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There are all types of thrillers, and Paramount+ boasts a virtual library filled with nearly all of them.
From supernatural suspense stories like Shutter Island to Oscar-winning films like No Country for Old Men, the streamer excels in having everything the genre has to offer.
That’s especially true in April, when Paramount+ is adding three must-see thrillers: the crime saga 2 Days in the Valley featuring a future Desperate Housewife, the ‘90s classic Rounders and a Brad Pitt World War II nail-biter, Allied.
‘2 Days in the Valley’ (1996)
What do two hit men, a failed Olympian skier, a suicidal TV director, a burnt-out cop and a deadly woman named Helga (Charlize Theron) have in common? Absolutely nothing, but they all seem to cross each other’s paths in 2 Days in the Valley, a crime thriller heavily influenced by Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Robert Altman’s Short Cuts. The central plotline involved the assassin Lee Woods (James Spader), who agrees to murder athlete Becky’s (Teri Hatcher) cheating boyfriend. Even though he’s successful, Wes still finds himself in a world full of trouble, and soon, he’s the one running for his life.
Even though it includes shocking gun violence scenes and one knockdown, drag-out fight between Hatcher and Theron that has to be seen to be believed, 2 Days in the Valley is often very funny, with several pointed barbs at the entertainment industry and the impracticality of killing someone in your own bed. Don’t worry, it’s thrilling too, with a byzantine plot that somehow never becomes too confusing to follow.
2 Days in the Valley is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Allied’ (2016)
How well do you know the love of your life? That’s the question Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) has to answer repeatedly in Allied, a World War II spy thriller that also doubles as an effectively swoony period romance. Max clearly loves Marianne (Marion Cotillard), a beautiful French Resistance fighter he meets while on a covert mission in Morocco, which is why they get hitched so quickly. But he doesn’t really know much about her, so when the possibility of her being a German spy is raised by his superiors, he has no choice but to investigate. If Marianne is indeed a traitor, is Max strong enough to deny his feelings and turn her in?
Allied is an old-fashioned movie in the best sense, relying on its stars, lavish production value and simple yet intriguing script to keep viewers entertained throughout its 124-minute runtime. That it succeeds is due mostly to Cotillard, who keeps her character’s intentions hidden throughout most of the film. Because of her, you can believe Max would fall instantly in love with her while also believing that she could be a spy who is ready to betray him at a moment’s notice.
Allied is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Rounders’ (1998)
Law student Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) has given up playing underground poker for good to appease his worried girlfriend, Jo (Gretchen Mol). But when his ex-con best friend, Lester “Worm” Murphy (Edward Norton), has to pay off a huge debt to some shady criminals, Mike has no choice but to return to a game he’s good at — and hopelessly addicted to. When he’s asked to join a high-stakes game led by master player Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), Mike can’t resist the offer, but will his devotion to his untrustworthy friend and need to win it all prove to be his undoing?
A thriller set primarily amid smoky basements and abandoned buildings, Rounders is a lot more exciting than you think. Even if you can’t tell Texas Hold’ Em from a Texas ribeye, the film makes it easy for novices to get acquainted with the world of backroom poker. Norton is his late-’90s terrific self as an acquaintance who lives up to his nickname “Worm,” while Malkovich is fantastic as Mike’s primary opponent, who is equal parts menacing and honorable.
Rounders is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Match Point’ (2005)
What would you do for a chance to live in high society? That’s the question posed to poor tennis instructor Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who befriends a wealthy member of the sports club he works at in London and quickly romances and marries the man’s sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer). He also has an affair with Nola (Scarlett Johansson), an aspiring actress who is just as poor as he is. When Nola becomes pregnant, Chris is faced with a tough decision: marry Nola and give up a future filled with wealth or stay with Chloe and be bored surrounded by luxury.
Match Point isn’t your traditional thriller in that it hinges on one character’s morality and the answer to the question I posed at the beginning of this entry. What makes the film so rewarding to watch and so rich to examine is how closely the director, Woody Allen, wants you to identify with Chris. He’s not a monster — he just wants what everyone wants, but few have: a life of total financial freedom. What would you do to secure that if you had the chance? Like Chris, you may not like the answer.
Match Point is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Fatal Attraction’ (1987)
Fatal Attraction is widely credited with ushering in a wave of erotic thrillers in the late ’80s and ’90s. It also gave Glenn Close one of the most memorable roles of her career as Alex Forrest, a successful career woman who has an affair with her colleague, Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas). Unfortunately for Alex, Dan is a married man who ultimately loves his wife, Beth (Anne Archer), and their child far more than he could ever care for Alex.
Alex’s inability to deal with Dan’s rejection snaps her grasp on reality as she begins stalking him and his family. The only things Alex can think about are her wants and desires, and she uses increasingly violent acts in a desperate bid to claim Dan for herself. As Alex says in the movie, she won’t be ignored.
Fatal Attraction is streaming on Paramount+.
‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)
Joel and Ethan Coen made some great movies together during their partnership, but the Coen brothers’ best movie is their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy‘s No Country for Old Men. It’s one of the rare crime thrillers that’s truly surprising, and it takes a few turns that other films wouldn’t dare to try.
Josh Brolin stars as Llewelyn Moss, an ordinary man who makes the find of a lifetime: A briefcase full of drug money, his for the taking. Assuming he could get away with that was Moss’ first mistake. The mob has sent a hitman, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), to reclaim the money at all costs. Moss only thinks he’s a hard man, but he’s incapable of imagining the violence that Chigurh will unleash during his pursuit. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is in over his head trying to bring these two to justice, and that disturbs him.
No Country for Old Men is streaming on Paramount+.
‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ (1999)
Matt Damon was still early in his career when he was cast as Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley. Despite the name of the movie, Tom’s only real talents lie in deception and in ingratiating himself among the rich and powerful. Tom even manages to convince Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn) to send him to Europe to retrieve his wealthy and wayward son, Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law).
Although Dickie has a beautiful American girlfriend, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow), it’s Dickie himself who catches Tom’s eye. And let’s just say that Tom isn’t the kind of man who accepts rejection well. Instead, Tom lines up the con of a lifetime, but it’s going to take a lot to convince everyone that he’s Dickie, especially when dealing with the people who know the truth.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is streaming on Paramount+.
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