We’re over halfway into the year and2025has already delivered a bunch of excitingthrillers, some of which include Companion, A Working Man, and From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. But in the upcoming months, we have a host of new releases slated for release. There are plenty of new stories from celebrated filmmakers to look forward to and cinephiles are already placing bets on which films will come out on top at the box office, what gems will be surprising sleeper hits, and which films are destined to flop.
Among them, are a slew of thrillers ready to spike viewers' heart rates and get them to scream at the screen. Whether it’s straight-to-streaming or wide theatrical releases, thriller fans are not being and will not be ignored in 2025. With so many thrillers clawing for the audience’s attention (and wallets), it can be hard to know which ones to prioritize. We’ve compiled the nine highly-anticipated upcoming thrillers of 2025.
‘Caught Stealing’
August 01, 2025
InCaught Stealing, Hank Thompson was once a high school baseball prodigy, but now, he’s a washed-up bartender in 1990s New York, just trying to keep his head down. Hank’s life takes a wild turn when his punk-rock neighbor Russ asks him to watch his cat and Hank discovers that the cat’s cage hides a mysterious key. Suddenly, he is hunted by Russian mobsters, sadistic cops, leather-clad psycho brothers, and a Samoan hitman.
A Thrilling Departure for its Director
Adapted from Charlie Huston’s cult novel,Caught Stealingis a darkly comic, blood-soaked treasure hunt that delivers lots of thrills. Darren Aronofsky leaves his usual brooding tone behind and opts for kinetic chaos. And it works. With a runtime of 107 minutes and a score by post-punk band Idles, the movie pulses with energy. Austin Butler’s performance is already being hailed as career-defining, and Zoë Kravitz and Regina King are just as good.
‘One Battle After Another’
August 16, 2025
One Battle After Anotheris Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling action thriller, where a long-dormant war rages on after sixteen years and forces a group of ex-revolutionaries to come together for one last mission when the daughter of one of their own is kidnapped. Set across desolate Californian landscapes and gritty urban backdrops, it follows Bob Ferguson, a haunted former leader, as he reconnects with his old pals and confronts the very past they tried to bury.
Gritty Character-Driven Epic
This is Anderson’s most ambitious project to date, with a reported budget nearing $175 million and a runtime of nearly three hours. Like all of his movies, it promises a visceral cinematic experience. Early test screenings have drawn comparisons toVineland, the Thomas Pynchon novel that inspired the story, and critics are already buzzing about Leonardo DiCaprio’s layered performance. With its IMAX release timed for awards season anda trailer that hints at genre-bending thrillers,One Battle After Anotheris highly anticipated.
‘After the Hunt’
August 01, 2025
Directed by Luca Guadagnino,After the Huntis set at an elite university, where Professor Alma Olsson finds herself at the center of a storm when her star student, Maggie, accuses her close colleague, Hank, of sexual assault. As the entire institution reels from the scandal, Alma is forced to confront secrets that could potentially derail her career and marriage.
Potentially 2025’s Finest Drama
Premiering at Venice and opening the New York Film Festival,After the Huntis already generating awards buzz. Guadagnino didn’t have much luck at the Oscars last year, but his restrained and piercing direction in this one might change that. Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chloë Sevigny, all deliver nuanced performances and the movie, overall, thrives on tension and suspense.
‘It Was Just An Accident’
August 10, 2025
Jafar Panahi’sIt Was Just An Accidentrevolves around Vahid, a mechanic and former political prisoner, who is pretty sure that the man whose car he is repairing, Eghbal, is the same intelligence officer who tortured him years ago. Driven by rage and uncertainty, Vahid kidnaps Eghbal, and with a van of survivors, he drives through Tehran debating justice, revenge, and just how reliable their memory is.
Moral Thriller With Substance
It Was Just An Accidentisthe winner of the Palme d’Orat Cannes 2025 and the movie is already being hailed as one of Panahi’s most powerful works. With a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, it has received a lot of praise for its emotional depth and political resonance. The fact that it turns a simple premise into a profound exploration of truth itself makes it beautiful and intimate.
‘The Running Man’
August 10, 2025
In the seemingly endless supply of Stephen King adaptations, we have yet another to anticipate withThe Running Man. It is set in what was seen as the distant future of 2025 (the book was released in 1982). Violence runs rampant in this world and it’s made clear with the titular game show where contestants must outrun killers called Hunters to win money.
Bringing Dystopia Back
Glen Powell has been having a great couple of years and he’s carrying that momentum into 2025. He’ll play Ben Richards, the central character inThe Running Man. King adaptations tend to be pretty solid overall. It’ll be exciting to see how this dystopian society is brought to life. With a new release date toavoid competition fromWicked: For Good, this one is sure to do well.
‘Now You See Me 3’
July 10, 2025
Now You See Me 3is the third installment in theNow You See Meheist thriller series. It’s been nearly a decade since viewers last witnessed The Four Horsemen onstage. All of the main cast are coming back for their roles, including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco.
Took ‘Em Long Enough
Fisher was unable to take part in the second film, so fans can rejoice at her inclusion in number three. We don’t know where the plot is going, but as has become expected, it’ll be thrilling in a lighthearted way that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The chemistry between the actors is incredible and the talented new additions to the cast make us wish November 2025 was here already.
June 24, 2025
TheKnives Outseries blurs the line between mystery and thriller. They lean heavily into character like a mystery. Yet, the films insert murder, betrayal, and huge stakes like any good thriller.Wake Up Dead Manis the third film in the series, bringing back Daniel Craig as the iconic private investigator Benoit Blanc.
Putting the Pieces Together
Filmmaker Rian Johnson will also come back for this highly-anticipated follow-up. We don’t know the plot, but Johnson has built trust in fans that he’ll deliver a gripping, tense, twisty watch. Besides Craig, fans are also curious how Josh O’Connor, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, and other members of the ensemble cast will fit into this standalone.
‘The Housemaid’
August 02, 2025
Sydney Sweeney’s Millie is desperatefor a fresh start inThe Housemaid. She is broke, alone, and running from a troubled past, so she jumps at the chance to work as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family. At first, the job seems too good to be true, what with the luxurious home, generous pay, and newfound stability. But Millie soon realizes that Nina Winchester, the wife, has bizarre rules and unpredictable moods. Even her husband, Andrew, is quietly menacing. To add, Millie discovers unsettling truths about their previous housemaid, and that’s when Millie begins to question her safety.
Chilling Take on Domestic Darkness
Adapted from Freida McFadden’s bestselling 2022 novel,The Housemaidis a psychological thriller that juggles power dynamics and manipulations. Paul Feig, otherwise known for his work in comedy, takes a sharp turn into suspense with this one. The screenplay by Rebecca Sonnenshine (known forThe BoysandThe Vampire Diaries) adds layers of complexity to the already chilling source material and Amanda Seyfried’s Nina is icy and unpredictable and terrifying.The Housemaidis slated for a Christmas Day release, and with McFadden’s novel having won the 2023 International Thriller Writers award, it’s betting on awards buzz too.
The Housemaid
