Tense movies on Criterion

Films that will not let you settle. The top of the tension axis, across every genre.

The films least likely to let you relax, across every genre rather than just thrillers.

Funny Games

Michael HanekeWega Film

1997

The Night of the Hunter

Charles LaughtonPaul Gregory Productions

1955

High and Low

Akira KurosawaTOHO

1963

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion

Hideaki AnnoGAINAX

1997

Come and See

Elem KlimovBelarusfilm

1985

M

Fritz LangNero-Film AG

1931

The Virgin Spring

Ingmar BergmanSF Studios

1960

The Celebration

Thomas VinterbergDR

1998

Le Trou

Jacques BeckerFilmsonor

1960

Infernal Affairs

Alan Mak Siu-FaiMedia Asia Films

2002

Throne of Blood

Akira KurosawaTOHO

1957

Blue Velvet

David LynchDEG

1986

Z

Costa-GavrasValoria Films

1969

Battleship Potemkin

Sergei EisensteinMosfilm

1925

Woman in the Dunes

Hiroshi TeshigaharaTeshigahara Productions

1964

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

David LynchCiBy Pictures

1992

Ring

Hideo NakataKADOKAWA Shoten

1998

Viridiana

Luis BuñuelUnión Industrial Cinematográfica

1962

A Man Escaped

Robert BressonGaumont

1956

The Beguiled

Sofia CoppolaAmerican Zoetrope

2017

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