2025 is right within our grasp and with it, a host of new releases slated for release. We’ve got sequels, live-action remakes, and plenty of new stories to look forward to in the new year. 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 will not be ignored in 2025. But with so many films clawing for the audience’s attention (and wallets), it can be hard to know which ones to prioritize. We’ve compiled the 13 thrillers we’re most dying to see in 2025.
13
‘The Running Man’
November 7, 2025
The Running Man
- Release Date
-
November 21, 2025
In the seemingly endless supply of Stephen King adaptations, we have yet another to anticipate with The 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 in The 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 to avoid competition from Wicked: For Good, this one is sure to do well.
12
‘Dark Nuns’
January 24, 2025
Dark Nuns is a South Korean thriller that blends supernatural horror elements. Following up on the 2015 thriller titled The Priests, it revolves around two nuns. Sister Junia and Sister Michaela are both drawn to curing a boy seemingly possessed by an evil spirit.
Fans Are Hopeful
The first film did quite well, but there’s new behind-the-scenes talent attached to Dark Nuns. Still, fans are hopeful with the two lead actresses, the film will capture the same creepy magic. Both Song Hye-ko (Junia) and Jeon Yeo-been (Michaela) have ample experience under their belts to deliver a harrowing performance.
11
‘A Working Man’
March 28, 2025
A Working Man
- Release Date
-
March 28, 2025
- Runtime
-
116 Minutes
Sylvester Stallone is inching toward sixty years in the film industry and doesn’t seem to be pressing pause anytime soon, even if he’s off-camera. He co-wrote the screenplay for A Working Man, an action thriller by a former undercover agent named Levon who now works in construction. However, he may have to dust off his old skills to rescue his boss’ teen daughter.
A Potential Comfort Watch
Jason Statham will take on the role of Levon. Sure, the plot sounds an awful lot like Taken and a handful of other thrillers. But Statham is a staple in modern-day thrillers and is somewhat of a comfort for avid watchers of the genre. Stallone and Statham previously collaborated on the very-much-underrated Homefront, so potentially they can strike gold again.
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10
‘F*** Marry Kill’
March 2025
- Runtime
-
1h 37m
- Cast
-
Lucy Hale
, Virginia Gardner
, Brooke Nevin
Thrillers don’t always take on a serious, gritty tone. F*** Marry Kill seems perfect for fans who want a bit of humor mixed in with fast-paced plots. Eva is a young woman casually dating using apps. She and her friends are also obsessed with true crime. When they learn of a serial killer targeting victims through dating apps, Eva is determined to find out if one of her dates is the perpetrator.
Probably Silly, But Still Fun
Lucy Hale has had quite a career since her Pretty Little Liars days. Here, she’ll be able to tap into the mystery element present in that show while she eliminates suspects from her dating pool. A simultaneous streaming and theatrical release was set for December 2024 but was postponed to 2025.
9
‘Drop’
April 11, 2025
Drop
- Release Date
-
April 11, 2025
- Cast
-
Brandon Sklenar
, Violett Beane
, Meghann Fahy
, Ed Weeks
, Fiona Browne
, Jeffery Self
, Gabrielle Ryan
Drop centers on Violent, a widowed mother who’s jumping back into the dating scene. She’s nervous about her date with a guy named Henry, who seems like the perfect package on the inside. And at first, the date’s going well. But when she starts to receive harassing and threatening text messages, she wonders if charming Henry is more sinister than he appears.
Let’s Wait & See
Meaghann Fahy will play Violet. The world knows she has acting chops, as her performance in HBO’s The White Lotus earned her an Emmy nomination. The true test of how good this project will be lies in the writing. As of December 2024, a trailer has yet to be released. Thus, thriller fans are cautiously keeping this one on their radar.
8
‘Companion’
January 31, 2025
Companion
- Release Date
-
January 31, 2025
Companion is a psychological thriller whose weird trailer has piqued many people’s interest. What we glean from the teaser is that a woman named Iris goes to a lakeside estate with a billionaire she’s involved with. Drinks are pouring, people are dancing, and laughs are ricocheting off the walls. That’s before people start dying.
What’s Going On Here?
It’s cheekily designed as a love story, but not one anyone would voluntarily agree to be part of. The trailer nails capturing what’s sure to be an unhinged tone, while not giving away the entirety of the plot. Luckily, it comes out at the end of January, so thriller lovers won’t have to wait long for the question the trailer poses to be answered.
7
‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’
May 16, 2025
We see book, comic, poem, and even video game-to-screen adaptations. Hurry Up Tomorrow is an adaptation of The Weeknd’s studio album of the same name. It also takes inspiration from one of Stephen King’s novels, Misery. While plot details are still unknown, the public can expect The Weeknd (credited as Abel Tesfaye), Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan in the project.
Get Ready for the Discourse
The Weeknd continues to stretch into the acting world. He co-wrote and starred in an HBO series called The Idol which was panned by audiences and critics alike. While many didn’t like his previous foray into Hollywood, it did spark a lot of interesting discussions. The Idol may have been many things, but boring it was not and we can only hope the same for Hurry Up Tomorrow.
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6
‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina’
June 6, 2025
- Release Date
-
June 6, 2025
- Cast
-
Ana De Armas
, Keanu Reeves
, Catalina Sandino Moreno
, Anjelica Huston
, Norman Reedus
, Ian McShane
, Lance Reddick
, Gabriel Byrne
, David Castaneda
, Anne Parillaud
, Sharon Duncan-Brewster - Runtime
-
89 minutes
Also known simply as Ballerina, this action thriller is a spin-off in the John Wick franchise. Eve Macarro, played by Ana de Armas, doubles as a ballerina and assassin. She was roped into a criminal organization as a child and now wants to use her training to enact justice against those who killed her father.
Shallow But Entertaining?
It’s unclear from the teasers how much ballet will actually play in the film or if it’s more of an interesting backstory. One thing the trailer does promise us is no shortage of fight scenes. Will this film be all loud bangs and no substance? Remains to be seen, but de Armas fans are going to be along for the ride.
5
‘Now You See Me 3’
November 14, 2025
- Release Date
-
November 14, 2025
- Runtime
-
0 Minutes
Now You See Me 3 is the third installment in the Now You See Me heist 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.
Related
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4
‘Black Bag’
March 14, 2025
Black Bag
Palme d’Or-winning director Steven Soderbergh is behind the upcoming spy thriller Black Bag. Kathryn and George Woodhouse are a married couple who happen to be intelligence agents. They deeply care for one another, but George’s devotion is tested when he’s tasked to solve a crime which Kathryn is the prime suspect for.
Can We Trust Her?
Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender will star as the crime-fighting (and crime-committing?) couple. Blanchett’s portrayal of Kate already appears layered and full of contradiction. This won’t be an open-and-shut case where the mystery’s answer is solvable within the first ten minutes. Nope, this cat-and-mouse game will serve up complex characters on a silver platter.
3
’28 Years Later’
June 20, 2025
- Release Date
-
June 20, 2025
28 Years Later is the third film in the 28 Days Later post-apocalyptic horror-thriller series. The first two installments were released in the 2000s, so it’s been a long time coming for fans. This film focuses on a society where a virus has forced people to quarantine. But their existence is shaken up when one group decides to break away.
Don’t Make Us Wait Any Longer
If getting a sequel eighteen years after the previous film wasn’t enough to get people talking, the trailer came in to incite buzz. A shot of an emaciated zombie had the internet speculating whether Cillian Murphy, present in the first film, would be making a return. The answer is still up in the air, so fans will have to show up to theaters in June to find out.
Related
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2
‘Last Breath’
February 28, 2025
Last Breath
- Release Date
-
February 28, 2025
Last Breath is a survival thriller starring Woody Harrelson, Finn Cole, and Simu Liu. Taking inspiration from a documentary, this true story centers on deep-sea divers on a mission. One of the teams is hundreds of feet below when a storm knocks out their power. It’s up to his fellow divers to face the elements and save their friend.
In Good Hands
Harrelson is a veteran who tends to choose good projects, and Cole and Liu are gaining more and more traction in Hollywood. If the trailer is any prediction, this one will have viewers on the very edge of their seats. It won’t matter if you’ve seen the documentary and know the outcome, these actors can no doubt bring the drawn-out dread necessary for a successful thriller.
1
‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’
Date Unknown
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
The Knives Out series 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 Man is 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.
