Best Tamil Thriller Movies

108 films · 42 with 3+ critic reviews

Tautly plotted cat-and-mouse cinema. Malayalam and Tamil filmmakers have made this the most consistently well-reviewed popular genre in the country.

The best Tamil thriller movies, ranked by aggregated critic score.

01PapanasamTamil · 2015“'Papanasam' is a faithful, if not better remake. It's an exhilarating cocktail of family,…” — S. Shiva Kumar

7.5

19 criticsExceptional02VisaranaiTamil · 2016“A powerful, chilling drama about how the System toys with us...” — Baradwaj Rangan

7.2

12 criticsExceptional03Thani OruvanTamil · 2015“Thani Oruvan isn't all that it could have been. If you've wondered why we don't make…” — Baradwaj Rangan

6.6

10 criticsRecommended0424Tamil · 2016“24 is laudable for its attempt to take Indian mainstream cinema a step ahead. The lead…” — Sangeetha Devi Dundoo

6.6

10 criticsRecommended05Yennai Arindhaal...Tamil · 2015“A rushed climax, a problematic organ trafficking angle, a repeated plot device, a…” — Sudhir Srinivasan

6.5

11 criticsRecommended06VidaamuyarchiTamil · 2025“Ajith Kumar’s underplayed performance elevates this offbeat road thriller” — Latha Srinivasan

6.3

10 criticsRecommended07ThoongavanamTamil · 2015“Thoongaavanam is eminently watchable, even if that means keeping awake for a late night…” — Gautaman Bhaskaran

6.2

17 criticsRecommended08Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2Tamil · 2025“Where Veera Dheera Sooran stands out, for the most part, is how information is withheld…” — Bhuvanesh Chandar

6.2

7 criticsRecommended09Demonte ColonyTamil · 2015“Toting up, Demonte Colony made by talented technicians is worth a watch when you want to…” — Behindwoods Review Board

6.0

5 criticsRecommended10BlastTamil · 2026“In a different film, where more ingenious ideas are spring-loaded for mass elevations,…” — Bhuvanesh Chandar

6.0

7 criticsRecommended11MaharajaTamil · 2024“Vijay Sethupathi shines in a realistic portrayal of Maharaja, while Anurag Kashyap…” — Latha Srinivasan

5.9

12 criticsMixed12SethupathiTamil · 2016“Sethupathi is one of those films with a second half so good that you are willing to…” — Vishal Menon

5.9

10 criticsMixed13Enna VilaiTamil · 2026“A promising premise and a reliable Karunas are let down by clumsy staging and a bloated,…” — Vishal Menon

5.9

5 criticsMixed14Demonte Colony 2Tamil · 2024“Demonte Colony 2 is arguably one of the most compelling sequels to come out in Tamil…” — The Times Of India

5.8

4 criticsMixed15Naaigal JaakirathaiTamil · 2014“However, despite these inspirations, there are quite a few genuinely enjoyable moments in…” — Sudhir Srinivasan

5.7

11 criticsMixed16KaraTamil · 2026“What Kara promises in the first 10 minutes is a grand cat-and-mouse game between a…” — Srinivasa Ramanujam

5.6

13 criticsMixed17RaayanTamil · 2024“Dhanush's directorial totally packs a punch. AR Rahman delivers a brilliant background…” — Latha Srinivasan

5.6

9 criticsMixed18PhotographerTamil · 2026“Ashraf clearly trusts the spell he's casting; a little less faith and a little more…” — The Times Of India

5.6

4 criticsMixed19RaTamil · 2014“Ra also shows good production values (especially in its VFX), and that's more than you…” — Sudhir Srinivasan

5.6

4 criticsMixed20MadharaasiTamil · 2025“Madharaasi, thankfully, comes as a saving grace, showing how impactful action can be when…” — Bhuvanesh Chandar

5.5

9 criticsMixed21MaarganTamil · 2025“Despite such wild ideas in the mix, Leo John Paul's Maargan impressively brings it all…” — Bhuvanesh Chandar

5.5

6 criticsMixed22UrumeenTamil · 2015“Urumeen doesn't have much by way of laughs. It doesn't need any. The way-over-the-top…” — Baradwaj Rangan

5.4

8 criticsMixed23Thirudan PoliceTamil · 2014“As you walk out, you can't but wonder if the director, after noting all the laughter at…” — Sudhir Srinivasan

5.4

6 criticsMixed24Aarathu SinamTamil · 2016“Characters come and go – a journalist who doesn't believe in research, a cop who doubts…” — Baradwaj Rangan

5.4

7 criticsMixed25MiruthanTamil · 2016“That's native, organic humour, but there isn't a lot of that in Miruthan, which suffers…” — Sudhir Srinivasan

5.3

10 criticsMixed26Vai Raja VaiTamil · 2015“With Vai Raja Vai, Aishwaryaa has gone unapologetically commercial and this time, her…” — Vishal Menon

5.3

7 criticsMixed27StephenTamil · 2025“Stephen spends much of its two-hour runtime appearing as a run-of-the-mill psychopath…” — Bhuvanesh Chandar

5.3

6 criticsMixed28ElevenTamil · 2025“This Naveen Chandra thriller tries to be different but ends up odd.” — Jayabhuvaneshwari B

5.3

3 criticsMixed29TestTamil · 2025“R Madhavan, Siddharth and Nayanthara are match-winners, but the story fails to clear the…” — Latha Srinivasan

5.2

12 criticsMixed30MaareesanTamil · 2025“Maareesan explores the aspect of dementia in good measure by taking up a protagonist who…” — Srinivasa Ramanujam

5.2

5 criticsMixed31ImmortalTamil · 2026“There is always something refreshing about a horror film that knows how to entertain…” — Akshay Kumar

5.0

3 criticsMixed32KanguvaTamil · 2024“Kanguva becomes a textbook example of how a riveting tale can get lost in translation due…” — Gopinath Rajendran

4.9

14 criticsMixed33VedalamTamil · 2015“The time-tested I'll-abduct-your-close-ones method was after all used in a film like Run,…” — Sudhir Srinivasan

4.8

12 criticsMixed34KanithanTamil · 2016“Like so many Tamil films, Kanithan begins with a fantastic idea and story, but Santosh…” — Gautaman Bhaskaran

4.8

10 criticsMixed35GethuTamil · 2016“But Gethu is definitely a welcome relief for those of us who wondered how long…” — Sudhir Srinivasan

4.8

7 criticsMixed36MasssTamil · 2015“Tamil cinema has been talked about because of its ability to present novel themes, but…” — Gautaman Bhaskaran

4.8

7 criticsMixed37The Greatest of All TimeTamil · 2024“The Greatest of All Time’aka Vijay’s The GOAT is nothing but passable and boring. Venkat…” — Arun Antony

4.8

4 criticsMixed38AaryanTamil · 2025“While the film has an interesting premise, it falters in its execution and skewed…” — Janani K.

4.8

4 criticsMixed39AnjaanTamil · 2014“Weak script, too much attention on Suriya spoils Anjaan...” — Hindustan Times

4.7

10 criticsMixed40Sardar 2Tamil · 2026“If only the second half had reached such heights, Sardar 2 could have become one of the…” — Bhuvanesh Chandar

4.4

16 criticsUnfavorable41MagudamTamil · 2026“If you haven't caught the drift yet, this three-hour-long gangster saga is a terribly…” — Bhuvanesh Chandar

4.4

9 criticsUnfavorable42YaanTamil · 2014“It is high time that filmmakers recognise the fact that packing a two-hour film merely…” — Udhav Naig

4.1

11 criticsUnfavorable

See all 108 Tamil thriller films →

Recent Tamil Thriller releases

5.9

Enna Vilai

5 critics

4.4

Sardar 2

16 critics

5.0

Immortal

3 critics

4.4

Magudam

9 critics

5.6

Photographer

4 critics

6.0

Blast

7 critics

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