If your thriller watchlist begins and ends with Gone Girl and Prisoners, it’s time to broaden your subtitles game. Across India, Korea, Spain, France, and beyond, filmmakers have been quietly crafting nerve-shredding stories that Hollywood wouldn’t dare touch. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill cops-and-criminals flicks—expect cult conspiracies, prison riots, twisted family secrets, and characters unraveling faster than your weekend plans.
Here’s a tightly curated list of criminally underrated thrillers from around the world. They don’t shout. They stalk. And they’re all hiding in plain sight on your favourite streaming platforms.
16 Must-Watch Foreign & Regional Thrillers To Watch On Netflix, JioHotstar, Prime Video And More
Evaru (Telugu)
Where to watch: Prime Video
A seemingly straightforward murder spirals into a deep web of secrets when Inspector Vikram begins probing the case. Each revelation peels back layers of guilt, justice, and manipulation.
Gargi (Tamil)
Where to watch: Zee5
When her father is accused of a heinous crime, Gargi chooses to fight the system instead of fleeing from it—armed with nothing but faith and a rookie lawyer.
Note: The film is originally in Tamil. A Telugu-dubbed version is also available.
Iratta (Malayalam)
Where to watch: Netflix
A dead cop. A haunted twin brother. And a past that refuses to stay buried. This police procedural is as emotionally raw as it is gripping.
Vikram (Tamil)
Where to watch: JioHotstar
A masked gang. A special agent. And a drug cartel pulling the strings. Kamal Haasan’s return to action is a stylish, high-stakes bloodbath with surprising emotional depth.
2018: Everyone is a Hero (Malayalam)
Where to watch: SonyLiv
More survival saga than thriller—but just as tense. Based on Kerala’s devastating floods, this film captures courage, community, and chaos in equal measure.
Yashoda (Telugu)
Where to watch: Prime Video
What starts as a surrogacy gig for a desperate woman quickly morphs into a dark exposé of a sinister operation. Slick, fast, and unrelenting.
Forgotten (Korean)
Where to watch: Netflix
His brother’s back—but something’s off. What follows is a mind-messing mystery with twists you won’t see coming. And no, you’re not paranoid.
The Chaser (Korean)
Where to watch: Prime Video
A disgraced ex-cop turned pimp hunts a missing girl—only to stumble into the path of a serial killer. Brutal, bleak, and breathlessly paced.
The Platform 1&2 (Spanish)
Where to watch: Netflix
Social commentary meets psychological horror in this vertical prison nightmare. Not for the faint-hearted—or the full-stomached.
Confession of Murder (Korean)
Where to watch: Prime Video
Fifteen years after a killing spree, the supposed killer publishes a memoir. But the real game begins when the book tour turns deadly.
Red Dot (Swedish)
Where to watch: Netflix
A romantic getaway in the snow turns into a pulse-pounding survival thriller when a red laser dot appears on the couple’s tent. Spoiler: It’s not a drone.
Cell 211 (Spanish)
Where to watch: MX Player
A prison guard caught inside a riot must pretend to be an inmate to survive. A taut, claustrophobic thriller that flips the hero-villain script.
Titane (French)
Where to watch: Prime Video
Body horror meets identity crisis in this twisted fever dream about a woman with a metal plate in her skull—and much darker things under the surface.
Sentinelle (French)
Where to watch: Netflix
After witnessing war crimes abroad, Klara returns home only to face personal hell. A cold-blooded revenge thriller with no frills—just fury.
Note: This film is often mislabelled as Korean due to confusion with a different film. It is a French-language film.
Svaha: The Sixth Finger (Korean)
Where to watch: Netflix
A priest, a police captain, and a bizarre cult. The slow-burn mystery plays with themes of belief and evil in unsettling, cerebral ways.
Audition (Japanese)
Where to watch: Prime Video
What begins as a search for love turns into a disturbing descent into obsession and horror. You’ll never look at auditions the same way again.
