A Thanksgiving Watchlist: 5 Edge-of-Your-Seat Thrillers Streaming on Netflix

Finding the perfect movie to watch on Thanksgiving can be a challenge, especially when your entire extended family—from energetic young cousins to grandparents who just want to relax—is gathered in one room with varying tastes. While the classic holiday comedies and family dramas have their place, sometimes the post-feast lull calls for something with a little more suspense to keep everyone engaged. This year, why not break tradition and curate a Thanksgiving watchlist filled with edge-of-your-seat thrillers available on Netflix?

This carefully selected list offers a range of thrilling options that go beyond simple scares. From psychological dramas about family tensions to high-stakes action, these five films provide gripping entertainment that can spark conversation and create a memorable shared experience after the turkey has been carved and the pie has been served. They prove that Thanksgiving viewing doesn’t have to be predictable and that a great thriller can be just as unifying as a familiar holiday favorite.

1. The Nest (2020): A Chilling Portrait of Familial Ambition

Set against the backdrop of the opulent 1980s, The Nest is a slow-burn psychological thriller that explores how ambition and greed can fracture a family from within. The story follows Rory, a charismatic but scheming entrepreneur played by Jude Law, who uproots his American wife Allison (Carrie Coon) and their children from their comfortable suburban life to pursue a lucrative business opportunity in the English countryside. The move into a cavernous, centuries-old manor is meant to symbolize their ascending wealth and status, but the house’s emptiness becomes a metaphor for the crumbling foundations of their family life.

As Rory’s deal begins to unravel, his desperate attempts to maintain the facade of success become increasingly destructive. The film masterfully builds tension not through overt action, but through stifling silence, loaded glances, and the quiet unraveling of trust. Director Sean Durkin uses the stark contrast between the family’s lavish surroundings and their emotional poverty to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere. This makes The Nest a profoundly resonant watch for Thanksgiving, as it holds a dark mirror up to the themes of family, security, and the pressures to provide—conversations that often surface during family gatherings.

Key Strengths of the Film

The power of The Nest lies in its meticulous craftsmanship and exceptional performances. Its strengths offer a masterclass in building atmospheric tension:

• Atmospheric Tension: The film is a masterclass in mood. The haunting, empty manor feels like a character itself, with its creaking floors and vast spaces creating a sense of dread and isolation that permeates every scene.
• Career-Defining Performances: Carrie Coon delivers a powerhouse performance as Allison, whose quiet desperation and dawning realization of her husband’s deceit is utterly compelling. Jude Law is equally brilliant as the charming yet toxically ambitious Rory.
• Relevant Social CommentaryBeyond the family drama, the film serves as a sharp critique of 1980s materialism and the “greed is good” ethos, themes that continue to resonate in discussions about success and values today.

2. Woman of the Hour (2024): A Tense True-Crime Story

Woman of the Hour presents one of the most audacious and unsettling premises based on true events: the time a serial killer, Rodney Alcala, appeared on the popular 1970s dating show The Dating Game and won. Directed by and starring Anna Kendrick, the film innovatively cuts between three timelines: the grotesque reality of Alcala’s crimes, the surreal spectacle of the TV studio where he charms a national audience, and the perspective of the show’s “bachelorette,” Cheryl Bradshaw, who must choose between three bachelors.

The film’s genius lies in its narrative focus and perspective. Rather than glorifying or deeply probing the killer’s mind, it trains its lens on the victims and the societal environment that allowed him to operate. It highlights the casual misogyny of the era, both on the game show set and in the investigations into the disappearances of young women. By juxtaposing the glitz of television with brutal reality, the film creates a unique and relentless tension. Watching Cheryl’s intuitive discomfort and the producers’ oblivious pursuit of “good TV” makes for a gripping, conversation-starting film about perception, survival, and the systems that fail to protect the vulnerable.

3. Fair Play (2023): The Thriller of Corporate and Romantic Betrayal

For a thriller that generates palm-sweating intensity without a single gunshot or chase scene, look no further than Fair Play. This sleek, modern drama plunges into the high-stakes world of hedge fund analysis, where a young couple, Emily and Luke, have managed to keep their relationship secret from their cutthroat colleagues. Their carefully balanced world shatters when Emily receives a promotion that Luke believed was destined for him, upending the power dynamics of both their professional and private lives.

The ensuing psychological warfare is a masterful study in erosion. What begins as strained congratulations and competitive jabs at the office morphs into a full-blown battle for dominance at home. Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich deliver ferociously committed performances, making every barbed compliment and silent meal crackle with hostility. The film excels at showing how the corrosive values of their workplace—ruthless ambition, toxic masculinity, and transactional relationships—infect their love, turning intimacy into a zero-sum game. It’s a brilliant, uncomfortable watch that will have everyone debating the characters’ choices long after the credits roll.

What Makes This Film So Gripping

Fair Play captivates by turning everyday interactions into high-stakes psychological battles. Its effectiveness stems from several key elements:

• Relentless Psychological Tension: The film finds its thrills in boardroom whispers, loaded text messages, and the terrifying silence of a partner’s resentment, building an almost unbearable sense of dread from ordinary moments.
• Sharp Critique of Workplace Culture: It serves as a scathing examination of the finance world’s patriarchal structures and the personal costs of navigating them, offering plenty of material for post-viewing discussion.
• Unflinching Performances: The leads’ chemistry is used not for romance but for brutal emotional combat, with both actors fully embodying their characters’ descent into professional and personal ruin.

4. Rebel Ridge (2024): A High-Octane Thriller of Justice

If your Thanksgiving crowd craves a thriller with more visceral, action-oriented tension, Rebel Ridge delivers in spades. The film follows Terence, a former Marine with a specialized skillset, who arrives in a small town to post bail for a family member. When the corrupt local police confiscate his cash on a flimsy pretext, a simple transaction turns into a personal crusade for justice. What the officers don’t realize is that they’ve just provoked a highly trained, principled adversary with nothing left to lose.

Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, known for gritty, survivalist thrillers, the film is a tightly wound coil that springs into methodical, brutal action. Aaron Pierre is magnetic as Terence, portraying a man of few words but decisive action. The thriller escalates from a tense standoff into a thrilling game of cat and mouse, as Terence uses his tactical intelligence to expose and dismantle the town’s corrupt power structure. Unlike nihilistic action films, Rebel Ridge is driven by a clear moral code, making Terence’s mission deeply satisfying to watch. It’s a story about one man standing against institutional corruption, providing a cathartic and electrifying viewing experience.

5. Leave the World Behind (2023): An Epic Thriller of Societal Collapse

For a thriller that operates on the most epic and philosophical scale, Leave the World Behind is a formidable choice. Based on Rumaan Alam’s novel and executive produced by the Obamas, this film transforms a family vacation into a harrowing mystery about the potential end of the world. The story begins idyllically, with the Sandford family renting a luxurious home for a weekend getaway. Their digital detox turns into genuine alarm when a mysterious cyberattack causes a nationwide blackout, disrupting everything from phones to GPS.

The tension multiplies exponentially when the home’s owners, G.H. and Ruth, arrive in a panic, seeking refuge as New York City descends into chaos. The film masterfully explores primal fears of the unknown and the rapid erosion of social trust. With an all-star cast including Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke, the performances are nuanced and compelling, each character representing a different response to crisis—denial, pragmatism, suspicion, or desperate hope. Director Sam Esmail employs unsettling visual techniques and a foreboding score to create a pervasive sense of dread. This thriller is less about a specific villain and more about the terrifying vulnerability of modern society, guaranteed to spark deep conversation long into the Thanksgiving night.

Why This Film Captivates

Leave the World Behind succeeds by tapping into universal, contemporary anxieties and presenting them through a gripping human story. Its strengths are multifaceted:

• Prescient Premise: In an era dependent on digital infrastructure, the film’s central crisis—a coordinated, unexplained technological failure—feels unsettlingly plausible and immediately gripping.
• Masterful Suspense Building: The horror unfolds gradually, through eerie occurrences like wandering deer, malfunctioning technology, and distant explosions, creating a profound sense of looming, unseen catastrophe.
• Complex Character Dynamics: The forced coexistence of two families from different backgrounds becomes a pressure cooker of class tension, racial bias, and generational conflict, reflecting real-world societal fractures.

Crafting Your Perfect Thanksgiving Thriller Night

Selecting the right film is just the first step. Transforming your post-dinner downtime into a memorable “Thriller Thursday” event involves a bit of thoughtful curation. The goal is to enhance the shared experience, making the movie more than just background noise but a centerpiece of the holiday.

First, consider your audience. A mixed-generation group might lean towards the universally engaging suspense of Leave the World Behind or the high-stakes action of Rebel Ridge. For viewers who appreciate nuanced drama, The Nest or Fair Play will be deeply satisfying. If your crowd enjoys dissecting true crime and social commentary, Woman of the Hour is the perfect catalyst for discussion.

Next, set the scene. Dim the lights to minimize glare and draw everyone into the film’s atmosphere. Ensure your streaming setup is ready to go to avoid awkward technical delays that break the mood. Most importantly, encourage a post-movie talk. Have a few conversation starters in mind related to the film’s themes. For example, after watching Fair Play, you could ask, “Where do you think Emily and Luke’s relationship went wrong?” or after Leave the World Behind, “What would be your first priority in that situation?” These discussions can often be as enriching as the film itself, connecting family and friends on a different level.

Beyond the List: Finding More Hidden Gems

While these five films represent top-tier thriller options, Netflix’s library is deep and constantly evolving. If your group devours one of these and is hungry for more, knowing how to navigate the platform is key. The generic “Thriller” category can be overwhelming, but you can find more precise gems by using the search function with specific sub-genre terms.

For more psychological, family-centric tension similar to The Nest, search for “psychological drama” or explore films by directors like David Fincher (e.g., The Killer). If you enjoyed the true-crime angle of Woman of the Hour, the “True Crime Documentary” or “Crime Thriller” categories will have plenty to offer, such as miniseries based on shocking real events. Fans of Rebel Ridge‘s action-thriller style should look into “vigilante justice” films or other works by director Jeremy Saulnier. For the apocalyptic tension of Leave the World Behind, searching “apocalyptic thriller” or “sci-fi thriller” will yield similar high-concept suspense stories. Remember, you can also view the “More Like This” recommendations on any film’s page for algorithmically curated suggestions that often hit the mark.

Conclusion

Thanksgiving is a holiday that celebrates gratitude and togetherness, but that doesn’t mean your entertainment has to be solely sweet and light. This curated selection of Netflix thrillers—from the psychological decay of The Nest and the true-crime tension of Woman of the Hour to the corporate warfare of Fair Play, the righteous action of Rebel Ridge, and the apocalyptic mystery of Leave the World Behind—offers sophisticated, engaging alternatives to traditional holiday fare. These films provide more than just suspense; they offer shared emotional journeys, complex themes for discussion, and a unique way to bond with loved ones over compelling storytelling. This Thanksgiving, embrace the unexpected, dim the lights, and let a great thriller bring a thrilling new tradition to your holiday gathering.