Thriller: 228

Director Wolfgang Petersen released In the Line of Fire (1993), an intense American political thriller. Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan uncovers information during a routine investigation that involves a man calling himself ‘Booth’. This name is a clear reference to John Wilkes Booth, who famously assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Booth has plans to take down the current President of the United States. Horrigan receives a call from Booth, who reveals that he knows Horrigan’s past as one of President Kennedy’s bodyguards. On the tragic day of JFK’s assassination, Horrigan was ...

True Romance (1993) is an American romantic crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. In a Detroit theater showing kung fu films, Alabama Whitman meets Clarence Worley, an Elvis Presley fanatic. After spending the night at his downtown apartment, Alabama tearfully reveals that she is a call girl hired as a birthday present but has fallen in love with Clarence. The two tie the knot at City Hall the next day. Guided by an apparition of Elvis, Clarence decides to take revenge on Alabama’s abusive pimp Drexl Spivey. He finds Drexl at the ...

Kalifornia (1993), an American road thriller film directed by Dominic Sena, follows the story of Brian Kessler and Carrie Laughlin. Brian, a graduate student and journalist, has recently secured a book deal after his article on serial killers gained attention. In order to gather material for his book, Brian and Carrie plan to travel from Kentucky to California, stopping at notorious murder sites for Carrie’s photographs. However, with limited funds, Brian decides to post a ride-share ad on campus. Meanwhile, Early Grayce, a violent parolee who has just lost his job, is pressured by his parole officer to attend a ...

Love, Cheat & Steal (1993) is an American made-for-television thriller film written and directed by William Curran. The protagonist, Paul Harrington, believes he has married the perfect woman – beautiful, kind, and driven. However, beneath Lauren’s outward appearance lies a deceitful individual who framed her ex-boyfriend and sent him to prison. Now released after seven years behind bars, Reno Adams seeks revenge and sets out to make Lauren and her husband’s life a nightmare.

Trauma (1993), an Italian giallo horror film directed by Dario Argento, follows Georgia Jackson, a chiropractic nurse in Minneapolis. During a rainstorm, Georgia stays late at her practice to meet a new patient. However, she believes she may have seen the patient before. That same night, troubled Romanian immigrant Aura Petrescu escapes from a psychiatric hospital and is later found by police and returned to her parents’ home. The next evening, Aura’s mother Adriana – who poses as a psychic – holds a séance for locals desperate to uncover the identity of the ‘Head Hunter’, a notorious ...

The Real McCoy (1993), a heist crime film, was expertly directed by Russell Mulcahy. Karen McCoy, an experienced thief, was caught and imprisoned for 6 years. After her release, she attempted to reconnect with her son, but her ex-husband claimed she had passed away. Meanwhile, Schmidt, Karen’s former boss who left her in jail, asked for her help with a job. Despite this unexpected request, Karen remained adamant in her decision to go straight. However, her parole officer made it difficult for her to do so. Eventually, she discovered that both Schmidt and her parole officer were conspiring against her to force her ...

The American romantic thriller drama film, The Bodyguard (1992), is directed by Mick Jackson and written by Lawrence Kasdan. It follows the story of Rachel Marron, an Academy Award-nominated actress and music superstar who is being targeted by a stalker. In the wake of a bomb explosion in her dressing room, Bill Devaney, her manager, enlists the help of Frank Farmer, a professional bodyguard with prior experience working for the Secret Service during Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan’s presidential terms. Despite initial hesitations, Frank takes on the job to protect ...

Poison Ivy (1992), the American erotic thriller directed by Katt Shea, follows the story of Sylvie Cooper, a student at a prestigious private school. During their first encounter, Sylvie witnesses Ivy, a less fortunate but street-smart girl, mercifully put down an injured dog. A few days later, when they cross paths again, Ivy asks for a ride from Sylvie’s father Darryl who reluctantly agrees. As she sits in the front seat with him on their way home, she deliberately draws his attention to her legs by casually placing them on the dashboard and adjusting her mini-skirt. Darryl can’t help but notice. ...

Brian De Palma wrote and directed Raising Cain (1992), an American psychological horror thriller. Dr. Carter Nix, a respected child psychologist, causes concern for his wife Jenny when she notices him obsessively studying their daughter Amy. To Carter, Amy is like a creation he’s constantly tracking. However, as Carter struggles with multiple personality disorder, his alternate personalities emerge – including violent petty criminal Cain, shy 7-year-old Josh, and protective middle-aged nanny Margo. As the two main personalities work together to kill young mothers and steal their children, they seem to be ...

The American legal drama film A Few Good Men (1992), based on Aaron Sorkin’s 1989 play, follows the story of Private William Santiago, a United States Marine who is found dead after being beaten while stationed at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Two fellow Marines, Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey, face a court-martial for his murder and are defended by inexperienced lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee of the United States Navy JAG Corps. His superior, Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, becomes suspicious as evidence emaerges that Santiago may have been trying to transfer out ...

Patriot Games (1992), an American action thriller film directed by Phillip Noyce and based on Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name, follows Jack Ryan. He is a former CIA analyst who now teaches history at the United States Naval Academy. While in London with his physician wife, Cathy, and young daughter Sally, Ryan witnesses and intervenes in a terrorist kidnapping attempt on Lord William Holmes. He is wounded but manages to disarm one terrorist and fatally shoot two others before subduing Sean Miller. The attack was carried out by a radical IRA splinter cell led by ...

The American psychological thriller film, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), directed by Curtis Hanson, follows housewife Claire Bartel in Seattle. She is happily married and pregnant with her second child when she experiences a traumatic event at her routine check-up with new obstetrician Dr. Victor Mott. Claire confides in her husband Michael and they decide to report Dr. Mott to the state medical board. As a result, four other women come forward with similar accusations against Dr. Mott and charges are brought against him. Fearing arrest, Dr. Mott takes his own life, leaving behind a pregnant widow who learns ...

Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), an American psychological thriller directed by Joseph Ruben, follows the story of Laura Burney. Her life seems perfect with her successful investment counselor husband, Martin in Boston. However, Martin’s charming facade hides an obsessive and controlling personality that has subjected Laura to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse throughout their nearly four-year marriage. Despite his apologetic ways of showering her with flowers and gifts after each instance, the pattern continues. One day, Martin accepts an invitation from their neighbor, a doctor, for an evening sail despite ...

The American epic political thriller film, JFK (1991), written and directed by Oliver Stone, delves into the investigation of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The New Orleans district attorney, Jim Garrison, becomes convinced that there was a conspiracy to kill Kennedy and that Lee Harvey Oswald was used as a scapegoat. Outgoing President Dwight D. Eisenhower had warned about the dangers of the military-industrial complex in his 1961 farewell address. However, Kennedy takes over as president and is faced with challenges such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis before his tragic assassination in ...

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is an American psychological horror thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Ted Tally, adapted from Thomas Harris’s 1988 novel of the same name. Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee, is tasked with interviewing Hannibal Lecter, a highly-intelligent former psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Her boss Jack Crawford has sent her to gain insights into another psychopathic serial killer named ‘Buffalo ...

Backdraft (1991) is an American action thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Gregory Widen. The story follows two brothers in the Chicago Fire Department’s Engine 17 unit. Lt. Stephen ‘Bull’ McCaffrey, the elder brother, is a seasoned firefighter while Brian has previously struggled to live up to his brother’s legacy. After trying his hand at multiple careers, Brian returns to firefighting, although Stephen has reservations about his abilities. In 1971, Brian witnessed the death of their father Captain Dennis McCaffrey during a call, ...

Cape Fear (1991), an American psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese, is based on the 1962 film and 1957 novel of the same name. In 1977, Max Cady was sentenced to 14 years in prison. His attorney Sam Bowden was horrified by Cady’s crimes and concealed evidence that may have lessened his sentence or won his acquittal. Believing Cady, who was illiterate during the trial, remained unaware of his inadequate defense, Bowden was taken aback when he discovered that Cady is an intelligent and determined psychopath. While behind bars, Cady taught himself to read and uncovered the hidden evidence. He also ...

Revenge (1990) is an American romantic thriller film directed by Tony Scott. Michael J. ‘Jay’ Cochran, a U.S. Navy aviator, decides to leave after 12 years of service. As a parting gift, he receives matching Beretta shotguns and an invitation from his wealthy friend Tiburon ‘Tibey’ Mendez to stay at his lavish hacienda in Mexico. Tibey, a powerful crime boss, surrounds himself with bodyguards for protection. During his stay, Jay meets Miryea, Tibey’s beautiful young wife who is unhappy due to her husband’s lack of desire for children to preserve her appearance. Jay presents Tibey with ...

Pacific Heights (1990) is an American psychological thriller directed by John Schlesinger and written by Daniel Pyne. During their time in San Francisco, unmarried couple Drake Goodman and Patty Palmer purchase an expensive 19th-century Victorian house in the exclusive neighborhood known as Pacific Heights. As they settle into their new home, they also rent one of the building’s first-floor apartments to the Watanabes, a friendly Japanese couple. However, things take a dark turn when Carter Hayes visits to view the remaining vacant unit. Despite driving an expensive ...

The Hunt for Red October (1990), directed by John McTierna, is an American spy thriller based on Tom Clancy’s bestselling novel of the same name. This action-packed film follows protagonist Jack Ryan in his first adventure. In November 1984, Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius takes command of Red October, a state-of-the-art Typhoon-class ballistic missile sub equipped with an undetectable ‘caterpillar drive’. As part of a training exercise, Ramius sets out to sea with former student Captain Tupolev aboard the Alfa-class attack sub V. K. Konovalov. ...