With the heatwave settling in this summer, why not stay inside and cool off with some free and and captivating mysteries and thrillers? Whether you want to be chilled to the bone by a pair of movies by the master of suspense or laughing of the sweat with an international man of mystery, there's sure to be something on this list to have you on the edge of your seat. Here are some of the best films coming to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Netflix
Air Force One
In this action-packed political thriller from 1997, a group of Russian terrorists hijack Air Force One while the President and his family are on board. Glenn Close is Vice President Kathryn Bennett, who attempts to negotiate with the communists from Washington D.C. However, the President—portrayed by Harrison Ford—may be more than the terrorists bargained for, as he's a veteran determined to rescue the plane's hostages.
Austin Powers Trilogy
In this raucous comedy, 1960s British playboy and spy Austin Powers (Mike Myers) awakes from a cryogenic sleep three decades later to face off against his nemesis, Dr. Evil (also Mike Myers). Having trouble adjusting to the changes through the decades, Austin and his partner Vanessa (Elizabeth Hurley) must stop Dr. Evil and his unique associates from holding the Earth ransom with a nuclear weapon. And if this movie streaming wasn't exciting enough, be sure to check out the two following movies in the series—Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember—also available on Netflix.
Midnight Run
In this comedic crime flick, Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas (Charles Grodin) is an accountant who embezzled millions of dollars from a mob boss before jumping bail. Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) is the bounty hunter hired to find him. But that's easier said than done with the F.B.I. and the mafia also on Mardukas's trail.
Brick Mansions
Set in a crime-plagued dystopian Detroit of 2018, an overwhelmed law enforcement has instituted a 40-foot brick wall around an especially crime heavy neighborhood. Undercover cop Damien Collier (Paul Walker) teams up with ex-con Lino Duppre (David Belle) in order to bring down a big-time crime lord with plans to devastate the city with a bomb.
Sanitation Day
In this Nigerian crime thriller, a young man is found dead in an apartment complex. Two cops are tasked with solving the crime, but the tenants of the building are far from cooperative. And the clock is ticking down as the crime scene is due to be wiped clean.
Hulu
The Conversation
Gene Hackman plays hyper-paranoid surveillance expert Harry Caul in a classic 1974 mystery thriller. Caul and his partner Stan (John Cazale) have been hired to bug a couple's conversation as they stroll through San Francisco's Union Square. When the recordings reveal a potential murder plot against the couple, Caul has a crisis of morality. A crisis which may put him under the microscope himself...
Fargo
In this can't-miss Coen brothers black comedy crime film, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a man desperate for money. After hiring Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare) to help him kidnap his wife Jean (Kristin Rudrüd) to extort her father for ransom money, the hired criminals kill a state trooper to cover their tracks. This only succeeds on getting pregnant and determined Brainerd police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) on their trail.
From Paris With Love
James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a personal aide to the U.S. ambassador in France. His life, complete with a beautiful French girlfriend, is near perfect. And then in his bid to earn more responsibility, he's paired with operations officer Charlie Wax (John Travolta). Wax is a bold and unusual man who quickly pulls James into a race to stop a terrorist attack on the city.
Taken
Is there anyone alive who isn't familiar with the gripping monologue uttered by Liam Neeson in this film? Bryan Mills (Neeson) is a former CIA agent whose trying to forge a stronger relationship with his teenage daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). But when Kim travels to Europe with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy), the girls are soon abducted by a ring of sex traffickers. Bryan rushes to Europe, whipping out his old skills to find his daughter at any cost.
Thunderheart
In this Neo-Western mystery from 1992, Agent Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer) has been chosen to investigate the murder of a tribal council member of a Native American reservation in South Dakota, as he himself is of mixed Sioux heritage. Paired with veteran Agent Frank "Cooch" Coutelle (Sam Shepard), the two embark on the reservation with two prime suspects in mind—a peaceful Native American political activist and the leader of the radical Aboriginal Rights Movement.
Amazon Prime
Rear Window
This 1954 mystery thriller is a Hitchcock classic. Photographer L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies (Jimmy Stewart) is stuck in a wheelchair with a broken leg, confined to his apartment with a rear view out into the courtyard and other apartments. Though he receives frequent visits from his socialite girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly), he primarily entertains himself one heatwave by watching his neighbors through their open windows. But when he begins to piece together clues that a murder may have taken place, he and Lisa may be in grave danger...
Snatch
This British-American crime comedy is overflowing with star talent, featuring Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Vinnie Jones, Benicio Del Toro, and more. Following the heist of an 86-carat diamond, rough-around-the-edges boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewelers get tangled up in a complicated web of crime.
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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Based on the bestselling book of the same name by Stieg Larsson, this film stars Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, and more big names. Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired by a wealthy man to track down his niece who has been missing for four decades—and in return, he'll help to clear Mikael's name. Through his investigation, Mikael begins to expect that the woman might have been caught up in a string of serial killings twenty years prior to her disappearance. To help him in his search, his employer suggests the help of a young and talented hacker, the enigmatic Lisbeth Salander.
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The International
Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) is a British ex-Scotland Yard officer-turned Interpol detective. Teaming up with Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), an Assistant District Attorney from Manhattan, Salinger investigates corruption inside of a Luxembourg merchant bank. The bank—IBBC—has been serving organized crime, going so far as to assassinate any potential threat to the powers that be.
Vertigo
Another great mystery from the Hitchcock catalogue, this 1958 film centers around former police detective John "Scottie" Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart). Scottie retired from the force after a fellow officer's fall to his death resulted in Scottie's new and severe fear of heights. But when an old friend asks Scottie to follow his wife Madeleine (Kim Novak), his fear of heights may be deadly. And he's soon obsessed with the haunting beauty of this strange Madeleine...
