Films Like Last Night In Soho That Psychological Thriller Fans Need To Watch

Filmmaker Edgar Wright has delighted audiences with action-comedy hybrids such as "Shaun of the Dead," "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," and "Hot Fuzz." Looking at his résumé, it's quite a surprise to see that Wright's latest film, "Last Night in Soho," is a psychological thriller set in 1960s London.

The film tells the story of Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), an aspiring fashion designer completely enamored with the 1960s, who heads to university in London to achieve her dreams. Through mysterious circumstances, she is able to transport herself back into the decade she loves. It's there that she meets Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), a young woman attempting to break into the entertainment industry as a singer. It quickly becomes apparent to Eloise that the reverence she has for the past may not be deserved, as her travels back to the '60s rapidly reveal the dark and insidious underbelly of the city she adored.

"Last Night in Soho" has received positive reviews, currently standing at 75% approval on Rotten Tomatoes. Wright's film is strikingly bold and original, one that feels like a delirious acid trip. It's also an excellent example of a psychological thriller, and will likely leave you wanting more. With that in mind, here are films like "Last Night in Soho" that psychological thriller fans need to watch.

There is a considerable amount of debate about the first slasher film, as the genre is rather loosely defined. Consensus often points to Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom," released in 1960 — just two months before Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" — as the world's first slasher. The film caused quite the controversy upon its initial release, so much so that Michael Powell's tremendous film career (largely in collaboration with Emeric Pressburger) collapsed after "Peeping Tom."

The film features the reclusive Mark Lewis (Karlheinz Böhm), an amateur filmmaker who works as part of a film crew and in still photography, taking pictures of pin-up girls. Mark has suffered considerable psychological damage as the result of his now-deceased father, a renowned psychologist who would regularly use Mark in his experiments, keeping him under constant surveillance as a child to further his own research. This, combined with Mark's love of seeing the fear in women's eyes, takes Mark down a deadly and murderous path that may have no return.

"Peeping Tom" is undeniably sick and twisted, but decades after its initial release, the film has finally earned the respect it deserves, and currently holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. For fans of "Last Night in Soho" that loved seeing the seedy underbelly of London, "Peeping Tom" is a perfect choice. "Soho" director Edgar Wright even included "Peeping Tom" in a program of movies screening at the British Film Institute that directly inspired his latest film.

For decades, William Wyler was a titan of American cinema, making films like "Ben-Hur" and "Roman Holiday." Wyler earned an incredible 14 Oscar nominations, including 12 for best director, making him the most nominated director of all time. His final nomination came in 1965 with "The Collector," which marked a unique new direction for the filmmaker.

Freddie (Terrance Stamp), is an awkward, lonely man who bought a farmhouse with earnings from sports betting. As an amateur entomologist, he has an obsession with capturing and collecting butterflies. In London, he becomes enamored by Miranda (Samantha Eggers), a young art student, and begins to stalk her. Soon after, he kidnaps her, bringing her back to his farmhouse as a prisoner.

What unfolds over the course of "The Collector" is a series of psychological mind-games as Miranda attempts to escape from Freddie. The film is consistently thrilling and claustrophobic, a remarkable study of masculinity in crisis that rethinks the concept of the damsel-in-distress. Both Stamp and Eggers deliver brilliant performances, winning best actor and best actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 1965. The film was so intense that it even captured the attention of serial killer Robert Berdella, who credits the film as inspiration for his murders. Bone-chilling stuff indeed.

An exquisite, 136-minute masterclass in delivering on-screen tension, Roman Polanksi's "Rosemary's Baby" has been terrifying audiences ever since its release in 1968. The premise, based on the book of the same name by Ira Levin, is quite simple — Rosemary (the brilliant Mia Farrow) is pregnant and deeply concerned about the fate of her baby. She's convinced that her neighbors belong to a satanic cult, and are taking control of her life in order to use the baby for their own personal gain. Even worse, Rosemary believes that she may just be carrying the spawn of Satan herself.

Unfortunately for Rosemary, nobody believes her, least of all her partner Guy (John Cassavetes), who constantly discounts her claims and theories, making her believe that she's gone crazy. "Rosemary's Baby," like "Last Night in Soho," focuses on the experiences and difficulties of being a woman when people refuse to take them seriously. "Rosemary's Baby" has certainly laid the blueprint for this now well-worn genre of psychological thrillers.

The film won an Oscar for best supporting actress for the unforgettable Ruth Gordon, who plays elderly neighbor Minnie Castevet. After an unrelenting two hours, it's the chilling ending that will live with you long after the credits roll. For those who enjoy psychological thrillers with heavy dashes of religion and the occult, it doesn't get better than "Rosemary's Baby."

It's no secret that Stanley Kubrick's 1980 psychological horror classic "The Shining" has one of the most complicated filming histories ever. There are few films that have influenced pop culture as much as the Jack Nicholson-led film, and fans have obsessed over the details ever since it was released: there's even a documentary called "Room 237" about the endless fan theories.

Nicholson stars as Jack Torrance, a man who gets a job as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel deep in the Colorado Rockies, with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd). Hoping to use the opportunity to advance his career as a writer, Jack and his family see staying at the Overlook as a great opportunity. Danny, however, possesses "the shining," abilities that allow him to see the hotel's horrifying past. Between that and a brutal winter storm, Jack's sanity rapidly deteriorates, putting the safety of the Torrance family at great risk. "The Shining" and "Last Night in Soho" deal with the psychological aspects of isolation, albeit in very different manners. Both are highly entertaining thrillers more than worthy of your time.

A film that likely scared a generation of people from cheating, "Fatal Attraction" is a wild erotic psychological thriller about a man who ends up making a grave error by cheating on his wife. Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) has it all — a happy marriage, a beautiful daughter, and a successful job as a lawyer. His work causes him to run into Alex Forrest (Glenn Close), who works as an editor at a publishing company. Dan has an affair with Alex, and while Dan believes it was clear that it was just a one-time thing, Alex very clearly has other ideas and begins to pursue Dan relentlessly.

Similar to "Last Night in Soho," "Fatal Attraction" plays with the idea of the crazy, unpredictable woman, though their approaches are markedly different. Close is absolutely tremendous as Alex Forest, a character who is genuinely iconic, placing seventh in the American Film Institute's list of the greatest villains of all time. "Fatal Attraction" has proven to be a cultural touchstone, even adding a new phrase — "bunny boiler" – to various dictionaries.

Just like "Last Night in Soho," Satoshi Kon's "Perfect Blue" is a terrifying anime thriller centered around the difficulties of breaking into the entertainment industry. Kon's film stars Junko Iwao as Mima Kirigoe, a J-Pop star who quits her music career to pursue acting. Sadly for Mima, she discovers a site called "Mima's Room" that is made entirely from her perspective, even going so far as to include her daily experiences and personal thoughts in extraordinary detail. Mima's pursuit of acting success results in her taking a difficult role: Between this, "Mima's Room," and an aggressive stalker, Mima appears to be completely losing her grip on reality.

"Perfect Blue" has proven to be hugely influential, inspiring not one, but two Darren Aronofsky films. Kon's film is unafraid to show the darkest sides of the glossy world of entertainment, and the same can be said of Wright's latest. Mima's journey is fascinating, with remarkable visuals and sound design that allow "Perfect Blue" to keep audiences enthralled and terrified. The film's wild ending will leave you bewildered, confused, and afraid: certainly a sign of a great psychological thriller.

Unfolding in an extraordinary dream-like state, David Lynch's 2001 masterpiece "Mulholland Drive" has been sending chills down audiences' spines since its release. This film has garnered immense critical acclaim, becoming the subject of many features discussing its merits as one of the best films of the 21st century. In fact, it even topped a critics poll from the BBC's list of the 100 best films since the year 2000.

"Mulholland Drive" stars Naomi Watts as Betty Elms, a wannabe actress who recently arrived in Los Angeles. She meets Rita (Laura Harring), an amnesiac who can't remember her own name, and only calls herself Rita after seeing a poster for Rita Hayworth's film "Gilda." Betty agrees to help Rita discover her true identity, which takes the pair on a strange and unpredictable journey through LA, largely unfolding through a series of vignettes.

Just as "Last Night in Soho" exposes the dark side of London, "Mulholland Drive" exposes the sinister undergrowth of the dream factory known as Los Angeles. The film won best director at the Cannes Film Festival, and Lynch was nominated for best director at the Academy Awards for his brilliant work. The film has had a lasting impact, and that's largely in part to its utterly beguiling ending, as the film requires multiple viewings to figure out all of its mysteries.

Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) has gone missing. Her husband, teacher Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), arrives home to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary only to discover that Amy is nowhere to be found. The case attracts considerable media attention since Amy was the subject of her parents' children's books series called "Amazing Amy." At first, the case seems like a mystery, but the evidence begins to mount that all points to Nick as the guilty party, and this surprises no one more than Nick himself. As we learn more about Amy, however, it turns out everything isn't quite as it seems.

Directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the novel the film is based upon, "Gone Girl" was a huge commercial success, earning $369 million at the worldwide box office, making it Fincher's highest-earning film. "Gone Girl" also holds an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received an Oscar nomination for Rosamund Pike. Pike's performance is miraculous, deliciously balancing a sweet, unassuming innocence with a dark, brooding edge. It's a layered role that regularly reveals new surprises, and it's a star-making performance for Pike, who really took off in Hollywood after "Gone Girl," winning a Golden Globe in 2021 for "I Care a Lot."

Featuring the same leading actress as "Last Night in Soho," Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Thomasin in Robert Eggers' "The Witch." The film takes place in early 1600s New England when an English settler (Ralph Ineson) is banished from a colony along with his young family over a religious dispute. They establish a farm near a large forest, but before long, the family's youngest child vanishes, and they begin to believe a witch hiding in the forest is responsible.

Eggers went all-in during the filmmaking process, filming only by daylight or candlelight to make the film feel as historically accurate as possible. In fact, Eggers was so serious about historical accuracy that he's disappointed he didn't edit out the fact that you can faintly see Taylor-Joy's earring holes. Yes, really. It's that sort of attention to detail that allows "The Witch" to really shine — its period detail is immaculate, which helps build the remarkable sense of atmosphere. The film is magnificently tense, and it unfolds with a slow burn that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Like "Last Night in Soho," "The Witch" also has a lot to say about women's experiences. The film made a bona fide star out of Taylor-Joy, who's gone on to star in "The Queen's Gambit," "Split," and "The New Mutants."

Life isn't easy for Moll (Jessie Buckley). She cares for her father who suffers from dementia and has an extremely rocky relationship with her mother, all while working as a tour guide in the Channel Islands. One night, Moll meets Pascal (Johnny Flynn) who rescues her from a predatory encounter, and she becomes immediately drawn to him. But as a string of unsolved murders begins to plague the island, Pascal becomes the main suspect thanks to a prior conviction, which threatens to destroy Moll and Pascal's burgeoning relationship.

"Beast," Michael Pierce's directorial debut, deals with themes of alienation, identity, and the darkness that can lie within us all. The film is remarkably intense and creates a mesmerizing slow-burn effect. "Beast" delights in delivering the unexpected, and it's awfully difficult to predict where the film is going at any turn. Perhaps most importantly, the film helped launch the career of Jessie Buckley, who's gone on to star in "Wild Rose," "Judy," "Misbehaviour," and another film that appears on this list.

An irresistible, white-knuckle thrill ride about the life of a jewelry store owner who can't stop gambling, the Safdie Brothers' "Uncut Gems" is a modern masterpiece. While Adam Sandler may not be the obvious choice to star in a thriller, he was the first name on the director's list: The Safdies approached Sandler back in 2015, four years before the film was released. The move paid off, as Sandler's performance is nothing short of a revelation and would see "Uncut Gems" ranked as our best Adam Sandler film ever.

Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a gambling addict who's on a mission to claim a priceless gem from Ethiopia in order to pay off his exorbitant debts. Despite everything tending to break Howard's way, his irresistible desire for more and more and more leads him to constantly make the wrong decisions, leaving audiences in agony. That said, there's real magic in Sandler's performance that makes you root for him, despite the fact that there's something deeply detestable about Howard. He's a strange, unpredictable character, and though he almost never stops swearing, you can't help but be drawn to him.

The outstanding cast is rounded out by Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, Lakeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett as himself, and even The Weeknd, also playing himself. All in all, "Uncut Gems" is a 135-minute thrill ride that doesn't waste a second. It's gritty, gross, disturbing, hilarious, terrifying, and heartbreaking.

A film that was stuck in production hell for over a decade, writer-director Leigh Whannell's "The Invisible Man" is downright terrifying. Just like "Last Night in Soho," "The Invisible Man" is also the story of a woman looking for resolution while everyone around her thinks she's losing her mind. Elisabeth Moss is phenomenal as Cecilia Kass, a woman who escapes from an abusive relationship with her extremely wealthy partner. Before long, she receives news that her partner has committed suicide, and left her a staggering $5 million. But strange events quickly begin to plague Cecilia, and after uncovering a damning clue, she believes that her partner is still alive and tormenting her in an attempt to drive her to insanity.

While Moss' electric performance is riveting, it's Whannell's deft hand in directing that makes the film soar. Whannell's work in films like "Saw" and "Insidious" has given him a great understanding of the thriller genre, and he keeps tensions at a knife-edge throughout. For those who appreciated the intense thrills and shocking violence of "Last Night in Soho," "The Invisible Man" is a perfect choice for your next film.

A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a mystery, Charlie Kaufman's "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is a truly original journey. Loosely based on the novel by Ian Reid, the film tells the story of a woman (Jessie Buckley) and her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) who are headed to Jake's family farm to meet his parents. Then ... well, that's all you really need to know. Kaufman is no stranger to writing a complicated story – this is the man, after all, who has written films like "Synecdoche, New York," "Being John Malkovich," and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

The mind-bending "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is a haunting and unforgettable journey through a person's psyche — though exactly whose mind, is anyone's guess. Though the ending of the film has been scrutinized, it's fair to say that just about everyone watching the film will draw an entirely different conclusion as to what it all means. One thing's for sure – "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is full of excellent performances, an endless sense of dread, and it'll stick with you long after it's over.