The best thrillers you can watch on Netflix in March
March is just around the corner, and you know what that means: there’s a whole new batch of exciting new movies available to watch in theaters on streaming. Don’t feel like going out to watch a great new movie? That’s okay: we’ve put together our monthly selection of the best thrillers to watch on Netflix, so we can bring you the very best films to keep you on the edge of your seat.
This month’s selections include a dystopian class drama from Death list director Ben Wheatley, a suburban horror comedy Gremlins director Joe Dante, and a great action thriller starring the ever-versatile Jason Statham. Here’s our list of the best thrillers to watch on Netflix this March.
Editor’s Choice: High-rise buildings
Photo: Aidan Monaghan/Magnolia Pictures
Director: Ben Wheatley
Form: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller
If you’re looking for a dystopian thriller that doubles as a scathing satire of gentrification and the callous insularity of the spoiled and wealthy, Ben Wheatley’s 2015 film starring Tom Hiddleston is a perfect recommendation.
Based on the 1975 novel by JG Ballard, High-rise buildings follows the story of Robert Laing (Hiddleston), a recently divorced doctor who moves into a modern apartment building on the edge of a London suburb, filled with every conceivable amenity you could wish for. It isn’t long before Laing’s time in the high-rise devolves into an endless bacchanal of drugs, alcohol and debauchery, culminating in the tragic suicide of one of Laing’s neighbors. When no authorities arrive to investigate the death, and the state of the high-rise becomes more and more dilapidated by the day, the block’s residents return to their most animalistic instincts, arguing with each other as the once immaculate tower changes in a gilded cage of wanton, random violence and depravity.
Laurie Rose’s cinematography is hypnotic, capturing the brutalist interiors and awe-inspiring scale of the tower with the same meticulous attention as he does the character’s most intimate and poignant moments. Hiddleston is fantastic, as is Luke Evans as a documentary filmmaker turned violent extremist who clashes with the tower’s architect, expertly played by Jeremy Irons. High-rise buildings is a heady nightmare of excess and institutional neglect and absolutely worth watching. —Toussaint Egan
The ‘Burbs
![The best thrillers you can watch on Netflix in March 1 Three men (LR Tom Hanks, Rick Ducommun, Bruce Dern) hide behind a garbage can at night and stare at something off-screen.](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/The-best-thrillers-you-can-watch-on-Netflix-in-March.jpeg)
Image: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Director: Joe Dante
Form: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher
If you’ve ever been scared or suspicious about what your neighbors are up to, this comedy thriller is for you Gremlins director Joe Dante is the film for you.
Tom Hanks stars as Ray Peterson, a disgruntled homeowner who just wants to be left alone so he can enjoy his weeklong vacation. Unfortunately, a mysterious new family moves into the abandoned house next to his on the quiet, sleepy cul-de-sac he calls home, sparking a firestorm of paranoia and suspicion that threatens to engulf the entire neighborhood. As screenwriter Dana Olsen once described it, The ‘Burbs is “Ozzie and Harriet meets Charles Manson,” a gleefully twisted horror-comedy with memorable performances and an absolutely twisted ending. -AT
Repayment
![The best thrillers you can watch on Netflix in March 2 A bald man in a suit holds up a pair of keys to a woman with glasses in a nun suit.](https://nybreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/The-best-thrillers-you-can-watch-on-Netflix-in-March.jpg)
Image: Roadside attractions
Director: Steven Knight
Form: Jason Statham, Agata Buzek, Benedict Wong
There are a few different reasons I could recommend Repayment (also known as Hummingbird) straight away. I’m still buzzing about Jason Statham The beekeeper. Benedict Wong, who plays an important role in the film, will star in the upcoming Netflix film 3 Body problem, in which I play my favorite character from the book. And director Steven Knight (Peaky blinders) has an intriguing thriller show coming out in April: The veilstarring Elisabeth Moss and Josh Charles.
But the main reason I recommend Repayment is because it is one of the most underrated films in Statham’s filmography. It’s a thoughtful story of revenge and redemption that doesn’t always land, but has a lot on its mind and asks more of Statham as an actor than many of his other roles. A content warning: This is a very dark film that deals with very dark plot points and themes, including sexual violence. —PV