It has been 25 years since the turn of the century delivered not just one, nor just two, but several of the greatest thrillers of the 21st century so far. Indeed, 2001 was an exceptional year for fans of the genre. Suspenseful, filled with tension, and directed by some of the greatest filmmakers in the world, the best thrillers of 2001 have all aged like fine wine.
Whether it’s an underrated international film like Behind the Sun or a hyper-acclaimed Hollywood blockbuster like <em>Ocean's Eleven</em>, these films redefined what the thriller genre was able to do in modern times. Looking back at them today, these 25-year-old movies still titillate the senses in much the same way that they did when they originally came out.
10
‘Read My Lips’
Well before he united the world in their hatred for his latest film, the Oscar-winning Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard united critics and cinephiles worldwide in their praise for his romance thriller Read My Lips. This awfully underappreciated drama follows Carla, an almost-deaf woman who wants to help ex-convict Paul, who thinks no one can help except himself.
With a neo-noirish sense of genre-bending that elevates its entertainment value to the stratosphere.
Smart and gritty with rom-com elements that work surprisingly well and a neo-noirish sense of genre-bending that elevates its entertainment value to the stratosphere, Read My Lips is one of the best international films of 2001. It’s psychologically complex and flawlessly paced, proof that Audiard is perfectly capable of delivering a masterpiece when he really sets his mind to it.
9
‘Behind the Sun’
Equally underrated, Walter Salles‘ Brazilian social drama Behind the Sun stars Rodrigo Santoro as Tonho, a young man questioning the violent traditions between two rival families when his father orders him to avenge the death of his older brother. Everything that ensues in this powerful study of cycles of violence is the kind of cinematic perfection that fans of Salles’ latest outing, the Oscar-nominated I’m Still Here, are bound to be able to appreciate.
Behind the Sun is still widely recognized as one of the best Brazilian films of the 21st century, and for good reason. Visually striking and potently dark-toned, it’s a riveting family saga with a profoundly poignant heart. Violence is a theme very often explored in cinema, but few films have as many interesting things to say about it as this one.
8
‘The Experiment’
Image via Senator Film
Oliver Hirschbiegel‘s The Experiment is a German psychological thriller based on Mario Giordano‘s novel Black Box. Inspired by the 1971 Stanford prison experiment, the narrative follows an experiment where 20 participants are hired to play prisoners and guards over the course of two weeks. It’s an incredibly powerful film about the darkest corners of the human condition, exploring how authoritarian governments like the Nazi regime are allowed to rise.
Far more than just a portrayal of the Stanford prison experiment, The Experiment is an incredibly chilling and tense exploration of human morality and power. The unrelenting atmosphere of brutality achieved by Hirschbiegel blends flawlessly with the story’s thematic depth, offering a masterful character study and historical allegory that still feels timely.
