30 best crime thriller movies that will turn you into a detective
What is it about a good crime thriller that both makes our skin crawl and makes it impossible to look away? Is it that it shines a light on the depths of depravity a mind can reach? Is it the satisfaction of watching the antagonist’s deeds get avenged on screen—an act of divine justice that is so rarely mirrored in the real world? The best crime thriller movies not only ensnare us in their dark, twisted atmosphere but take us on wild journeys across obsession, psychosis, deception, violence, gangsters and psychological warfare. Every time I watch a good edge-of-the-seat, nail-biting, scream-inducing crime thriller, I come away with an indescribable feeling in the pit of my stomach that refuses to leave me for days.
Indian cinema has given us plenty of unforgettable entries into the genre, from the labyrinthine twists of Andhadhun and Kahaani, the underworlds of Indian towns in Gangs of Wasseypur, to the psychology of serial killers in Raman Raghav and Ugly, and the relentless cat-and-mouse games between the police and the common man in Drishyam and Vikram Vedha. Whether you’re looking for a classic whodunnit, a serial-killer investigation, a gangster saga or a total descent into mania that will make you question everything for days, Vogue India has rounded up some of the best crime thriller movies that will make your worst fears come true.
1. Andhadhun (2018)
The director who redefined thrillers for the Indian audience, Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun is a deliciously twisted crime thriller that turns the classic murder mystery on its head. It follows Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana), a pianist who pretends to be blind, until he walks into the apartment of retired film star Pramod Sinha (Anil Dhawan) and discovers a murder he is technically not supposed to have seen, committed by his wife Simi (Tabu). What follows is a dizzying game of deception involving suspicious spouses, dead bodies and one very unreliable protagonist. Darkly funny, unpredictable and packed with enough reversals to make you question everything you’ve just watched, Andhadhun is a Bollywood thriller at its most mischievous.
