: CHAPTER 2 – AGNI PARIKSHA – Hindi

The sequel of Khuda Haafiz may have failed to excel at the box office, but it did manage to secure a good rating on IMDb. The action thriller movie which reunited Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi once again picks up from where the first part ended. Th sequel focuses on Nargis and Sameer’s adopted daughter, who has been kidnapped. Watch Jammwal pull off some high-octane action stunts while delivering another strong performance in Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2 – Agni Pariksha.

10. Andhadhun - Hindi

One of the best mystery thrillers ever made, Andhadhun starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte and tabu is an all in one. The film revolves around Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana) a blind pianist who accidentally bumps into Sophie (Radhika Apte), upon finding out that he is a pianist she takes him to her father’s restaurant and offers Akash a job. Akash then gets invited to an actor’s residence for a private concert. Upon reaching the actor’s house there is a shocking surprise waiting for him. This film is so unpredictable, that you won’t be able to guess what’s coming next, and that is exactly what the audience loved about it.