Best Thriller Movies of the 1970s

1. 1
   Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion 1970

   Directed by Elio Petri · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV
   8.0

   8.2 · 910 votes
2. 2
   Chinatown 1974

   Directed by Roman Polanski · Streaming on MGM Plus, Kanopy, Hoopla
   7.9

   7.9 · 4.5K votes
3. 3
   Dog Day Afternoon 1975

   Directed by Sidney Lumet · Streaming on Hoopla
   7.8

   7.9 · 3.6K votes
4. 4
   Jaws 1975

   Directed by Steven Spielberg · Streaming on Netflix, YouTube TV, TNT
   7.7

   7.7 · 12K votes
5. 5
   The Warriors 1979

   Directed by Walter Hill · Streaming on Netflix, Tubi TV
   7.6

   7.7 · 2.5K votes
6. 6
   All the President's Men 1976

   Directed by Alan J. Pakula · Streaming on YouTube Free, TCM
   7.6

   7.7 · 2.2K votes
7. 7
   Deep Red 1975

   Directed by Dario Argento · Streaming on Philo, AMC Plus, AMC+
   7.6

   7.7 · 1.7K votes
8. 8
   Halloween 1978

   Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus
   7.5

   7.6 · 6.5K votes
9. 9
   Sleuth 1972

   Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
   7.5

   7.7 · 754 votes
10. 10
    The Tenant 1976

    Directed by Roman Polanski · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.5

    7.6 · 1.3K votes
11. 11
    Escape from Alcatraz 1979

    Directed by Don Siegel · Streaming on fuboTV, MGM+, Paramount Plus Premium
    7.5

    7.5 · 3.3K votes
12. 12
    Le Cercle Rouge 1970

    Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
    7.5

    7.6 · 763 votes
13. 13
    The French Connection 1971

    Directed by William Friedkin · Streaming on YouTube TV
    7.4

    7.5 · 2.2K votes
14. 14
    Dirty Harry 1971

    Directed by Don Siegel
    7.4

    7.5 · 2.9K votes
15. 15
    The Day of the Jackal 1973

    Directed by Fred Zinnemann
    7.4

    7.5 · 722 votes
16. 16
    Duel 1971

    Directed by Steven Spielberg
    7.4

    7.4 · 2.2K votes
17. 17
    The Omen 1976

    Directed by Richard Donner · Streaming on Peacock Premium, Philo, AMC
    7.4

    7.4 · 2.5K votes
18. 18
    Carrie 1976

    Directed by Brian De Palma · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Cinemax
    7.3

    7.3 · 4.5K votes
19. 19
    Sorcerer 1977

    Directed by William Friedkin
    7.3

    7.5 · 715 votes
20. 20
    The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 1974

    Directed by Joseph Sargent · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home Free, YouTube Free
    7.3

    7.5 · 671 votes
21. 21
    Deliverance 1972

    Directed by John Boorman
    7.3

    7.3 · 1.9K votes
22. 22
    Three Days of the Condor 1975

    Directed by Sydney Pollack · Streaming on MGM Plus, Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.2

    7.3 · 1.4K votes
23. 23
    Slap the Monster on Page One 1972

    Directed by Marco Bellocchio · Streaming on OVID
    7.2

    7.7 · 201 votes
24. 24
    One Way or Another 1976

    Directed by Elio Petri
    7.2

    7.7 · 190 votes
25. 25
    Assault on Precinct 13 1976

    Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, The Roku Channel
    7.2

    7.3 · 1.3K votes
26. 26
    Caliber 9 1972

    Directed by Fernando Di Leo · Streaming on Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
    7.2

    7.5 · 285 votes
27. 27
    Fist of Fury 1972

    Directed by Lo Wei · Streaming on Philo, Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.1

    7.2 · 1.1K votes
28. 28
    I... for Icarus 1979

    Directed by Henri Verneuil · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.1

    7.6 · 180 votes
29. 29
    Marathon Man 1976

    Directed by John Schlesinger · Streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.1

    7.2 · 1.3K votes
30. 30
    Murder on the Orient Express 1974

    Directed by Sidney Lumet · Streaming on fuboTV, Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.1

    7.1 · 1.6K votes
31. 31
    The Getaway 1972

    Directed by Sam Peckinpah · Streaming on Kanopy, YouTube TV, YouTube Free
    7.1

    7.2 · 703 votes
32. 32
    The Poseidon Adventure 1972

    Directed by Ronald Neame
    7.1

    7.2 · 1.1K votes
33. 33
    Charley Varrick 1973

    Directed by Don Siegel
    7.1

    7.4 · 302 votes
34. 34
    Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance 1972

    Directed by Kenji Misumi · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    7.1

    7.4 · 257 votes
35. 35
    The Passenger 1975

    Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome, Tubi TV
    7.1

    7.2 · 568 votes
36. 36
    The Driver 1978

    Directed by Walter Hill
    7.0

    7.2 · 547 votes
37. 37
    Straw Dogs 1971

    Directed by Sam Peckinpah
    7.0

    7.1 · 1.1K votes
38. 38
    Canoa: A Shameful Memory 1975

    Directed by Felipe Cazals
    7.0

    7.9 · 93 votes
39. 39
    Frenzy 1972

    Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
    7.0

    7.1 · 1.1K votes
40. 40
    The House with Laughing Windows 1976

    Directed by Pupi Avati · Streaming on Kanopy, ARROW
    7.0

    7.2 · 424 votes
41. 41
    Wake in Fright 1971

    Directed by Ted Kotcheff · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, The Roku Channel
    7.0

    7.2 · 362 votes
42. 42
    The Bird with the Crystal Plumage 1970

    Directed by Dario Argento · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.0

    7.1 · 870 votes
43. 43
    Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx 1972

    Directed by Kenji Misumi · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    7.0

    7.4 · 201 votes
44. 44
    The China Syndrome 1979

    Directed by James Bridges · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Fawesome
    7.0

    7.1 · 547 votes
45. 45
    The Andromeda Strain 1971

    Directed by Robert Wise
    7.0

    7.0 · 855 votes
46. 46
    Punishment Park 1971

    Directed by Peter Watkins · Streaming on FlixFling, Mometu, Tubi TV
    7.0

    7.3 · 222 votes
47. 47
    Vanishing Point 1971

    Directed by Richard C. Sarafian
    7.0

    7.1 · 552 votes
48. 48
    Mr. Klein 1976

    Directed by Joseph Losey · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    7.0

    7.2 · 299 votes
49. 49
    The Night Caller 1975

    Directed by Henri Verneuil
    6.9

    7.2 · 290 votes
50. 50
    10 Rillington Place 1971

    Directed by Richard Fleischer · Streaming on IndieFlix, Plex, Plex Channel
    6.9

    7.3 · 227 votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   Revenge 1978

   Directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu
   6.3

   8.2 · 12 votes
2. 2
   The Last Bullet 1973

   Directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu
   6.3

   7.9 · 14 votes
3. 3
   With Clean Hands 1972

   Directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu
   6.3

   7.4 · 23 votes
4. 4
   A Police Inspector Calls 1974

   Directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu
   6.3

   7.7 · 15 votes
5. 5
   The Execution Game 1979

   Directed by Tōru Murakawa
   6.2

   7.6 · 13 votes
6. 6
   Kaala Patthar 1979

   Directed by Yash Chopra · Streaming on Netflix
   6.2

   7.5 · 14 votes
7. 7
   Walter Defends Sarajevo 1972

   Directed by Hajrudin 'Šiba' Krvavac
   6.3

   7.0 · 35 votes
8. 8
   Blonde in Black Leather 1975

   Directed by Carlo Di Palma
   6.2

   7.4 · 15 votes
9. 9
   How to Kill a Judge 1975

   Directed by Damiano Damiani · Streaming on Philo, Hoopla, Pluto TV
   6.2

   7.3 · 17 votes
10. 10
    Sudden Fury 1975

    Directed by Brian Damude
    6.3

    7.2 · 20 votes