What To Watch
17 Exhilarating Thriller Movies and Shows Based on Must-Read Books
Engrossing from the spine to the screen.
By Ashley Lee
April 20, 2026
17 Best Thriller Book Adaptations You Can Stream - Netflix Tudum
The singular rush of racing through a compelling thriller novel can’t be beat. There’s nothing like entering a vivid and mysterious world, meeting a fascinating but flawed protagonist, and following them on a journey of unpredictable twists and surprising turns until every secret is revealed — sometimes not before the very last page.
The artists behind these adaptations understand that unique feeling, and aim to honor it with their equally engrossing visual retellings of bestselling thriller books. From legal dramas and espionage adventures to murder mysteries and action flicks, this collection of spine-to-screen movies and shows will have you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.
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Anatomy of a Scandal
Adapted from Sarah Vaughan’s novel, this six-part psychological thriller exposes the personal and political scandals of Britain’s elite. Rupert Friend plays a minister in parliament, and Sienna Miller his loving wife. There’s no sign of stopping his professional trajectory — that is, until a scandalous secret comes to light. The limited series from creators David E. Kelley (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Melissa James Gibson (House of Cards) also features Michelle Dockery as a barrister with an agenda of her own.
Ballad of a Small Player
The glittering casinos of Macau set the scene for this heart-pulsing drama. Colin Farrell stars as Lord Doyle, a debt-ridden gambler whose insatiable appetite threatens to unravel his life — until he’s offered a lifeline at the baccarat table by a mysterious casino employee (Fala Chen). At the same time, a private investigator (Tilda Swinton) is in hot pursuit of Doyle. Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) directs this adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s novel.
Bird Box
A mysterious contagion that causes people to commit suicide? Sandra Bullock leads this apocalyptic thriller as a mother who learns that the epidemic of death is spurred by a specific sight, and blindfolds herself and her family for survival’s sake. Directed by Susanne Bier (The Perfect Couple), this adaptation of Josh Malerman’s book also stars Sarah Paulson, Trevante Rhodes, Rosa Salazar, BD Wong, and John Malkovich.
Dept. Q
Matthew Goode stars in this British crime drama series as Carl Morck, a crabby English detective chief inspector who works in Edinburgh, Scotland. He’s a curmudgeon for a reason: After an on-duty shooting leaves his partner paralyzed and another police officer dead, he’s reassigned to Dept. Q, where he investigates cold cases alongside a motley crew of misfits. An adaptation of the novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, the already renewed series hails from Scott Frank, the creator of The Queen’s Gambit and Godless.
Detective Hole
Tobias Santelmann stars in this serial-killer mystery as legendary Norwegian antihero Harry Hole, a brilliant but tormented homicide detective who struggles with his demons. The nine-episode adaptation sees Harry going head-to-head with his longtime adversary, the corrupt Detective Tom Waaler (Joel Kinnaman). Harry must catch a serial killer –– and bring Tom to justice –– before it’s too late. Jo Nesbø, one of the greatest crime fiction authors, is also the series’ creator and showrunner.
Fool Me Once
Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan) is grieving both her sister and her husband — until she sees new nanny-cam footage of her late spouse, Joe (Richard Armitage), talking to their baby. As she investigates whether her husband might still be alive, she’s drawn into a web of secrets, lies, and shocking betrayals that hit closer to home than she could’ve imagined. And if you’re a fan of this gripping thriller, these other Harlan Coben adaptations will have you hooked.
The Gray Man
Based on the first book of Mark Greaney’s hit series, this action flick stars Ryan Gosling as the titular CIA operative who accidentally uncovers dark agency secrets, and therefore becomes the target of a global manhunt. Chris Evans plays the assassin determined to track him down, and Ana de Armas, Regé-Jean Page, Alfre Woodard, and Billy Bob Thornton are among the cast. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo (The Electric State) say both a sequel and a spin-off are in the works.
HIS & HERS
In this twisty thriller series, Tessa Thompson plays Anna, a reporter, opposite Jon Bernthal as Jack, a detective. The two are married but estranged, and when a body is discovered in their sleepy Georgia town, they compete to solve the case — with each believing the other is a prime suspect. Pablo Schreiber, Crystal Fox, Marin Ireland, and Sunita Mani are also part of the six-episode adaptation of Alice Feeney’s novel.
Leave the World Behind
Talk about a vacation gone wrong. Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke star in this apocalyptic thriller as parents who travel with their kids to a rental home on Long Island for a family trip away from the city buzz — only to find themselves trapped in a peculiar blackout alongside the property’s owners. Mahershala Ali, Kevin Bacon, and Myha'la round out the cast of the film, based on Rumaan Alam’s bestselling novel of the same name.
The Night Agent
Gabriel Basso stars in this spy thriller as the titular FBI agent who, due to a misunderstanding during a terrorist attack, gets demoted to the Night Action desk, an emergency hotline for field agents. It’s a humdrum post — until, one night, the phone rings, and he teams up with a cybersecurity expert (Luciane Buchanan) to untangle an immense web of political conspiracies. With three seasons and counting, the suspenseful series is based on Matthew Quirk’s novel.
Night Always Comes
In this psychological thriller, Vanessa Kirby plays Lynette, a woman who’s been diligently saving up to buy the home she rents in Portland, Oregon, only to find that the $25,000 she’s amassed has been spent by her mother. The film traces Lynette’s moves over the course of one evening as she desperately tries to secure the funds and save her family from eviction before the clock runs out. The adaptation of Willy Vlautin’s novel also features Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stephan James, Randall Park, Michael Kelly, and Julia Fox.
The Perfect Couple
Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson) is about to marry into one of New England’s wealthiest families. But pristine private beaches, gorgeous mansions, and perfectly trimmed lawns can’t distract from the fact that there’s danger afoot. Because not long after the festivities kick off, a dead body washes ashore and everyone in the wedding party becomes a suspect. Based on Elin Hilderbrand’s hit novel, the six-episode murder mystery also stars Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy, and Jack Reynor.
PIECES OF HER
Do we ever really know the people we love? Based on a book by Karin Slaughter, this eight-episode series stars Toni Collette as Laura, a beloved mother, speech therapist, and lifelong resident of a tight-knit beachside town who kills a total stranger in cold blood. Footage of Laura’s altercation goes viral, and people want answers — especially Laura’s daughter, Andy (Bella Heathcote), who realizes her mother has a complicated past and isn’t who she portrays herself to be.
RIPLEY
Shot in moody black-and-white, this stylish take on Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 crime classic stars Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, a petty grifter in early ’60s New York who stumbles into a plum job when he’s hired to track down a wealthy businessman’s wayward son, Dickie (Johnny Flynn), and convince him to come home. But upon getting a taste of Dickie’s luxurious lifestyle in Italy, Ripley realizes he wants more out of the job than he was promised — and he can use his considerable talents to get it.
The Woman in Cabin 10
What starts as a dream assignment quickly spirals into a nightmare. On board a luxury yacht, travel journalist Lo Blacklock (Keira Knightley) is surrounded by glittering guests and endless ocean views — until one night, she witnesses a woman being tossed overboard. However, the next morning, every single passenger is accounted for. Based on Ruth Ware’s hit novel, this twisty thriller will have you questioning what’s real and whom to trust.
The Woman in the Window
In this psychological thriller adapted from A.J. Finn’s bestselling book, Amy Adams plays Anna Fox, a woman whose agoraphobia keeps her trapped inside — and she finds escape in the lives of her neighbors. When she witnesses what looks like a fatal stabbing of a woman named Jane (Jennifer Jason Leigh), she begins to question whether the crime was real or the product of her fragile mind. Did Anna’s drinking and drug use trick her into imagining the murder?
You
Based on Caroline Kepnes’s book series, this show, which ran for five seasons, dares you to follow a monstrously flawed protagonist — a stalker and serial killer who views his own disturbing behavior as mere evidence of his passion and romantic spirit. Penn Badgley stars as the now-infamous Joe Goldberg, a New York bookstore manager who develops an obsessive infatuation with a grad student and pursues her with alarming persistence. And that’s just Season 1!
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