Five Netflix thrillers to keep an eye out for
Thrillers are one of the best genres on Netflix to explore when done right. Not the over-polished ones or the unnecessary jump-scare ones, but the ones with an actual story and substance. Another thing about the good ones is that they don’t hold your hand. They let the panic build slowly until you are too deep to back out.
And 2026 is coming in hot. We are not just talking about true crime or your usual cat-and-mouse stories. These picks are here to make you suspicious of the guy in the corner. They make you wonder what you’d do if you found a duffel bag full of cash. And aren’t we always looking for such stories?
The fun fact is, out of these picks, some are based on real stories, while the others are entirely made up. Doesn’t matter because they all have the same effect. They pull the rug out when you least expect it.
So whether you are into high-stakes heists or a true-crime thriller fan, these five thrillers deserve a spot on your 2026 watchlist.
Five Netflix thrillers to keep an eye out for
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (Limited Series, 2026)
Okay, this one is already high on expectations. Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is Netflix’s next adaptation of the queen of crime fiction, and it’s not here to play around. Based on Christie’s 1929 novel, the limited series is set in a manor house full of secrets, where a prank gone wrong leads to a suspicious death. It initially starts as a party game and then turns into a deep conspiracy involving a secret society. Yes. A literal secret society.
Seven Dials is the type of murder mystery that shows you vintage glamour. Think private letters and hidden codes. Another thing which is a key element in Christie-style murder mysteries is the characters who definitely know more than they say. The source material is a Christie classic, but early buzz hints at a slick, modern treatment while maintaining the iconic British crime tone. The cast includes major names like Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Corey Mylchreest and more.
The Rip (Movie, 2026)
If you are looking for something that goes “boom” in the first five minutes, The Rip is your answer. Netflix is officially calling it an “action thriller”, and early footage already looks like Extraction and Narcos had a terrifyingly intense baby. It starts with a bag of cash just lying there, forgotten until a cop in Miami finds it. And from that moment, everything falls apart. No one can be trusted, and anyone could turn on anyone.
Directed by Joe Carnahan, The Rip is a straight-up action thriller with no time to breathe. It stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as former allies turned liabilities. It also has Steven Yeun and Teyana Taylor bringing serious heat. And if you are wondering whether Netflix can still pull off big-budget grit in 2026, this is your answer.
The Big Fake (Movie, 2026)
Now it’s time for something colder and absolutely soaked in deceit. The Big Fake is Netflix Italy’s latest entry into the crime thriller space, and this one is all about dual identities and an elite scam that goes way beyond control. If Lupin was your flavour of clever-thief glamour, get ready for a much darker ride.
At the centre of it all is a man who’s built an empire on lies. And not just corporate ones, but romantic and criminal too. But when someone from his past shows up with proof of who he really is, the whole operation starts crumbling. The trailer takes you through luxury offices and a murder that’s definitely not a coincidence. It’s Italy, so it is obviously a visual treat. Oh, and subtitles… You will forget they are even there by episode two.
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart (Documentary, 2025)
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is a documentary thriller that recounts the infamous 2002 abduction of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, which was one of the most disturbing and high-profile kidnapping cases in modern America. What makes this version different from others is how it handles her story: not as a tabloid headline, but as a human and ultimately powerful testimony.
Through interviews, never-before-seen footage, and a narrative that sticks closely to Elizabeth’s own voice, the film explores how she survived nine months in captivity and how she rebuilt her life afterwards. It is not easy to watch, but it is also unforgettable. Netflix has been leaning into this style of true crime lately, and if you loved Abducted in Plain Sight or The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, this one belongs on your list.
Amish Stud (Movie, 2023)
And then, of course, we have Amish Stud. Yes, that is the real title. And no, do not think of it as a parody. It was originally aired on Lifetime but is now streaming on Netflix. This 2023 thriller is based on the actual case of Barbara Raber and Eli Weaver, a real Amish woman and her lover, who plotted to murder his wife using secret burner phones and scandalous notes written in code.
Sounds insane, right? Well, it is, just as messy and absolutely wild in the best Lifetime way. The film turns the rule-bound world of Amish tradition into the setting for one of the strangest murder plots in recent American crime history. You’ve got forbidden love and betrayal in plain sight and a lot of dramatic voiceovers. At times, you will laugh and cringe, but one thing that you will do for sure is try to Google whether it happened in real life or not. Spoiler: it did.