Everyone is a little frightened of hospital waiting rooms and dentists' offices. These places remind people of their vulnerabilities and are quickly associated with pain. It’s these feelings that medical thrillers toy with. The genre taps into audiences' deepest fears about the fragility of the human body and mind. In particular, these movies tend toexplore the terrifying possibilities of medicine gone wrong, including manipulation, corruption, and the fine line between healing and harm.
From rogue doctors to unethical experiments, medical thrillers keep audiences on edge by combiningthe tension of traditional thrillerswith the intimate setting of hospitals and labs where life and death hang in the balance. The best medical thrillers provide gripping narratives and force us to question the ethics of medical science and the flaws in healthcare systems. With this in mind,these are the best medical thrillers, from surgery-based body horror to tales of deadly pandemics. They will be ranked based on their overall quality and how well they balance both aspects of their distinctive subgenre.
10’A Cure for Wellness' (2016)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
“Do you ever get the feeling that there’s something terribly wrong with the world?“A Cure for Wellnessfollows Lockhart (Dane DeHaan), a young executive sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from a mysterious wellness center in the Swiss Alps. Lockhart becomes a patient at the clinic and soon starts to uncover disturbing secrets about the treatments offered and the facility’s true purpose.
Gore Verbinski’s direction immerses viewers in a worldwhere wellness is not what it seems. The hospital setting, with its cold, clinical aesthetic, becomes a place of hidden horrors, leaving Lockhart—and the audience—questioning what’s real.A Cure for Wellnessoccasionally falls a little short of its ambitions, but it’s well-shot and well-performed, with ever-ratcheting tension and many memorable shots, the best of whichfocus on the human body, making it look like an intricate, alien machine. The cherry on the cake is the film’s slimy, unsettling eels, which are the stars of its scariest scenes.
A Cure for Wellness
9’Swallow' (2019)
Directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis
“What’s inside of you that wants to come out?“Swallowtells the story of Hunter (Haley Bennett), a young woman trapped in a controlling marriage who develops pica, a compulsion to swallow inedible objects. As she consumes increasingly dangerous items, it becomes clear that her behavior reflects deeper psychological issues stemming from trauma and isolation.Swallowexplores the intersection of physical and mental health, with Hunter’s actions representing her desperate attempt to regain control over her life.
DirectorCarlo Mirabella-Daviscrafts this premise into a slow-burning thriller. He eschews gore for more restrained discomfort, like in the scene where Hunter consumes a screwdriver whole. Thematically,Swallowdelves deep into body issues, suburban ennui, and female empowerment.The finished product is like a cross betweenChantal AkermanandDavid Cronenberg, largely thanks toBennett’s towering, committed performance. She subtly but effectively conveys all the character’s anxiety, pain, and glimmers of hope.
8’Malice' (1993)
Directed by Harold Becker
“You ask me if I have a God complex? Let me tell you something: I am God.” InMalice, charming surgeon Dr. Jed Hill (Alec Baldwin) enters the lives of a married couple, leading to a series of dangerous manipulations. When the wife, Tracy (Nicole Kidman), undergoes an emergency surgery that leaves her unable to have children, the plot thickens with accusations, dark secrets, and questions about trust.
Much of the content here is sensational and over-the-top, but filmmakerHarold Beckerwrangles all the subplots and makes them work. In a lesser director’s hands,Malicewould have been pure melodrama; instead,it’s a satisfyingly twisty thriller, stacking ideas on top of ideas. A lot of this is probablythanks to co-writerAaron Sorkin, but the leads also do a lot of heavy lifting. Both Baldwin and Kidman are on their A-game, assisted by supporting turns fromBill PullmanandAnne Bancroft.
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7’Flatliners' (1990)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
“Today’s a good day to die.“Flatlinersfollowsa group of medical studentswho experiment with near-death experiences, deliberately stopping their hearts to see what lies beyond life. However, their experiments lead to haunting consequences as each student is forced to confront the sins of their past. It’s a killer premise,blending supernatural horror with medical science, touching on the big questions we all wish we had the answers to.
That said, with these kinds of high-concept movies, the revelations often struggle to meet the audience’s expectations, and that’s the case here. The treatment of guilt is decent, but overall,Flatlinersseems to shrink from its thematic potential. Fortunately,the movie compensates with great visuals and winning performancesfrom talents likeKiefer Sutherland,Julia Roberts, andKevin Bacon. Sutherland delivers a solid, if somewhat hardened, performance that fits well within the film’s tone. Bacon, however, steals the show, making his character feel real and well-rounded.
6’Contagion' (2011)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
“Someone doesn’t have to weaponize the bird flu. The birds are doing that.” InContagion, a deadly virus spreads rapidly across the globe, triggering mass panic, societal breakdown, and a frantic race to find a cure. Sound familiar? The film focuses on multiple characters, including doctors, government officials, and ordinary citizens.Steven Soderbergh’s hyper-realistic portrayal of a pandemic feels chillingly prescient, andContagionreceived renewed attention in the wake of COVID.
The film’s understated style, coupled with an outstanding cast (includingMatt Damon,Gwyneth Paltrow,Laurence Fishburne,Bryan Cranston, andJennifer Ehle), brings screenwriterScott Z. Burns' (The Bourne Ultimatum,The Report) well-researched science to life in a scenario that now feels eerily plausible. It adds up to one of the strongest entries in Soderbergh’s impressive filmography. The movie even had some real-world implications. For example, a UK government official was inspired by Contagion’s scenesshowing a scramble for vaccinesto order more vaccines than advisors recommended.
5’The Good Nurse' (2022)
Directed by Tobias Lindholm
“He’s been killing people for years, and you didn’t even notice.“The Good Nursetells the chilling true storyofCharles Cullen(Eddie Redmayne), a nurse who is suspected of murdering dozens of patients throughout his career. The main character is Amy (Jessica Chastain), a fellow nurse who begins to uncover the truth about her colleague’s dark actions. As the investigation unfolds, Amy is forced to balance her sense of morality with the dangerous implications of exposing the serial killer.
The film conjures a pervasive feeling of uneasewith careful pacing and meticulously framed shots. While the script stumbles a little with wooden dialogue, the leads are talented enough that it doesn’t really matter. Redmayne, in particular, is restrained and believable in his portrayal of a sociopathic monster. Beyond its entertainment value,The Good Nurseis a grim cautionary tale: not everyone we trust in uniform has our best interests at heart.
The Good Nurse
4’The Skin I Live In' (2011)
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
“I can be your best ally or your worst enemy.“From the creative mind ofPedro Almodóvar(Volver,Pain and Glory), this twisted tale focuses on Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), a renowned plastic surgeon who holds a mysterious woman captive while experimenting on her body. The film weaves a disturbing narrative of obsession, revenge, and identity as Ledgard’s unethical medical practices veer from healer to full-blown monster.
Almodóvar fuses influences from filmmakers as varied as Alfred Hitchcock and Luis Buñuel, filtered through his unique perspective.
This project isdarker than Almodóvar’s usual movies but no less stylish, with striking imagery and great use of color. It’s a fusion of melodrama and a nightmarish thriller, heading to some truly bleak and disturbing places.The Skin I Live Inis an arthouse body horror in the best way. Almodóvar fuses influences from filmmakers as varied asAlfred HitchcockandLuis Buñuel, filtered through his unique perspective, adding up to one ofhis most memorable and unsettling projects.
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3’Side Effects' (2013)
“Depression is an inability to construct a future.” Another gem from Steven Soderbergh,Side Effectsrevolves around Emily (Rooney Mara), a woman struggling with depression who begins taking a new prescription drug that leads to unexpected and dangerous consequences. When Emily’s behavior becomes erratic, her psychiatrist, Dr. Banks (Jude Law), becomes entangled in a web of intrigue, malpractice, and murder. As the film unfolds, it revealsdeeper conspiracies involving the pharmaceutical industry and medical ethics.
Soderbergh builds ably upon the strong foundation laid by Burns’s script, mining the premise for both tension and social commentary.He channels Hitchcock,Henri-Georges Clouzot, andBrian De Palma, filling the narrative with everything from sleepwalking murders and electric shock therapy to truth serum and insanity. Somehow, none of it ever feels ridiculous. There are plot twists aplenty and many memorable lines of dialogue, all building up to a satisfying third act. If anything,Side Effectsismore relevant now than it was when it came out.
Side Effects
2’John Q' (2002)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
“My son is dying, and I’m broke. If I don’t qualify for Medicare, who the hell does?“Denzel Washingtonleads the castofJohn Qas the title character, a desperate father who takes an emergency room hostage when his insurance won’t cover his son’s heart transplant. This reckless choice leads to a tense standoff anda critical commentary on a broken healthcare system, kind of like a medical take onDog Day Afternoon. Despite his criminal behavior, one can’t help rooting for John, at least a little.
The narrative occasionally flags and some of the scenes are not especially subtle, but these issues are eclipsed by great work from Washington,Robert Duvall,James Woods,Anne Heche, andRay Liotta. Although the film’s political themes are handled in a somewhat heavy-handed and almost exaggerated manner,John Qthrives on a series of gripping moments, particularly a memorable standoff between Liotta and Duvall’s characters.
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1’Shutter Island' (2010)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
“Which would be worse – to live as a monster or to die as a good man?” When it comes to the best medical thrillers, it’s hard to top this twisty, mind-blowing classic fromMartin Scorsese.Shutter Islandfollows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he investigates the disappearance of a patient from a mental institution located on a remote island. As Teddy delves deeper into the case, he begins to uncover disturbing truths about the hospital’s experiments and his past.
The movie is deeply atmospheric, with gorgeous production design and stunning cinematography courtesy ofRobert Richardson(Hugo,Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). WhileShutter Islandis most remembered for the twist ending, it’s also fantastic in its handling of themes around guilt and responsibility, filled with more food for thought than may be apparent on the first viewing. Scorsese plays the audience like a fiddle here, makingShutter Islandone of his finest thrillers and most entertaining 21st-century movies.
