Of all the many reboots currently in production or post-production, few are as exciting as John Wick director Chad Stahelski‘s Highlander reboot. Following in the footsteps of the 1986 film of the same name, starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery, Stahelski will be looking to pack action and tension into this beloved fantasy tale, and will do so with a star-studded cast, who have been seen in action in recent first-look photos from behind the scenes.

Henry Cavill will star as Connor MacLeod alongside Academy Award winner Russell Crowe as Ramirez, with the pair joined by the star-studded ensemble of Dave Bautista (The Wrecking Crew), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), Jeremy Irons (Batman v Superman), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond), Marisa Abela (Industry), and more. Directed by Stahelski and written by Kerry Williamson and Mike Finch, the movie will be released by Amazon MGM Studios and is reported to have an eye-catching production budget of roughly $180 million.

The stage is set for yet another exciting action flick from Cavill, in the shadow of his stint as Superman and other big-budget projects. To get in the mood for the Highlander reboot, fans have been heading back to one of the actor’s lesser-spotted actioners, and one of his biggest flops ever. Released in 2019, the Canadian action thriller Night Hunter by writer/director David Raymond stars Cavill alongside the likes of Ben Kingsley, Alexandra Daddario, and Stanley Tucci. Sadly, despite boasting an undeniably talented cast, the movie flopped in spectacular fashion, scoring less than $1 million in a limited theatrical release and a dismal 14% score from critics on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

‘Night Hunter’ Is Surprising the Streaming Charts

Such poor reviews will usually harm the reputation of movies, but streaming often provides a place for solace. Eight years after its poor commercial and critical reception, Night Hunter is redeeming itself on global streaming. At the time of writing, the movie is one of the ten most-streamed titles on Paramount+ in the world, going toe-to-toe with some of the most exciting options on the streamer, including the zombie apocalypse flick World War Z, Glen Powell‘s 2025 remake of The Running Man, and even Ridley Scott‘s long-awaited legacy sequel Gladiator II.

You can stream Night Hunter on Paramount+ now. For all the latest streaming stories, make sure to stay tuned to Collider.

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Release Date

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August 29, 2019

Runtime

95 minutes

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Writers

David Raymond

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Kevin Scott Frakes, Nadine de Barros, Larry Harding, Nasrat Muzayyin, Zorin Finkelsen, Francesca Dutton, James Lancaster, Mitesh Parikh, Niraj Parikh, Gaurav Talwar, Pulak Parikh, Rob Wood, Mark Catton, Rick Dugdale, Sundip K. Bhundia, Steven Ashley, Peter Aitken, James Milligan, Chris Pettit, Alastair Burlingham, Buddy Patrick, Robert Ogden Barnum, Dave Hansen, Tony Parker

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The 1990s brought forth a new wave of provocative, introspective, cutting-edge dystopian sci-fi features, and the sci-fi thriller Gattaca perfectly encapsulates the era. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol and boasting an all-star cast, Gattaca explores a society where humanity mastered genetic manipulation, dividing humans into two classes: the genetically engineered with what are viewed as the best genetic traits through natural selection (the “valids”), and the naturally born who are more susceptible to genetic defects, called the “in-valids.” Gattaca depicts a unique vision of the future by examining the potential dangers of genetic manipulation, along with the indomitable human spirit exceeding analytical potential.

‘Gattaca’ Brilliantly Portrays the Dangers of Eugenics

Niccol’s script for Gattaca brilliantly explores the dangers of a society overly reliant on eugenics and genetic manipulation. Geneticists have mastered artificial birth, and children are genetically designed to be born with superior, preferable genetic traits. Unfortunately, the practice causes discrimination and a class divide, as the naturally born in-valids are depicted as a lower class and not afforded the same privileges and opportunities as the genetically superior valids. Gattaca intriguingly shines a light on scientific breakthroughs occurring throughout the era.

In the 1990s, the Human Genome Project launched to map, identify, and sequence all the genes of human DNA and decipher humanity’s genetic code. 1996 also saw the creation of Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal that was artificially cloned through an adult somatic cell. Gattaca presents a dystopian vision of the future with these ideas taken to an extreme conclusion. Humanity’s supposed mastery over eugenics favors those with the stronger genetic traits, and the in-valids are considered inferior and forced into menial labor. Meanwhile, the valids are treated among society’s elites and allowed to participate in space travel, which brings the plot to protagonist Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), who dreams of traveling to space.

The Sharp Sci-Fi ‘Gattaca’ Features an All-Star Cast

Gattaca features a stunning cast, showcasing the talents of many impressive Hollywood veterans. Ethan Hawke leads the visionary feature as Vincent Freeman, who was born through a natural birth. However, his projected lifespan is only about 30 years old. Unfortunately, Vincent’s status as an in-valid excludes him from achieving a higher status in society and fulfilling his dream of space travel. Vincent commits a type of fraud, posing as a valid, using the genetic material and identity provided by Jerome Eugene Morrow (Jude Law), a paraplegic valid who was paralyzed in a car accident. However, a murder committed at the Gattaca Aeronautical Corporation falsely implicates Vincent when his genetic material is found at the scene of the crime, and the walls begin to close in around him.

Hawke and Law deliver incredible performances, infusing their roles with a melancholic energy. Hawke brilliantly showcases Vincent’s desperation and unbreakable spirit to fulfill his dream. Meanwhile, Law brings a tragic sadness to his character, especially when it’s revealed how he became paralyzed later in the movie. Vincent eventually meets and falls in love with his co-worker, Irene Cassini, portrayed by Uma Thurman. Thurman is terrific as a valid citizen with a high risk of a heart defect, which excludes her from being assigned to a space travel mission. Her chemistry with her future husband, Hawke, is electric.

The movie also features familiar faces up and down the cast, including Alan Arkin and Loren Dean as a detective duo investigating the murder at Vincent’s workplace. Ernest Borgnine, Tony Shalhoub, Xander Berkeley, Elias Koteas, Blair Underwood, and the award-winning author Gore Vidal also appear in the movie in notable supporting roles and enhance the world’s immersion.

‘Gattaca’ Is Intellectual Sci-Fi Done Right

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Although Gattaca was not a huge success upon its release, it has aged remarkably in the nearly three decades since its original release. It’s a thinking person’s sci-fi movie, with a unique dystopian setting that looks real, grounded, and authentic. The world of Gattaca is very tactile and focused on DNA analysis, where surveillance comes through genetic material, like hair follicles, eyelashes, and fingerprints. Essentially, genetic material has become a type of currency and contraband in the world of Gattaca.

Niccol also demonstrates that, despite society’s ability to achieve control over eugenics and society being partial to artificial birth, it’s the valids who suffer the most from their predetermined genetic fatalism and are more subject to criminal outbursts. Meanwhile, it is Vincent who exceeds his genetic potential, despite his physical ailments and defects. Gattaca exceptionally depicts how, even with the advances in genetic sequencing and manipulation, science still cannot measure traits such as the capacity of free will and the triumph of the human spirit. Despite the plot’s melancholy style, Gattaca ultimately presents an uplifting underdog story arc for Vincent in an incredibly bleak, dystopic setting, elevating the movie into a must-watch sci-fi feature worth revisiting.

Kit Harington admitted it was “gross” to film sex scenes with Sophie Turner for their horror movie The Dreadful given their past on Game of Thrones.

“It was weird,” Harington, 39, confessed in a recent interview with fellow Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage for CNN’s Actors on Actors.

Harington and Turner, 30, essentially grew up together on the set of Game of Thrones, in which they played Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, respectively. For most of the show’s run, Jon and Sansa believed they were siblings before it came out that they were actually first cousins.

Still, the pair’s bond on and off the Game of Thrones set made it awkward when Turner asked Harington to play her lover in The Dreadful. (Turner produced and starred in the gothic horror film, in which Harington portrayed a sinister stranger who reemerged in the lives of Anne and her mother-in-law Morwen.)

Related: Sophie Turner Jokes She Got Her Sex Education on ‘Game of Thrones’

For Sophie Turner, Game of Thrones wasn’t just a job — it was an education. The British actress, 29, was just 13 years old when she was cast as Sansa Stark on the hit HBO fantasy drama, so naturally she learned a lot of life lessons on set, including, she jokes, “more than enough” about sex. […]

“She sent me the script and I said, ‘Sophie, there’s a lot of us getting it on,’” Harington revealed. “She hadn’t seen that. She just said, ‘Yeah, Kit would be good for this part.”

Harington initially had doubts about accepting the role in The Dreadful because he’s “known [Turner] since she was a child” and considers her like “a younger sister.”

“We did it. It was gross but it was fine,” he insisted. “She’s an amazing actor. I know we all know that but she was a child when she [started on Game of Thrones]. She is phenomenal!”

Turner revealed during an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers last year that she was equally horrified by the thought of shooting love scenes with Turner.

“I’d just got the script for this amazing gothic horror called The Dreadful, and I was reading through all the characters,” she explained to host Seth Meyers. “And I’m producing it, so the director was asking me, ‘Who do you think?’ And immediately, the first person I thought of was Kit.”

She went on, “So, I sent the script to Kit, and he kind of sent me a message back going like, ‘Yeah, I’d love to, but this is going to be really f***ing weird, Soph.’ And I was like, what is he talking about? Then I was reading it, and I’m like, ‘Kiss, kiss, sex, kiss, sex scene.’ And then I’m like, oh shoot, that’s my brother. But it’s such a good script that he’s like, ‘We kind of have to do it.’”

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Related: Celebs Get Real About Sex Scenes: Awkward Moments, Arousal, and More

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When it comes to filming sex scenes for TV shows and movies, actors have had a variety of good and bad experiences. Intimacy coordinator Brooke M. Haney previously opened up to Us Weekly about how filming steamy scenes between actors goes down on set. Contrary to what some fans may think, Haney said that it […]

Turner joked that the great script for The Dreadful didn’t make filming the love scenes any less awkward.

“We put it out of our minds, and then we get on set, and it’s the first kissing scene,” she recalled. “And we are both retching, like really, it is vile. It was the worst, another really bad moment in my career.”

The Dreadful was released in February.

Christian Bale has long been a powerhouse in entertainment, from his unnerving role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho to the Caped Crusader himself in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. Batman hung up his cowl in 2012 after The Dark Knight Rises, but that wasn’t the end for Bale. Pretty soon after, the performer delivered a gripping performance in a forgotten thriller that deserves a second chance.

Out of the Furnace is a character-driven crime thriller with an all-star cast difficult to beat. Bale stars in the drama as Russell Baze, a steelworker in the rural part of Pennsylvania that may be familiar to Mare of Easttown fans. Russell is a working-class man who struggles to support his veteran brother, Rodney (Casey Affleck), after he becomes indebted to a local bookie. This starts a cataclysm of events that culminates in a violent revenge plot where there are no winners.

‘Out of the Furnace’ Is Elevated By an All-Star Cast

Out of the Furnace is a haunting story that, in the hands of the impressive ensemble cast, is truly great. Christian Bale carries the worries of his character Russell with grace, while Casey Affleck, as the troubled brother Rodney, is hard to look away from. The Baze brothers, however, are just a small part of the captivating characters. Woody Harrelson steals the show as Harlan DeGroat, the vicious antagonist of the story.

Desperate for money and unable to function at a 9-to-5 job, Rodney enters the world of underground fighting, further digging himself in deeper with a brutal drug dealer from New Jersey. Harrelson disappears completely into the role, becoming a terrifying villain who starts the story by abusing a woman and only gets worse from there. He is truly unredemptive, which is the linchpin of the rest of the narrative.

Russell dives headlong into vengeance after Harlan destroys his family, which may resonate with fans of Batman. Bale brings the same savage energy he had in his work in The Dark Knight trilogy in an even more realistic fashion. Russell’s desperation and grief are palpable, as are the stakes of the world. This small town is a place where not many people are allowed to get ahead. Rodney has to resort to back-alley fighting to make a living, while Russell’s own life falls apart because of a cruel twist of fate.

These characters have to subsist on nothing and still try to scrape by. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the movie was originally a spec script by Brad Ingelsby, now known for his many vivid characters based in Delaware County. Ingelsby created Mare of Easttown and Task, both crime thrillers that deal with the specificities of what it is to live in that location. Out of the Furnace is equally specific, just on a shorter timeline.

The grim drama was a perfect first project after Bale’s tenure as Gotham’s protector. His range is evident in this story as Russell commits to some of the worst choices anyone could make. A tragic character portrait, it is a surprise that the star-studded film didn’t get more play the first time around. Now fans can see it to their heart’s content, streaming on Prime Video.

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Release Date

December 6, 2013

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116minutes

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Glen Powell‘s face will soon lead yet another sci-fi movie, as he joins forces with a veteran director in the genre for a hotly anticipated, big-budget theatrical spectacle. The film in question is The Great Beyond, directed by J.J. Abrams, which is set to star Wednesday favorite Jenna Ortega, Emma Mackey (Sex Education), and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) alongside Powell. “I wanted it to be big and something that generations of different people can all go to the theater to see,” Abrams promised in an interview at CinemaCon, with excitement for the November 2026 release continuing to build.

Before Powell’s latest sci-fi effort hits theaters — and prior to his work in Judd Apatow‘s next comedy, The Comeback King — his 2025 sci-fi adaptation of a Stephen King favorite continues to dominate streaming. Of course, we’re talking about The Running Man, featuring Powell alongside a star-studded cast including Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, and more. The second adaptation of King’s 1982 novel, following the 1987 effort directed by Paul Michael Glaser, 2025’s The Running Man sadly failed to capture the magic of the source material either critically or commercially.

Falling to mediocre reviews, despite the best efforts of talented director Edgar Wright, The Running Man was also a box office disaster, earning just $68.5 million worldwide against a bloated production budget of $110 million. Thankfully, the film has since redeemed itself on streaming, becoming a favorite on Paramount+, where it ranks as one of the top ten movies in the U.S., at the time of writing. The current chart-topper on the streaming site is Scream 7, the 2026 horror sequel that frightened its way to over $200 million at the box office.

Another 2025 Stephen King Adaptation Is Popular on Streaming

The Running Man isn’t the only recent King adaptation proving popular on American streaming. Whilst Paramount+ subscribers indulge in that sci-fi adventure, Starz users are propelling the most-acclaimed King adaptation of 2025 into the streaming top ten. Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence‘s The Long Walk, based on King’s 1979 novel of the same name, stars Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, and debuted in September last year. Earning widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences, the movie earned a respectable $63 million worldwide, against a reported production budget of $20 million.

The Running Man is currently available to stream on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.

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Release Date

November 11, 2025

Runtime

133 minutes

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Director

Edgar Wright

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Writers

Michael Bacall, Edgar Wright

Producers

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Nira Park, Simon Kinberg, Edgar Wright

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It’s been four years since the conspiracy thriller series The Capture was last on our screens, and since then, there have been rapid advancements in the technologies the show focuses on. When it was first released in 2019, AI deepfakes were still an emerging technology, so the way The Capture paired a crime thriller with the underbelly of the digital era felt novel. It took another three years for the second season to air, in which the political implications of deepfakes and surveillance were ramped up with the evolution of AI. Now, four years later, Season 3 is bound to grow bigger and hit harder, so there’s no better time to catch up with The Capture in preparation for June 18, when this alarmingly timely show returns on Peacock in the U.S.

‘The Capture’ Plunges Viewers Into the Terrors of the Digital Age

The Capture‘s first season kicks off with a crime that may or may not have occurred, depending on how much you trust the live video footage. DI Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) investigates the assault and kidnapping of lawyer Hannah Roberts (Laura Haddock), and a CCTV camera that captured the entire scene points to Corporal Emery (Callum Turner) as the perpetrator. The thing is, not only is there plenty of evidence that Emery is innocent, but also that the video is a terrifyingly convincing deepfake, tossing the viewer into the uncertain waters of conspiracy and betrayal. This continues into Season 2, where the use of deepfakes expands from framing innocent people to manipulating the public.

The Capture‘s premise already feels very Black Mirror-esque, but the show is a uniquely invigorating entry in the thriller genre. With a plot that is meticulously mapped and swiftly paced, the series remains an engaging narrative on a personal level for its characters while still connecting to the larger implications of surveillance and AI. Ironically enough, this conspiracy thriller barely leaves the viewer time to form their own theories, as the plot sets up and lands twists and revelations with a startling precision. As such, the audience is simply tossed into the deep end and carried away by the current of mind-boggling deceptions and high-stakes political maneuvers, while still feeling the acute sense of danger that defines a thriller.

The Capture‘s tech-horror can be deeply outrageous in its portrayal, almost dystopian in the sheer magnitude of how deepfakes and surveillance can be weaponized against the public, but it is this quality that also makes the series alarmingly relevant. There’s a chilling horror in watching footage being doctored in real-time, where the words on live footage are dissonant with the words actually coming out of someone’s mouth. This digital threat hangs heavy in the air, constantly evolving in ways neither the audience nor the characters can keep up with.

‘The Capture’ Questions Technology Through Compelling Characters

Alongside simply reflecting technology’s most dangerous aspects, The Capture raises ethical dilemmas about how law enforcement employs it in the name of justice and service. It questions the line between protection and invasion, as well as commitment to justice versus individual autonomy. Grainger’s Carey becomes the anchor that sifts through these questions, with her own grit, determination, and slight paranoia making her a lead we are happy to follow, yet she also has to confront and take accountability for her own role in this dynamic between the police and the public. On the other side in Season 1 is Turner’s Emery, a layered and flawed antagonist who complicates the line even further, while Season 2 gives us an idealistic politician (Paapa Essiedu) whose morals are tested in this AI-plagued society.

With The Capture‘s return just around the corner, now is the time to submerge yourself in a world that feels just as dystopian as it is hyperrealistic. While the show constructs its dramatic vision of the modern age, the humanly flawed characters and the rapidly-moving plot will sweep you away into larger conspiracies that are impossible to tear your eyes from. It makes for the perfect weekend binge, one that will make you second-guess every picture, video, or livestream you see on a screen from that moment on.

Some films are so fun and surprising that you’re almost certain they’re going to be a sensation with audiences as well as critics — especially if it’s connected to an already beloved IP that’s long been in need of a good adaptation. One key example of this had a great cast and a pair of directors who are sharp as a tack. What could go wrong? Sadly, everything.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is streaming for free on Pluto this month, giving viewers a chance to catch up with the 2023 movie, which will now only be successful on streaming. Based on the iconic tabletop role-playing game, the film follows charming thief Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) and a ragtag crew who set out to retrieve a lost relic, only to get pulled into a much bigger magical mess.

The ensemble cast also includes Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious) as Holga Kilgore, Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton) as Xenk Yendar, Justice Smith (Pokémon Detective Pikachu) as Simon Aumar, Sophia Lillis (It) as Doric, Hugh Grant (Paddington 2) as Forge Fitzwilliam, Daisy Head (Shadow and Bone) as Sofina, and Chloe Coleman (My Spy) as Kira Darvis.

Was ‘Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ Successful?

Tragically, this one was a total flop in terms of financial return, which was a terrible shame because of how charming and funny it is. It opened strongly with about $37–38.5 million domestically and topped the box office in its first weekend, beating John Wick: Chapter 4 in North America, but the big issue was the budget, because it reportedly cost around $150 million, and it only took in $208 million worldwide. Once marketing and distribution costs are factored in, that means disaster.

Critically, though, it did extremely well. Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus calls it an “infectiously good-spirited comedy with a solid emotional core,” and it sits in the low 90s with critics. Collider’s Carly Lane gave it a B+ in her highly positive review, praising directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Game Night), who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Michael Gilio, for how they let their affection for the game shine through, as well as the performances of the stars, particularly Page.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is streaming for free on Pluto this month.

The thriller genre has come a long way from simply making the audience question what comes next. There’s no denying that suspense and shocking twists are still important to a great thriller story, but tension alone isn’t enough. Modern thrillers are striking a chord with the audience because they aren’t afraid to explore the depths of fear, obsession, morality, and the darker sides of human nature.

Of course, this evolution didn’t happen overnight. Over the years, a handful of groundbreaking series pushed the genre into new territory and reinvented it through layered, character-driven storytelling. Here is a list of six such shows that have helped shape the thriller genre into what it is today.

1

‘Twin Peaks’ (1990–1991)

Image via ABC

Without Twin Peaks, thriller television would probably look very different today. Before the show set an entirely new benchmark for the genre, thriller shows were generally pretty straightforward, where the audience would follow investigators as they gathered clues to solve a crime, and every episode ended with a clear resolution. However, David Lynch and Mark Frost completely disrupted that formula. Twin Peaks begins with the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), which leads FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) to the small town of Twin Peaks. The murder investigation immediately takes a turn as Cooper uncovers secrets hidden beneath the town’s seemingly peaceful surface. Almost every resident here has something to hide, and each new revelation only deepens the mystery surrounding Laura’s death.

The show constantly shifts between crime drama, psychological thriller, dark comedy, soap opera, and supernatural horror without ever feeling disjointed. This kind of tonal blending was almost unheard of on television at the time and constantly kept the audience on the edge of their seats. Instead of just focusing on who killed Laura, Twin Peaks explores the slow unraveling of a community built on lies. The narrative introduces strange dreams, cryptic clues, unsettling visions, and forces that are beyond explanation. It practically forces the audience to follow along without ever fully receiving any definitive answers. In fact, Twin Peaks is still influencing thriller TV to embrace ambiguity and long-running mysteries. Few series have had a greater impact on the evolution of the thriller genre, which is why Twin Peaks remains essential viewing even over three decades later.

2

‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)

Image via Netflix

Mindhunter is far from the average crime thriller because the show actually focuses on understanding criminals, rather than just catching them. The series is set in the late 1970s and follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) alongside psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), as they begin interviewing imprisoned serial killers in an attempt to figure out how these offenders think and why they commit such horrific acts. In many ways, Mindhunter serves as the origin story of criminal profiling and shows how the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit developed techniques that would eventually transform modern homicide investigations forever.

Holden, Bill, and Wendy travel across the country speaking to notorious killers, based on real-life criminals including Edmund Kemper, Jerry Brudos, and Charles Manson. These conversations give the show its sense of tension because every meeting feels like a psychological chess match, with the agents trying to extract information without being manipulated in return. Mindhunter transformed the seemingly simple process of interviewing people into one of the most suspenseful premises ever aired on TV. The series proved that getting to know a killer could be just as gripping as hunting one down. The show’s emotional depth and commitment to realism redefined what thriller television could be.

3

‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)

Image via AMC

Breaking Bad is one of the clearest examples of how to keep audiences hooked for years without ever losing momentum. The series follows high school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston), who learns he has terminal cancer. In a desperate attempt to secure his family’s financial future, Walter teams up with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to produce and sell methamphetamine. The plan is initially only supposed to be temporary, but soon enough, Walter finds himself pulled deeper into the criminal underworld. The show’s five seasons follow Walter dealing with ruthless drug dealers, violent cartels, and increasingly dangerous situations.

All of this pushes Walter further from the man he used to be until he becomes one of the most feared figures in the drug trade. Every choice Walter makes brings him closer to the power and control he secretly craves. This transformation is the reason Breaking Bad became such a compelling thriller. Rather than relying on mysteries or twists alone, the show built suspense around character decisions and consequences. The show turned its main character’s moral decline into the source of its tension and set a standard for long-form storytelling that hasn’t been matched to this day.

4

‘Broadchurch’ (2013–2017)

Image via ITV

Broadchurch is a no-frills thriller that strips the genre to its essentials. The show opens with the body of an 11-year-old boy being discovered on a beach in the small coastal town of Broadchurch. Detectives Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) are assigned to investigate the case. However, instead of a straightforward murder investigation, they discover secrets hidden throughout the community that place almost every resident under suspicion. As the detectives follow new leads, friendships begin to fracture, and families turn against one another.

Through this premise, Broadchurch explores the emotional fallout of a crime like this and gives as much weight to the victim’s family as it does to the investigation. Every episode peels away another layer of the mystery and forces both the detectives and the audience to reconsider what came before. Broadchurch builds suspense through constant uncertainty, and this approach is exactly why the show became so influential. The series combines a gripping whodunit premise with an extremely realistic portrayal of grief, and in doing so, it became a blueprint for many prestige thriller shows that followed.

5

‘24’ (2001–2010)

Image via FOX

24 completely changed television in general by introducing a concept that felt revolutionary at the time. Each season of the show follows counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) over the course of a single day, with every episode representing one hour in real time. This pacing gave the show a level of urgency that few thrillers had ever achieved back then. Jack is constantly forced to make impossible decisions as he deals with terrorist attacks, political conspiracies, assassinations, hostage situations, and more, with almost no time to think.

Every hour raises the stakes, and this relentless escalation became one of the show’s defining strengths. Not just that, but 24 also popularized the serialized thriller format that dominates TV today. The show premiered when most network dramas were still largely episodic. Its continuous, high-stakes storytelling demanded that the viewers keep watching and created a level of weekly suspense that turned every episode into an event of its own. Many other shows have tried to replicate 24’s intensity, but almost none have managed to do justice to it.

6

‘Lost’ (2004–2010)

Image via ABC

Lost not only redefined thriller TV but also became a cultural phenomenon thanks to its immersive storytelling. The series begins after Oceanic Flight 815 crashes on a mysterious island and dozens of survivors are left stranded. Initially, the narrative unfolds like a typical survival story as the passengers search for food, shelter, and a way to escape. However, it quickly becomes clear that the island is hiding secrets of its own. Soon enough, the characters start spotting strange creatures roaming the jungle, discover mysterious hatches buried underground, and encounter a group known as the Others, who seem to know far more about the island than anyone else. The mystery only expands as the seasons progress.

The show uses flashbacks and flash-forwards to reveal how nearly every survivor on the island was connected way before the crash. At the same time, though, every discovery raises several more questions to deliver a compelling narrative that kept evolving in new ways for the show’s entire run. Lost combines a nail-biting mystery with a character drama about the people it follows, and somehow manages to keep expanding its mythology without ever feeling inaccessible. However, what makes the show so important is the way it transformed television into a communal experience. Every new clue, theory, and revelation sparked endless discussion between episodes. The show turned viewers into active participants who would analyze every clue and theory online while waiting for the next episode to air. Given all this, it’s evident that modern prestige TV owes a lot to Lost.

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Lost

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Release Date

2004 – 2010-00-00

Showrunner

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Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse

Directors

Jack Bender, Paul A. Edwards, Tucker Gates, Eric Laneuville, Bobby Roth, Greg Yaitanes, Daniel Attias, J.J. Abrams, Karen Gaviola, Kevin Hooks, Rod Holcomb, Stephen Semel, Adam Davidson, Alan Taylor, David Grossman, Deran Sarafian, Fred Toye, Mario Van Peebles, Marita Grabiak, Mark Goldman, Matt Earl Beesley, Michael Zinberg, Paris Barclay, Robert Mandel

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